Should I Let My Ducks Out?

[Junkybird]

I have two Mallards (one duck, one drake) that I keep in our pen with 6 guineas and 15 chickens. I would like to start letting the chickens out of the pen to help till up the garden. (Not the guineas because they are still to young. I don't think they have been penned up long enough to come back. That's another post)

Anyway, if I let the ducks out, will they come back to the coop at night like the chickens do to roost? We've had the ducks since they were about 10 days old. They were leftover Easter ducks at the farm supply. In the pen, they fly around some. Could they actually fly away and not come back? I've read a lot about them not being about to fly, but they sure do in the pen.

I'm concerned about them going off to find a huge pond or something. The grass is always greener . . . I supply them with a small tub, but it's not much.

I only want to let everybody out for a few hours near the end of the day. The guineas will eventually be let out all the time through a small hatch door at the top of the pen. They will be able to come and go as they please.

 

[One Acre Wonder Farm]

I waited a while before letting my ducks out, I was afraid I wouldn't be able to get them back in either. But they did well, didn't wander far and were very easy to herd back into their enclosure. They eat so much less bagged food now, and their pen stays TONS cleaner! Not sure what variety of duck you have? Mallards? If so it is possible that they could flay away. Perhaps you could clip their wings if you are worried.

 

[Goat_Walker]

Are the ducks used to the chickens? when I started I let my two adult ducks out first to free range. They stayed around the pen and soon I was able to let them all out. If your ducks are used to the chickens they might stay with the "flock" , but then again ive never integrated them before.

 

[Junkybird]

Yes, the ducks are very used to the chickens. I did let a few chickens out yesterday. A few hours before sunset. I had a hard time getting them back into the pen. I didn't wait until sunset though. I "feel" like if I had waited until the sunset, they would have cooped themselves.
I might wait a bit to experiment.

 

[LuvOurChix]

Hi! I'm new to the site

I am curious how your ducks are doing now? We also got 3 Mallards beginning of May from TSC. Since that time, I have given one of my 2 females to my niece (she had 2 males and 1 female and I had 2 females and one male). I have the other two. They have their own fenced in pen including a small pond, and a small rubbermaid pool. I open their gate during the day and let them free range around the place.

We have about 2 acres they can roam around on, and since we live in the country, there are many natural and man made ponds around us and lots of land, but mine fly if they get spooked or just want to stretch their wings, but they always do a nice little crash landing and come back.

The one I gave to my neice has since taught hers how to fly, but they do the same thing.

I have not had any issues with them taking off and not coming back.

The only issue we have is they don't want to be locked up at night and they really don't like the new baby chickens we have - they like to go up to the baby chicks pen and hiss at the babies.

Have yours stuck around?

BTW - we clipped one wing on each of my nieces - and I don't think we clipped short enough because they still fly - but they don't leave the property.

 

[Junkybird]

Well, I have yet to let them out yet. I'm too scared! We don't have a wonderful water source for them, so I am scared that they will fly off to some pond or something. The water tub that we supply them with is lacking, at best. I really want to rig up a kiddie pool with a drain in it so I can drain it and fill it back easily.

 

[bufforp89]

I have 9 khaki campbells that can fly and they free range every day. In the evenings when I go to feed I just herd them into their smaller pen thats attached to their house and they put themselfs to bed. They really do stay around even though they have 6 acres to forage.

 

[kcardella]

I have been letting my ducks out to free range since they were 2 months old, and they hang around the house or chicken coop; they are never out of site of the house. Actually, they tend to come up and sleep by the back door!

When it starts to get dark, they head right down to the chicken coop along with the guineas (who wander ALL over the place).