DuckMom2017
Songster
I'm 27 and I wish I had these questions before I got ducks.Some following up questions....
1. Where will you get the ducks?
2. What gender will the ducks be? (There is no guarantee that if you buy all "females" that you will get all "females." Mistakes happen.)
3. I asked, "What if they have babies????
You replied, "This is not an option because they will all be ducks." Should I have asked, "What if there are baby ducks?" Please expand on your answer.
4. Are you able to get to the animal hospital yourself, like on a bike or walking? If yes, include this in your report to your parents.
5. Have you considered that the big ducks (Pekins) may try to mate with the lightweights (Magpies) and there may be some hurt that happens to the little ones? With ducks and mating, gender is not important.
6. On average, how much money will it cost to keep the ducks each month? This includes the feed, the vitamins, pine shavings, and an emergency reserve for a vet's visit and coop/run repairs? I would want to know that you have the funds set aside to cover an emergency vet visit PLUS medicine. (The last time I got medicine from the vet, it was $84.)
7. Will the ducks have access to the entire back yard? As a mom, I would not be happy with animals taking over the entire yard. Think poop. Think stepping in it wearing nice shoes. That is something that would really upset some people.
8. Noise. Will mom be ok with the noise? My Pekins are so loud that they will wake me up. They outside; me inside. They are loud when they want my attn (feed me, feed me!) or there is danger.
9. Feed. Keeping the bucket full of feed is not a good idea. Moisture in the feed container/in the feed, can cause the feed to go bad very quickly.
What I do, and this may not be for you, is make fermented feed. I put it out in a rubber bowl from Tractor Supply. The ducks and the chickens eat it quickly. I bring the bowl back in. Sometimes I need to feed that group up to 3x a day, depending on what else is going on. They have hungry hippo days.
Water is available full time outside, in a rubber bowl from Tractor Supply. The ducks need a deep and wide water dish to easily access the water. It needs to be changed a few times a day.
When the duckies go into their duck house at night, there is no water and no food. They are ok with that.
10. When will you be serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner to the duckies? My guys ask for food right away and then forage almost all day. They have plenty of space to forage. Sometimes they ask for lunch; sometimes they ask for dinner. My duckies are on the sunrise and sunset schedule, like the chickens.
11. Deworming. What's your plan to deworm the duckies?
12. I would want to see in the report who you have talked to about duck sitting and if there would be any cost involved. Then your parents would know you have been seriously looking into full care for your ducks.
13. Predators. What predators do you have in your area?
14. What are the town's/city's/county's rules on ducks? If I live in town, I can't have ducks. If I lived super close to a commercial poultry operation (house), I shouldn't have ducks. ** Around these parts, there's a big Pilgrim's and Perdue's presence. While keeping ducks is not illegal, the chicken farmers do NOT like ducks and have been known to go kill ALL ducks, even those on private property because ducks carry diseases that chickens can easily catch. If the chickens get sick, the chicken farmers lose their income. That makes them super angry.
15. As a mom reading your report, I would like to see pictures of female and male ducks (babies and mature) and know what's special about each breed.
16. The (what will be the) duck house didn't look big enough for 6 mature ducks. Ducks need a lot of space - more than chickens. My ducks sometimes cuddle, but usually not at bedtime.
If you are having girl duckies, where will there laying nest be?
17. I asked about deworming the duckies earlier. What about treating them for coccidious? Or bumble foot?
18. Do you know about egg withdrawal?
19. Do you have a book (a real thing you can touch, open, read, that your parents can read if they want to) about caring for ducks?
20. Deep liter method. Some people NEVER change out the shavings. Others do it every 3-6 months. (Mom may be very concerned, or become concerned, about the smell. This includes the back yard.) What is your plan for the deep liter method? Leave it be or change it out? If you change it out, how will you dispose of the old liter? Will it go into a compost bin or will it go into trash pick up?
21. Looks like you are in CO. How will you handle the winter? Is there a door that can be closed to the coop? How will you prevent the drinking water from freezing?
22. Why is the pool going in the ground? Will it be full all the time? How will you change out the water? How often will you change out the water? And where will that water go? Are you on well water or on town/city water?
23. When/where will you get the pool? What size? I bought mine at Walmart and had to almost fold it in half to get it in the car. So is this a mom and dad help you out thing?
24. Feed. Will mom and dad need to help you out getting feed? How often? As a parent, I wanted to know what I *had* to do to help the kids with the dog. They were too young to drive, and the vet's office was too far to walk to, so I had to drive them. Same with getting feed. Ok. Not a biggie - I knew what my part/my time commitment was going to be.
My kids (wisely) said that they thought of everything that they could and put it in the report, but acknowledged that they may have missed something. (This impressed me.)
I love my ducks, but they've worked my butt off.
You are getting there! I have been impressed with the answers you have provided.
What I mean is, they are flightless breeds hahaha. I'll get my report to you when the final draft is done! You can tell me your email address in our private chat.
