If you love ducks, you are probably looking to raise or own some of your own. There can be a lot of questions that you are asking yourself about ducks and that you are researching to get answers to. One of these questions is: Will ducks stay in my yard?
Since ducks can make great pets, you can keep them in your yard. You just need to ensure that they have plenty of space to keep them comfortable.
But how exactly can you keep them in your yard and near home? Reading this article will help provide you with tips for keeping your ducks near home and if they will return home if they do wander off.
Will Ducks Stay in My Yard?
This can be a quick answer: yes, ducks can stay and live in your yard. Whether it is a front or back yard, your ducks will need enough space to roam, and that the environment is maintained how it needs to be for their comfort.
Check out these Duck Feeders and Duck Pellets found on Amazon, along with a couple Toys for Ducks and you’ll have some very happy ducks. And happy ducks make for better tasting eggs.
Does Duck Breed Matter?
Just like with dogs and cats, ducks come in different breeds and depending on the breed can determine how easy they are to keep in your yard and around the home. The different duck breeds that you can have as pets can be found in the table below.
| Duck Breed | Traits | Living Environment, Diet, and Health |
|---|---|---|
| Pekin | Affectionate and require minimal maintenance Generally good-natured Likes human interaction | Doesn’t require a lot of space Need water access for swimming and bathing Diet consists of duck food, greens, and treats of worms and fruit |
| Indian Runner Ducks | Gentle and good-natured Easy to care for Can become too attached to their owners This can cause problems if the owner cannot care for them anymore Come in assorted colors and sizes and can lay up to 200 eggs a year Great with children | |
| Aylesbury | Large breed Calm, docile, playful, and curious Great with other animals | Live in cold and warm environments Good swimmers |
| Magpie | Black and white Full of personality Active and love to explore their surroundings Very social | Good as a backyard pet |
| Muscovy | A large and Hardy breed Social | Great Swimmers and love to swim in pools or ponds |
| Cayuga | Black with a green head Friendly and curious Great with kids Good watchdogs Lay large dark brown eggs |
Although there are many more breeds available, most of these ducks will make great pets.
Can Ducks Roam Free?
Like with almost any animal, letting your ducks roam free can be a dangerous thing. However, giving your ducks free range can help ensure your ducks are healthy and happy. But what is the difference between free roaming and free range?
Free roaming gives your ducks the ability to go anywhere. They are allowed to cross the road or go to neighboring ponds. This is a dangerous way to keep your ducks and can result in them getting injured or worse.
Free range is letting your ducks roam freely but with set boundaries. These boundaries help ensure that your ducks are safe and allow them the freedom to walk around their environment.
Letting your ducks have free range can help ensure that they are happy and will give them access to eat bugs and grass that is in the enclosure.
It is important that you provide your ducks with a covered sleeping area. This helps them stay out of the weather and creates a safe place for them to sleep or lay.
Will Ducks Stay Around the House?
Typically speaking, if you have a barrier between where your ducks can go and where they can’t go then they should stay around the house. There are some ducks that want to roam and go outside those boundaries.
Usually, if there are also chickens on the property, ducks will stay with them. Although this has some complicating factors as well. When ducks and chickens are together, the ducks tend to take on the traits and personalities of the chickens. This is all and well in most cases.
Check out our Ducks Living With Chickens Article to see how they can live together if done the right way.
However, when ducks try to be chickens, they tend to jump or climb onto higher areas such as on top of coops, tree branches, or even fences.
This creates a problem for the ducks because not all ducks can fly and they certainly can not flap or fly as a chicken does. So what tends to happen is the ducks get stuck or get injuries trying to get down from these higher-up places.
Do Ducks Return Home?
If your duck somehow gets out of the boundaries you have set, you may be wondering if it will return home. There are a lot of people that ask the same question.
Or perhaps you have wild ducks (source) that come to your property and are wondering if they will return the next year.
The answer to both questions is really the same. Ducks tend to have specific breeding grounds. Once they find the perfect spot to migrate or to breed, they generally will return to these spots.
The same can be said for pet ducks. Pet ducks will have a stationary place in your yard or property. Here, they will breed, socialize, and create a nesting spot for them to stay. They typically wouldn’t migrate; however, they don’t like to stray far from what they call home.
Conclusion
A lot can be said about having ducks as a pet. They are typically very social animals that are great with kids. There are some breeds of duck that is like a watchdog and alert you to anything or anyone in your yard,
They need enough space to roam but within a set of boundaries to ensure they are safe. Ducks don’t typically leave where they call home but should return if they do.
They can make great pets and can make good companions for anyone in the family, including the dogs. They also get along great with other farm life and some breeds of ducks are funny, energetic, and full of personality.