What do i do! HELP!!!

[lovin my birds]

I have three baby ducks that i wasnt expecting to get at all. But with the circumstance that were going on i had to take them in. Plus I just love ducks. But my problem is is where to put them. We have a pond on our property but it is a distance away from the saftey of the house. The last trio that i had i put out there got eaten. So i am very afraid that if i put them there these beautiful babies will have the same fate. i have been doing research on it and i have found that people have luck with putting a floating duck house out there (the last ones had a coop on the bank). But some build an aviary and give them an artificial pond. These guys are my babies and want the best life for them but dont have much experience in ducks. What should i do.

Im also hoping that i have at least one female in the mix and that she will lay and produce chicks for me. Though i know it will be a year or so before this will happen but will she be comfortable out at the pond or in an aviary.

 

[AdamD77]

The best way to keep them safe is to contain them, or at least contain them at night when they are most likely to be attacked. A floating duck house may work, but you can never be certain that they're safe when they're still out in the open... A pen with an artificial pond/pool would be much safer, though I'm sure not as thrilling for them as a large pond.

 

[4-H chicken mom]

I agree with AdamD77. As much as I would love to let them swim in our creek, we have too many coons, opossums, coyotes, foxes, owls and hawks to leave them unsheltered.

 

[KansasKid]

You could build a run for them, letting them out during the day to free range, the putting them up at night. My ducks get let out in the morning and free range the property and the pond then get put up before feeding.

 

[AdamD77]

You guys in America sure do have an awful lot of predators to worry about

Over here in the UK our main worry is foxes, and possibly large birds of prey (not that I have heard of anyone having had a bird attack) or stoats/weasels if you live in the countryside. Not that foxes are a minor worry though! Most people over here that I know of have had some fox attack or attempted attack at some point...

 

[KansasKid]

Mountain Lions
bobcats
Bears
o my!!!

we also have a species of mink, foxes, coyotes, wolfs, eagles, owls, and hawks of all kinds. And the worst predator of them all....The four legged, dog!! (as much as i love 'em there a big problem)

 

[lovin my birds]

Thanks for the replys. I am thinking the best option would be a coop. AdamD77, yes we do have alot of predators. Anything and everything is here out in the country. Just a week ago i cought my little dutch bantam fighting with an owl in the middle of our yard. Yes an owl. He is so protective. I was so affraid this owl would just pick him up and fly of with him. But my rooster won!

The owl flew of with a nice sized gash on its neck. But i know that ducks even though tuff when they need to be cant fight off a coyotee. Them darn critters are relentless. Even opossum. Though i have never had one kill my chickens they do go after my eggs.

 

[tigerrrrrrrlilly]

You don't have to build a pond either. You can use kiddie pools. I keep mine cooped at night, and in the day free range with kiddie pools. I have a six foot fence and still have coyotes eat them if they are not cooped up at night. I don't even let them out until 10am - ever since I had a coyote attack at 8:30am. I live in a rural area, on a residential street with close neighbors. We still get coyotes, hawks, raccoons, opossum and skunk regularly.

 

[duckking]

I agree. We live out in the country as well and I am terrified of letting them free-range. They are out for 5 minutes and the eagles are circling. We have them in a run with a pool, but it just seems so confined, so we are opening up another 400 sq.ft for them for the daytime, which will be as predator proof as possible. They will be going back into the original run and locked away at night though!

 

[Duck Mad]

I'd say keeping them close by you, and using buckets bowls paddling pools etc is good enough.. Quiet a few of us keep ducks in our homes

(but not for everyone)
From ducklings giving them small areas works, I personally wouldnt try penning up a duck thats used to total miles of freedom..

One day my duck was in her cage resting in my kitchen, I had a visitor that tried to lecture me that her being in a cage was cruel!.. So i did no more than open the cage door, opened my backdoor and call the duck in the garden, then I closed the kitchen door while she was outside.. The duck quacks like mad at the backdoor, I open the backdoor, she come charging in the kitchen, and jumped back in her cage... my visitor soon shut her mouth! .... Ducks really are all different, what you give them is what they know