Maine

[llisamac]

Congrats! It must be so devastating to lose all those girls.
Hopefully you can have a long break from that unneeded drama.

 

[wabbit1964]

I lost 5 girls this past weekend to mink or weasel. I don't know how to tell which it was. I only have 3 girls left. The lost ones will live on in the eggs I was incubating. I am still determined to get whatever it was before it gets any more birds.

 

[buckabucka]

I lost 5 girls this past weekend to mink or weasel. I don't know how to tell which it was. I only have 3 girls left. The lost ones will live on in the eggs I was incubating. I am still determined to get whatever it was before it gets any more birds.

Did the weasel/mink get into your coop? I found that mine kept coming back, and it preferred live chicken to chicken bait.
If you have a way to remove the remaining birds for a spell (cage in the basement?) and set up a trap in the area where you found the dead birds, that it is what finally worked for us.
I hope you can track it down!

Our birds are still in cramped quarters while we tighten the coop. Plenty of work to do out there, but it should be much more secure when we are done.

 

[Mc620]

Icelandic hatching eggs available $20 a dozen three clans mixed line Grote stock/ lisa richards stock

 

[combatfuzzball]

Well got the coop put together the wife got me. It's differently not going to be a full time coop. Believe I'll slap some 2X4's around the bottom and get some used wheels and turn it into a chicken tractor/honeymoon suite for when I start breeding.
Working on finding good scrap wood for a better home built coop. Did find an old Lobster tank made out of wood that's heavily coated and waterproofed for the floor which was an awesome find.
Any other time of the year I'd be able to find good scrap lumber. Figures when I need it none is around. LOL. Will be doing my best to make this thing critter proof. Definitely after reading everyone else's post.

 

[DwayneNLiz]

@combatfuzzball you will want to add a HWC skirt to the bottom so animals cannot dig under, I am mobile so can't link a photo but if you google it, I think you'll see what I mean

 

[combatfuzzball]

@combatfuzzball you will want to add a HWC skirt to the bottom so animals cannot dig under, I am mobile so can't link a photo but if you google it, I think you'll see what I mean

Yeah I have an old ferret cage that is in sections that would be ideal for flooring. The chicks can graze grasses through it plus I know it'll be weasel proof.

 

[combatfuzzball]

Well I have 3 Easter Egger roosters out of my 8 . I'd like to see about trading for brown egg laying pullets if anyone is interested. Both will be 6 weeks old this Tuesday.

 

[3bird]

Hi, All!

We're new to BYC as members but longtime readers. Since moving to Midcoast Maine in 2012, we've been talking about taking the plunge with birds. Recently, and for a variety of reasons, we've been leaning toward ducks. Currently we are on a list to receive six silver Appleyard hatchlings at the end of May-ish.

Our wee farm is...well...wee. These several acres close to town were established as a farm c. 1870, but livestock have not been part of the mix in quite some time (the last outdoor animals were donkey's we've been told, and they had to go owning to code and noise nuisance...at least that's the word on the street). We know in 1880, the farmer ran a flock of 15 birds along with his milking cow, his one swine and his one horse (we love that kind of trivia!).

To become duck ready, we first need a proper duck house and run, so thatis the first order of business, and we'd love to know what people have to say about a Maine duck house (insulation, ventilation, electricity, etc.). We've read a ton of great information here already (some of it contradictory, which is fun!), and we're inviting any direct comments, mentorship, etc. The plan is to take the opportunity of siting and building the duck house as a chance to expand the garden, move the compost and begin to think a little broader about a permaculture duck system.

Our hope is that our ducks will be good foragers that we can rotate around the property and through the gardens to assist with slugs, snails et al.

Anyway, that's our story...for now.

Cheers!

 

[LadyCluck77]

Hi, All!

We're new to BYC as members but longtime readers. Since moving to Midcoast Maine in 2012, we've been talking about taking the plunge with birds. Recently, and for a variety of reasons, we've been leaning toward ducks. Currently we are on a list to receive six silver Appleyard hatchlings at the end of May-ish.

Our wee farm is...well...wee. These several acres close to town were established as a farm c. 1870, but livestock have not been part of the mix in quite some time (the last outdoor animals were donkey's we've been told, and they had to go owning to code and noise nuisance...at least that's the word on the street). We know in 1880, the farmer ran a flock of 15 birds along with his milking cow, his one swine and his one horse (we love that kind of trivia!).

To become duck ready, we first need a proper duck house and run, so thatis the first order of business, and we'd love to know what people have to say about a Maine duck house (insulation, ventilation, electricity, etc.). We've read a ton of great information here already (some of it contradictory, which is fun!), and we're inviting any direct comments, mentorship, etc. The plan is to take the opportunity of siting and building the duck house as a chance to expand the garden, move the compost and begin to think a little broader about a permaculture duck system.

Our hope is that our ducks will be good foragers that we can rotate around the property and through the gardens to assist with slugs, snails et al.

Anyway, that's our story...for now.

Cheers!

Hello 3Bird, and Welcome to the BYC Maine thread!

I do not personally own ducks at the moment, but I have fond memories of my mother keeping them when I was a child. I'd love to have some again at some point.
Appleyards are a good choice, you'll really love them. There is a duck thread here on BYC with some very knowledgeable folks who are duck-experts.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/737292/the-duck-thread


With building a duck house, or any fowl housing, do build as good a structure as you can. Electricity is very helpful- it is great for heated waterers to keep the water from freezing during the wintertime, and also useful for any other device which may be needed down the line.
I personally do like insulation. I have one coop which is insulated and one that is not, and the difference between them is very apparent. 10-15 degrees F warmer in winter, and much cooler in the heat of summer. Make sure you have ventilation as well. There is actually a whole page here on the importance of ventilation which is very useful, as well as several pages on coop building and design. Here is one specifically for duck housing:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/waterfowl-housing-coop-run-designs-plans-for-ducks-geese-etc


Predator-proofing is also a big consideration when building our bird housing and run area. Several posts back, some folks were talking about the nuisance of weasels. They are pretty common in Maine, and capable of squeezing into areas that seem no bigger than a cell phone could fit through. Hawks, raccoons, coyotes and foxes can also take birds. Then there's the occasional stray dog or runaway dog, which might become a predator if given the chance. Many people bury hardware cloth/wire mesh under the run and coop area, to help prevent digging predators.

Ducks are great slug catchers too. There was an apple orchard we visited last fall which used a flock of ducks as a natural pest-control option. Wish I had a photo, but they did a great job weeding and making sure there were very few bugs around. I'm sure you will really enjoy your ducks- come on back and update us on how they are doing- we'd love to hear from you!