Duck Run

I intend to give the ducks an area about this size.
It's approximately 420 sq. ft.
That's just a temporary fence and I'm still working
on nursing the grass back

Keeping ducks is much more work than I anticipated, much more work.  I've been getting a little frustrated with the pekin' fear of me and how he will just about do anything to flee when I come to pick him up in his pen.  My patience finally wore out this morning and I just kind of plopped him back down with an "eff-you then!"  It bothered me all day, I mean he's just scared and I shouldn't be frustrated.  But I was and you can't really change that.

The plan I came up with was to get them out free ranging and roaming which was always the plan anyway.  I figured the daily routine of:

1. Moving their outdoor pen to a new location so too much poop doesn't accumulate
2. Rinsing the water bowl
3. Rinsing the food bowl.
4. Carrying them one by one (squeeling and squeeeking!!) from the indoor pen (which is soiled) to the outdoor pen
5. Fill the outdoor water container and chuckle as they all jump in immediately (good, a positive!)
6. Dump a scoop of food in their bowl
7. Say goodbye and continue with my day
8. regular life stuff, you know, work, bills, exercise, driving, cooking, etc.
9. Clean out indoor pen, wash food bowl, water collection tray and water bottle
10. Fill water bottle
11. Scoop out soiled sawdust (soaked with poo, water and pee)
12. lay down new sawdust
13. place bowls and fill with water and food
14. Grab each one by one (squeeling and squeeeking!!) from the outdoor pen (which is soiled) to the indoor pen (which is cozy)
15. Pause and look them and ask myself what I'm doing, maybe wonder if they will ever just let me hold them and not freak out
16. Light off, door shut - goodnight
17. Repeat next day

I mean shit, that'd get on anyone's nerves, right?  So Today I was finally tired of the little guy just not warming up to me.  I wanted ducks for pets, I want them to like me, I want them to follow me around and be social and at a minimum, NOT be terrified of me.

So back to the plan-  I will move them outside on a permanent basis, let them roam around, crap where they want, looks for critters, get exercise... you get it.  I figure this will reduce the repetitious labor and allow more time for enjoying them.

It worked, I think.  I came home and rather than resume with step #9 from above I just walked over, said some greetings and lifted their pen to let them out.  It was cool, they walked around and didn't run from me.  It took no time for them to head for my corn seedlings but they were easy to shoo away.  They spent the next 3 hours roaming around while I crafted and installed a quick temporary fence to define their new run.  I chopped up some veggies, took a seat on the ground and they came to me, I even let them climb up on my lap to eat.  The pekin was having none of this, but he wasn't war away either.  This is the kind of interaction I want to have with them, it was great!

I feel the key is just letting them be more free.  I will build a little house for them that they can go in at night, but I don't plan to secure it and attempt to keep them safe from predators - I'm gone too much to attempt to keep that up, I don't want the stress of "oh god, I forgot to shut their door Tonight!" followed by frantic calls to neighbors to ask favors...

I should mention that I left them out in the run Tonight, it's nice out and they are a pretty good size.  As I came in the house to catch up on emails it took about 30 minutes before I began to worry and resumed with step #9...