feeding ducks

[keeper23 8]

does anyone have exprience with ducks. ive reared and shot ducks for a while but usually its a case of standing around a pond to shoot and them landing back on the same pond. this year i want to feed the ducks away from the release pond so they can be in a drive and driven like pheasant. is this a wise idea is it do able and if yes how.

Many thanks

[Sjt657 191]

Feeder pellets .. Feed em that and they will follow you any where !!!!

[Gkeeper111 22]

Tried it last year- lots of work and lots of trial and error on food quantities. You want too keep them fairly hungry. I managed too feed the ducks into the drives that I wanted them but they were so skitty that the slightest thing would make them fly home. Managed to get 300 ducks feeding about 1000 yards from their pond going through 3 fields and over a track too feed but had the same problem with them not staying long enough too drive them. They would stuff themselves on 2-3 minutes then fly back- if one even flew whilst feeding they would all go. This year I shall feed them off the pond but only to get them used to flying- then push them off the ponds like I did last season. Cheers

[dunteige1985 0]

What age have you birds started to fly this year? Mine are near 13 weeks and i am struggling to get them off the ground, last year i had them flying from 11 weeks using all the same methods. Its quite frustrating....

 

I have them walking out 300 yards from the pond but they are still just walking back.

[Ideation 8,216]

Aye, we barely hopper feed them, and mainly hand feed them, and they will follow the quad, so we walk them on to the top of a good hill, and feed them, before pushing them off, back to the pond.