Feasibility of owning ducks at our pond

[Sosalty]

OK, I've cleared the brush back from the far side of pond, thinking some ducks would be nice. Here's the setting and my goals; 100' X 75' pond is 50 yds. from house in full view. I've trapped & dispatched lots of coons/possums and will continue to do so. I can place a proper coop (heat lamp, wood shavings) along the bank or even out on the water. There's auto feeders to throw corn, duck feed, whatever's needed. I'd like to be able to take off for maybe a 5 day vacation once a year leaving 'em somewhat on their own except for some feed. Don't care to herd 'em into a coop every nite and release 'em everyday. I work outside near the pond most days but hope they can care mostly for themselves. Some nites in January get down into the 'teens. We can tolerate an occasional loss to predators but regular losses would be disheartening and unacceptable.
Are some ducks hardy and independent enough to thrive around our place?

 

[johntfs]

Take this with a tablespoon of salt as I am a "duck virgin" who has mostly watched a lot of "duck porn" (instructions, other people's experiences, etc.) Ducks are prey animals. They will draw predators, especially when you get ducklings. Ducklings are the "snack food" of nature. Crows can swoop in, snag a duckling and be gone before you can look up, much less travel 50+ yards to protect it. Larger birds of prey can do the same things to your grown ducks, depending on the species (figure pekins and the like might be less vulnerable to this, though their ducklings would be at younger ages). You already know you have raccoons and possums, who could still kill even pekins even if they couldn't drag them away. Likewise hawks, owls, etc can still probably kill them even if they couldn't keep them.

Looking at your situation if you wanted to be able to leave them safely "on their own," it looks like you would need to put predator-proof fencing all around the area you're expecting your ducks to wander. Or you will absolutely start losing them. Even then, unless you somehow also give that fencing a secure "roof" you'll still risk losses from predator birds. It might be better to put in a safe coop and take the ducks (in manageable numbers) on supervised, guarded-by-you visits to the pond.

 

[Miss Lydia]

I suggest enjoying any wild ducks or geese that may drop in. The set up your talking about isn't very good for domestics. Domestics don't fly well or at all and would choose not to go inside at night especially if they weren't made to and no door closed for protection. They will be sitting ducks. Beautiful place you have there. Perfect for water fowl you'd just have to make better accommodations for domestic ducks. If you plan on keeping them around. You haven't mentioned snapping turtles either, they are a big predator to ducks and ducklings.

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

Agreeing to all other's here. - The other question is:

Would you accept the ducks ruining your beautiful pond?​

At first they will release a lot of nutritious poop into the water, which will turn green and a lot of nasty algae will develop. Then the ducks will start to dig out those beautiful pond lillies, eat what fits through their narrow throats and poop on the rest. Finally they will rip out the grass at the embankment, spill the pond water over the barren ground and turn everything into a huge mudhole.
If your pond does not have a natural source and drain of fresh water, just two to three ducks will do that in a matter of weeks.

 

[DuckyDonna]

I am going to add snakes to the list of awful predators too! @Miss Lydia is 100% correct. If you aren't going to provide predator-proof housing for them at night they will be gone. It looks like you could put a fence around the pond but there are still flying predators that would be able to snatch them up in a heartbeat.

 

[sourland]

I agree with @Miss Lydia - install a wood duck house and try to attract wild ducks. Domestics would be subject to predation, and as @WannaBeHillBilly had suggested there is the possibility that they would seriously mess up that beautiful pond.

 

[Ratchnick]

Lots of people free range ducks, just need to be smart about what breed. Ducks are very vulnerable at night. So if they sleep on the lake that is good. But if the lake freezes in the winter they would need a house, you can train them to go in at night and have an automatic closer, i have asked around and it seems like most people who free range loose about 10% a year.

 

[Sosalty]

Well, I wanted the opinions of this forum. Thanks for the responses.

We do have a swamp to the left below the pond with a wood duck box. Last April I was clearing Willow trees and spoked a Woody from her nest. I had given up on the 4 year old duck box and thought it was too late for woodies. Come summer I cleaned the box, there were full size duck eggs remaining. So close to having little woody chicks. Plan to move a duck box from the pond down to the swamp in a semi-remote location and leave it alone till May.

A somewhat mute point sorta worth mentioning is that I enjoy snipping turtles and snakes with a precision pcp air rifle. We get the occasional turtle or banded water snake, but they don't last long.

The pond is spring fed and froze about 90% only 1 of 4 winters. It's thin limited ice wouldn't hold up critters.

There's 2 duck ponds nearby. Suspect 1 coops their ducks at night and the other doesn't. Gotta check out an auto door closer. Think muscovies would train to coming in to an auto feeder in evenings? That's the free ranging duck at 1 pond.

 

[Miss Lydia]

I know there are members that use auto doors just not sure how ducks on a pond would use them. @Tevyes Dad has an auto door let’s see if he weighs in on how well his ducks use one but his aren’t on a pond.

 

[Ratchnick]

Its pretty easy to get ducks inside if you don't feed in the morning, let them free range all day and then put food I their house at night. They are creatures of habbit, not sure about moscovy.