Desperate for work, but need a duck-friendly career!

[Jessica89]

Pet setting is a good idea or what about farm work?
I live on a farm and my uncle hires workers.. some feed and clean the calves pens out. That would be ideal??

 

[JadeComputerGal]

First, have you ever watched kids? That IS work! It's an extremely difficult, but rewarding job where you work up to ten hour (or more) days with NO brakes. Also, most women don't do it because they "can't find a job", they CHOOSE to stay home with their kids or to have a daycare because they want to. You might want to volunteer at a child care center of you think it's so easy. You will soon be changing your tune.

Of course I've watched kids, my own and others. I never said it wasn't work. In fact, I said it was work in a response to a question about work. I'm not sure whom you were quoting on the part you put in quotes, but it wasn't me since I never said that, either. I also never said anything about it being easy, and I don't need to work at a daycare center to know what it's like to take care of children. I already have plenty of experience.

 

[Gina68]

fantastic idea! lol..because I was just thinking of something along those lines! I was thinking how it would be nice to have someone that would already have an understanding of what kind of care is involved with ducks; its not the kind of thing you can hire someone for like for a dog or cat.

 

[Amykins]

Pet setting is a good idea or what about farm work?
I live on a farm and my uncle hires workers.. some feed and clean the calves pens out. That would be ideal??

Hey, as long as Wobbles can go with me to the job I don't care what the work is!

 

[Onlyducks]

A duck is not a human child. You can't reason with it. You can't tell her that you're coming back, as far as she knows, you're gone forever! She's all alone, so I'm the only "flock" she has. Leaving her alone to cry and cry and stress herself out is kinda cruel. She may even resort to feather pulling or other self-mutilation if I do just leave her behind for 8 hours a day. I do my chores with her by my side, I took her to the vet office when I did my internship, and I don't intend to stop until I know she can be left alone safely.

As I said we DO plan to get her a buddy, but since the breeding season is over we gotta wait to reserve a duckling or buy an egg. We need to get a call duck, and a baby one, to A) imprint, and B) ensure that it'll be okay being raised in a home environment. There are tons of adults for sale right now, but none are indoor ducks, and I can't in good faith force one to live inside, just as I'd never force a house duck to suddenly live outside.

I notice that there seems to be a belief here that staying with Wobbles day and night is good for Wobbles as well as yourself. Others have suggested that may not be the case, but you have rejected that idea. I would ask:
If you had a car accident and went to ICU for days, what would become of Wobbles? If you fell at home and ended up in the hospital, what would becom of Wobbles? Is it really best for Wobbles to be completely dependent upon you when you cannot guarantee you will be there all the time? Bad things happen sometimes. It just seems it would be less traumatic for Wobbles and yourself if the separation were metered out and dealt with, rather than imposed suddenly. It's your duck and your life, of course.

 

[Amiga]

If anything happens and Amykins needs help with Wobbles, I think there would be folks here who would help. I would be one to step up, but I forgot if we are anywhere near each other.

So

Amykins, if you talk in person like you write, I think you could get some gigs with Wobbles in school systems - try the speaker circuit. I got some help pulling together classes from a person in charge of a local chamber of commerce.

 

[Onlyducks]

If anything happens and Amykins needs help with Wobbles, I think there would be folks here who would help. I would be one to step up, but I forgot if we are anywhere near each other.

So

Amykins, if you talk in person like you write, I think you could get some gigs with Wobbles in school systems - try the speaker circuit. I got some help pulling together classes from a person in charge of a local chamber of commerce.

You miss my point. Amykins says the duck is hysterical if separated from her. How are you magically going to calm a duck that is not capable of being separated from it's owner? It's not a matter of "stepping in" if Amykins is accurately describing the duck's reaction to her absence. Or maybe it is magic, and I just don't get it…...

 

[Amiga]

You miss my point. Amykins says the duck is hysterical if separated from her. How are you magically going to calm a duck that is not capable of being separated from it's owner? It's not a matter of "stepping in" if Amykins is accurately describing the duck's reaction to her absence. Or maybe it is magic, and I just don't get it…...

Onlyducks, you expressed your concerns, I expressed my thoughts, too.

 

[Amykins]

Hey, no, she's got a point. She's EXTREMELY attached to me, but she is still imprinted on humans and so she does okay if she has a "ducksitter", although she still sometimes gets upset if she hears my voice, or someone that sounds like me, and I'm not physically there. You should see my husband's face when I dump her on the bed to go downstairs and start humming to myself. She'll start squawking! XD

I've been looking into the school thing but they're almost all volunteer gigs, and she still has a ways to go before she's fully socialized. She'll do fine in most instances, but if she has a bunch of kids around trying to pet her she'll start to quiver with fear and anxiety. Poor little girl. :/

I'm looking for a job that will allow telecommuting, at least until I can find more work in the veterinary field. There's a wonderful birds-only clinic in Seattle, but they're not hiring. I have over a decade of experience in the tech industry, but since Microsoft went contractor-happy I'd have zero chance of getting a telecommuting job over some fresh-outta-grad-school temp fodder who'd be able to be in the office at all hours.

...Either that, or find a really, really open office that doesn't mind having a little duck mascot!

 

[Onlyducks]

Amykins: It's good Wobbles can be left at least for short periods. Good luck with your job search.