Ducklings - your experience please.

Discussion in 'Breeding, Raising, Feeding and Caring for Animals' started by sun burn, Nov 3, 2010.

  1. sun burn

    sun burn Junior Member

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    I wasn't making suggestions about your dog. I was just suggesting that I would kidnap mine. Yeah i had heard about this imprinting tendency. I thought about the implications of stealing the duckling further and when i got ot it being in the house pooing all over the wooden floor, i thought perhaps its not such a great idea.
     
  2. purecajn

    purecajn Junior Member

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    Ours was only allowed in the very back room of the house which was covered with newspaper with a kiddie gate blocking it in. My dog would jump over and hang out with her at thru the night. Hey if you accidentally make a double post on a thread, how do you delete it?
     
  3. eco4560

    eco4560 New Member

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    I think only we Mods can do that. I have access to the grey strip at the top just under the name of the thread and there's one there that says Administrative that you can use to delete posts. If you can't see it then it is just a Mod thing!
    Generally we see them and tidy up for you, or you can send one of us a PM and we'll fix it for you.
     
  4. Stingray

    Stingray Junior Member

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    Our Ducklings :)

    hehe sunburn .. lukky you :)
    mumma ducks still sittin on her eggs .. i sorta lost track of times this time round .. so not sure when they are due to hatch :{ (i "think" early Feb).. and with the floods we did get some "lakes" in our yard .. and even tho I never saw the water level get high enough to go into her hutch .. i did see it level with the bottom of it.. so not sure if the eggs got wet and if that will mean they wont hatch :}
    any ways.. heres some pics :)
    (more pics of our permaculture experience here )
    Proud (and freakin annoying) Dad
    [​IMG]
    Daffy (lol one of 2 named ducklings) :)
    [​IMG]
    Mumma duck happily sittin on her eggs :)
    [​IMG]
    Again I've rearranged and added to the pens :) LOL
    [​IMG]
    Main yard
    [​IMG]
    I had to fence off an area as their main yard, instead of just letting them free range, as the ducklings were being so destructive to any plant they could reach, and we needed to plant some fresh crops of vegies to help us out since there isnt going to be a lot of fresh cheap veg after these floods
    -Daz
     
  5. purecajn

    purecajn Junior Member

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    will you be making a mini duck tractor for maintained maintenance\fertilization of the yard? they look great. Yer ducks can be pretty destructive in there own right. When the population in the back pond grew neighbors phoned the city and whoosh all were swooped up. Thy were so tame no one could bring themselves to eat any . Bad day, that was one of only two times I ever saw my father shed tears.
     
  6. Stingray

    Stingray Junior Member

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    rofl @ duck tractor . I hadnt thort of that .. lol .. would have to be bigger than my chook tractor (below)

    [​IMG]

    that sucks about neighbours making a complaint :(
    I would hope that If any of mine had a problem that they would say something to me 1st ..
    so far so good tho.. neighbours on each side are great .. (new ones on east side actually want a couple from the next clutch . lol)
    the ones behind (as my yard covers 2 behind us) I've rarely spoken to,
    but one has had a chat when i was out there not long ago, to let me know he'd found a couple of dead ducklings (from kookas taking them) in his yard ..
    he didnt say he had a prob with me havin ducks,
    and the other i've spoken to for the 1st time (lol) last week - as son's frisbee thing went over the fence - and in the past he has asked kaety if we'd lost a chook, as he'd found one roamin in his yard (wasnt ours but we put it in with ours until an owner could be found, but the next day it was gone.. - figured it flew away as its wings werent clipped)
     
  7. sun burn

    sun burn Junior Member

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    If you have clipped their wings, they won't fly over a fence about half that height. They are too fat and heavy. But i have noticed that they don't even try to fly.

    I like the look of your ducks nest. Today i have had to do something about the floor of the chicken house floor (everyone lives in their but the chooks go on the roost so the wetness of the floor is not a problem for them. It doesnt rain in the pen but the ground soaks up the water from around and so its wet. Anyhow, my neighbour had given me a screen mesh door and today I put it down on the floor and covered it with straw. I don't know yet whether they will be nervous about using it but its a good firm floor, is off hte floor and any water will run right through it. So i hope they like it if they don't like standing on the wet ground. If they like this, i might look about for some more.
     
  8. Stingray

    Stingray Junior Member

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    Koolies :)
    yeah .. all my pens are made of "free" stuff either off free cycle or friends getting rid of things :)
    most know that I am after that sort of stuff.. lol.... scored that chain fencing off a friend .. bonus was she dropped it off too :)
    the ducks nest is in an old dog kennel :) I tried to coax her to a larger nest in the corner of the pen .. but i think she preferred it in there for the safety factor with there being only one entrance to watch :)
    I think the only thing i have bought was the steel pickets and some chook wire years ago.. lol .. that i keep "recycling" as I've moved/changed things about :)
    And yeah . i know they wont fly (now - i clipped our drakes wings before i found that out) .. lol.. atleast the boys wont .. the girls are known to fly (but i've clipped her wings) .. and the ducklings are just starting to sprout some real feathers :)
    what i need to do is set up a filter/hydroponics setup so I dont have to keep emptying their ponds.. LOL.. that kills my back .. lol
    - Daz
     
  9. purecajn

    purecajn Junior Member

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    sun - Take rodent cage screen and make a suspended floor. The space in between can be used to keep trays for matter catch and makes easy cleanup, . all matter falls thru the screen into the tray. easier cleaning, much less hassle. Just be careful on screen size since you want matter to pass, but not for toes to become caught in. Always dry feet.
     
  10. sun burn

    sun burn Junior Member

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  11. Stingray

    Stingray Junior Member

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    hehe :)
    nice pics sunburn :)
    soooooooooooooooooooo cute :)
     
  12. purecajn

    purecajn Junior Member

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    Great photos sun, I love the foliage.
     
  13. purecajn

    purecajn Junior Member

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    luv the simplicity of the chicken tractor. City hall says we can't have chickens in the city limits and get pompous when I ask to look at the books myself [for loop hole, like being able to have up to 3 and considered pets in that case. Any suggestions for alternative ground fowl that I might be able to side track the local livestock rules? I think I can keep peacocks they're are local birds running around wild anyway.
     
  14. ecodharmamark

    ecodharmamark Junior Member

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    G'day purecjan

    The 'books' are freely available (I've used the City of Lake Charles as an example):

    City of Lake Charles Zoning Ordinance

    City of Lake Charles Zoning Map

    Simply locate your property on the appropriate map, check the zoning, then proceed to define a use that fits within the zoning ordinance.

    Cheerio, Markos
     
  15. purecajn

    purecajn Junior Member

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    Ok the following are considered farm animals and i'm unable to raise them legally: {"Chickens" and "fowl" include chickens, ducks, geese and any other similar
    type of fowl.} Similar type of fowl. what would not be similar yet serve the same purpose?
     
  16. ecodharmamark

    ecodharmamark Junior Member

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    Just for the purpose of the exercise, where exactly are you quoting the above from?
     
  17. purecajn

    purecajn Junior Member

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    the local Zoning Code book refered me to the General Offenses Code 505.18 FARM ANIMALS.
    (a)
    Definitions.
    (1)
    "Chickens" and "fowl" include chickens, ducks, geese and any other similar
    type of fowl.
    (2)
    "Domestic farm animals" includes sheep, goats, cattle, swine, rabbits and
    any other similar type of animal but does not include horses.

    c)
    Location of Structures. Any structure used to house chickens, fowl or domestic
    farm animals shall conform to all Code requirements and shall be located not less than twenty feet
    to the rear or side yard line and not less than 200 feet from any existing residence on an adjacent
    property.


    Also says that if the property were above 2 acre I could have them.
     
  18. purecajn

    purecajn Junior Member

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    Also was thinking of putting a bee hive in the back as I have 25' either side clearance from neighbors, but it also so says that all it takes is one person complaining about them and the city will force me to get rid of them. Maybe after I get the yard growing a little better I can camo it into the shrubbery as an ornamental structure.
     
  19. ecodharmamark

    ecodharmamark Junior Member

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    Ah, I see. I take it then that the size of the property you are located on (and/or its close proximity to neighbouring dwellings?) does not allow for the keeping of 'domestic farm animals'. That's too bad.

    How about you give up the 'fowl' idea, and go fishing? Aquaculture is fast becoming a popular form of raising 'livestock' in residential areas where 'domestic farm animal' raising would otherwise be prohibited.

    Just a thought...
     
  20. ecodharmamark

    ecodharmamark Junior Member

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    Where there's a will, there's a way... good luck with it.
     

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