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Farming Friends Forum » Ducks

1. Pastordot
   Member

   Hello Farming Friends,

   I am preparing to set up a duck area in my back yard and am open to suggestions/ideas.

   I presently have a Cayuga female (Daphne) and a Black East Indian male (Indy) that were rescued from the lake across from my home when they were apparently dumped there about two months ago. They have been staying outside my house in a dog/or baby corral with a small pool and plastic molded dog house and seem to get along just fine with each other and are very friendly and tame.

   They will be joined by Lucky, a Blue Swedish female that I rescued as a baby 6 weeks ago and have been keeping inside.

   I envision a fenced in area for them inside my present back yard, with shrubs and flower gardens around the outside of it and a swimming area and yard space, inside the fenced area with a large dog house which will be converted into a pen for them (we will add a door and other means of accessing it to clean it).

   What would be best for their area inside the fence- straw, wood chips, stones, or grass...?

   I am on the East Coast of the USA and we are having very mild Fall weather right now, but should be getting colder very soon, so the gardening won't be getting done till Spring.

   Any suggestions, pictures of your duck areas, or ideas would be greatly appreciated.

   Blessings,
   Dottie

   Posted 1 year ago #

2. m40mo
   Administrator

   Hi Dottie grass is by far the best but will get muddy also an area for them to dig up worms etc, the biggest consideration you really must make is security from predators, not sure what they will be where you are but sure there must be some x

   mo x

   Posted 1 year ago #

3. Pastordot
   Member

   I did see a hawk in my yard that one day that tried to take a young mallard, and we have cats around.

   The ones that I am presently keeping in the small enclosure by the house do not have anything on top except a piece of wood over the outer most part- which was actually put there because other ducks were getting in and then going crazy because they couldn't get back out.

   Mo, I was looking at your duck pen photos a little bit ago and it looks like you put netting of some sort on top. Perhaps I should do that as well to be safe in case. What kind of netting is that...?

   Posted 1 year ago #

4. m40mo
   Administrator

   its just bird proff netting Dottie do you have things like fox mink etc that are the real worry x

   mo x

   Posted 1 year ago #

5. Pastordot
   Member

   Thanks Mo. I have not seen any foxes in this area, although I have been told that there could be so I would want to protect them from that just in case. The other ducks that visit seem to stay in my front yard really late at night sometimes, just sleeping in the open not too far from my house- so I'm not sure if that would indicate there is not predators like that....

   I was figuring on using a wooden fence like yours and then putting the wire netting on the inside like you did so nothing can get in or out. will that be good enough to keep foxes out? I know they will need to be locked inside at night as well so we will be putting a door on the house and make sure they all go in there each night.

   Blessings,
   Dottie

   Posted 1 year ago #

6. campbell ridge
   Administrator

   Hi Dottie, my ducks are free range as we do not have a fox problem (never say never however) They live on grass, have access to plenty of drinking and bathing water and food - layers pellets - all day long. They are locked overnight in a garden shed (their palace) where they do not have food and water, from dusk til dawn - or 7.30am in the summer.
   Sarah

   Sarah L

   Posted 1 year ago #

7. m40mo
   Administrator

   mine free range but in turns due to males fighting and are locked in their pens when we go out for their own security dont have the thick wooden fence anymore Dottie mainly because its hard to see them through it lol x
   do think your situation though is entierly different to ours as the ducks you are talking about are basically wild ducks or at least have experience being wild, and you are visited daily by the other wild ducks, can't help feeling if the 3 you mention are allowed to free range then one day maybe next spring they will go off with the others, sorry if that sounds harsh or sad but its a very strong possobility and your youngest will also be able to fly so that also has to be considered xx

   mo x

   Posted 1 year ago #

8. Pastordot
   Member

   Hmmm, I hadn't thought about the fence keeping me from being able to see them. I may need to consider a more open fence design with chicken wire.

   These ducks will be in the back yard (a fenced in area inside my fenced in back yard), which is separate from the side yard where the other ducks visit.

   Presently, for the time being, George and the other two are in an enclosed area up against the house on the side where the others visit. George is actually originally from the group of the ones that visit- he is the one that injured his leg and couldn't walk- so I kept him separate to keep him safe.

   Then when the Cayuga appeared under my bush and was so friendly I put her in with him and she seemed right at home. The Black East Indian is a bit more skittish, but gets along well and lets me pick him up. I don't think these two were ever actually 'in the wild' except maybe for the short time before finding me.

   Lucky, who was rescued at one day old, has been inside since coming but I take her outside on the sunny days to forage and romp in the back yard.

   I plan to re-home George to a friends farm that has several other ducks and a nice lake in a fenced in area all to themselves. He doesn't seem to interact much with these two and I think that since he was previously used to having the lake when he was in the wild, he will enjoy being where he can swim more freely. It would probably be very therapeutic for him.

   Hopefully these three will get along well together. If they should decide to go 'sow their wild oats' elsewhere I won't keep them against their will, but they seem quite content for the time being. Actually the Cayuga and East Indie did get out one day last week when I had put a newer bigger pool in their enclosure and didn't put the piece of wood that I had as a sunshade back on the top.

   I realized it as I was driving away to go somewhere and spotted them walking out of the yard and across the street. I felt so sad to lose them, but figured that as long as they were happy it was ok, but then the very next morning they were both back by the enclosure and seemed quite happy to let me pick them up and put them back in. I think they decided they have a good thing here. (...and no other ducks chasing them about as those others seem to do constantly....)

   Blessings,
   Dottie

   Posted 1 year ago #

9. campbell ridge
   Administrator

   Even though ducks may stick to their own kind, the urge and pull of other ducks being nearby will always be there. My two groups constantly bicker and misbehave when together but in times of crisis and when at rest, they all like to be close together - even if there is a wire mesh fence between them - they also squawk and shout to each other if one of the groups loses sight of the other. :)

   Sarah L

   Posted 1 year ago #

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