Do I take more ducks knowing I can save a few

[Duckfarmer1]

We have 43 ducks..we are hobby farmers and have over 100 animals..ducks are one animal my husband would like to cut down in number because of the feed. They are also my favorite. He has eaten a few that I said he could. Trust me..it was awful....people in our county call me well animals need help and..or rescued. I’ve done that many many times. I just got a call about seven Muscovy ducks. The owner will butcher them all if I don’t come by tues,
. Chris says we can go only if I realize he wants to butcher the males. So..do I go get them and save the hens...knowing all the upset it will do to my flock...having to separate them, etc...or just let these go....I am struggling sooo hard about this.

 

[CindyinSD]

I’d say no. Don’t take them. You have a responsibility to the stock you already have, not to overcrowd them, and to your family not to waste family resources. Those are his ducks, his responsibility. Not yours. Muscovies are usually raised for meat. He probably would like to avoid the chore of processing them with all the bad weather everyone’s been having lately. Unless you want the meat and have the freezer space, don’t do it.

 

[CindyinSD]

But... my ducks seem to get their own food... geese, too. Yours don’t? I was thinking of going with more waterfowl, fewer land birds because they seem a lot cheaper to feed, but maybe that’s just all the rain we had over our very short summer... everything grew so fast.

 

[MROO]

We have 43 ducks..we are hobby farmers and have over 100 animals..ducks are one animal my husband would like to cut down in number because of the feed. They are also my favorite. He has eaten a few that I said he could. Trust me..it was awful....people in our county call me well animals need help and..or rescued. I’ve done that many many times. I just got a call about seven Muscovy ducks. The owner will butcher them all if I don’t come by tues,
. Chris says we can go only if I realize he wants to butcher the males. So..do I go get them and save the hens...knowing all the upset it will do to my flock...having to separate them, etc...or just let these go....I am struggling sooo hard about this.

Only you know what your conscience can handle. Personally, I'd save the hens. If the males are going to freezer camp anyway, you may as well feed your own family as another's. While it's hard to accept for us softies, it IS the ultimate in recycling ... and a reality of farming - hobby or not.
Good Luck with your decision. And know that, whatever your heart decides, it's okay ... because ultimately, that's the heart you really have to live with ...

 

[BigBlueHen53]

I’d say no. Don’t take them. You have a responsibility to the stock you already have, not to overcrowd them, and to your family not to waste family resources. Those are his ducks, his responsibility. Not yours. Muscovies are usually raised for meat. He probably would like to avoid the chore of processing them with all the bad weather everyone’s been having lately. Unless you want the meat and have the freezer space, don’t do it.

I agree with @CindyinSD. I also suggest you sit down with your DH and agree on a game plan of your goals and your limits, emotional, financial, physical, etc. How much space do you have? How much time, energy, stamina, etc., do you want to invest in your animals? You can't save them all. Then stick to those limits. You'll be glad you did!

Edit: grammar

 

[ChocolateMouse]

If you try to take in every animal that "needs" you you will become absorbed in the effort and overwhelmed. You and your animals will suffer terribly for it. It happens to "rescuers" working without organizations all the time. For that matter it also happens to rescues who ARE organizations. You can't save them all. There always be more of everything. Think about it, think of how many animals are put down each year just in shelters. You couldn't possibly ever care for one percent of one percent of them! Nobody could. All you can do is care for what you can and accept that the rest aren't your responsibility. Not because they just aren't but because they can't be. Everyone has limits.

Animals live and animals die. All things consume to live. And it can be sad, but it's normal and it's intrinsic to life. I can't tell you not to take them in, but under your circumstances I wouldn't. You have a lot, and maybe you have space for them but it sounds like you don't have the other resources for them.

Maybe you could find a way to sell their eggs, feathers, or chicks to help subsidize their presence. But until then you can only do what you can. And burdening yourself with more seems like it would make it harder to regain control of the scenario and make room for more in the future.

(I've been there with rabbits before and ended up culling 2/3rd of my herd, so I know it sucks. But sometimes it has to be done.)

 

[BullChick]

Because you will only be processing the drakes yourself, I don’t think it is worth taking them. Let the owner process his ducks, and you can help the next person wanting to re-home ducks.

 

[aart]

Aren't you already having trouble housing all the animals you already have?

 

[Mrs. K]

Plus the chance of brining in disease. One cannot control someone else's animals, even if you disagree with what they are doing with them. Not your responsibility. Take care of your own.