Thinking about raising Ducks

[KellyKw]

I have 2 1/2 acers and We have already started with Goats and Alpacas. We have a lot of room and was thinking about raising mallards and not trimming them but just letting fly away and see if they return. We live in Golden Valley, Az. It gets very warm here in the summer so any ducks that I raise would probably head North for the summer. I really dont know that much about raising ducks. I am in the learning stage and want to do it right. I will be putting in a small pond and building a shelter for them, with fencing to keep predtors out.
We love all kind of critters and and belive that we are sheperds for all of Gods creachers. Watching the grand kids go nuts is a plus also.
What time of year would be right for me to start?

 

[CelticOaksFarm]

it is not legal to allow domestically raised ducks to be released into the wild. Domestically hatched mallards are different from the wild mallards.

 

[KellyKw]

Thank you, I did not know that.
I think I will stick to critters that dont fly.

 

[SillyCityGirl]

Hi Kelly, Wow I had to do a double take, I also am in Golden Valley.

April through June is my favorite time to brood out babies and move them outside. Sometimes I still feel it can get a little cool outside at night during May.

Raising fall babies can be a trick and I have kept them inside until they are 8 weeks plus. I don't like doing that unless I have a mama broody

I don't have too many problems keeping birds cool in the summer especially the waterfowl. Plenty of shade and cool water also kept in the shade. Top, south and west areas shaded preferably for our scorching afternoons, then it just gets a little sun in the morning and the rest of the afternoon when the temps really start to soar it is shaded.

A fence is good to deter predators in the daytime or keep your animals where they should be. I like shelters that I can lock up at night with my birds safely inside. Oh and shelters that have good airflow is very important in the summer out here. Although it is not so necessary that it is air tight in the winter.

We also have hawks and falcons that will not hesitate to swoop down and take off with a small bird. And we have an active bobcat, fox and mountain lion (over on the end towards Bullhead) population in addition to our coyotes.

 

[RubberDuckee]

I live in just outside of Memphis, TN. What heat the actual temperature doesn't raise, the humidity is certain to bring WAY UP! I have a horse pasture, but my yard where my house is has lots and lots of trees. My "girls" (mallards) do get hot in the summer, as I can see them pant a bit. They love to hang out in the shade. My advice would be that, just like ANY animal (such as alpacas who have a heavy coat) (or a dog, such as a Husky) they need plenty of water and shade. Provide them with shelter and relief from the heat and they should be fine.... Remember... Wild Mallards migrate to Mexico for the winter so they are able to withstand hot temps as long as they are provided with ample living conditions.

 

[SillyCityGirl]

Winter in Mexico and summer back there still can't compete with summer in the Mohave desert. True we are not as bad as Phoenix, Tuscon or even close by in Bullhead, but we can still expect summer daytime highs over 110 on a regular basis. As far as humidity we get a few days of moderate, feels about maybe 60%, during our monsoon season.

When I lived near Little Rock, even further south than Memphis, I didn't worry about it getting too hot for the birds. When I moved here I was surprised to find out that yes we can raise waterfowl.

We have to do things a lot differently here than anywhere else I have lived. Yes we can raise most of the same stuff that can be raised in other parts of the country.

We don't have fleas here, I have heard about ticks showing up rarely, have yet to see it after four years. We don't have racoons, opossums or many other animals are commonly found in other parts of the country that have water.

We have to grow traditional full sun crops like tomatoes in the shade in cages with minimum half inch hardware cloth, although quarter inch is better, covering top, sides and bottom. Growing trees is a trick, I am working on learning to start saplings. Gonna try that again with top and side cage buried 6" down around the side and shade during the heat of the day for the first year. The rabbit cage around the tree will probably stay for a few years. Once we can get a tree established they can do ok but they usually take a few years of diligent work. We don't have much grass, that is another thing that is difficult and expensive to grow due to the shelter and water requirement. Although I think geese might be changing that for me, time will tell. Eh, it will probably be eaten before it gets a chance to really grow.

Seems like no matter what you are trying to grow, plant or animal, there is a predator for it. I know there are predators in other parts of the country, it just seems like since the conditions are so bleak around here that when you have a juicy tasty delicacy they will do that much more so they can eat it. On top of that we have some rather brutal sun exposure and temperatures. Oh and wind storms too. Plan on 65 mph winds or more when you build shelters in there parts.

It's a very valid question on what needs to be done in order to raise ducks out here.

Oh and the dogs are camped out sleeping in a cool spot somewhere inside the house during the summer and outside working all night. I don't like dogs, especially husky and husky type breeds or brachycephalus breeds outside in the heat of the summer.

I agree that any animal needs plenty of water and shade and that is something we just don't have much of here. But we have an abundance of rocks which are bad for waterfowl feet.