Are my girls in trouble??

[LilDucky85]

Right now its not possible to divide them so Im just keeping a close eye on things. In the Spring I can hatch more but until then the girls are just going to have to hang in there. If I see anything too serious I will have to figure something out. Grr. I never saw this problem coming. Who knew ducks could be so stressful!

 

[LilDucky85]

Quote:
Every day I go out there worried Im going to find something like that. I think how would I react? What would I do? It's terrible. I just found out Illinois has Minks, who little did I know just kill to kill. They dont hardly eat anything, just kill everything in sight. Its a scary thought. Like I said above...stressful!

 

[TheDuckCrew]

if you bury hardwire cloth a few inches into the ground and then out a foot or two, it helps a lot. i know majesticwaterfowl.org had a good example. the floor of the duck house is now hardwire cloth with hay and leaves over it. we've had things dig underneath and hit the wire with no where to go. it definitely saved their lives multiple times.

here's the link to the predator proof pen on majesticwaterfowl.org http://www.majesticwaterfowl.org/penbuilding.htm

 

[LilDucky85]

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Oh my run and house is strong, totally enclosed and very safe. There are only a few spots that a maybe squirrel can squeeze through, but nothing bigger. I just worry "what if". See here is my duck house...

The ducks...

The roof can lift for cleaning. There are double doors in the back of the house that open as well...

With the run door open...

Solid raised tile and wood floor, currently covered in hay. Although fully enclosed,
nothing can get under the house since its wired off...

 

[priss]

Your ducks are so beautiful, no wonder you are always worryin for them. I worry about mine too. I got padlocks on my hut and I still worry that a fox might accidentally knock the right code into the padlock and get in!!! I like the little white one with the fat butt who's in the front to get the food best!!

 

[TheDuckCrew]

WOW! that is an awesome duck house and run! mine is a big jalopy thing because there kept being spots where things could get in, so we'd just add more wood and wire. its quite ugly. but its safe! cleaning it is the worst though. we had a nice way to clean in until things started getting in that way, so we had to screw it closed. dang animals! i have to crawl in (its only 3 feet high at the most, i'm 5'8") and get all the yucky stuff out. i always wear my bad jeans while doing that!

 

[priss]

Lol DuckCrew, I quit going out in the garden in anything but the bad jeans. Just this morning I sat down with a cup of tea for five minutes and my three decided to roll about in the nearest pool of muck and then clamber all over me. They even stick their muddy beaks down the top of my wellies. Doogie also discovered the pom poms on my hat flaps and spent a good amount of effort trying to eat them whilst getting the side of my face all mucky. They are just disgusting little oiks. But I love them.

 

[TheDuckCrew]

oh boy! my duckies arent that friendly! but in the dead of winter and you bring out the kiddy pool, BOY do they get friendly! last winter chubby splashed the water all over me. i was trying to get away while filling the pool and i was just sitting on the ice after a little while laughing. a lot of times i just throw down a path of clean hay so i can crawl around and not kill my legs crouching!

 

[priss]

Lool, maybe you can get some kind of mini knee cushions that you can tie on. Washable ones...
I bet your ducks loved watchin you on the ice. People falling over is my ducks most favourate comedy in the world. They wakk about laughing every time.
Plus, I tell myself mine are friendly and are climbing over me cos they love me but there's a good chance they are just looking for more peas!

 

[rainplace]

I think like someone else said, you need to nip the problem now. If you are unable to separate anyone else, or get more females, then lose some males. They can and will overbreed, i.e HURT, your female or females.

Very nice looking pen you have there! The chicken wire, however will not keep out raccoons.