Learn me about keeping ducks

If no other older hens are there to run them off, they’ll be fine. Pending they have food, they should stay around. Feed them in the same place once you start feeding them upon releasing them. Near the pond of course. Ducks also need sand. Cut a bag or two of play sand on the pond edge in a spot or two depending on the pond size. You can release them at 8 weeks but they’ll have a better survival rate if you wait a little longer. Good luck with em, they’re fun to watch.

Everything eats ducks…your main problem will be to keep predators away.

That pond wont save them from a coyote....trust me. I had 9 ducks about 2 years ago, coyote got 5, the other 4 went in my freezer.

You can start now with some kind of feeding call and giving them treats. Doesn't take long for them to catch on. If you keep up with it until you release them then you can get them back in the coop pretty easy. The more you handle them now, the less skittish they will be around you later. Also, make sure you are feeding them duck food or an all flock type of food. Regular chicken feed doesn't have the levels of niacin needed for ducks. Niacin deficiency hinders development and shows as walking/leg problems. You can add niacin to chicken feed but it can be a pain.

Leaving them out at night won't end well since Pekins are heavy ducks and can't fly. Everything from owls, racoons, coyotes, foxes, etc will get them. Maybe not the first day, week or month, but eventually they will all be picked off.

If you want a more resilient duck that would have a decent chance being left out 24/7, try Muscovy. They can fly short distances to get away from predators and like to perch up in trees at night. They also do a good job raising young, are great foragers, and quieter than regular ducks.

Jesus. Duck/chicken math adds up quick

How big is your box you have them in? You ideally want to give them enough room to be completely in or out of the heating lamp.

Also, be prepared for them to make a complete mess with the water and feed. They like to get a mouthful of feed then bring it to the water and dunk their beaks. You'll be changing the water daily and the bedding pretty often but that goes with the territory. Ducks are the messiest animals I have ever had but very enjoyable to watch.

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Jesus. Duck/chicken math adds up quick

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So the agreement with my wife was, I don't care how many animals you get, but since you stay at home mom you do 100% of the day to day work.

We now have 12 chickens and 10 ducks...she's held her end of the deal. Chickens are in a 110 gallon tote right now. They are ready to go to the coop in the next couple weeks. Ducks will move from the smaller 25 gallon tote to the big one then.

5 of the Pekin are outside already and are not the brightest. They will get hot and not get in the pool so my wife has a sprinkler for them to cool off.

it's ridiculous, but she loves it and handles it all so what you gonna do?

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MIL says just turn them loose, if anything tries to get them they will get in the pond.

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We’ve had anywhere from 25-30 ducks on the pond for a few years. Couple weeks ago, a Fox discovered this. We’re down to about 7-8.
Domestic ducks are slow AF & can’t fly for shite. I can catch one any time I want. When they’re sleeping at night, a Fox or coyote or a yorkie will tear their arse up

Also saw a 4-5’ gator in the pond so they’re double fricked lol

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dont give them names

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RIP Brownie, Peck Peck, Bumble Bee & Sunny. Lol
They made it over 5 years running wild before they got discovered

This pic is from April 2017. Dam fox got them 2 weeks ago.
The brown one was called a Khaki Campbell. The grey one is a Blue Suede. The other 2 are Rouens.

Is it possible to keep ducks with no pond? I have a fenced enclosure about 20’x50’ the previous owner of my house kept chickens in. There is a place they could walk or fly up to roost.