Releasing Mallard

[Rhodey 96]

Just after a bit of advice, I'm releasing a total of 60 mallard onto two flight ponds where I work. Never had flight ponds before.

 

Is it the same as pheasants just open the crates and let them venture out?

 

Do I release them to where I will be mainly feeding?

 

I am thinking of using pallets anchored out in the water to act as rafts safer for them than on the banks because of charlie etc.

[Garypco 3]

Just after a bit of advice, I'm releasing a total of 60 mallard onto two flight ponds where I work. Never had flight ponds before.

 

Is it the same as pheasants just open the crates and let them venture out?

 

Do I release them to where I will be mainly feeding?

 

I am thinking of using pallets anchored out in the water to act as rafts safer for them than on the banks because of charlie etc.

pays to strim about 12 feet from the edges if you can [bANNED TEXT] so foxy cant sneak up on em electric fence around if the ponds aint masive 2 or 3 strands if you dont have a natural island then yes helps if you have somewhere for them to go... also 20 mins before dark for the first couple of days longer if you have time just walk round and dog them to the island until they get it into a routine! as you dont want em sleeping on land!!!

[Bobba_fett 117]

another thing that might help, is i'v been (this was putting 300+ on to ponds) told your best to put them straght onto the water and make sure they all go on to the water at the same time, so they dont get split up and they know where the water is and aren't so tempet to wander off.

 

I dont know how you are trasporting your ducks, but the way i'v seen it done is 300+ in a bigish high sided trailer with barly on the ground. the barly stops them getting all shitty, the trailer is backed up to the pond then the ducks and the barly are tipped straght into the water. This also helps them know where the food is.

 

plus its a quick way of getting 6,000 ducks on the water in two days.

 

also i have made fake islands out of wooden pallets, we put 4 plastic 5 gallons drums under each corner then tacked rabbit wire over them to hold them to the pallet, tied a rope to a breezeblock and attached this to the island as a anker

then cut turfs and put them on top

Edited July 3, 2009 by Bobba_fett

[dogs-n-natives 1,182]

I like your idea of the pallets as islands, hope that works for you... might be worth making a larger one of about 4 pallets attatched together?

When ive released duck, I always put them into a release pen first, which was simply made with pen sections, a good portion of the pen should go into the pond, but this will depend on depth. Obviously mallard growers cant fly, so no need to worry about roof net etc... in my opinion the time in the pen is essential, for getting them acclimatised to the pond, as well as protection from predators... electric fencing should be used around the pen if there are foxes about, but really, presence of fox or mink will feck the job eventually electric fence or not.

Keep your visits to a minimum, or the ducks will get tame, and after a few days to a week, let some out, and repeat every day or two until all are out. then pen sections can be taken away. Ive found ducks like some ponds better than others, and if they dont like it they will eventually feck off.

Ducks can be fed away from the pond, by gradually moving the hoppers away, either into cover, or simply away into a field behind a hedge, so guns can position in between. But I found I only got them to show well a few times like this, as they got wise to it, so i was always changing actics with them. I dont know if any of this will be relevant to you, but good luck and let us know how you get on.

[Rhodey 96]

Won't be able to put electric fence up, boss won't pay for it and I aint shelling out.

 

Will keep you updated when they arrive. Thanks for the info

[Cajunrules 8]

We do it the same way as dogs n natives explained, except the feeders stay near the pond the whole time. cheers

[jeffo 0]

hi when we released our mallard we built a small pen out partridge panels 8 x 8 with a top net over it around the feeding area thats worked well at first we just let 5 out of a pheasant crate they flew off but it was our first time releasing mallards