Is it possible to keep ducks without any fence near a public stream?

[BDutch]

I live very near to a little stream with fresh water. Behind our garden is a municipality area with grasses, blackberries, a few trees and this very small stream.

I have been wondering if I can keep ducks truly free ranging without confining them within a fence. Just by building /buying a duck cage , ducks (what breeds?) and give them extra feed to bond them.

My chickens always come home before dark and I can lock them up safely in their coop. Will ducks come home too or will they settle at the waterfront, go elsewhere? Sleeping outside is too dangerous at night/early mornings. Mainly because of foxes and polecats. The duck cage has to be in our own garden.

Question:
Is it possible/doable to keep a few ducks for company, eggs and to keep the municipality area accessible (without the extreme growth of blackberries)? Its no problem if they stay near/in the small stream on municipality ground during the day.
The chickens have their own coop/run and free range mainly in our garden.

Some pictures to give an idea of the area.

These are wild ducks who came to visit here temporarily in spring. The female is in on our lawn, the male duck on municipality ground. The small stream is behind the grass and in front of the blackberries.

A visitor from the neighbourhood.

A heron in the stream.

The municipality only mows the grass once a year in autumn. In summer its becoming a wilderness full of high herbs and blackberries. (Left)

 

[U_Stormcrow]

My ducks settle at my pond, and don't range far - but they would definitely cross a stream, and from my experience, they will definitely range about 4 acres+/- given the opportunity.

 

[Yardmom]

Ducks can be trained to come back to an enclosure at night. It is not as easy as chickens and you never know what a live animal will do. You need to give them an incentive to come in. I trained my ducks to return to their pen by only feeding commercial feed at night. Some provide a special treat at night. Keep them shut at first until they learn the routine.

 

[BDutch]

My ducks settle at my pond, and don't range far - but they would definitely cross a stream, and from my experience, they will definitely range about 4 acres+/- given the opportunity.

I made a language mistake. I probably should say creek or brook.

Its no problem if the ducks would cross the small creek/brook because on the other side is no garden. Near the water is municipality ground too and behind it is the backside of a garage and a fenced parking lot. What would worry me most is that the creek gets a little broader off-stream and maybe attractive to go there.

I am used to get the chickens inside their run before/around sunset with the help of a little treat (scratch and sometimes sime mealworm).

It would be great to try if I didn’t need a run to lock them in at night though.
Loosing a few euro to buy a few ducks is no problem. I don’t want anything fancy anyway. Streicher ducks and mix breeds go for € 5 each to € 30 for a pair.

How much space do 2 ducks need for the night? I do have a sort of tiny coop/nestbox doing nothing in the chicken run. The size is approx 50 x 50 x 50 cm (20”) . Maybe I could build a small run with panels 5cm /2” grid to lock them up in the evening before /around sunset.

If I reinstall this chicken door the ducks could go outside every morning at sunrise.

 

[KathiQuacks]

I’d be concerned if the stream / creek flows off your property, and there’s no fencing to stop them. My ducks only explore about 1 acre of land near home, but they DO swim the entirety of my 5+ acre pond, and they’d swim farther if they could.

Otherwise, getting them off the water is fairly easy if you do it right, probably a lot easier with a creek lol. Teach them early that home = food, and they’ll come running.

For 2 ducks, you’d want about 8 - 12 sq ft, or close to 1 sq m, overnight. That nest box is a bit too small for even a single duck in my opinion. I’d also recommend only getting female ducks, if you weren’t going to already.

 

[HollowOfWisps]

It will take training just like with chickens, but definitely possible. My ducks have a pond I built and when we get heavy rains there is a ditch going through my property that turns into a big stream. When it starts to get dark they waddle back to the barn. All I have to do at night is go lock the doors shut. Ducks love water, but they love the feeling of a safe place to sleep even more. For reference I have 30 acres of land they can wonder and they still always come back to the barn at night.

 

[BDutch]

I’d be concerned if the stream / creek flows off your property, and there’s no fencing to stop them

The creek is not on my land (garden). Its a spring/source that starts behind our garden and it flows towards the other side of the neighbourhood where they made a network of ditches/small canals where the water floats too. Its impossible to fence it. At 600 meters its wider and looks like a pond.

About 800 meters from my house (0.5 mile) there a several culverts under a road. If the ducks go everywhere where the water is going they would go too far to get them back again. I cant reach them all the way.

One of the ditches at the other side of the neighbourhood.

 

[BDutch]

For 2 ducks, you’d want about 8 - 12 sq ft, or close to 1 sq m, overnight.

Thanks I had no idea.

 

[Evadig]

Mine would have happily swum down the creek and never come back - at least not for a few days. They loved water.

 

[BDutch]

I have a transformed playhouse in use as a second coop, mainly for my cockerel now. Until yesterday his sisters (pullets) slept there too.
I put the cockerel in the playhouse every time he roosts with the flock because his crowing is muffled better in there than in the main coop. Unfortunately I can’t keep him because he’s too big for my small Dutch bantams. So I hope to find a good place for him soon.

After he is gone, I could use this playhouse for a few ducks. It’s about 1 m2 / 10 sq ft. For 2 ducks I only have to relocate this playhouse a bit

Mine would have happily swum down the creek and never come back - at least not for a few days. They loved water.

Not coming back is my main concern too.
I dont mind at all if they go out to swim in the creek. As long as they return before the sun sets.
Are there by any chance duck breeds that tend to stay near their coop/duck house? Btw, I have to buy them in the Netherlands. It’s possible we have different ducks here.
.