Australia - Six states..and that funny little island.

[guinea fowl galore]

Hey Ducky, Is the bird flu outbreak in Melbourne worrying you? I hope it gets contained, but it's very sad that all those ducks had to be killed

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-01-27/ducks-catch-bird-flu-near-melbourne/3797306?section=vic
I'm more shocked by the handling of the ducklings in the video.

 

[TinaK]

Yikes! Bird flu! I hadn't seen that on the news. Thanks for posting guinea fowl galore!

I saw an add this morning in our paper for goslings - $10 each. I'm trying hard not to pick up the phone and make the call!

 

[duckyfromoz]

GFG... All my babies are safe. Thanks for the link- I hadnt seen that video. Sad to see them all so overcrowded like that. I bought in this wooden box tonight so I could combine two groups of babies- the youngest 9 were just put in for the photo so it will just be the fawn amd whites and the Harlequins living in here for the next week until I bring in a second box the same size and separate them again. My babies get a bit pampered I suppose- sad how they grow up on farms like that though- never running on the grass or having a pond to swim in.




I was concerned at first until I did some reading- found out where and exactly what strain it was. Not worried anymore- it was just a few isolated cases- but sadly all the ducks need to be removed from the farms so they can be sterilized. Sad that just a few sick birds means the death of them all- but being meat farms- they would normally all be processed anyway- it just means these ones wont be eaten. I actually bought some ducklings about 4 years ago for a friend from one of the farms. I wish I had never seen that place.

 

[RareBreedFancier]

Ducky, those are sooooooooo cute!

I'm sad about those commercial ducks. I remember once talking to a job agency lady and she asked me what my ideal job would be and I said 'Something with animals'. 'Oh' she says, 'we can get you a job at the duck farm, they need people on the kill floor.'

I couldn't even reply, I couldn't think of a polite answer to that suggestion.

 

[duckyfromoz]

How are all those broodies of your doing??

I am trying not to think about it all- I love my ducks- and for years was basically running a rescue for dumped, sick and unwanted birds- But I do know that the younger ones are the luckiest- they dont have to live out another few weeks in those horrible places. I know that thousands of new ducklings will soon replace them too. About 11 years ago I bought some ducklings from a meat farm up at Wangaratta, much nicer conditions there- the day old ducklings were up off the floor and bedding was actually clean. I dint come away with a horrible feeling about what I had seen. Same goes for cows- sheep - chooks- pigs- they may all end up as food but they should still be given a proper life while they are growing up.

What was that lady thinking??? I saw the incubation and egg storage area of one of the farms where the ducks are infected- and wondered how those people felt about what they were doing. I have an office job - Its ok- not my dream job though- but I come home to all my duckies and spend a few hours cuddling feeding, bathing cleaning brooders... i wish I could make it a full time job just to be with my ducks. Look at the time...midnight already and I still have 8 babies drying off in the tub so they can go back in the brooders have a last feed for the night so I can get some sleep... At least i am awake at this time of night of a good reason

 

[satay]

Wow Ducky look at that brooder full of lovely babies . I have had no luck breeding this year. Between the crows stealing my Duck and Turkey eggs and my duck egg customers There have been none left for breeding. I do have about 30 rir and black australorp chicks of various agers running about the place at the moment. My poor cat is scared to go outside at the moment as he gets surrounded by young ones from 4 weeks of age up lol.

 

[Duckadia]

Greetings fellow Aussies!! Anyone from North West New South Wales?

 

[RareBreedFancier]

The broodies are doing well Ducky, I've got 3 with chicks and some more due soon.

My silkies are racist though, they rejected the dark chicks and only like the pale grey ones. Oddly the dark ones appear to be black but with a splash roo they should be blue. I guess they will just be dark blue where the light ones will be light blue? I have a few interesting ones too, can't wait to see what they will look like when grown up. Lucky for the rejected ones they have moved into the brooder and are doing fine.

Thanks to all the people sending me rain, we've had over 2" today! Everything is so much greener and growing like crazy, I swear my tomatoes have shot up overnight. I hope it's stopped for those of you with too much already.

 

[satay]

The broodies are doing well Ducky, I've got 3 with chicks and some more due soon.
My silkies are racist though, they rejected the dark chicks and only like the pale grey ones. Oddly the dark ones appear to be black but with a splash roo they should be blue. I guess they will just be dark blue where the light ones will be light blue? I have a few interesting ones too, can't wait to see what they will look like when grown up. Lucky for the rejected ones they have moved into the brooder and are doing fine.
Thanks to all the people sending me rain, we've had over 2" today! Everything is so much greener and growing like crazy, I swear my tomatoes have shot up overnight. I hope it's stopped for those of you with too much already.

Thats funny Rare. Glad you got some rain. My grass has shot up since the rain.Think i need to get me a cow to help keep the grass down. I spend half my life in the summer months out here mowing. Welcome to the aussie thread Dukadia.

 

[Duckadia]

I'm getting sick of this rain! we can't mow, and the grass is getting so long that we are losing our ducks!