If you had fifteen minutes to talk about ducks to people who own other livestock, what would you say

[Wynette]

Wynette,

I have met a number of the people in the audience, and they own other livestock, some of them chickens, most of them horses, a few with cattle, goats, sheep, one with a couple of Pekins. Some are just curious about ducks (as in, what's so good about ducks?), some have wondered whether they might add some. And then there may be an unexpected guest or two for whom I won't be sure.

I think you are right to emphasize that no matter how prepared you are (I also did a ton of research), going through the brooding process was pretty much a full time job for me and it was a blessing that I was able to shift my responsibilities around and take care of matters. My biggest take-home lesson from that was that water management is key. Once I got that worked out, life got a little easier. Second to that is how rapidly management needs change because ducklings develop so quickly.

I think another handout to develop will be something like an abbreviated, bullet-point list something like what I posted half in jest earlier in this thread. Perhaps I aim for eight minutes of talk and then open it for questions. If the audience wants to go over the fifteen minutes, they can sort it out. It may go twenty-five.

To everyone,

THANK YOU ALL!!!! for your responses so far. I feel the caring support and wise counsel and it is a wonderful gift. CelticOaksFarm, love your list. aoxa, EggLuver, yes, all those things bear mention.

If you think of anything else, please please let me know. This will take place early next month.

Gosh, I think that 2nd paragraph might be a great opener for your speech, modified a bit of course! "The key to not losing your sanity when raising ducklings is management!" LOVE that! Then, "For example...."

You've got some great ideas here, to be sure. I would think that most folks, if they add ducks to their farms, would get ducklings; that being the case, IMO, it would be most excellent to start right off with some information about how messy they can be, so that they are prepared! That's probably the one thing that turned me off about the ducklings, that they were so doggone messy. I work full time, I'd clean their brooder before leaving for work, and by the time I got home, 1/3 of it would be saturated, wet, poopy shavings. (that's why I switched to pelleted bedding). I was frustrating, time consuming, and expensive to be throwing away as many shavings as I did for those first few weeks, and I only had 4 ducklings, and they were in a good sized stock tank. If they hadn't been so doggone cute, I may have lost my mind with all that cleaning!

 

[Blondiega1]

Best piece of advice I ever got on here:


Relax and enjoy them.
They aren't nearly as fragile as you think and common sense will take you a long way.

 

[cubbysan]

If they hadn't been so doggone cute, I may have lost my mind with all that cleaning!

I belong on a Golden retriever forum, and we have a saying over there - "God makes golden retriever puppies so cute for reason - survival!"

 

[aoxa]

I belong on a Golden retriever forum, and we have a saying over there - "God makes golden retriever puppies so cute for reason - survival!"

You think Golden Retriver puppies are frustrating? They are angels compared to Great Pyr or Maremma puppies. Thank God they are cute, I agree.

 

[Wynette]

You think Golden Retriver puppies are frustrating? They are angels compared to Great Pyr or Maremma puppies. Thank God they are cute, I agree.

UNFAIR! Okay, I'll add...

 

[Wynette]

I belong on a Golden retriever forum, and we have a saying over there - "God makes golden retriever puppies so cute for reason - survival!"

LOVE THIS!!!

 

[aoxa]

UNFAIR!    Okay, I'll add...

Oh gawd it's too cute

 

[Miss Lydia]

How in the world did we get off on puppy pics?

so cute

 

[Amiga]

Oh, what eye candy!!!!! Sometimes I would like to turn over my duties as LGA to a qualified individual. Maremma's have caught my eye. But I just love dogs. My best friend, as I was a little kid, was a lab.

Right now we are dog deficient, in part because an elderly lab/beagle has a reservation here should it be needed, and the staff (moi) in charge of animal care is just about maxed out. I have embarked upon a project to increase my energy levels and regain my muscular strength (don't know what happened this summer, just began to lose it a bit) so that I can indeed handle more animals and more gardens.

Another point to add to my bulleted list . . . ducks and other animals. Mmmmm, mmmm. Maybe I can learn speed speaking in the next few weeks. But then, the audience would have to be able to speed listen.

sigh.

You all are making this fun, by the way. No chance for butterflies!

 

[Amiga]

How in the world did we get off on puppy pics?

so cute

Well, puppies and ducklings have some things in common. They can make record-setting messes, and they are just so unspeakably c y o o o o o o o t