wood ducks with domestic ducks

[key west chick]

Im putting the cart before the horse, but thought I would ask anyway. We are looking at some land, with a fairly large pond. It has 2 wood duck boxes at one end, empty of course. If I got a pair of wood ducks, could I also get something like call ducks or something? Or do I need to keep with just wood ducks. Im afraid if I just got a pair of wood ducks, they will stay way down on that end of the pond in the marshy area and I wont ever see them swim around.

 

[CelticOaksFarm]

If you get wood ducks most states also require a permit and that they be housed in an enclosure or pinioned so they can't fly away. Check with fish and game for our area.

Wild migratory ducks should not be kept with domestics. The calls are other domestics have different dietary needs from the wild and would end up bossing the woodies around and could prevent them from feeding and swimming properly. Always best to keep them seperate.

Now as for the duck houses at the property, they are a good thing for the wild woodies to use when they migrate through your area.

 

[Alicia G]

Hmmmm I never knew that. For years I had a pair of Mandarins with my Calls and Rouens and got along just fine... My Mandarin pair lived to be 8 years old

 

[seaneduck]

I have a pair (pinoned) of wood ducks, and two pair of call ducks that all live together just fine. There is a pecking order: Gray Call Pair > Wood Ducks > Blue Swedish Call Pair, but other than that, they all are great together. They get to forage outside the pen when I'm home, but enjoy life in the 10x10 pen when I'm not.

 

[mandelyn]

The wood ducks may show up come Spring and want those boxes for nesting. I'd wait and see if they get used or not before buying them. Also check to see if you need a permit... since they're a native species and not a domestic duck or imported exotic, they have different regulations that can come with them. Depends.