Tips for keeping ducks and chickens in a yard with no fence.

[mauired]

Hello all! I am a new member and this is my first post!
I’m going to be buying ducks and chickens in less than a month and I need all the help I can get!
I live on a property with no fencing (and probably never will), I am looking to buy four ducks and three chickens (babies) and one adult chicken (to teach them about protecting themselves from the mongoose.) I am wondering about if either of the flocks will wander off. I will have a house for them to sleep in at night and to lay, it will have their feed, water and pond inside - which will be enclosed (to keep the dog out of the water). Other than that they will be free in the yard all day (unless a storm rolls in)
I’ve had chickens for years so I know how to train them to go back inside the house - but has always been in a fenced in property.
Any tips on keeping the chickens and ducks close to home base? Can’t wait to hear from you guys! Mahalo!

 

[Duckmom27]

How big is your yard?

My yard is only fenced on two sides, and open on the other two sides with no fencing. So far in my experience, if I let the ducks free range they stay close to home. If I let the chickens free range I have to go into the neighbors' yards to get them (and they go over the fence like it's nothing). So the chickens mostly stay in a chicken tractor I move around regularly to give them fresh grass to scratch around in, and the ducks have free reign of my yard unless I have to go somewhere, then I put them in the coop until I get back. I'm on about a quarter acre.

Also, I don't have any experience with mongooses but I don't think chickens can protect themselves from them?

 

[mauired]

How big is your yard?

My yard is only fenced on two sides, and open on the other two sides with no fencing. So far in my experience, if I let the ducks free range they stay close to home. If I let the chickens free range I have to go into the neighbors' yards to get them (and they go over the fence like it's nothing). So the chickens mostly stay in a chicken tractor I move around regularly to give them fresh grass to scratch around in, and the ducks have free reign of my yard unless I have to go somewhere, then I put them in the coop until I get back. I'm on about a quarter acre.

Also, I don't have any experience with mongooses but I don't think chickens can protect themselves from them?

The yard is about an acre at the moment - going to be two and a half in the next couple of years.
Did you have your ducks since they were ducklings or when they were older? I’m looking at ducklings so they can get used to me and see if they want to stay home. The chickens we have here are trained by other older chickens to fight off the mongoose. I’ve seen a chicken here pluck one of their eyes out. That’s why it’s recommended by the neighbors to get an older one so they can teach them. I’ve cut their wings on one side before so they get all lopsided and can’t really fly - other than going into their roosting stations.
Thank you for the reply! Mahalo!

 

[3bird]

Welcome to BYC!

We let our guys (large breed ducks) free range (supervised) for about an hour in the morning and an hour in the evening. We have about four acres, and most days they cover it pretty extensively. We then put them into smaller fenced pastures adjacent to their duckhouse for the day if we are not outside. If we are outside, we often let them free range. Our concern with unsupervised free ranging is predators back in the marsh and the road (especially if it has rained and there are worms on the road). The two small pastures are just two rail fence with rabbit wire.

 

[Duckmom27]

Yes, I have had them since they were ducklings. They're partially imprinted on me but also imprinted on each other. If they haven't seen me in a while they do go looking for me, because they consider me to be part of their flock. So far they've never left my property, but they've walked toward the street looking for me on occasion if I don't go outside and say hello to them often enough. As long as I'm saying hello to them periodically throughout the day they stay put in my back yard and don't wander around to the front yard near the street

That's neat about the mongoose!

 

[mauired]

Yes, I have had them since they were ducklings. They're partially imprinted on me but also imprinted on each other. If they haven't seen me in a while they do go looking for me, because they consider me to be part of their flock. So far they've never left my property, but they've walked toward the street looking for me on occasion if I don't go outside and say hello to them often enough. As long as I'm saying hello to them periodically throughout the day they stay put in my back yard and don't wander around to the front yard near the street

That's neat about the mongoose!

Thank you for your response. Sounds like I’ll just try it and see where it goes! Hope they stay home! Mahalo.