Welsh Harlequin

[carousel86]

I have a question, I have 11 WH ducks that are 12 weeks. I would like to free range them but I'm not sure how to start doing it? Can somebody tell me the best way to start and how do you get them in at night? Right now I have them in a coop in my garage. In the morning I let them out, I shake a plastic container with some food in it and tell them it's time to go swimming. It takes me a little bit to get them in their pen that we built them, it has a pool in it. I would like to let them swim in my pond but I not sure if I'll get them out of it at night and get them to go back in to their coop. Please help

 

[aduckstolemyheart]

Mine "free range" in a half acre fenced area, and Ive got them in a routine, I come out and they all run in. We accomplished this by feeding them only at night, in their night pens. We had to herd them in for the first week, but then they caught on quickly, as its easy as pie! They are ready for dinner.

 

[nayeli]

Anyone know how to tell if a broody hen is brooding correctly? I'm just worried that my hen is off the eggs to much.

 

[DuckyGurl]

Question-I have silver WH drakes I need to sell. TSQ Holderread drakes, hatched in April. How much should I charge for them? Thanks!!

 

[MooseHabit]

They are so beautiful. Kind of hard to find for me here in SoCal though!

 

[aduckstolemyheart]

They are so beautiful. Kind of hard to find for me here in SoCal though!

They aren't that common. In fact, they are considered critically endangered, with only 188 recorded breeding ducks. They were encouraging breeding programs etc last year. Thats one of the reasons we decided to start breeding these awesome birds.

 

[aduckstolemyheart]

If you want some, order them! Several very nice hatcheries ship them.

 

[SpiderSilk]

Yes order them!! We need more around. They are.wonderful

 

[northernlivie]

I have a question, I have 11 WH ducks that are 12 weeks. I would like to free range them but I'm not sure how to start doing it? Can somebody tell me the best way to start and how do you get them in at night? Right now I have them in a coop in my garage. In the morning I let them out, I shake a plastic container with some food in it and tell them it's time to go swimming. It takes me a little bit to get them in their pen that we built them, it has a pool in it. I would like to let them swim in my pond but I not sure if I'll get them out of it at night and get them to go back in to their coop. Please help

I free range mine. I only have three though and sometimes you can get a very independent thinker in the group. Haha. My 42 foot pond is fenced completely with about a metre marshy land within the fence. I actually hand fed my ducks since hatching and continue to hand feed my ducks a couple hand fulls so they always come up to see me. They have a feeder to eat from all the time as well but if you are having issues getting them to follow you can try feeding once a day around supper to get them to follow you and the feeder to the pen. I personally leave mine out over summer nights as my pond is completely fenced and have a large guard dog on my fenced acreage. I do have a shed and pen as well but only use it when the pond freezes. If I want to pen them in the summer I built myself a moveable triangle pen which is placed near the pond and they quite willingly go in after food. I find WHs to be quite tame and friendly. I often open the pond fence to let mine up on the lawn and sit down to enjoy watching as they happily eat clover and bugs around me. Ducks are always cautious so getting them more used to handfeeding will get them used to being close to you and also associate you with feeding time. The only downside I've had is that if I'm up at the house on the deck with guests they can hear my voice and start quacking for me to come have a visit with them instead! This is just my personal experience but maybe a supper feeding time would help?

 

[carousel86]

Thank you for your help