Ducks; Pets Or Food Or Hobby

[jynxster]

I SO APPPRECIATED EVERYONES INPUT, MAN DID I OPEN A CAN OF WORMS, BY NO MEANS WAS MY INTENT TO PUSH MY PERCEPTION ON ANYONE ELSE OR MY BELIEFS ABOUT ANIMALS OR BEING A VEGITARIAN ON ANYONE ELSE, JUST MAKING A COMMENT AND WAS INTERESTED IN THE FEEDBACK. SO, #11 please re read my original post. THANKS EVERYONE MUCH APPRECIATED. HAVE A DUCKY DAY

 

[DUCKGIRL89]

Quote:
i dont really think blues wen any harm.

and for got to add on my post that i am not a vegetarian, but i refused to slaughter my ducks. i will let my mom butcher and raise some if she please. but im a woose no

and couldnt do that. i look at my ducks like pets.... not food.

 

[Tahai]

Quote:
Hi Jynxter, I understand you truly are curious about other people's choices in duck farming. However, in the digital age, it's difficult to tell a person's tone from their words sometimes, and your choice of ALL CAPS makes it seem as if you are yelling at everyone, which will put some people instantly on the defensive. It's only a short jump from being defensive to becoming offensive. Just some food for thought in future communications.

Sincerely,

Tahai

 

[jynxster]

I TYPE IN CAPS BECAUSE ITS EASIER FOR ME TO READ ,AND SEE, SO IF THAT OFFENDS SOMEONE bummer, never my intent; purposly trying to hurt someone or animal is in my mind, yes my opinion, a small minded person. AND THANKS FOR YOUR INPUT/opinion not sure if you are on the defensive or OFFENSIVE though LOL. i am neither i am simply CURIOUS. thanks

 

[duckluck]

I personally keep my ducks for pets and exhibition, for the pleasure they give me. My husband eats the eggs in the off season, but I don't now nor do I ever intend to raise them for food. I don't get upset that people hunt ducks but I do get upset at the way I see them treated in some places/venues where they are for sale, because even when they are being sold for food, I don't think they should be treated like so much luggage. There is no reason that a food animal's life should be made to be unpleasant during its limited time being alive. I do eat chicken but don't see myself ever eating ducks, never did think of them in that way.

 

[Tahai]

Quote:
Hi Jynxster,

I'm neither. Just offering you some advice to help you avoid mounds of misunderstandings in your written posts. As someone who communicates with the public for a living, I've learned a lot about how people react to things. If you need to type in caps, you might want to include that information in your signature line. It may help you avoid unpleasant conversations. Otherwise, I suppose you will just have to be prepared for people to react negatively to your comments more times than not *shrug*

 

[mommyofthreewithchicks]

Mine are all three. My hubby had me agree before we got any birds that we could eat some for our table, so excess males are our food. I have enjoyed their eggs and there are a few that will live out their days here as they have taken our hearts. Kids show for 4h, and if they grow attached the feathered friend then gets a pass.

I over think who goes to the butcher. I get sad and cry over my birds but I know they were treated right while here and loved. Since we eat meat something is going to get butchered, our birds I know what they ate and that they were treated well. At the grocery store I don't know how that animal was treated, what it ate. My birds I over think the buthchering process and really respect the animals I ask to make that sacrifice. I am also more mindful of any wasted food from our own bird than I would be from the grocery store.

 

[Mitch in Ohio]

Here is my little input on the subject. When I decided to move here 9 years tomorrow, I had made a deal with the people I bought the place from and that was for them to leave the 13 hens and rooster that they had and they could take their riding lawnmower. I had been reading up on raising chickens and ducks and the such for my wife and 2 daughters. Like everyone else, I felt that if I could raise the meat myself, that i would know what the animal ate and was treated and that would be healthier for us all. Like some will say, Junk in, junk out. So, I got more chickens and ducks and turkeys and started raising them for my pleasure and table. I dont knock anyone for what they raise to put on their tables as long as they do treat the animal fair. All of my animals are allowed to free range. I have 3 ducks, 2 geese and 1 turkey left from my stock that I have used for breeding purposes for the table and they are way too old to breed and just provide bug and weed control. The ducks and geese are bums. They go to my neighbors house, which is about 3 acres away, and eat with his chickens and eat whatever I feed them here too. But they also provide my neighbor with the same services too. The main reasons we want to raise our own meat is because we can all agree with is the fair treatment of the animal and that they were not exposed to steroids and stuff like that, and slammed around like we have seen in undercover videos. Just sad the things some animals are put through so we can have something to eat. But to make myself feel better, since I am a quarter Native American, I thank my animals everyday for their services for me and my family and it may sound a little crazy to some, but I thank them before I put them, as some call, in freezer camp. I didnt want to get long winded and hope I did not over step my boundries.

 

[Sadiew]

I name all my chicks and ducks and I treat them as my pets, although I do respect peoples own choice in why they raise them, but I get so much joy and relaxation from watching all their antics. My ducks and chicks all live happily together, the chickens have their coop at night and the ducks theirs but they share a huge run in the daytime quite happily. And I agree they are great on bug control and their eggs I see as a bonus and much better than buying shop bought eggs at least I know mine are laying quite happily and are well fed and looked after. My greatest pleasure is watching new born hatch and grow. Love them all to pieces and cry buckets when any of them die, even though they are messy I would not be without them.

 

[Mitch in Ohio]

I would like to add that my web footed animals were bought when they were day olds and brooded and once I let them out and they found my acre pond, they never wanted to be in a pen again. When I am fishing, they come over and beg for the nightcrawlers. They sit and watch me fish and listen to the radio with me. I ran a speaker over to the pond area so they have music all the time just like the chickens have in the coop. My wife has 6 pygmy goats and they love going over to the pond area also and hanging out. My wife walks around the pond with the goats with the web ones in tow. We have 2 big parties a year. One is the 4th of July and the other is Halloween. Even thou my geese are mean and will bite you if they do not know you if you come towards them or the ducks, you are not allowed to hit or scare them. I tell all the kids and adults not to approach the ducks because the geese protect them and will bite. No one is allowed to chase or harm any of my chickens, ducks, turkeys,geese or the goats. if anyone is caught, (family or not ) they will not be allowed on the property ever again. I also need to add is that the 3 remaining ducks I have are the 1st ones I had and bred for the last 8 years. They are pekings. I dont know how long they live but i do know that the are very old and when the go to that big pond in the sky, they will be missed.