Consolidated Kansas

[chicken danz]

Good Luck selling the chicks!!

I live in the middle of the city....we have two indoor cats and a dog...two kiddos a girl and boy... Adding ducklings because hubby loves ducks! We want them as pets that lay eggs and take care of our garden pests... They will be indoors till they are old enough to safely live outside... They'll be free range at day and in a pen at night for protection... Any tips anyone has would be fantastic!

Thanks!

Quote: I have some cayugas. They are also delicious by the way. I also have Anconas. They are white with gray, blue, chocolate or black spots. I have pekins as well. Not sure what your hubby has heard but my pekins are not loud at all. The loud ducks are usually the little call ducks. They are insanely loud. Females are louder than males in any of the domestic breeds. Drakes have a quiet raspy sound. Ducks have more of a quack.
Ducks are great and really only have to be kept warm for about 3 weeks. I would not recommend keeping them inside though. You will hate them if you do. Fix a small pen and a shelter with a heat lamp for them. Anything as simple as a square box that you can suspend a light from. I like using straw for bedding cause it cleans up quickly and absorbs some moisture. DON'T put baby ducks on shavings. They will ingest them and die. Make sure they always have water which they will play in. But if they eat they have to have water deep enough they can wash their beaks out in. Once you get them over the duckling stage they most likely won't need a pen except at night. Mine stayed right around the yard even before I put up a fence. I have some crested cayugas which are really cute. I sold or butchered most of my ducks exceot just a breeding trio and I am breeding crested because they sell so well.

 

[chicken danz]

I meant I sold or butchered most of my cayuga. I still have a ton of ducks.

 

[DisneyGal25]

I have some cayugas. They are also delicious by the way. I also have Anconas. They are white with gray, blue, chocolate or black spots. I have pekins as well. Not sure what your hubby has heard but my pekins are not loud at all. The loud ducks are usually the little call ducks. They are insanely loud. Females are louder than males in any of the domestic breeds. Drakes have a quiet raspy sound. Ducks have more of a quack.
Ducks are great and really only have to be kept warm for about 3 weeks. I would not recommend keeping them inside though. You will hate them if you do. Fix a small pen and a shelter with a heat lamp for them. Anything as simple as a square box that you can suspend a light from. I like using straw for bedding cause it cleans up quickly and absorbs some moisture. DON'T put baby ducks on shavings. They will ingest them and die. Make sure they always have water which they will play in. But if they eat they have to have water deep enough they can wash their beaks out in. Once you get them over the duckling stage they most likely won't need a pen except at night. Mine stayed right around the yard even before I put up a fence. I have some crested cayugas which are really cute. I sold or butchered most of my ducks exceot just a breeding trio and I am breeding crested because they sell so well.

Thanks for all the info!!! Especially about the wood shavings that's what the feed store told us to get

 

[cherwill]

Hello All! I don't post often, but do read often. I have learned a lot about chickens from all of you.


I had something kind of funny happen yesterday. I have this cat who has stayed in and around the chicken coop and run since she was just a little kitten. She is always with the chickens. Well, yesterday my DH and I went out to feed the chickens and found one of our 9 broody (I have mostly cochins) chickens sitting on a pile of fur. It cant be chicks because she isn't actually sitting on any eggs so I looked closer and she was sitting on four brand new kittens. The cat decided that was the best place to have her kittens, I guess. She had a good babysitter while she went off to eat anyway because my Cochin was sitting right there with her kittens like she was their mother. When we moved the momma cat and her kittens to another part of the barn, the cochin was up pacing back and forth like we stole her babies from her. Poor girl! I went out there today to check on the kittens and chickens and the kittens are back in the coop. I guess thats where momma thinks they should be.

Hopefully they will be ok in there with all the other chickens?!?!


there are 4 kittens...one is underneath the chicken in this picture.

That's too cute!

Hey fellow citizens of OZ!

Is a newbie city duck owner allowed in to the Kansas club?

We are getting our ducks a week from tomorrow!

 

[adamsheather123]

OK so my chicks and ducks are now four weeks old. We finally finished the coop. Still working on the run however. Since its getting hot is it too soon to put them in the coop? I'm worried they will over heat at this age. Or if the run was done would it be OK to put them in as long as they can have access to the run?

 

[DisneyGal25]

Anyone else have any duck advice for a newbie? Any City duck owners?

 

[lizzyGSR]

Danz - I'm sorry to hear about your special bird. You guys must have been having warmer temps than we have here. We've only had highs in the 80's, with maybe some low 90's thrown in here and there. It has actually been thoroughly beautiful here the last few days, especially in the evenings. Tomorrow, the high is only supposed to be 60*F, which is going to feel pretty chilly compared to what we've had. Ironically enough, we've even got a 50% chance of rain/snow Sunday night... I'd be happy with snow if it meant we got some precip. The local farmers are already talking about a ruined wheat crop because of the lack of rain... If we don't get something soon, we won't have any grass in the pastures either.

 

[adamsheather123]

Well not too bad of a day around here. Our coop is done except for the flooring and some paint. Got a tiny bit of the run enclosed so the babies can play when its super hot outside. We put our brooders in the coop last night and everyone was just perfect this morning. Had a few storms but they have passed so I'm sure everyone will be fine again tonight. At least we now know for sure that the coop is water tight. Wish our sliding glass doors were. Water every where. Oh well. Hope everyone has a nice night and stay safe if the storms are any where near you.

 

[friendshipstar]

Hello everyone.
I have 75 eggs scheduled to hatch tomorrow and am starting to hear some chirps. So exciting! This just never gets old.
I've been swamped all week. But hope everyone feels as blessed as I do.

 

[merideth]

Hello All! I don't post often, but do read often. I have learned a lot about chickens from all of you. I had something kind of funny happen yesterday. I have this cat who has stayed in and around the chicken coop and run since she was just a little kitten. She is always with the chickens. Well, yesterday my DH and I went out to feed the chickens and found one of our 9 broody (I have mostly cochins) chickens sitting on a pile of fur. It cant be chicks because she isn't actually sitting on any eggs so I looked closer and she was sitting on four brand new kittens. The cat decided that was the best place to have her kittens, I guess. She had a good babysitter while she went off to eat anyway because my Cochin was sitting right there with her kittens like she was their mother. When we moved the momma cat and her kittens to another part of the barn, the cochin was up pacing back and forth like we stole her babies from her. Poor girl! I went out there today to check on the kittens and chickens and the kittens are back in the coop. I guess thats where momma thinks they should be. :/ Hopefully they will be ok in there with all the other chickens?!?! there are 4 kittens...one is underneath the chicken in this picture.

I just died of cute. <3