09/27/2026
I’ve learned so many interesting lessons while living out at my little farm/sanctuary/ranch/whateveryouwanttocallit and I want to share what I’ve learned about waterfowl. I’ll share it bluntly with you all because I needed it bluntly shared with me. To be super clear, this is just my opinion. I know that people have differing opinions and that is okay. This is what I have learned from my personal experience and research.
🪿 I firmly believe that waterfowl should not be kept full time in runs. A run for safety may be helpful for use here and there but these are animals who need a pasture. These birdies need space to roam in order to have a good quality of life. There is always a risk that you will lose a free range bird to a predator BUT I would risk a predator attack if it means that the ducks will stay healthy, happy and have a good quality of life.
I recently saw two Embden geese (around the same age as Blossom) who live in a full time run and they did not look healthy or clean. That solidified by decision to avoid full time runs at all costs.
Being concerned about predators is completely fair. I was (and still am) super afraid of that too. But the thing is, there are steps you can take to mitigate the risk of losing a flock member to a predator that do not involve them being in a full time run. Our ducks are kept in a fenced in area with large geese. There are places to hide from arial predators and they can run back into their barn if necessary. They are happy and healthy and that makes me happy for them.
🪿🦆 Waterfowl are messy but they are *not* dirty. They splash around in their water for fun but it is also to clean themselves. These birds’ bodies should *not* smell bad. We have five ducks and three geese. They are messy and their little barn gets dirty and smelly (of course) but they themselves do not smell. If your birds smell, you’ve gotta rethink their enclosure.
When we picked up our geese, they smelled. Bad. I can’t really describe the smell but it wasn’t good 😬 I thought to myself, “maybe geese just smell.” Well…we make sure they have fresh pool water and a clean/ large enclosure and they have not smelled since we got them. As a matter of fact, I always think that they smell like sunshine when I pick them up☀️
🦆 Only provide a water source that you can and will maintain, keep filled and keep clean. Quality of water is more important than quantity. This is something I learned quickly with my llamas and it is a trick that I will use for every animal I own. If you use water buckets/pools that are too big to maintain, a few things could happen. You either end up wasting water and creating a ton of mud OR you end up letting your water get dirty…which can lead to sick animals.
With the ducks and geese, we keep a 10 gallon baby pool that we can dump and refill daily. We also have a large dog pool that we fill when it’s hot or when we know we have the time to maintain it.
In a perfect world, we would have a huge water source for our flock but that is not feasible for us right now. Know your limits. They need to have plenty of fresh water and water to swim in but they do not an Olympic sized pool or pond to be happy.
🪿 (Some) Geese will keep your ducks safe IF you let them be geese. People debate whether or not geese can guard/protect flocks. A lot of my knowledge about guardian animals comes from the camelid world and here is what I know to be true- some animals have the natural instinct and temperament to guard their peers, and some do not. You MUST follow their lead with this. Guardian geese are loud, obnoxious and sometimes aggressive….that is what you want. Don’t ask an animal who is not a natural guard to protect your flock and don’t ask a natural guard to change their temperament.
I would never expect Mama Maple to guard our flock. That is not in her nature. I do believe Winter and Baby Grey, on the other hand, will take out a predator or at least try to. How do I know this? I know this because Baby Grey full on attacked Edward the cat for coming into the pasture and I have beak marks on my arm from where Winter has bit me. 😂 I did not get rid of them or freak out at them for these behaviors because they were doing their job and following their instincts.
🐈⬛ Side note- Edward is fine and I would have broken it up if it looked like there was going to be a problem. Grey was small at the time and Edward is great with the geese.
🦆 You really need to just suck it up and put water in their coops at night. Yes, they splash it everywhere and that is a pain to clean but…it is what it is. That’s life with waterfowl.
🦆 Call ducks are adorable but they can FLY. To give them a good life, they will need an actual aviary. That takes a lot of time and dedication. I highly admire people who can make that work but, again, I know my limits and I know that isn’t in the cards for us right now.
🪿🦆 FINALLY, if you get in over your head with your birds, do NOT release them into a pond in the wild. This is a death sentence for them. They cannot fly. They are domesticated and they depend on people. Look on local pages and see if anyone wants your ducks or geese. Someone will be happy to give you a tour of their farm and take your babies in.
Long story short, ducks and geese are great but they take work and commitment. It’s not easy and you’re going to make mistakes but you will live and learn and that is okay ❤️🦆🪿💕
