The Duck Thread

[tracyjg]

My partner was cool tonight . He bought me an early birthday present. Because I needed it for ducks and animals. And us food. Food processor. Yah. I don't have to be up to the wee hours of morning. Yah.

 

[jtn42248]

Yeah that's what I've heard. So as long as my drake isn't trying to mate with the hens there shouldn't be an issue?
Also do you know what my hen to rooster ratio should be? If I end up getting chickens I don't want more than six so would 5:1 be ok?
I know it might not be the same but my hen (Female duck) to drake ratio is 2:1.
Do you think maybe I should get another duck and try and integrate it with my current ducks when it is big enough so the ratio is 3:1? I mean they seem fine, but I'm just curious and also don't want anyone getting hurt.
One last question

If I make sure to handle the rooster a lot and socialize him will that raise the chances of him being nice to myself and any guests that might visit? I just don't want to have to worry about getting attacked. My family had chickens before I was born and they had a rooster and my dad said that he was so mean he would take the garbage can lid as a shield when he went outside to take care of the chickens...

Thanks for the help! I'm super excited to possible get some more outdoor buddies hehee

Chickens, hen to rooster ratio of 5:1 should be o.k. depending on how aggressive your rooster is. Handling the rooster while young might have some impact on his later behavior but it has been my experience that roosters will determine their own aggressiveness levels during mating season (which for chickens is pretty much year round).

Duck ratios are recommended at least to be 4:1 to avoid any overbreeding injuries of the females. Overall my duck ration is 17:5 and there has been no problem. However that does work out to about 4:1

 

[Lamaremybabies]

I have roosters they our aggressive to female figures. I you's a broom a box to protect myself. They do fine with my partner. I handled mine a lot. It's when they start mating is when all the aggressive behavior starts. 1 hen laying eggs there fine. Several hens laying eggs is when it gets weird.i have tryed spraying with water . Dunking them in water broom and box. We careful when it's cold with water. They can freeze.

Ok. Thanks.

 

[Lamaremybabies]

Chickens, hen to rooster ratio of 5:1 should be o.k. depending on how aggressive your rooster is. Handling the rooster while young might have some impact on his later behavior but it has been my experience that roosters will determine their own aggressiveness levels during mating season (which for chickens is pretty much year round).

Duck ratios are recommended at least to be 4:1 to avoid any overbreeding injuries of the females. Overall my duck ration is 17:5 and there has been no problem. However that does work out to about 4:1

Alright. So I'm basically just gonna have to hope that the rooster decides to be nice..

And maybe look into getting a couple more ducks so that the ratio is a little better.

Thank you for the help.

 

[City farm]

Saturday I brought home two ducklings from TSC.  They had arrived Monday, so I figured since they had lived a week they were likely to continue living.   Right now they are in our kitchen. We plan on getting a couple more once we get their pen built-if it ever stops raining long enough for us to build!  With my luck both ducklings are male and we really want eggs. We already have three roosters and no hens -sigh.

What breed? They are easy to sex..

My husband has this idea to build a tractor and a permanent dwelling.  My idea was to build a shelter and just have a move able nesting box. We do have an issue with predators-snakes, raccoon, possums, foxes, random dogs and cats.

Oh boy, you will need to build Fort Knox..

Yours eats the big chunks of food. Mine our adults and will not eat anything unless I cut it in little bitty chunchs .if it's just an inch bigger it gets dumped and they will not eat it. Did you cook the celery or is it raw. It's been a struggle to cook everything squash green beans peas. In a pan or in oven.do you guys use a knife or do you you's a food processor or blender. What is the easiest way.that takes less time. I want to give them nutrition. But don't want to be up tell midnight every night .

Ours has fun tearing into the watermelon and other stuff.. Gives them something to do... They will eat if they are hungry.. They had fun eating this letuce.. Rick & Lauren

At the moment. I cutting it all by hand with a knife. It takes forever. I partner says it takes me to long. We our trying to figure a different way.

I guess if you don't have anything better to do..
we leave out pellets for them to eat whenever.. But then toss in leaves from our orange tree.. They actually really like the leaves.. Our neighbors have a mulberry.. It's dormant now, but we harvest the leaves 3-4x a week for them.. Also neighbors that don't spray weeds.. Toss it in their water.
. We also got a cement mixing tub that I rinse every day, to day & a half..

 

[City farm]

The tips of the fingers are the first to go.

ain't that the truth.

food processor? Ouch

 

[tracyjg]

They don't like the food soupy either. To wet. From blender or baby bullet with food smashed up or chicken crumble for right now I tryed one night. Because I didn't have time because of emergency to vets these week with my chick and rabbits.i will see in a few hours when it warms up how much of food with food processor they ate last nigh.

 

[City farm]

I tryed the bag stuff with my rabbits. It expires to quickly. And there picky if it's to close to the expectations date. Don't ask me why it's a learned response with all the pets I own. Yes I can look at eptic thrift store and savors there both in walking distance. Good will needs the car. It would have to be on weekends to do that one.i don't have the car on week days.

I buy the large bags of kale and I dump the whole thing takes my birds about half a day to eat it all and that is alot of kale. The romaine goes faster I either hang it up and just let them go at it or do like Tevyes dad does and hold it and let them go at it.  I don't have to worry about expiration dates here.

A few local gardeners got together with businesses to take away their "garbage" one was a juice bar .. They put the scraps that their chicken's & tortoise did not eat into the compost.. Low & behold the celery sprouted in the compost.. So they planted, and you guessed it TADA a new plant.. I just cut the bottom of the celery, stuck it in the ground yesterday..... We shall see.. We also have a company that gets expired or close to being expired food and sell it for $10.00 for 60 pounds, yep you read that right.. I'll post up a link in a min..

 

[attimus]

food processor? Ouch

table saw but still, tips are first to go

 

[City farm]

http://tucson.com/news/local/new-pr...cle_1a1146ca-5c0c-5af0-a8c1-db6c6dccc9a3.html

Hope this link opens.. Produce on wheels, or market on the move.. It came up in my search as 3000 club.. But all it has was book information.. Idk.. Anyho, have a wonderful duck day...