Found a cartridge casing in my duck's run area

[Mimi13]

Where would the items be? In the gizzards?

Yes. That is where everything is “stored,” so to speak. Anything that is swallowed stays in the gizzard until it is ground down to a size small enough to pass. On a couple of mine I have found rather large pieces of glass and they were worn down extremely smooth, but still too big to pass.

We purchased our farm 12 years ago and I am constantly finding all sorts of “hardware.” There is one place in the pasture that I have to run the magnet over very often, especially after a hard rain. The erosion always unearths rusty nails galore, which is detrimental for our horses.

 

[marlaw]

I have looked around at the usual sources in the internet and am overwhelmed! There are so many different models of metal detectors with prices varying from a sandwich to something a normal humon being would need a mortgage for…
I just simply don't know what to buy. Has anybody a recommendation?

I would recommend the Garrett 150 or 250 metal detector. They aren't very expensive and pretty readily available. Really easy to use. Good luck! I would be worried too!

 

[Saigey]

When we were working on our new duck run construction we were very careful about dropping screws and washers. When we dropped one we knew it and stopped everything until we found it. I borrowed one of those magnetic poles from @Runner duck mom. I went around the run with it and found a ton of staples, screws, nails clips and all sorts of metal stuff that we didn't put there. They were all old, rusty and not something we had used.

I felt good and thought we had everything until the ducks started foraging in the new area and I couldn't believe all they dug up. 4" screws, big long nails, more staples every day there would be something sitting on top of the ground. I hope we've got it under control now because I haven't seen anything lately but it's certainly a scary thing to find all that crap!

 

[Saigey]

Okay, so guess who is going to hit the yard with a magnet and borrow my 10 year old nephew's metal detector when it's less cold and rainy out? That's scary. Luckily my littles prefer their indoor habitat right now and go straight for the pool when it's outside time. Still, I'm definitely going to search now before I get their run set up.

 

[aart]

I take offense!

()

Check out...
http://www.cs.utah.edu/~scook/html/redneck.htm

Well, now we could debate the difference between a redneck and a hillbilly, but, nah....tho origins of the monikers are rather interesting....as is the term 'Okies'

 

[Runner duck mom]

We lost one of our first ducks due to swallowing a screw. Xrays showed she had swallowed a 2.5 inch screw which I would have thought would be way too large and unappealing for a duck to eat. We just didn't know it was hidden in the yard.
$600 unsuccessful surgery and we were heartbroken, plus her sister was left all alone as we only had two ducks at the time.
$20 pole magnet purchased on the way home from the vet has picked up countless other items in our yard. It won't get everything but it's a start.

 

[Miss Lydia]

We’ve had a lot of rain and things are always washing up yesterday I found a screw without the head laying on the walk way right by the feeder house. It’s very scary when you see how far down they drill into the ground. I am getting a metal detector I have one of those magnets.

 

[Pennys Mama]

Well, now we could debate the difference between a redneck and a hillbilly, but, nah....tho origins of the monikers are rather interesting....as is the term 'Okies'

And Heavens help the whole world if I'm a "Redneck Oklahoma Hillbilly", right?!?!

 

[aart]

And Heavens help the whole world if I'm a "Redneck Oklahoma Hillbilly", right?!?!

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

OH MY GOODNESS!!!

RIGHT?!?!?!

Looks like the magnet is only a bit effective. I'm gonna start picking up my brass!

Brass is a major concern, as brass is an alloy, made from copper and zink. Copper is very very poisonous for almost all animals and humons. That is the reason why ypou should not drink your tap-water for 3-4 months when the plumber has fixed something in your copper-piping. Depending on the mineral content of your water a protective coating of lime and other stuff will build up in the water pipes and will prevent you from being copper-poisoned.