Bye bye Birdies...

[Bleenie]

So feed prices went up within the past month sometime... just by $1/bag but it cost me $100 to fill my feed bins and I REALLY don't wanna pay any more than that. I use the same feed for all of my birds, all ages so that really helps save money but I think I am going to have to cut back on birds still... and keep my fingers crossed that it goes back down after Winter.

The Cochins are all leaving, i decided that a while ago and half are already gone. I think I am going to sell all of my Self Blue Muscovies though, which is only 4 ducks but I am sure it'll make a bit of a difference. I am trying to figure out a 5th Scovy to sell to bring me down to an even 15 but the only one I can decide to let go is Echo but she HAS to go with Panda, who just happens to be my best momma duck... I wanna scream. I would consider selling Greg, my Silver drake, for a low cost WITH conditions but that's just asking too much i am sure.

It's going to be hard deciding who but I reall need to lower my numbers since everyones been getting penned up more than normal lately and they're eating more feed. ugh... I should start growing my own duck food

and on a happy note, pretty duck pictures:

 

[aussiedude248]

What you can do is cut down on the food you "Buy" ducks in the wild eat grass and bugs and I see you have alot of grass and a pond, if you want for the pond you can get some fish you can feed them scraps of certain food look at the Treat section there's alot of things you can do with out selling the pets you love.

 

[Bleenie]

I don't have a pond, I have a creek, but there's a LOT of other animals(predators included!) that share it with the ducks. It's out in one of our fields also so it's not fenced and they get put back into their pen at night, for safety.

We do have a lot of yard & field for the animals but the ducks like to stay within a certain area and will fight with me if i try to move them to the other side of the house/property.

I guess they don't realize there's a lot more grass and bugs over there... they're just not as smart as my first Muscovies, lol, they were all over at least 15 acres. After Christmas we are planning to build a new duck coop on the other side of the property in a large open, empty field. the creek is a little closer there too and there's more of it for them to get to so there should be more "treats" for them... especially frogs. Then I can keep some of the babies next year.

 

[roocrazy]

ya that would help but washington is frozen in the winter

 

[duckyfromoz]

How close to a town or supermarket are you? I get lots of fruit and vegetables from the local store just near me. The outer lettuce leaves- and from other similar veges, fruit with just a slight imperfection that means it cant go on the shelf- as well as some that are srating to look a little old- but still perfectly good for my duckies to eat. If I had to pay for it all my ducks would not eat so well- but the shop " scraps" are a perfect way to cut down on the huge feed bill I have.

 

[FenDruadin]

Pretty bird! I completely hear you on cutting back feed costs. Better to do that than risk poor nutrition (although the suggestions already offered here might help).

But does it have to be an even 15? Why not keep the one you're worried about parting with, and just have an even 16? One bird won't make that much difference...

 

[Bleenie]

I made myself sound so smart, didn't I?

I like the number 15 so much better and i probably shouldn't have said "even 15", lol. I very well may end up not being able to decide and keeping 16.

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I do have a friend who's yard has a SERIOUS worm "problem"(can you call it a problem?) going on, lol... her yard nearly Moves at night!!..... maybe i will send a couple to live with her for a bit, they'll probably come back looking like Mammoth Muscovies

 

[sourland]

Picture # 3, duck between the rocks is a really neat picture. Well done! The way dog feed is increasing in price is pushing me toward the poor house. I know what you are going through.

 

[Bleenie]

There is a local store that we used to pick up produce from, we got it for our pigs that we butchered a while back. The only problem with getting it again is that theres always SO much and we don't have a good, easy to get to, place to dump all of the leftover stuff that the duck, cows and us people can't/won't eat.

If I had a good, easy access place to toss it all I would be all over it, believe me! i can appreciate free grub for the animals(and us)... a family friend closed their butcher shop a few years back and they let us come pick up all the meat out of their freezer that hadnt been claimed in time, I think I went through at least 12, 5gal buckets of Venison & Buffalo cutting it all into steaks.

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[roocrazy]

my ducks like any table scraps...besides bones!!!