Recent content by zippy3
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Duck housing---need opinions on my plan
Well...there are a lot of ways to handle predators and fencing..lots of pros and cons... Permanant or movable... Different set-up/needs in summer and winter... Cost of wire, posts, time spent installing posts, stretching, bracing, maintainance...or up-front costs of fence and energizer but very... -
Guard Geese for Chickens
NO, I don't expect my White Chinese gander to protect my flock from night-time predators...that is what the predator-proof duck house is for that they are locked into every night. That is what the electric-net fence is for when we aren't around in the day. However, during the day, when we are at... -
Guard Geese for Chickens
I also have a Chinese gander (white) who protects my 8 ducks. He often keeps watch while the ducks are eating and won't graze much unless they are under cover of a tree or with me. He makes lots of noise when anything happens and keeps watch for birds overhead and any animals around such as our... -
Duck housing---need opinions on my plan
Dave Holderread's "Storey's Guide to Raising Ducks" suggests 3-5 square feet per bird once full grown plus an outside pen that allows 10 square feet per bird, minimum. So the question of whether you have enough space depends on how big the nest boxes you add are going to be (my ducks just lay... -
Goose safety
I agree with goosedragon...I use an electric net fence I got from Premier 1 and I think it was worth every penny. I use a solar energizer, which, admittedly is the most expensive option up front, but I don't need electricity to run it, ever, so I can put the fence anywhere on my property, not... -
Your duck setups
Nice set-up TWLR! I built what we call the duck dome, which I built from Starplates and 2 x 4's. The dome is right up against the garden shed we converted into the duck house. In the summer, I use electric net fencing and move them around the yard, but in the winter, the dome is where they can... -
Watering ducks advice.
Hi. I raised 10 ducks and 2 geese starting in April of last year and I feel your pain. They do make a mess. I finally evolved a way that worked pretty well for me. First, I acquired a large square plastic tray that was about 24" square (it used to be the bottom of a pet cage) that had 3" high... -
Runner Ducks
Hi. Just a couple suggestions. Your fenced area sounds large enough, but ducks can dirty up their water in milliseconds, so I would not sink the kiddie pool in the ground...I would leave it above ground and give them a ramp or wooden or brick steps or something for steps so you can empty the... -
Runner Ducks
I have 7 female runner ducks (3 fawn and whites, 2 blues, 2 chocolates), one female Cayuga duck and a male goose (White Chinese). As I live in northern VT, they have an insulated duck house that is 9" x 8", which works out to 8' per animal, which is, I think, considered generous. But that is... -
Why don't my geese like my ducks?
I started out with 3 White Chinese Geese and 10 ducks that all grew up together (7 runner ducks and 3 Cayugas). They all got along fine until teenage-hood. Two of the geese and two of the Cayugas turned out to be male. The drakes strutted around like the cool bachelor pair that they were and... -
stock tanks for swimming.
I have a small stock tank for my 2 Chinese geese and 8 ducks. It holds 40 gallons and is oval and fairly deep (about 18" I guess). It is much sturdier and more flexible than a kiddie pool that I used to have for my kid to play in when little, which eventually cracked from dumping it out because... -
Is Sevin ok around geese?
Hi. Personally, I wouldn't use Sevin spray (or most of the other bug killers out there). Take a few minutes to look up the toxicity of the active ingredient and make up your mind for yourself. I had a lot of trouble with red mites late this summer and was very tempted to use something to get... -
Auto waterers for geese?
I have the little giant king size automatic water bowl and it works great for my 8 ducks and 2 geese. I have set it up with a garden hose and also with a gravity feed sysytem. I have mine on the tripod stand to keep it off the ground. They all use it...it is deep enough for them to get their...