'Allo

[Devish]

This site has been a good resource over the past few months; just decided to sign up. I have 3 female Cayuga ducks, about 1 1/2 years old... and 1 female Japanese Bantam (I think) chicken, who adopted us a few months ago. Looking to get her some chick'n companions soon-ish (before winter), but first need to upgrade the coop. Yes, I'll have ducks and chickens together... she left me with no choice.

I raised quail a couple of years back before switching to ducks. Still deciding which bird suits us best... I say all 3 and then some, but the rest of the household would surely send me off to the loony farm if I tried it

Aside from that, I have mainly sustainable-living hobbies. Gardening, canning, shooting, cooking, aquaculture (okay, fishkeeping/breeding), mycology... reading about nearly anything and everything... and currently, looking at a zillion coop designs/plans/ideas before (re)building... So, back to it!

 

[N F C]

Hi, welcome to BYC!

There's a lot of information here and a lot of helpful, friendly members. If you need anything, feel free to ask questions.

There are some forums you might enjoy here:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/f/42/ducks

https://www.backyardchickens.com/f/9/coop-run-design-construction-maintenance

And a ton of other ones that are fun to discover. Jump in, make yourself at home.

Nice to have you here!

 

[dawg53]

Welcome to BYC.

 

[Devish]

Thanks for the welcomes, and thanks NorthFLChick for the links! I hadn't been to the coop & run design section yet, checking it out now.

 

[N F C]

Thanks for the welcomes, and thanks NorthFLChick for the links! I hadn't been to the coop & run design section yet, checking it out now.

I meant to add one more link for you...this one has stories written by members about their coop builds

https://www.backyardchickens.com/atype/2/Coops

Happy reading!

 

[drumstick diva]

Glad you joined the Backyard chickens flock. Please also check out the predator section, for ideas about keeping them away from your flock. Everything "loves" chicken but, not in a nice way.

 

[Devish]

Thanks again, NorthFLChick!

drumstick diva, thanks, I'll check it out. Always open to new/better ideas and methods! At first, I naively figured we wouldn't have much trouble with predators in the neighborhood. I convinced myself of this mainly due to the cost of constructing a predator-proof run that would encompass at least 1/4 of the yard, thinking steel perimeter fencing should be enough. A raccoon set me straight by "Marie Antoinette-ing" some 3-mo old ducklings in the run this summer, when we didn't put them up after nightfall... Didn't touch the adults, not sure why. They were in the same run, separated by a short fence that was just enough to keep them from mingling. I'm now planning a fully enclosed run top-to-bottom, and a tall raised hutch attached. We've had no problems since making sure they're always locked up tight at night, but I'm not willing to take any more chances.

 

[BantamFan4Life]

Welcome to BYC! I'm glad you joined us!

 

[PulletNewbie]

Welcome!!
I continue to be amazed at the chickens that just show up in folks yards! Glad to read the little gal crossed your path.

You mentioned having raised quail. My game ranger good friend has discouraged me from trying to raise quail because, in his words, "they are born looking for a way to die."

Now there is a breeding pair that has taken up residence on the bluff not to far from our front yard. If a wild pair can find happiness, is it possible that others could be bred and released to try and pump up the population? We have the room for a huge fly pen...

What are your thoughts on raising quail in rural north central Oklahoma where the deer, possum, skunk, raccoon, armadillo, roadrunner, bobcat, coyote, bald eagles, golden eagles, plus a dozen assorted breeds of other raptors all play? We live on a bluff overlooking the Arkansas River so it is a very lush and active place for wildlife!

Again, welcome. And I look forward to your advice!

 

[HeritageGoose13]

Welcome!

You should start a thread on aquaculture, I'm sure many would be interested to learn about it. It sounds like you have many interesting hobbies.