Duck advice

[1888andybhoy 7]

Hi all i do the Keepering for the smallish syndicate I'm part of Iv'e got my Pheasants and Partridges in the pens and we've ordered 50 ducks to put on our duck pond. what do i do with the ducks as this is the first year I'm doing them. The pond is dug out of a marshy area but is dry round about the pond for about 100 yards then it gets gradually wetter. Its dense reeds around the whole area. I feed the pond every year with barley and potatoes that we get from the farmer that shoots with us. how do i get reared ducks flying Iv'e heard you feed them away from the pond and drive them home. Any help is great. Also i was going to put a feed hopper on the island on the pond. one with a length of guttering through the middle is this advised? Many thanks Andrew.

[charlie brown 0]

Hi

we have done the same thing for the past few years, its harder with just one pond, i got them flying as soon as i could by bagging them off with a

feed bag, the pond has high trees round most of it but one part had a thorn hedge a bit lower, i drove them out over the hedge and stood the guns

in the field and briefed out only sporting birds to be shot some can be poor flyers.

If you have wild ducks building i would watch the feed and make sure the reared birds get fed or they can get thin very fast, i think reared ducks on a

flight pond which is good in a evening flight can be a pain.

We only shot the reared birds between a pheasant drive it just added another drive in, make sure you clear them up before end of the season or you will

end up feeding the last ones, or even catch them up.