The Duck Thread

[City farm]

The dumping of animals has always boggled me, but, I'm living the ducks. I'm not really a bird person, with now, the exception of ducks. I had no idea of the personalities they each possess!!! They family dynamics of my flock amazes me every day. Even my dogs have begun watching duck TV! As for Todd taking a duck otr, that's gonna be interesting!!! Taking one of my babies, that might be the one thing I don't tolerate!

I'm so with you about the dumping of any animal. It's so cruel. We are sure this is what happened to our Toulouse goose too. I'm still on hold about liking ducks. We bought 3 adults from an old man who runs a feed store of sorts here. Thought they were mallards til I put up a pic here and learned they are Welch Harlequins. We have 2 females and a drake and now 3 babies. My momma duck I call Neurotica bc she is just that-neurotic as all get out-loud and crazy.The others are quiet. But the daily mess, the flies-I had no clue all this comes with having ducks. I don't have these issues at all with my chickens, goose or quail. They are all 6 here to stay now, but just not sure I'd ever want anymore now that I see how high maintenance ducks are.

Let's not even get started talking about pet dumping!! We have student's that just leave when they are done with school and don't take their pet's.. Yes even duck's.. But we also have a certain person that brings spay-neuter re-release cat's here on our block AND neighborhood.. It is so awful.. No one want's to feed them, you can not catch them to help them if they are sick.. Their poop is out of control.. No one cleans up the poop.. Actually, I told one old neighbor that if he is going to feed them, HE need's to go to our homes & pick up their poop!!! He was like, "HUH, I didn't think of that" I want to Puch him in the neck.. Some people just don't think.. They have been sick to the point of our cat's getting sick from them.. They have worms, which I have tried to teat with D.E. seems to help.. Finally I got a hold of one that had the clipped ear, and get a hold of her when I feed my cat's.. She doesn't like it, but oh well.. I get to make sure she is ok & she is coming around.. I will get a photo of her, she is so cute!! All of her paws have 6 toes..
Our cat's have allowed her on our property, so we keep her.. We named her Julie..
Now, I have meet a few people that have been in a situation where the shelters have no room to take them in.. Honestly, I came home and found a dog in our backyard one day.. She now has her forever home.. So, for the pet it worked out.. Then we rescued a dog from a rescue, that was rescued from the desert.. Once we got him home he only lived 3 week's.. He must of been starving & had heat exhaustion. Or the neuter surgery.. Not sure but he suffered & cried, stopped eating, till I found a vet that would see how bad he was.. And put him to rest.. We only had him for a short time, but he bonded with us.. This girl of ours came from the same place and has issues, but boy do we love her.. She want's to eat the kitty, but we are making progress..

 

[City farm]

I'm so with you about the dumping of any animal. It's so cruel. We are sure this is what happened to our Toulouse goose too. I'm still on hold about liking ducks. We bought 3 adults from an old man who runs a feed store of sorts here. Thought they were mallards til I put up a pic here and learned they are Welch Harlequins. We have 2 females and a drake and now 3 babies. My momma duck I call Neurotica bc she is just that-neurotic as all get out-loud and crazy.The others are quiet. But the daily mess, the flies-I had no clue all this comes with having ducks. I don't have these issues at all with my chickens, goose or quail. They are all 6 here to stay now, but just not sure I'd ever want anymore now that I see how high maintenance ducks are.

I use these they really work well,

You have to dump them about 1X a month or boy do they get stinky full of flies, then add more attractant but well worth it then at end of season I scrub them out let them dry and put up for next year. I dig a hole and pour the liquid and dead flies into it cover and done.

The stink factor is why we don't use this.. But the fly preditor has worked best.. From last year more than have as many flys..

 

[caesargirl]

Let's not even get started talking about pet dumping!! We have student's that just leave when they are done with school and don't take their pet's.. Yes even duck's.. But we also have a certain person that brings spay-neuter re-release cat's here on our block AND neighborhood.. It is so awful.. No one want's to feed them, you can not catch them to help them if they are sick.. Their poop is out of control.. No one cleans up the poop.. Actually, I told one old neighbor that if he is going to feed them, HE need's to go to our homes & pick up their poop!!! He was like, "HUH, I didn't think of that" I want to Puch him in the neck.. Some people just don't think.. They have been sick to the point of our cat's getting sick from them.. They have worms, which I have tried to teat with D.E. seems to help.. Finally I got a hold of one that had the clipped ear, and get a hold of her when I feed my cat's.. She doesn't like it, but oh well.. I get to make sure she is ok & she is coming around.. I will get a photo of her, she is so cute!! All of her paws have 6 toes..
Our cat's have allowed her on our property, so we keep her.. We named her Julie..
Now, I have meet a few people that have been in a situation where the shelters have no room to take them in.. Honestly, I came home and found a dog in our backyard one day.. She now has her forever home.. So, for the pet it worked out.. Then we rescued a dog from a rescue, that was rescued from the desert.. Once we got him home he only lived 3 week's.. He must of been starving & had heat exhaustion. Or the neuter surgery.. Not sure but he suffered & cried, stopped eating, till I found a vet that would see how bad he was.. And put him to rest.. We only had him for a short time, but he bonded with us.. This girl of ours came from the same place and has issues, but boy do we love her.. She want's to eat the kitty, but we are making progress..

German shepherd!!! (Girly squeal eeeeeeeeee!!!! Looove!!!!) My shep Caesar is the love of my life! Our neighbors told us that when this house was empty for 2 years, it became a dumping ground for a slew of animals. They actually adopted most of them including a duck, dog, and even a horse! Laughingly, they joked that it was our turn... Hmmm. I'll never understand how people do it, but we're gonna take what shows up! The Canadian geese have been the only challenge, but since they took over as flock caretakers... The legal paperwork and monitoring has been worth it.! I will draw the line at anything larger than a dog, but my neighbors have volunteered to step in!!! Although there was some eye rolling on her husbands part when she said that! But thank goodness for them, they have helped me with all the fowl, introduced me to the wardens, and even are helping with the ppwk for the geese. When we found out we were going to have to chain link the back yard in, they told my husband to just have a bbq and they'd get the people. I'm from the city, so I'm not used to this...still makes me cry.

 

[LadyIsadora]

The stink factor is why we don't use this.. But the fly preditor has worked best.. From last year more than have as many flys..

Where do you get your fly preditors? I think i would like to try both! the Flys are unreasonable right now!

 

[caesargirl]

Where do you get your fly preditors?  I think i would like to try both! the Flys are unreasonable right now! 

We ordered some from spalding labs... Got the recommendation at BYC!

 

[Debs Flock]

We ordered some from spalding labs... Got the recommendation at BYC!

I think it was @Miss Lydia that said she gets hers from Spalding. I'm thinking I need to give it a try. I've read some about them. My main question, at the moment is...what happens to these critters that are eating the fly larvae (or whatever they're called)? Would I just be substituting a new pest for the flies?

 

[caesargirl]

From what we've discovered, they actually stay near the poop/ mess. Not free flying around like the house flys. And they're tiny tiny.

 

[Debs Flock]

From what we've discovered, they actually stay near the poop/ mess. Not free flying around like the house flys. And they're tiny tiny.

Well, yay for that! I'm going to give it a go then. Thanks!

 

[Chrysolinsbirds]

No idea, once they are fully featherd it shouldn't take long.. but our drake, Rick curl is not there. He must be molting..

Is he muscovy derived?

 

[Miss Lydia]

From what we've discovered, they actually stay near the poop/ mess. Not free flying around like the house flys. And they're tiny tiny.

My Muscovys are such big fly preds I'd worry they would also eat the fly predators one reason I haven't tried them.