Anyone else have "disturbed" ducks?

[kodiakchicken]

Quote:
I unhook my hose (100 ft. of it) from the yard hydrant and drain it out. I consider it my daily exercise.

I bet you could buy those rubber feeders online.
They're Fortex brand I think. I will find out and let you know. Gotta go to work now.

Thanks! I'll do some checking as well.

Do you breed your Sebbies? I want a couple so badly, but they are uber-expensive from our the only breeder/hathery in Alaska and they require you to buy a pair (which I would want, just can't afford to pay their asking price).

 

[Cottage Rose]

You really should get a pair if you ever get any geese.
Geese are very clannish and really need to have a buddy even if you dont want to breed them. Take the eggs away if you have a gander and a goose or get 2 of the same sex.
How much do they sell them for?
Geese are a little pricey.
BUT...Sebastopols really wouldn't be a good choice for an extra cold climate like yours.
Due to their loose feathers they aren't as cold hardy.

 

[kodiakchicken]

Quote:
Oh, yeah, I would definitely have more than one if I got them. None of the animals in my menagerie have to go it alone.

The hatchery in Palmer sells a pair of Sebbie chicks for $103.50. That seems extremely high to me, but I could be wrong.

I've wondered how they would do in our weather, although I doubt that Kodiak gets as cold as Michigan. We never see below zero. My only worry is that we get a lot of wet weather and how would all those fluffy feathers do it that. Would they be muddy all the time or do they shed the water and mud as well as ducks?

 

[chickygirl2]

I have never heard they were less cold hardy than any other geese- hmmmmm......

The price sounds right to me. I charge 50 each for goslings here in Maryland.I would check the quality of the hatchery stock though before ordering.

 

[kodiakchicken]

Quote:
Why are they so expensive? Are they hard to breed, just rare so demand is high? I'm curious.

The quality of the hatchery stock is a big concern for me. He doesn't list if they are white, saddleback, etc - although I could probably find out with a call. However, I got my hens and ducks from there, which are all quite healthy, but the ducks are not purebred, I don't think. My black cayuga has a white chest, my magpie is tufted (which he didn't advertise) and my blue swede has partial tufts (again, wasn't advertised).

If I'm going to pay that much money for something that is mostly a pet and ornamentla (I know they don't lay as many eggs as ducks and chickens) then I want them to be good, healthy specimens.

 

[chickygirl2]

Demand is high and supply is low for the sebbies- at least the quality ones. The giant dewlaps are the same way. Hatching can be hard as well. they are more difficult than chicken and duck eggs. If you are just starting with geese, there are more affordable ones such as pilgrims or buffs that are gentle breeds. They make good pets as well.
I would try to get a picture of the sebbies the hatchery sells. They are probably whites as colors are rarer at this point. Good luck : )

 

[TheNewMrsEvans]

I have little ducks so I just fill a cat litter pan with water each morn and pour it out at night...they can't do laps in it but they do bathe.

 

[Cottage Rose]

Aren't most hatchery goslings around $40. each?
I think most breeds the hatcheries sell are in that price range.
Geese are worth it...save up your money and get a couple.

Yes Sebs aren't as cold hardy since their feathers are more open and loose but they survive our winters just fine and we can get down to -25º.
The key is to provide dry shelter and enough food to stay warm.

 

[kodiakchicken]

Quote:
Well, at the one hatchery in Alaska all other geese other than Super African and Large Dewlap are between $8.00 and $17.00 each. I guess it was the discrepancy between all the other geese and the sebbies that got me.

I'm sure they are worth it though. I'll just have to save my pennies.

Thanks for all the info. We don't get anywhere near -25, so weatherwise we should be good. All my animals always have access to their coop and their bedrooms at any time. They also have constant food and feed.

Maybe this spring.

I'll have to get housing built first.

Thanks again!

 

[Cottage Rose]

Oh maybe its the hatchery Sebs I'm thinking about then for that price. Good luck with your search.
I've had some isssues shipping to Alaska so I'd rather not risk shipping any there again. Sorry!
You could try Dave Holdrread since he's much closer to you than I am...over in Oregon or Washington.
I think it would be far less risky shippig from the west coast than where I'm located. We have terrible issues shipping out of Detroit. Lots of delays and treating lives as secondary cargo.