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

[satay]

Hi fellow Aussies!
Can anyone please shed some light on the breed of my two new ducks? I've had chickens for a while but this is my first time with ducks so I'm unsure on the breed. I was thinking Swedish black but I'm not sure. Also is it too early to tell gender, I think they're about ten weeks but not 100%

Thanks!

I'm really not sure. Could be indian runner. Hard to say as they are sitting. They sure are pretty though. Hope someone else might be able to help you out with them.

 

[Teila]

Good morning folks

Good to see you again locknest4. Your comment on Crows reminded me, I have been meaning to mention that I can still hear them in the neighbourhood but they have been giving Bambrook Bamtams a wide berth. No Crows have landed in the back garden for well over a week or so now. Funnily enough I can also hear Magpies which are new to the area.

Not sure if was Dusty’s multiple bashing of the determined one, the arrival of the Magpies or a combination of both but yep, it has been pretty good not having them around.

Howdy AliceGee, sorry, I can not help you with the duck breed but just wanted to say that they sure are cute!

For a few days now the girls have ‘raised the alarm’ and either hubby or I or both of us have been running out to see what the fuss is about … nothing, zip, zilch. We scour around the general direction they are looking, nothing.

I do believe that yesterday I met the reason for the raising of the alarm .. when I raced out, sitting on the side fence was a juvenile kookie. He stuck around for the majority of the day and I could hear him trying to ‘laugh’ but I do not think he has quite got the knack of it yet; such a cutie! Obviously my idea of cute is not echoed by the girls

We got such a fright last night, luckily it was early evening and we were watching television and not in the middle of the night when sleeping. A cat fight broke out right underneath the lounge room window frightened the living daylights outta me and made hubby jump. Normally, you get the howling and warnings leading up to the actual fight, not this time; it went from background noise and television etc to full on cat fight screaming less than three feet away

Poor little Chimee got such a fright she ended up under our bed and took a lot of coaxing to get back out.

Without climbing on my soap box for an extended period; it really irks me that I, a responsible cat owner with indoor cats that have an enclosed outside run, have to put up with irresponsible cat owners cats fighting right outside my window; stalking my chickens etc. Not to mention the episode a couple of weeks ago that nearly cost Chimee her life

lol .. even I think I am starting to sound like a whinger; Crows .. Cats ....

 

[Fancychooklady]

Sometimes it does feel as though everything is out to get our chooks. Beware the laughing bird, whilst he probably wouldn't take on a big bird , I wouldn't put it past him to have a go at your bantams. After all anything that will take on and kill a snake is certainly up for a little chicken rustling.
I was sitting on the verandah enjoying a coffee when a kookaburra landed on the grass in front of me
Pity I didn't have the camera on me. I did however keep a close eye on him.

 

[appps]

im with you Teilia. I am so sick of chasing the neighbors cat out of my yard and dog poop on our front lawn. Have pets but for hecks sake keep them in your own dam yard!

Mind you I chase kids too, neighbors kids used to want to come up our driveway to give them the extra run down the hill which is our street on their skateboards. Having nearly backed over a couple kids at my sisters years ago they got told to bug off home real quick every time they tried. Think I'm the cranky lady in our street lol

 

[Fancychooklady]

im with you Teilia. I am so sick of chasing the neighbors cat out of my yard and dog poop on our front lawn. Have pets but for hecks sake keep them in your own dam yard!

Mind you I chase kids too, neighbors kids used to want to come up our driveway to give them the extra run down the hill which is our street on their skateboards. Having nearly backed over a couple kids at my sisters years ago they got told to bug off home real quick every time they tried. Think I'm the cranky lady in our street lol

We often have feral cats hanging around but the dogs usually run them off. Some kind local has dumped 3 x Roos on our hay paddock and as much as I like chickens unless we can herd them up at night , hubby may have to shoot them. Sounds awful I know , but I can't risk them getting to my birds, bio security down the drain.
Speaking about locals, on Monday I was taking 3 x girlfriends to the markets , it was 8 am public holiday and as we were getting into the car I noticed the horses going troppo , then I see out in the middle of the front paddock a guy tangled up in the electric fence with the local constabulary in hot pursuit. He managed to break free and the poor copper ( a friend of ours ) ripped is pants and scratched his face on the barb wire. Haven't caught up with Dave to see whether they caught him but with this ice epidemic I'm really starting to feel as though I live too close to town. Sunday morning at 7 am our power went out when yet another ' upstanding ' member of the community was being pursued by police and took a power pole out on the Main Street.

 

[Teila]

Ah, OK, thank you for the warning Fancy, I did not think that little Kookie might be a bantam problem; I will definitely keep an eye on him.

Wow, sounds like some fun times in your area .. I know I live too close to town

Tee hee appps thank you, I do not feel so bad now about my whinging and yep, we have kids that think our driveway is a ramp … I believe I am probably the cranky lady in our street also

I know we are not perfect and the gals can make a little noise but I always rush out to try and hush them, unlike the neighbour whose 4-5 dogs [I have lost count] bark constantly. We do not allow our pets to wander all over other people's yards; if we had kids, they would not be able to wander all over other people's yards either; we do not park across people’s driveways; we do not play loud music; we do not shout and scream at each other etc.

I guess it comes down to the fact that I am conscious that we have others living close by and try very hard not to be an intrusion on their personal space; shame it is not reciprocated.

 

[User395221]

Ah, OK, thank you for the warning Fancy, I did not think that little Kookie might be a bantam problem; I will definitely keep an eye on him

Yes, I found out that kookaburras aren't "nice" when I had one visit and rang up the Department of Agriculture for information. They can be very territorial and aggressive to other birds. I'd always thought they matched the way they look, but, no.

 

[LanaDucky]

Kookies are quite vicious. That laugh they have is thier way of asserting their position in the family group. If they are away from the group for more than a few days they lose thier spot and are killed when reintroduced. So much for cute little laughing kookies.

 

[chicken-clucky]

Hi everyone

I have only just got internet back.

 

[appps]

Hi everyone

I have only just got internet back.
]

I know the feeling, ours is so bad most of the time we might as well not have it. I do a lot of stuff on my phone because the home connection barely runs at dialup speed. Hurry up NBN connection!