The Duck Thread

[Miss Lydia]

glad we're not the only ones who have ducks who aren't taking advantage of their giant pond haha
it's our first time raising ducks and my boyfriend built them the most incredible floating duck house, but as soon as we let them out in the morning, they float right to shore and stay there all day.

Any one who has a pond in the ground needs to check for snapping turtles they prey on ducks and ducklings also goslings. It looks like a beautiful place. Another thing ducks swimming out in the open are easy prey for flying preds too.

 

[Welshies]

P.S Do ducks lay eggs all year long?

Depends on the breed. The slowest egg layers are Mallards and Exhibition Rouens (the ones with deep keels). They lay 35-100 eggs/year and lay in the spring and fall, sometimes in the summer too.
Many breeds are seasonal layers, laying spring, summer, and fall.
A few lay year round, like Khakis, Welsh Harlequins.
If you have cold winters and want eggs throughout the winter, they need to have light 14-16 hours per day, for top production. I don;'t recommend this, as your ducks sometimes get 'tired' and they might not lay as long into their life.
All ducks stop laying when broody, molting, stressed, or unhealthy/unhappy.

sorry I forgot I was on page 1. Oops

 

[Welshies]

I free range but still inside a fenced in half acre. Are you talking about letting them free range with out fencing unsupervised? I could never do that here too many preds. Including the domesticated dogs that wander through occasionally Sometimes i do let them out for a while when I can sit and watch them. I think grass and dandelions can provide some nutrients but bugs for protein will be the bulk of it most likely.

Well, I would put the duck tractor (too small of a run space) inside a three sided horse shelter. Then I'd fence that, probably around 200sqft total. Whenever I was around, they would free range outside of the fence. The fence wouldn't be a premium fence, just enough to contain them and deter nervous preds. ( All preds here are nervous during the day. The ones that threaten my ducks are eagles, cats, foxes, coyotes. Cougars, bears, hawks, wolves, dogs would not be an issue. Too much human activity as well as the fact that my dog hangs around the duck coop with me when I'm there so that would also become her 'territory'. Hawks wouldn't threaten 9 pound ducks, only the ducklings, which will be brooded inside the tractor.)
Or, they can stay in the duck tractor and free range without a fence unsupervised.

 

[Welshies]

Well, I would put the duck tractor (too small of a run space) inside a three sided horse shelter. Then I'd fence that, probably around 200sqft total. Whenever I was around, they would free range outside of the fence. The fence wouldn't be a premium fence, just enough to contain them and deter nervous preds. ( All preds here are nervous during the day. The ones that threaten my ducks are eagles, cats, foxes, coyotes. Cougars, bears, hawks, wolves, dogs would not be an issue. Too much human activity as well as the fact that my dog hangs around the duck coop with me when I'm there so that would also become her 'territory'. Hawks wouldn't threaten 9 pound ducks, only the ducklings, which will be brooded inside the tractor.)
Or, they can stay in the duck tractor and free range without a fence unsupervised.

And the horse shed is in the middle of a field, beside our shop (basically a big, used building.)

 

[Miss Lydia]

A hawk [Red Tail] could take down a 9lb duck with out a problem they can be very brave too. Might not pick it up and carry it off but we had one fly in and right next to the house kill one of my bantam hens. I mean right next to the house with us home and 4 dogs. when it flew off it looked like a 747 coming over top of the goose house. I was so surprised since we are so wooded I didn't think a hawk would be able to fly in.

 

[Welshies]

A hawk [Red Tail] could take down a 9lb duck with out a problem they can be very brave too. Might not pick it up and carry it off but we had one fly in and right next to the house kill one of my bantam hens. I mean right next to the house with us home and 4 dogs. when it flew off it looked like a 747 coming over top of the goose house. I was so surprised since we are so wooded I didn't think a hawk would be able to fly in.

We don't have Red-tails here in northern Alberta. We only get Goshawks, and they dwell the forest. I have one that flies around a mile away, but they're not very big. They are a consideration, but not a true threat.

 

[katiew24]

How do ducks do living indoors our duck lives in the house with me and my daughter she's disabiled so we are home all the time we let her out of her bed in the mornings and she stays out with us in the house all day untill bedtime she takes a bath twice a day we go outside she want get in the pool she doesnt like it i think shes spoiled to the warm baths in our garden tub she even goes in the car with us when we go somewhere i took her in target the other week we put her in one of my daughters lil babydoll carriers and she sits in it no prob and she stays with us anytime we walk in another room she doesnt like bein left alone but at night when i put her in her bed she lays down never makes a pep she knows its bedtime but as soon as we get up and she hears us shes crying to coem get her out lol this morning when i got up she was out sittin in my chair looking at me then she got down and came running to me with her tail just a waggin

 

[Miss Lydia]

How do ducks do living indoors our duck lives in the house with me and my daughter she's disabiled so we are home all the time we let her out of her bed in the mornings and she stays out with us in the house all day untill bedtime she takes a bath twice a day we go outside she want get in the pool she doesnt like it i think shes spoiled to the warm baths in our garden tub she even goes in the car with us when we go somewhere i took her in target the other week we put her in one of my daughters lil babydoll carriers and she sits in it no prob and she stays with us anytime we walk in another room she doesnt like bein left alone but at night when i put her in her bed she lays down never makes a pep she knows its bedtime but as soon as we get up and she hears us shes crying to coem get her out lol this morning when i got up she was out sittin in my chair looking at me then she got down and came running to me with her tail just a waggin

@katiew24 sounds like an adorable duck and spoiled rotten I am thinking

Show us some pics if you will.

Welcome to BYC.

 

[katiew24]

Sparkles in the bed with my daughter she loves to cuddle

 

[Miss Lydia]

Sparkles in the bed with my daughter she loves to cuddle

What a precious picture. Thank you for sharing.