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Ducks First Flight


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Hi all. Am after some advice regarding ducks. On the shoot I help with we put a few duck on one of the flight ponds. We have done this for a few years now but have the same issue every year when the first shoot day arrives (Mid November). The ducks never seem to want to fly. We try and try but they will only fly a few feet. In the last couple of weeks we've been trying to get them up and flying but have been unsuccessful. Does anyone have any hints or tips that they have heard of or tried.

Any help would be greatfuly received.

Many thanks in advance.

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On one shoot on which I used to beat they bought in ducks and fed them on two ponds. I have seen dogs in the water in an attempt to get the ducks up, many of which simply dived whenever a dog got too near, and the kids amongst the beaters running themselves ragged trying to get them off the ground. I was scowled at once by the 'keeper for suggesting they fire them from a trap. :whistling: Other times some would get up and fly around about ten foot off the ground before landing on the water again, and other times they would get up and simply disappear, or as one old boy was fond of saying "Aye, they've ****ed off again"! :)

We feed a pond on our rough shoot but all the birds are wild.

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A duck is not like a pheasant which fly up to roost so it is possible for them if they are fed on the pond not to get the required muscles to fly so it becomes a case of cant fly.

You must feed them away from the pond and make them flap back to the pond and there fore get the muscles to fly it could be a bit late now but as others have said feed well away from the pond and not to much .

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Starve them for 4 or 5 days.

Get yourself a thunderer whistle and go to the pond and blow it when you are feeding them.

Feed them little and often and never forget that whistle.

Blow it as soon as you are in earshot of the pond the ducks will be waiting for you at their feeding spot

Gradually feed them further and further from the pond. Entice them out with a trail of feed. They will waddle towards you as you blow the whistle.

Once you have them 100 yards or so from the pond chase them to force them to fly.

Repeat this morning and night and keep them hungry.

Eventually they will fly out to meet you when you blow the whistle. Then you know you've cracked it,

 

NB Whistling at feeding time should be started when you get your growers at 6 weeks of age but it will work with adult ducks if you keep them hungry and persevere

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  • 2 weeks later...

We have a cracking flight on ducks feed them out in the field then flush then up but get some of your loyal beaters or keepers to stand in the surrounding fields and round pond with flags or umbrellas there's no point putting down 100s of duck and them not making sporting birds let them circle around once for the first time then increase there flying time each flight bit late to be doing now but it's a tried and tested practice earlier in the year alb

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