New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:

Loons

post #1 of 4
8/5/12 at 9:30pm
Thread Starter 

I have never read anything about keeping loons.  Does anyone keep them?  Is it legal?  If so, what are they like? What do they need?

 

Thanks,

Stuart

Reply
Reply

Featured Stories on BackYard Chickens

The Basics Of Raising Chickens - Raising Chickens 101
Poll: Why raise backyard chickens?
Raising Chickens on a Shoestring
post #2 of 4
8/7/12 at 2:09am

There is a huge difference between keeping omnivorous ducks which do well on grains and commercial feeds, and keeping picivorous species such as loons, not the first of which is expense. You need a steady supply of the proper diet, which gets very expensive, as well as a lot of freezer space to store it. Then there's the knowledge needed to understand that the diets of picivores need to be supplemented due to the degradation of certain vitamins in their frozen diets, unless you happen to have a very reliable source of fresh food. Plus, loons do not walk very well on land, so need a facility with open water all year round. For these reasons, they are not even commonly kept in zoos.

Reply
Reply
post #3 of 4
8/23/12 at 7:21pm

I agree with the above.

 

Loons will need lots of space ,and are quite territorial. Along with lots of water they will also need very clean water. Not the muddy flith ducks are happy to swim in. Either daily water changes or a strong filtration system.

 

Also no ,without permits they are not legal to own ,as all loon species are native to north america.

 

Also fish eating birds REAK like fish.  If you ever should wish to smell a loon, don't. They smell bad.

Reply
Reply
post #4 of 4
9/3/12 at 1:14pm

This is good info, I have also wondered about getting loons as I have waterfowl an the necessary permits. I guess loons would not be a good choice.

Reply
Reply
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:
  Return Home
  Back to Forum: Ornamental Fowl (Swans, etc.)

Featured Stories on BackYard Chickens

The Basics Of Raising Chickens - Raising Chickens 101
Poll: Why raise backyard chickens?
Raising Chickens on a Shoestring