So you can board your dog, cat and horse, can I board my 2 geese and duck?

[Amanda39]

In August we will look for a Winter home for our 2 geese and 1 duck.

I'm fine with paying for our birds to be cared for and have a safe healthy place to be until I can pick them up again in the Spring.

We have 2 geese and 1 duck we incubated and fell in love with, however, I told the kids that we have
to place them somewhere in the Fall. When my kids asked why we can't return them to the farm we got them from, I was told that birds are culled each Spring and my kids went through the roof with sadness.



What a crazy weekend. What to do with our Deese!

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

Why are you not able to keep them with you through the winter months?

 

[Amanda39]

Because we don't have a farm, just a backyard, with no fencing in a subdivision. We got these eggs to incubate simply for learning. Well, we have fallen in love with them! A better idea would be to find a near by farm for them to live in which we can visit and bring treats, and that could be their new forever home.

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

In August we will look for a Winter home for our 2 geese and 1 duck.

I'm fine with paying for our birds to be cared for and have a safe healthy place to be until I can pick them up again in the Spring.

We have 2 geese and 1 duck we incubated and fell in love with, however, I told the kids that we have
to place them somewhere in the Fall. When my kids asked why we can't return them to the farm we got them from, I was told that birds are culled each Spring and my kids went through the roof with sadness.



What a crazy weekend. What to do with our Deese!

Because we don't have a farm, just a backyard, with no fencing in a subdivision. We got these eggs to incubate simply for learning. Well, we have fallen in love with them! A better idea would be to find a near by farm for them to live in which we can visit and bring treats, and that could be their new forever home.

Now I am more confused - your first post said "until I can pick them up again in the Spring, but your reply to my question says you are seeking a "forever home" where you can visit them. I certainly don't see how season will change the issue of being in a subdivision with no fence. Are you zoned to be able to keep them if you did arrange a winter home and pick them up again in the spring? Are you wanting to find a temporary or permanent home for these birds, because the suggestions that would be offered will depend on that.

 

[Amanda39]

Yes, I came across quite confusing! Busy weekend and I'm assuming you can all ready my mind LOL

We received the eggs from one of my students Mom whom is friends with the farmer of a school based farm. I was told, hatch them if you can, if you want them, keep them, if you don't, bring them back. We fully intended to bring them back, that is, until I found out recently, each Spring the majority of the ducks and geese are culled.

Of course by now, we have named them and love them and the thought of them being slaughtered saddens us. Since the farmer doesn't care if I bring them back or not, I thought maybe I could pay to have them close by on a small farm that we could come by and visit and bring treats, but then I thought, well, maybe I could bring them back each Spring for the summer like we are doing now and keep them here for the summer, but now I have completely confused myself on what to do.

As they get bigger, they are getting poopier, which I knew would happen, but it's making it hard because I can't just let them out in the back yard. We have dozens of coons at night, plus coyote and fox, bald eagles, red tail etc. I bought a 10x10' dog pen to put their pool in so I could at least put them out in the morning and after noon, rather than keeping them indoors while I get my grocery shopping done, pick the kids up from school and do house work. But today, when we tried putting them in the pen and walked away, they freaked out and were trying to squeeze their bodies through the fence. I want to put mesh screen around the bottom of the pen, but that won't stop them from crying or freaking out. We need to do this gradually.

This wasn't supposed to be so hard. Get some eggs, watch them hatch, play with them for a little while and take them back. Ugg.

 

[ochochicas]

This is extremely upsetting. First of all, you don't state your location. Why don't you give the birds away to someone who can properly care for them and who wants to keep them?

You could always take them back to the farm to teach the kids about the "circle of life" and explain to them where their food comes from. Baby animals are cute, but they still need to be taken care of (or eaten) when they are older. Sorry if I'm being the bad guy here. Hopefully the kids haved learned something about the responsibility of pet ownership - wheter it be a kitten, puppy or duckling.

 

[Amanda39]

I don't understand why you think this is extremely upsetting. We planned to take them back to the farm initially, and if it comes down to it, we will. They were never intended to be a pet as I stated in my previous post. I feed my birds organic duckling food and top quality lettuces, vegetables and treats. They are loved and cared for and love their pools! We even put them in a dog carrier and took them up north for memorial weekend, they loved it and didn't mind the car ride at all.

I have no problem giving them away to a wonderful home! I also thought about teaching my children the circle of life as well, as we eat meat daily.

It bothers me that you are EXTREMELY upset by my situation. My birds don't have health problems from being fed the wrong food, my birds haven't been attacked from an improper pen, my birds are not neglected or left out to fend for themselves, so I'm curious, how is this so extremely upsetting?

We hatched eggs with the intention of returning them, we fell in love with them, I'm looking for an alternative home that doesn't slaughter and that we could come visit once in a while. If we can't find a friendly little farm, they will go back to the original farm and I will ask the farmer if I can put a leg ID on them so they aren't culled with a donation to the farm.