Is this really annoying or am I just a curmudgeon?

[sourland]

At this point in the game, I think I would delete her name from the sale list.

 

[Wolfwoman]

Hmmmmmmm to answer your question..........




You ARE just a curmudgeon!!

Me too!

 

[cracking up]

You could go the other way and make sure she knows you care about where your ducks go - give her your number and make sure you keep hers. Let her know you are always available for questions and to help if she needs it. Work more with the child than the adult. Maybe you can teach her a valuable lesson and help her mature a little.

 

[jellybean]

So they have marble floors and perfect manicured lawns and beds, but don't want to spend the money on duck food? Doesn't seem like the kind of people I would want to be friends with OR sell my ducks to. That might be only the parents, and the girl could be very responsible and caring and kind to the ducks. BUT the parents are in charge, and pay for it. Soooo, I'd be concerned for sure. Maybe she needs to get a duck raising book and read it. Or you could suggest one? If they don't already have a brooder set up, and a plan for where the pen will be or how they'll keep them I'd be worried. You've put a lot of hard work into the ducklings to this point, raising the parents, hatching, setting this up, etc. You get to decide who is best suited to get the babies. If you do sell them to her, maybe tell her to call you first if they decide they can't handle it and you'll take them back.

 

[duckluck]

Quote:
Break her heart and sell the ducks to someone who has really done the research, because it's better than breaking yours with the ducks you have put the proper time and attention into winding up dead or dumped in a pond or lake somewhere. If she is worried about all of these things I don't think her heart is in the right place anyway for owning ducks. Petsmart is a dog and cat store, mainly...I've bought some aquarium supplies there in the past but feel I can do better almost anywhere else for my parrot supplies. Forget it for farm animals; even when they have had horse supplies they cater to the yuppie market. Refusing a person like this may cost a sale but drives up your credibility with people who really know and care, IMO.

 

[duckluck]

Quote:
Hey, there's a place in the world for all of us curmudgeons!

 

[Birdcrazy]

Its not just an immature younger girl thing, in my opinion, its also rude attitude of 'things getting done for me'...

my mother's an accountant and people assume that since she does their tax, they give her everything to 'sort out their lives' for them. Constantly calling up and wanting her to do things for them that really needs to be done on their part. Im only young but i see how stressed it makes her

she's busy enough

I think its very rude about your ducklings. You've made the effort, and now she should too. Having well cared for and beautiful ducks for sale to get is awesome, no one should abuse the luxury you've made for people.

 

[ScaredOfShadows]

Iamcuriositycat - you know I'm in love with my ducks I got from you - and I have had ducks as a kid and now....Do NOT sell this woman these ducks - she sounds like the type that is going to put the ducks in a box on the back porch under a light and leave them there and let the little girl do all the cleaning/feed/water changing....Dont know how old the girl is - and true they'd be the girl's pets but the mom should be excited if not atleast accepting of the potential trouble/mess the ducks will make. I wouldn't be surprised if the ducks stayed there a total of 2 weeks and she got rid of them. "Oh they smell and are nasty - they have to go" - and breaks the little girl's heart AFTER she has the ducks.

Katharinad I understand the whole "you need to distance yourself from your duck's potential future" Well yes this is true but they are still YOURS until they are SOLD - then you have nothing to do over them - but you can try to find the best home possible for them before you sell them. - I refused to sell any of my animals if I decided they weren't ready or fit - not saying they can't have ducklings or chicks - just not mine. I didn't ever sell for profit - and because I don't see my animals as a profit I could be and was choosy in where they went.

I hope everything works out okay for you - and you find some good buyers for your ducks.

 

[FenDruadin]

Thank you, everyone! This is really great feedback, and I appreciate very much hearing both sides. I have been on the fence all night and now the time has come--I have to call this morning if I'm going to cancel the order--I wouldn't feel right letting them go buy supplies and THEN telling them they can't buy the ducks. I think I'm going to suggest that they buy a book (Storey's Guide of course) and read it. And THEN contact me if they still want to buy ducks, and I'll put them on the list for the next group.

And thank you for agreeing with me about it being rude. I really don't mind answering questions--if I were to calculate all the time I spend on the phone (and email) helping people, and even if you don't count my financial investment in the ducks, my hourly wage would be somewhere in the pennies for the ducklings. This is a labor of love, not a cash cow for me. So it's not that I mind answering reasonable questions and helping newbies along. But it does irk me to spend an hour answering questions the DAY BEFORE pick-up about what they eat, what kind of cage to keep them in, whether they can be kept outside, and so on.

Anyway, I've got a busy day today and must get to work. Thank you all VERY much for the feedback. My other buyers, so far, seem more reasonable, so I think this hatch will still sell well. So far I have seven duckies out and another seven pipped or zipping. There were 21 eggs to start, 4 died along the way (which is not usual for me--that's a high death rate--not sure if it's the time of year or what--), so it's not a great hatch rate, but not horrible either, if all that have pipped hatch.

Thank you!

 

[Kedreeva]

While it's probably getting late to agree, I have to agree anyway. I would not want to sell any animal (or even GIVE) any animal to someone if I was uncertain of the level of care that animal was to receive. Don't get me wrong- if someone was buying for food, then that's the EXPECTED level of care. For pets, there's an expected level of care as well. I personally don't think anyone should own a pet animal they cannot properly spoil rotten. A few years ago when one of my cats had kittens, we had found homes for all 4 of the kittens AND the mom- but I rescinded the offer on one of the kittens the second I realized the person was not capable of taking care of themselves, much less another life. Yes they would have fed and watered him, yes they would have given him shelter... but the person was clearly prone to creating a hazardous environment, so no deal.

Petsmart, Petco, and most urban pet stores will not carry farm animal supplies- duck/chicken/horse/goat/pig etc. And unfortunately uneducated people think 'bird seed' is appropriate food for every bird on earth- including ducks, geese, and chickens. I assume that is what she intended to buy at Petsmart.

In the end, it's a judgment call you have to make and if you're not comfortable releasing the lives in your care into the care of another, don't do it.