Ok, so, my complex bizarre question is
Ive had chickens here off and on over the years, and Im pretty good with them. I am really thinking though that Id love to get some ducks
BUT, I have to explain some things.
Our back yard rolls right down to a river, its the Upper Cuyahoga river. Sometimes called the East Branch of the Cuyahoga, since it sort of doubles back on itself, and this is the side on the east. Were up near the headwaters, where it flows SOUTH on the upstream northern part before it joins with some other tributaries and turns NORTH to become bigger part that flows north through Cleveland into Lake Erie. Does any of that make sense?
Heres a map,
(we live somewhere around the last a in the Cuyahoga.)
Anyway, its not HUGE, its bigger than a creek here, but not a LOT bigger. I couldnt throw a rock across it now but as kids we used to try and my big brother sometimes succeeded. We grew up swimming in it so current isnt much, and Id still swim in it today, but we didnt and I wouldnt drink it, no real industry upriver of us, but watersheds these days tend to funnel in all sorts of road runoff and such. only going through all this so you have an idea about it. Its a really funny river! Cuyahoga means Crooked River in Iroquois, or so we were all taught in grade school.
So, if I got ducks, and they went down there, (and Id probably be tempted to let them, or theyd just make a break for it.) would they come home for dinner if their pen and duck house (only an imaginary duck house just now!) was well established as where there was yummy food, good shelter and their hen friends were? I wouldnt want to try to build a pen big enough for them to be in 24/7 all year, probably could make one of a decent size, but ducks just seem to need ROOM.
Oh, my next door neighbor downriver (about a quarter mile downriver) used to own ducks, and he said theyd be fine, and he moved here after selling a large farm with LOTS of geese, ducks, chickens and quail and even though I respect him, hes 90, and has this sort of AWE, just do it itll be fine! attitude no matter what I say about what Id like to get. I think hes hoping Ill get too many birds and have to give him some which I may do anyway, cause I think hed enjoy it I could walk down there and help him out anytime. Im friends with his daughter and she likes chickens and such, but has her hands full enough. But if I got ducks and they did go visiting, hed be tickled.
A preliminary plan is to get a pair, raise them up right, treat them sweet, and see how it goes if one pair gets well established, and totally convinced that theres no place like home, before letting them near the river, then other ducks mostly think the same I guess Im worried if they left home, I wouldnt want them to suffer or anything.
Opinions? Thoughts? Ideas?
Our back yard rolls right down to a river, its the Upper Cuyahoga river. Sometimes called the East Branch of the Cuyahoga, since it sort of doubles back on itself, and this is the side on the east. Were up near the headwaters, where it flows SOUTH on the upstream northern part before it joins with some other tributaries and turns NORTH to become bigger part that flows north through Cleveland into Lake Erie. Does any of that make sense?
Heres a map,
(we live somewhere around the last a in the Cuyahoga.)
Anyway, its not HUGE, its bigger than a creek here, but not a LOT bigger. I couldnt throw a rock across it now but as kids we used to try and my big brother sometimes succeeded. We grew up swimming in it so current isnt much, and Id still swim in it today, but we didnt and I wouldnt drink it, no real industry upriver of us, but watersheds these days tend to funnel in all sorts of road runoff and such. only going through all this so you have an idea about it. Its a really funny river! Cuyahoga means Crooked River in Iroquois, or so we were all taught in grade school.
So, if I got ducks, and they went down there, (and Id probably be tempted to let them, or theyd just make a break for it.) would they come home for dinner if their pen and duck house (only an imaginary duck house just now!) was well established as where there was yummy food, good shelter and their hen friends were? I wouldnt want to try to build a pen big enough for them to be in 24/7 all year, probably could make one of a decent size, but ducks just seem to need ROOM.
Oh, my next door neighbor downriver (about a quarter mile downriver) used to own ducks, and he said theyd be fine, and he moved here after selling a large farm with LOTS of geese, ducks, chickens and quail and even though I respect him, hes 90, and has this sort of AWE, just do it itll be fine! attitude no matter what I say about what Id like to get. I think hes hoping Ill get too many birds and have to give him some which I may do anyway, cause I think hed enjoy it I could walk down there and help him out anytime. Im friends with his daughter and she likes chickens and such, but has her hands full enough. But if I got ducks and they did go visiting, hed be tickled.
A preliminary plan is to get a pair, raise them up right, treat them sweet, and see how it goes if one pair gets well established, and totally convinced that theres no place like home, before letting them near the river, then other ducks mostly think the same I guess Im worried if they left home, I wouldnt want them to suffer or anything.
Opinions? Thoughts? Ideas?
