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Author Topic: Help - how to keep broody free range duck safe?  (Read 2377 times)

Lorrie66

  • Joined Aug 2013
  • Near Buckingham in Bucks
Help - how to keep broody free range duck safe?
« on: July 21, 2014, 11:27:38 am »
Hi all Duck experts

I am probably missing the obvious - but can anyone help with advice on how to keep a broody duck safe?

We have just lost our lovely Dora who had built her nest 3 weeks ago in our neighbours veg plot (she was very good at taking different routes each time to her nest, so we only managed to work out where it was a few days ago after watching her for 3 weeks)
We kept well away from the area, but we think the fox got her Friday night as she didn't appear back home for water & food on Sat as each day she was coming back for around an hour or so before sitting again. We checked out the nest Sun morning and it was abandoned – so we removed the eggs as they were stone cold.
This is the second time we have lost a free range Duck in this way that has nested off site and I imagine the urge to build & hide the nest is strong.

Our Drake is now alone and before we decide to get another female or give him away – is there a way I can keep them free range in the day but stop the female building a nest outside of their pen? What we had hoped is she would build in the pen where we can still lock her in at night – but as it was she was left in a vulnerable position at night. She only had a week to go before hatching was due, so we are all upset.

Should I have moved the nest to her pen once we found it?
Should I keep any female in until late morning to ensure they lay in their pen?
We don’t especially want ducklings but do enjoy two ducks – is there such a thing as a non broody female duck to keep our Drake company???

Many thanks  :)

HesterF

  • Joined Jul 2012
  • Kent
  • HesterF
Re: Help - how to keep broody free range duck safe?
« Reply #1 on: July 22, 2014, 01:21:19 am »
The easiest answer in all of that is, yes, you could just get a breed of duck that rarely goes broody. I've got Silver Appleyards and much like hybrid hens, they were bred to lay so I've not had a broody one yet. I've also not had a broody Cayuga but I believe they can go broody. Most of mine lay in their house before I let them out - particularly if I'm up at my preferred time of 8. Recently I've had to switch morning routine so I let them out before 7 and have now found a few eggs scattered randomly around the place.

As for keeping them safe, mine are all in a big run. It may not be truly free range but they have tons of space and I know they're safe (hopefully at least by day - not quite by night as I lost some a couple of weeks ago that had refused to go into the shed). Not sure where they'd choose to nest though (maybe by mucking up all my weed fabric at the base of the fruit trees)- maybe that's why they haven't gone broody.

Lorrie66

  • Joined Aug 2013
  • Near Buckingham in Bucks
Re: Help - how to keep broody free range duck safe?
« Reply #2 on: July 22, 2014, 12:18:02 pm »
Thanks HesterF

We managed to find a farmer up the road that wanted our lonely drake for some breeding - so he went off yesterday.
I will look at Silver Appleyards as that sounds like this would help us. They look nice !
We do let out at 7am each day - so I think I will try and alter this to 8am ( should be do-able)

In hindsight, once we had found her nest, I wish we had moved it back to her house. Unfortunately, as she had chosen a neighbours garden , it wasn't that easy to track her down :(

We do let them roam which is risky but seem to be OK as long as we get the hens & ducks shut away before dark. As she was left sitting unprotected , while the others were locked away , the outcome was inevitable. She seemed very determined to hide them from us !

Thanks for your help

Lorrie


northfifeduckling

  • Joined Jan 2009
  • Fife
    • North Fife Blog
Re: Help - how to keep broody free range duck safe?
« Reply #3 on: July 24, 2014, 02:57:36 pm »
so sad to hear about your ducks!

I am always worried if one goes broody and disappears so last year I managed to move 2 of them (one at the time) into an eglu safe house and another 2 into a dog cage with a run for the day.... Carried over at night and put back straight on her eggs. They all finished the job.

I have less broodies now as they get older and the boy has 17 girls to play with....1 to 1 seems a very intense relationship ;)
 :&>

 

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