Coffee anyone ?

[Mother Hen]

We are going to take our friends ducks so any advice/ help is greatly appreciated. I know they are white and they are a pair but other than that I know NOTHING. I have always taken care of chickens.
Yes, I do okay at the diner. Just wish I was better at it but yesterday we had 2 big rushes/crowds and I was able to keep up with the prep work (toasts, waffles, pancake batter) so they were impressed a little more.

 

[farmerjan]

@Mother Hen congrats on the job at the diner. Gets you out and some socialization... everyone needs that connection with other human beings.. part time should give you plenty of time to still attend to things at home. One of the reasons many of us still continue to work well after "retirement age".... especially when we are a single living at home. The getting out. Although many of us have lots of other stuff going on especially when we have animals....
Hope you have as nice a weekend as we are having after all the wet/misty /rainy stuff we had. Should be able to get the rest of the Halloween stuff up. We needed it and we were very blessed to not get the devastation that they got further southwest of here.

Ducks are messier than chickens ever thought of being. Will need water in a pan of sorts so they can get their whole beak into it..... house or at least a covered shelter that they get under for the winter as you don't have bitter temps like northern states... Go see what the friends have for them and then you will have an idea, for starters.

 

[farmerjan]

Looking at a '11 Outback and it's only $1k right up the road with "mechanical" problems. As good as it sounds the wife made a point, when are you going to have time to fix it? "IF" I got it and "IF" I had time I would also give it a lift kit as I have done with all these we own here.
Got one camera up last night for a test run. First time to try cover this much acreage with a system and ability to see as far as we can it opens up where I should place them. From what I can see is it's going to take all the cameras for the distance they can see. Going to need a PTZ (Pan Tilt Zoom) to fill the void.
Wife came home last week with not just ducks under the Waddle Wattle Inn, but the first time ever to have the geese under there and some attempting to wedge themselves underneath it. We are going to find out.

Love my 2000 forester and 2001 outback... and you are a mechanic to be able to fix everything... BUT..... time to do it????

Sounds like a pretty bad predator after the ducks and geese. Geese tend to be much more "fearless"... I sure hope the cameras tell you soon what it is... and you can "take care of it".....

 

[Mini Horses]

@Mother Hen Friends may already have a small shelter & pen that they can gift with the ducks

 

[Mother Hen]

Friends may already have a small shelter & pen that they can gift with the ducks

Nope! They just have a small pool and pen for the ducks as they got them after the winter. I had already told H we are going to have to build a small house/shelter for the ducks for the winter

 

[Weldman]

Love my 2000 forester and 2001 outback... and you are a mechanic to be able to fix everything... BUT..... time to do it????

Sounds like a pretty bad predator after the ducks and geese. Geese tend to be much more "fearless"... I sure hope the cameras tell you soon what it is... and you can "take care of it".....

Had both or had one and currently have the other. The '99 Forester that was mine the wife hit a cow with and now she has a '02 Outback that has been lifted 3 inches with mud tires on it, actual 10 ply tires for this road. Without the lift they don't fit.

 

[fuzzi]

We are going to take our friends ducks so any advice/ help is greatly appreciated. I know they are white and they are a pair but other than that I know NOTHING. I have always taken care of chickens.
Yes, I do okay at the diner. Just wish I was better at it but yesterday we had 2 big rushes/crowds and I was able to keep up with the prep work (toasts, waffles, pancake batter) so they were impressed a little more.

I've done short order cooking, plus 10 years in fast food. When there's a rush you get a rhythm going, almost like a dance. You'll be fine.

 

[Alaskan]

Nope! They just have a small pool and pen for the ducks as they got them after the winter. I had already told H we are going to have to build a small house/shelter for the ducks for the winter

You really just need a 2 or 3 walled shelter, unless predators are a problem.

My biggest predators are eagles/raptors and dogs. With your location raccoons, possums, and snakes might also be an issue. So, build to keep all those out.

Ducks are very cold hardy. But, they do need the wind blocked. If you get a bunch of wind, it would be nice to put that clear ripple plastic on both sides of a fence corner. That way, they will have at least a bit of area free of wind.

Also, in front of that ripple plastic is a good spot to put a water pan. The sun coming through the plastic will keep the water thawed longer.

And yes, they are always messy with their water, and they need to be able to dunk their heads. So, figure out where to put the water so it will not soak bedding, and be easy to clean out.

 

[Baymule]

You can get a bucket with a lid, cut holes in it big enough for them to stick their heads in so they can dunk their heads in the water and not have quite the mess.

 

[Baymule]

Coffee is ready. What’s for today? Clean up the back porch.