Ducklings would likely perish, ducks of any age will have a hard time surviving unsupervised swims in the river. they are prey to many critters. If you were to rear some wild Mallards, they would have best chance at survival under a loose management.

claraserena,

You've heard the expression sitting duck !!

I'm think you would be better off with a breed that dosen't require water. Khaki Campbell would be a good candidate. If you like happy ducks a little kiddy pool would do. If your chicken yard is large enough,put in a pool and everything would be just ducky!!
Eric

Eric

All ducks LIKE water, none absolutly need it, many ducks are reared and live long lives with no more than a bucket or pan of water. All domestic ducks are Mallard derivatives from the Pekin to the Calls. Muscovies of course are not related. Its really best to keep species seperate tho some do mix them and have fair results.

Buy a childs plastic wading pool and fill it...all of the water they need and they will keep you smiling ...No way would I let them loose on the river...

fancifowl,
I wouldn't think of having my Khaki Campbells (Mallard x Rouen x Indian runner) without ponds. A child wading pool is a good substitute. Some photos below of happy ducks.

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I decided to have ducks over chickens. My property gets really wet in the winter. Thought it to be the proper bird for the conditions. Don't fight it, embrace it.

Eric

I have ducks, and they love their kiddie pool, however in the chicken pen, if you have chicks make sure they cannot get in, I made the mistake of putting a ramp so the ducks could get in easier, and several of my chicken chicks drowned in the water, and the momma hen just sat next to the pool for several days. I put the ducks in a seperate pen if they have the pool.

So sorry about your chicks shellybabe! :(

Claraserena, have you thought about geese instead? Since they are bigger and more aggressive, they may have a better shot at freeranging...geese can be very territorial though (good watchdogs!).

I have a childs' wading pool for my Basic White Duck Model pair...both of them were freebies from the 'scratch and dent' section of the feed store, as each has a bum leg. :) They do manage to get in and out of the pool just fine.

If you DO get a kiddie pool, be prepared to scrub it out every few days...the water gets green pretty quick. On the plus side, it's really easy to empty and clean though.

Velvet ~:>

Another upside of having a kiddie pool, is that if they decide to lay eggs in the water, which mine love to do. They are not completely lost. I moved my ducks to the goat pen with the billy and wither, they make excellent companions for that, the goats lay down and the ducks will pick bugs out of the fur and ears, Ticks were really bad this year here and the ducks kept the goats picked clean of them. It is funny to watch , the goats will even walk up to the ducks and put their head down like they are saying help me out here.

Just want to second Velvet's suggestion about geese. I have three geese and they are just wonderful - so intelligent, responsive and friendly. They are joyous creatures and always give us a noisy welcome when we go outside. Geese will appreciate a pool, but as long as they have a bucket deep enough to submerge their heads completely, they will be fine. If you decide to try geese, I suggest either Pilgrims or American Buffs - both are friendly, gentle breeds. Geese live a long time -- 20 years or more is not uncommon.

Thanks to all of you! We'll probably go with the pool idea. We also have a pond that the ducks would love but it's a distance from the house and I'm afraid the neigbor's dog would make a quick end of ducklings. I love the idea of goats and ducks. As for geese, I'm kind of scared of them; we have little grandchildren--5 and under--and they might be terrified.

Claraserena, I have to agree that geese are not the best choice around small children. Mine are real sweethearts, but they ARE large and noisy and I can see how to a small child they might be frightening -- in the same way that a large, barking but friendly dog can be frightening. Enjoy your ducks! I'll bet your grandchildren will love them!

Our 2 Khaki Campbells need their daily bath and the water needs to be changed at least once a week. You may want to rethink the work that will be involved when you go with the kiddie pool. We bought a black cement mixing plastic bin from Home Depot. It's a little smaller than a kiddie pool but just right for two ducks. They need a little stool to get in and a big rock inside to help them jump out. If they can't get in and out of the water easily they can get injured rather quickly. The pool is heavy to dump but I put it under a fruit tree and it's free fertilizer. Grows great cherries. The work is a small price to pay for how happy the ducks are. They are in there winter and summer, rain, snow, sleet, hail. They love it.