Ducks!

[TheDan]

I'm not sure yet what I've gotten myself into

 

[TheDan]

.

 

[TX69]

why?

 

[TheDan]

eggs, meat, and ducks are funny

 

[karlac]

Growing up, [FONT=Verdana, Arial, Tahoma, Calibri, Geneva, sans-serif]along with a feed lot calf, rabbits, chickens, and a guinea hen or two, we [/FONT]always had a few ducks destined for the freezer.

Messiest of the lot to raise, but hard to beat for the gumbo pot, and they will generally stay where fed.

 

[Vaquero]

Concur on the messiest.

 

[A.Texas.Yankee]

Guinea hens and ducks, do they require the same care / setup as chickens. I always see them running around and wasn't sure. I want to get some foul for eggs and meat, but want the least maintenance required.

Also, is one more resilient against getting eaten?

 

[matefrio]

I dont know anyone who puts up with Guinea hens for meat and eggs. For control of tick, other bugs, snakes and warning system they are great.

 

[Saltyag2010]

Growing up, along with a feed lot calf, rabbits, chickens, and a guinea hen or two, we always had a few ducks destined for the freezer.

Messiest of the lot to raise, but hard to beat for the gumbo pot, and they will generally stay where fed.

Never ate duck. Raised them for eggs and pets until the dogs are them.

 

[Army 1911]

Never had a duck but we had a goose as a pet. That sucka was mean. Used to chase the Dalmation around the yard and the house. It hurt when it bit you too. Fortunately, it took out after Mom and she told it your goose is cooked and then she did!

 

[TheDan]

Messiest of the lot to raise...

Yeah I hear they are pretty measy compared to other foul.

I'm hoping they are low maintenance once they are adults because I won't be able to give them a whole lot of attention. I'm going to build a large pen for them with netting over the top as I have some large hawks at my place. Slightly worried about the raccoons and coyotes, too.

 

[matefrio]

 

[TheDan]

looks like that snake is screwed

 

[ScorpionHunter]

These are 5 rouen ducklings that hatched last week. We have 8 hens and 2 drakes that give us 6 or 7 eggs per day. We just started hatching them this year. We'll keep the females for the eggs, and process the males. As you know, ducks are messy. And be prepared for the smell. Much worse than chickens. You would think I would have known how much they like water, but they can't get enough of it and they foul the kiddie pool that I fill within minutes. That's the tough part for me. The ducks free range. I give them some cracked corn and chicken feed in the morning, and they find the rest for themselves. They go into a coop at night that is covered in 1/4" hardware cloth to keep out the raccoons, possums, coyotes, etc. I have a family of red shouldered hawks nearby, but they don't bother the ducks (or the chickens). Ducks grow really fast, so get your pen and coop ready.

 

[TheDan]

Thanks for the tips! From what I've read, they don't really need water to swim in all the time. Doesn't seem like worth the hassle with how dirty they make it. These little ones make a terrible mess with the tiny amount of water they have as it is

 

[karlac]

I dont know anyone who puts up with Guinea hens for meat and eggs. For control of tick, other bugs, snakes and warning system they are great.

Guinea will actually make a better gumbo than chicken.
Much, much better than with today's store bought chickens.

All you gotta do is learn how to catch them.

(You're right ... guineas, and geese, are better 'watchdogs' than any dog)

 

[karlac]

These are 5 rouen ducklings that hatched last week. We have 8 hens and 2 drakes that give us 6 or 7 eggs per day. We just started hatching them this year. We'll keep the females for the eggs, and process the males. As you know, ducks are messy. And be prepared for the smell. Much worse than chickens. You would think I would have known how much they like water, but they can't get enough of it and they foul the kiddie pool that I fill within minutes. That's the tough part for me. The ducks free range. I give them some cracked corn and chicken feed in the morning, and they find the rest for themselves. They go into a coop at night that is covered in 1/4" hardware cloth to keep out the raccoons, possums, coyotes, etc. I have a family of red shouldered hawks nearby, but they don't bother the ducks (or the chickens). Ducks grow really fast, so get your pen and coop ready.

Good advice. We always free ranged our ducks. Usually just dug a shallow "pond", about 6" deep using the dirt for a small berm, filled up with water from the barn pump. Nothing fancy.

And with ducks, we fenced them out, not in.

 

[karlac]

Never had a duck but we had a goose as a pet. That sucka was mean. Used to chase the Dalmation around the yard and the house. It hurt when it bit you too. Fortunately, it took out after Mom and she told it your goose is cooked and then she did!

Mama goose sitting a nest is one of the meanest critters on earth.
Damned beak will break the skin.
Like a rattlesnake, only takes once to learn that hiss means business.

 

[A.Texas.Yankee]

Mama goose sitting a nest is one of the meanest critters on earth.
Damned beak will break the skin.
Like a rattlesnake, only takes once to learn that hiss means business.

I got attacked by a Canada Goose once. I was fishing shoreline and must have been near her nest. You ever get hit in the head with a goose?? I have! Then after wrestling the thing off me and throwing it to the ground and stomping it, sliding into mud and skunk cabbage, I promptly started exiting the area. Thing charged me, and some how while slipping between mud, water, and weeds, I put the pole up between me and the goose with my best fencing style stance and it sure enough the bird snapped it clean and took off with my Rapala in tow. Cold, wet, crushed, scratched, bruised, bleeding, lacking a brand new Ugly Stick ($70 pole was a lot for a 15 year old kid) and an $8 lure, defeated by waterfowl, I stumbled home.

I returned to exact my revenge the next day, but was unable to locate nest or the flying beast. Mother nature won that day.

 

[robertc1024]

LOL - reminds me of a goat story. Dad's family had a goat. Don't ask me why. The thing got meaner and meaner until it finally butted my grandmother. They started eating it the next day.