need advice on several kinds of animals..!

[irisshiller]

Hi,

I have posted here once before on the duck forum, I asked advice on a muscovy duck that was kept in the old rabbit cage in my son's preschool. The duck in question is fine, now eating chicken food (closest to specialised duck food I could find) and I'm pretty sure she's a female. She's currently waiting for her new living quarters

After starting to take responsibility of all the animals found scattered around the local nurseries/pre-schools, I realised that something had to be done. I am currently trying to set up a small rescue/pet zoo that will be connected to the education system, where the animals can live. For now, the animals that urgently need to be re-homed are 2 rabbits, 4 guinea pigs (soon to multiply), 3 chickens, 1 muscovy duck and a varying number of hamsters

Support for the project is overwhelming and right now I'm trying to get financing. In the mean time, we have started to tidy up the space we plan to use. Some renovations need to be made but it is pretty much ready for use. The entire space is about 10 by 25 metres (very rough estimation) and there are cages of 2 by 2 metres all along one of the sides. There is a small duck pool and one big cage where peacocks used to live (I'm not planning on peacocks this time, though).

I have a lot of questions, but I can't really seem to find much information on the internet simply because I can't find anyone who has done anything like this before. It is not a for-profit pet zoo, not a hobby farm and not a real rescue. I don't intend to breed from the animals (although accidents are happening right now...) and they won't be meat. They will simply be pets and they will assist me in educating children, teachers and parents on proper care and respect for animals.

I am taking on this project purely in my free time, of which I don't have much - I have a family of 3 little boys, a full-time job and a house full of cats. The animals will live outside - I realise the risks, but I won't be able to keep any of them in my house...

I have some experience looking after rabbits and guinea pigs, but next to nothing on ducks, chickens and other birds... I am very much looking for advice! I have a thousand questions for anyone who would be willing to answer...

I am planning to get a few more ducks to keep the one duck company. Could a female muscovy duck live happily with a small flock of pekins or other ducks? Or should I get some more muscovies?

I have three chickens at the moment, I am wondering whether or not to get a rooster? If we collect the eggs every morning, there won't be too many chicks, will there? Also, my husband is worried you can't eat eggs that have been fertilised, but I'm pretty sure you can? I have also heard that you shouldn't keep ducks and roosters together, is this right? Will the chickens and ducks fly out over the 2 metre high fence?

I really want the rabbits to be semi-free range (within the perimetres of the outer fence) but I am not sure if this is possible... I have had bunnies burrow out of pens before. The fences are really strong and there seems to be cement under them, but not very deep. There are foxes and jackals around here, but the worst thing are the loose dogs! So I wonder... if I provide them with a small hill of earth somewhere, would they be satisfied digging in that and not try to dig out? Or would I have to keep them inside the cages (two adjoining ones have cement floors).

I don't see guinea pigs being free-range - they are simply too small... They will have to be inside the cages. About the guineas - it was thought they were 4 males, but 1 of them turned out to be a female. She got pregnant and gave birth, it came as a total surprise... unfortunately, all the babies died... We couldn't prevent her getting pregnant again (she is now separated from the others) and is nearing birth again. I really want her and the babies to be OK this time... any advice would be more than welcome.

I would also like to have some guinea fowl if I can find them. I would really like any kind of information on them - I have never taken care of them before.

So... what do you all think? Would all these animals be able to live together? Is there anything specific I should do or not do?

Thanks very much to anyone who has managed to read until the end!

Iris.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I have three chickens at the moment, I am wondering whether or not to get a rooster? If we collect the eggs every morning, there won't be too many chicks, will there? Also, my husband is worried you can't eat eggs that have been fertilised, but I'm pretty sure you can? I have also heard that you shouldn't keep ducks and roosters together, is this right? Will the chickens and ducks fly out over the 2 metre high fence?

The only reason you need a rooster is if you want fertile eggs. Anything else is pure personal preference.

There will not be any chicks if you don’t incubate the eggs, either under a bird or in an incubator, for about 21 days.

People on small farms have been eating fertilized eggs for thousands of years without any ill effects. There is no difference in nutrition. If you know what to look for you can usually tell if an egg has been fertilized when you open it, but you have to know what to look for. Gathering the eggs every day is a real good idea for many different reasons.

I have not kept ducks and chickens together in a small space. If they have plenty of room it’s not a problem, gut crowded together it could be.

Will they fly over a 2 metre fence? If they want to they will. If they don’t want to, they won’t. It comes down to their motivation. I have not kept ducks confined so I can’t speak to them. Chickens will have no huge problem flying over that fence if they want to especially when you might wind up with any breed. Some chickens roost in trees 15 feet off the ground. With rescue chickens who knows what their motivation might be? I suggest you cover the area, maybe with bird or deer netting.

 

[Starfire669]

I have chickens, ducks, and geese. My chickens and geese were raised together and are friends right now, I think that might change when breeding season hits though. My ducks were added later, as adults. When first introduced to my flock the poor ducks were bullied, now they are fully accepted. My chickens sleep in a coop at night, and the ducks and geese sleep in the waterfowl coop at night. But they all free range together during the day with no problems. I am making plans to build a duck coop, I want the fowl separated at night during breeding season to prevent injuries.

When I got my ducks, there were 4 females and 1 male. The male, called a drake, raped my smallest female and she has a permanent limp because of it. I ended up re-homing the drake to protect the females. That kind of behavior is common among male ducks. So if you get more ducks, make sure that most or all are female. If you decide you want or you end up with a drake, make sure the females are as big or bigger than he is. That way they can stand up to him when they don't want his attentions. My problem was the drake was two times bigger than my smallest female, the other 3 females were close in size to him and able to fend off his unwanted attentions. But the smallest girls couldn't and so he forced himself on her. Also, the ratio or females to males in ducks is 4-5 females per 1 drake. This helps prevent over breeding of the females, and if you have multiple males, gang rape. (it happens in the wild, several drakes will fight over a female and drown her). I am not trying to scare you, just letting you know what you could be getting into with ducks. Not all drakes are as bad as mine was, my story is a worst case scenario thing. I wish someone had told me when I got my ducks, I never would have taken that drake if I had known. My ducks were rescues of a sort, I didn't want the drake to begin with but took him out of pity. Worst decision I made, causing my baby girl her injury. My drake was a pekin, which is very large, and from what i read, they are worse than some other breeds with mistreating females. But while drakes are a handful, the ladies are sweet and beautiful. Ducks are very much worth the effort, they have great personalities. My ducks talk to me all the time and come running for treats. They are more like feathered dogs than birds. And they provide entertainment watching them swim in their kiddie pools too, so cute and funny.

Chickens don't a rooster to lay. A rooster has 2 jobs, fertilize the eggs, and predator watch. Not all roosters will sound the alarm when a scary thing gets close, and some roosters will fight the hens for food instead of guarding them while they eat. You can't tell how your rooster will be until he matures. There is nothing wrong with eating fertilized eggs, no taste difference or nutritional difference. But if you don't want baby chicks, you don't need a rooster. If you are going to rescue chickens from schools, I'd wouldn't get a rooster for breeding, you will have a steady stream of hatchlings coming your way. Of coarse a lot of those chicks will probably be roosters. You could make a separate enclosure that is roosters only, that way the hens are not over bred (which can cause feather loss on the backs, as well as drops in egg production). A separate pen for roosters may also make them live together more harmoniously, when hens are involved the roosters fight for the right to mate, it's nature. Take away the ladies and there is less reason to fight. I have never done this, as my head rooster breeds my chickens and all his sons end up on our table for dinner. But some people swear it works.

Hope that gives you some ideas and help. Hopefully more people will find this thread and give you more advice. I think what your attempting is a wonderful idea.

 

[michellemire]

They all live together with a free range rabbit n 5 goats there all happy n get alone really good

 

[troy4]

I have three chickens at the moment, I am wondering whether or not to get a rooster? If we collect the eggs every morning, there won't be too many chicks, will there? Also, my husband is worried you can't eat eggs that have been fertilised, but I'm pretty sure you can? I have also heard that you shouldn't keep ducks and roosters together, is this right? Will the chickens and ducks fly out over the 2 metre high fence?

The only reason you need a rooster is if you want fertile eggs. Anything else is pure personal preference.

There will not be any chicks if you don’t incubate the eggs, either under a bird or in an incubator, for about 21 days.

People on small farms have been eating fertilized eggs for thousands of years without any ill effects. There is no difference in nutrition. If you know what to look for you can usually tell if an egg has been fertilized when you open it, but you have to know what to look for. Gathering the eggs every day is a real good idea for many different reasons.

I have not kept ducks and chickens together in a small space. If they have plenty of room it’s not a problem, gut crowded together it could be.

Will they fly over a 2 metre fence? If they want to they will. If they don’t want to, they won’t. It comes down to their motivation. I have not kept ducks confined so I can’t speak to them. Chickens will have no huge problem flying over that fence if they want to especially when you might wind up with any breed. Some chickens roost in trees 15 feet off the ground. With rescue chickens who knows what their motivation might be? I suggest you cover the area, maybe with bird or deer netting.

Umm no.Roosters can't do all that that fast.You can still eat them eggs.Now if 1 hen goes broody you may find dead babies.Its fine don't worry it takes almost a good month for chicks to even hatch.

 

[troy4]

Ducks normally don't fly unless they know its there or they just are bored or escaping from danger.Ducks and chickens can go together mines are in together.

 

[irisshiller]

Hi - thanks all for your input!

Starfire, no you didn't scare me too much, I heard this about ducks before But I didn't realise it could be quite that bad! I think now that I won't have drakes or roosters, I don't intend to breed so there won't be any reason to have them. Unless there is a mistake and one of the rescued birds turns out to be male, of course :/ I was wondering again about the duck... he/she stays small and doesn't have a red face so I was sure it was a female. But some people on here have suggested it might be a hybrid, in which case it could be either sex. If the duck is around 6/7 months old by now, should she be laying eggs? Because there are no eggs. Should there be certain conditions for her to lay eggs? She doesn't really have a place or material to make a nest and until recently she was fed only bread, so maybe this delayed egg laying?

I think I will just have to try some things at first, it'll be impossible to avoid making any mistakes at all... I could keep the rabbits in the cages at first but I am very sure I will let them out at some point - there is nothing I love more than to watch free rabbits making their happy jumps! Followed closely by the happiness of the duck when she gets fresh water

If the birds do fly out I I will look into netting, that's an idea. But I will try to make the place as good as possible for them so they wont' want to leave

It's also a good idea to take the animals in for the night - how do you do this? do you feed them in their cages so they will happily go in?

I'm very excited about my rescue/pet zoo/hobby farm, but sometimes I wonder if I have gone completely mad and where on earth will I find the time to look after all of them and do activities with the children!! But I've got lots of help and we will manage somehow.

Thanks again!! Iris.

 

[Starfire669]

Bread should not be fed to waterfowl, it does not have the nutrition they need. Waterfowl need a balanced diet of non-medicated feed and lots of greens and bigs. They should ideally have more greens and bugs than feed, but giving feed ensures they get enough nutrition. The easiest way to tell sex in ducks by feathering, males get a curled feather on their tail called the drake feather. However I believe some hybrids might not get the drake feather, if yours is a hybrid, sex it through the quack. Males have a raspy low call, while females have the loud quack associated with ducks, there are videos and sound bites on the internet you can use to hear the difference in male and female duck calls. If your duck is female, she will lay when she is ready. Provide a nest box, they like covered, hidden, and secure places to lay their eggs. Or she may have laid somewhere in your yard you haven't searched yet.

It's really easy to clip wings, it doesn't hurt them at all and can save their life if you get birds that just have to see what's on the other side of your fence. I clip my chickens wings, because if they get over my fence, the stray dogs will kill them. The clipping does not hurt, or scare the chickens if done properly. Again their are videos on UTube to show you how to clip wings.

Locking the animals up at night is essential, predators will find them and kill them unless they are secured. Raccoons, foxes, rats, snakes, dogs, cats, and many more. Raccoons are particularily bad, once they find your birds they will keep coming back and killing as long as you have them. A good secure coop can save your flocks life. Teaching them to go to bed at night is fairly simple. I used scratch to teach my chickens to go home every night, the ducks are still learning, but they are easy to round up and gently herd to their coop. There are many ways to train the chickens and ducks to go to their coops at night, I'm sure others on here will be happy to tell you how theirs were trained.

 

[irisshiller]

Thanks for that - I looked at a video of clipping wings and it does seem easy! I might do that to prevent them flying out.
There are no raccoons in my country, but there are foxes and jackals and loose dogs, I have lost rabbits and cats to them before. I is a good idea to put them in their cages at night and let them out during the day. Thanks very much!