Neighbor's dog came back for our ducks today! What to do?

[Aunt Angus]

Who told you that? The Minimum shipment size with Metzer's is three ducklings, but they will add a hefty "small-shipment" fee, like i would expect with Meyer's too:
View attachment 2483666

An internet search told me that. Huh.

I actually went to the site and hypothetically recreated my order. It's actually cheaper through Meyer.

I would MUCH rather just pick them up. It's a 3 hour drive, but, at least they wouldn't ship overnight. Is a 3 hour drive too far? Would you drive 3 hours? I'm out here in the boonies. I drive an hour to get anywhere. What's another few hours? Lol

 

[mommiesrcool]

the problem with that kind of fence is it will keep your birds in but it's not going to keep any kind of predator or dog out. Chicken wire is only for chickens.

Oh I didn't know that its because I have a friend who has ducks and chickens and she said that this fence worked great for her so I should try it out and I did and it worked for me

 

[shawluvsbirds]

Oh I didn't know that its because I have a friend who has ducks and chickens and she said that this fence worked great for her so I should try it out and I did and it worked for me

It'll work to keep your birds in.
But that's about it.

 

[Aunt Angus]

Oh I didn't know that its because I have a friend who has ducks and chickens and she said that this fence worked great for her so I should try it out and I did and it worked for me

It wouldntwork here! Too many predators! Raccoons, skinks, foxes, coyote, bobcat, the occasional bear.... Yikes!

 

[Aunt Angus]

Who told you that? The Minimum shipment size with Metzer's is three ducklings, but they will add a hefty "small-shipment" fee, like i would expect with Meyer's too:
View attachment 2483666

Here's what I saw. If I'd just searched a bit more...

 

[Shezadandy]

Be sure the posts are treated, at least on the end that goes in the ground. You will need plastic insulators to keep the electric wore from touching any of the posts.

Yes- all my (non-metal) ground posts are treated and I am the queen of fancy insulators galore!

I was expressing jealousy for $7, 8ft cedar posts being available where Hillbilly lives. Around here $35 for ONE 4x4. $12 for ONE 2x4.

 

[Shezadandy]

Easier said than done: There are no fences on my property at all! And the direct property line that i would have to cover is about 300 meters (1,000') long, so it is a cost factor!
I will start with a Cedar post in the corner, a really sturdy one with diagonal support studs (or whatever they are being called) and then set-up an electric fence first.
Later that electric fence will be replaced with a wattle-fence, segment by segment, topped with an electric wire to keep climbing predators out too.
But that will take time, as i need to find a way to fund all this…

I know this is a bit into the future- but I would stick with keeping the electric line on the outside (the side that faces the threat) - at a spot the animal would have to touch before attempting to scale your waddle fence.

Getting shocked by the fence requires contact with the ground... and all the better if there is moisture in the ground. The reason birds can stand on electric lines and live to tell about it is because there's no ground contact.

You can, of course, put a wire at/near the top, but I would still offset it onto the side the dog comes from (as opposed to the apex of the fence), say 3-5" out in front of the top of the fence. Again- depending on the height - for the dog (or other invader) to get the deterrent shock up there, you'll have to run a separate wire that connects to the ground wires, and those two will have to be close enough that once off the ground, the critter touches both of them at once to be shocked.

The height of my artwork abilities below: The maroon box is the fence energizer. There are two connections on the box. My green line is the ground wire. The ground wire goes to your metal ground rods (the purple lines, pounded into the ground). The ground wires are wired together with ground rod clamps, and put in a spot that ideally stays nice and moist. The red one (the "hot" wire) goes to the polywire and is where the electric pulse does its work.

If you keep all the polywire at the level where the dog's feet are still on the ground to deter it from climbing, then the ground wire stops at the ground rods, at the 3rd yellow spot.

If you intend to put an electric wire all the way up top, where the dog's feet would no longer be touching the ground (the wood fence won't count as being on the ground) you need a separate wire run from the ground rods down the length of the fence at the top positioned so the dog would have to touch both the line from the ground rods and the polywire itself before making it over the fence. Otherwise, it's not going to get much of a shock up there- if any.

 

[Shezadandy]

Oh I didn't know that its because I have a friend who has ducks and chickens and she said that this fence worked great for her so I should try it out and I did and it worked for me

It will work until the right hungry predator comes knocking- and then the chicken wire will just keep them nicely corralled for whatever easily chews through - dog, cat, weasel, raccoon, fox, coyote... I'm not a dramatic or alarmist person - I've just seen thread after thread after thread of awfulness and heartbreaking pictures. If you can take a picture of what you've got we can make suggestions on how to fortify it.

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

Update o

Here's what I saw. If I'd just searched a bit more...
View attachment 2483772

Metzer Farms Website is a mess! They still have the 2017 catalog online as well as the page with the Dutch Hookbill ducks which they stopped breeding after 2017.
So it is entirely possible that you have stumbled over an outdated page that somebody just forgot to delete.

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

Yes- all my (non-metal) ground posts are treated and I am the queen of fancy insulators galore!

I was expressing jealousy for $7, 8ft cedar posts being available where Hillbilly lives. Around here $35 for ONE 4x4. $12 for ONE 2x4.

Wait! Don't be jealous so quickly: You are talking about dimensional lumber when mentioning 4x4 or 2x4, a pressure treated 4x4x8 here is more expensive than a red-cedar fence post: