Peeps in Europe!

[CuddleNest]

welcome!

you should ask these questions in a duck forum.

Thanks! Will do!

 

[BDutch]

@Anthis44 and @CuddleNest , welcome to Peeps in Europe. Hope you like it here.

And yes. For most complicated questions you better post a new thread in the right section to access more members and get more answers.

IMO, Peeps is nice for exchanging ideas, adventures and Europe related questions.

 

[Erba]

Geese and ducks belong both in water fowl category. You can't feed them chicken feed because their food is made to be taken with water and both need some kind of pond, which is why I can't keep them. My feed store only sells one feed for both ducks and geese, I know because I almost bought it, but realised before I paid for it, I had taken the wrong bag. If you have a Raiffeisen-Markt in your area, they sell natur-el products and do Ente/Gänsekorn at reasonable prices. Anyway, I would go for a single feed with everything in it, so you know they are getting what they need. I only get the whole feed for my chickens, and as treats sometimes I buy them a bag of wheat kernels or rolled oats.

 

[HalfWayUpAMountain]

Ciao fellow Europeans ! I am a Brit living in northern Italy. We keep a lovely duck family and are also generally resented by our Geese.

Don't suppose there's a Brits in Italy subgroup going on ?!

 

[chickengr]

Geese and ducks belong both in water fowl category. You can't feed them chicken feed because their food is made to be taken with water and both need some kind of pond, which is why I can't keep them. My feed store only sells one feed for both ducks and geese, I know because I almost bought it, but realised before I paid for it, I had taken the wrong bag. If you have a Raiffeisen-Markt in your area, they sell natur-el products and do Ente/Gänsekorn at reasonable prices. Anyway, I would go for a single feed with everything in it, so you know they are getting what they need. I only get the whole feed for my chickens, and as treats sometimes I buy them a bag of wheat kernels or rolled oats.

I feed ducks and geese corn, wheat and some barly + any fruits and vegetables.

 

[abpatchy]

So... yesterday I butchered (with help) 6 roosters. 2x 1350g, 2x 1550g 1x 1450g and 1x 1650g... approximatly I didn't write down the exact number. It's easier to use a cone instead of a hatchet! I will have to buy one. Just not sure where and how to mount it.
I did learn a lot... it was all very helpful and worth the 2 hour trip.
I got 3 more roosters to go... plus at least 8x 9 week old roosters. Not sure when I'll be buthering them. Selling 2 hens tonight and 5 more whenever I'll be getting more feed (delivering the hens then) It sure is nice to make some room.

By the way... I was tired last night from the day (butchering and driving) that I decided not to stop at the chickens to lock them up. And what do you know... they all went inside on their own! So I guess it was a space issue plus the one rooster who didn't want them all inside. He is in the freezer at the moment.

 

[CuddleNest]

Geese and ducks belong both in water fowl category. You can't feed them chicken feed because their food is made to be taken with water and both need some kind of pond, which is why I can't keep them.

Regarding a pond, we use plastic "sandmuschel" kiddie pools that I top off every day and use for plant water in the night. I change the water completely every 3 or 4 days, but I only have 2 ducks. They appear to be Muscovies, and only one likes to be in there at a time. Hence 2 pools..and maybe this is why the water isnt filthy so fast. I also have a few low buckets of water all over the yard so that they can get water as they are free ranging for bugs and greens. I always give a huge pot of water with their morning pellets...but the pellets are probably really unnecessary and too much as they get older.

My feed store only sells one feed for both ducks and geese, I know because I almost bought it, but realised before I paid for it, I had taken the wrong bag. If you have a Raiffeisen-Markt in your area, they sell natur-el products and do Ente/Gänsekorn at reasonable prices. Anyway, I would go for a single feed with everything in it, so you know they are getting what they need. I only get the whole feed for my chickens, and as treats sometimes I buy them a bag of wheat kernels or rolled oats.

Thanks! This weekend at the local Raiffeisen (Bröleck), they said they only have "Körnerfutter" and claimed that it is good for all backyard birds. I think they mainly sell what is bought in that area, and we have discovered that not many people have ducks and geese (at least not as many who have chickens) around here. We know the food they were talking about because have been buying it since 2018 for the trough in the chicken area of the yard (fenced in with an Eglu coop for sleeping and egg laying). I like to have something standard in the chicken area for when they aren't free ranging and maybe don't get enough insects or greens. But we have found that this mix isn't always completely consistent. Despite it appearing to be a mix of corn, wheat kernels/barley and shells in it, some bags appear to have fewer shells or less corn. I started to add shells directly into the food because the girls' egg shells appeared a bit thinner over the past few weeks. I also put out a small bowl of shells and a small bowl of granite grit in case they need that or want to try. I added some brewer's yeast (Bierhefe) after I had bought it for the ducks. So, after 2 years, I'm still optimizing the standard chicken standard feed. I fully agree to just get one feed that has everything in it that would work for chickens and then another feed for ducks. They appear to just have different needs.

The byc duck forum has suggested a slew of different ideas, even dried cat food, but I'd like to make sure I have a go-to mix (that is also available in my region) that I dont have to think too much about, especially in a pinch in the winter. I hoped to find this at the Raiffeisen, but perhaps it isn’t popular enough yet for them to stock it. Perhaps if I find something that I want, they would order it for me. The ducks currently free range, and in addition to the insects and greens they take from the yard, I give them veggies, kitchen scraps, worms, etc. They aren’t interested in oats. I have been trying for weeks! I’ve been hiding some chicken scratch into the pellet mix to see if they go for the corn and wheat in it…not sure yet how it is working out. As soon as they leave their bowl, the chickens descend and remove everything. I have to get the chickens back in their fenced in area to truly test it.

A few minutes ago, while writing this reply, I found that the ducks had come into the kitchen (up a small flight of concrete steps!!!) and were emptying the cat food bowl!!!!!!! It was dried cat food. They found the dog’s water bowl as well. All week, I noticed the bowl being empty faster than usual, and the dog has been looking guilty for days…perhaps she got misplaced blame!

 

[CuddleNest]

I feed ducks and geese corn, wheat and some barly + any fruits and vegetables.

Do you mix this yourself, or do you purchase a relatively inexpensive waterfowl (Wassergeflügel) mix that you could recommend? If you mix yourself, what ratio of the ingredients do you use? I’m looking for something that would cover all bases, especially in the winter when foraging in the yard will provide less nutrition. I’m ok with buying each ingredient in bulk and mixing it every few months. We can store quite a bit of food. I want to start a worm farm, which will hopefully supplement the B vitamins a bit.

 

[CuddleNest]

So... yesterday I butchered (with help) 6 roosters. 2x 1350g, 2x 1550g 1x 1450g and 1x 1650g... approximatly I didn't write down the exact number. It's easier to use a cone instead of a hatchet! I will have to buy one. Just not sure where and how to mount it.
I did learn a lot... it was all very helpful and worth the 2 hour trip.
I got 3 more roosters to go... plus at least 8x 9 week old roosters. Not sure when I'll be buthering them. Selling 2 hens tonight and 5 more whenever I'll be getting more feed (delivering the hens then) It sure is nice to make some room.

By the way... I was tired last night from the day (butchering and driving) that I decided not to stop at the chickens to lock them up. And what do you know... they all went inside on their own! So I guess it was a space issue plus the one rooster who didn't want them all inside. He is in the freezer at the moment.

As I might have to butcher a rooster soon, could you explain the cone "method"? I'm not familiar....

My partner just asked me if it is technically "allowed" to butcher our own rooster in Germany. He is um, slightly nervous about the Ordnungsamt. I'm sorry if you have addressed this and the cone in a previous post... I was not able to go through all of the pages yet!

 

[abpatchy]

As I might have to butcher a rooster soon, could you explain the cone "method"? I'm not familiar....

My partner just asked me if it is technically "allowed" to butcher our own rooster in Germany. He is um, slightly nervous about the Ordnungsamt. I'm sorry if you have addressed this and the cone in a previous post... I was not able to go through all of the pages yet!

There is no issue with butchering your own in Germany. Though you are not allowed to sell the meat or give it away. This is for your houshold only!
The law requires you to knock the bird unconcient with a blow to the head. They go into the butchering cone upside down... the head sticking out at the bottom. You take a knive an cut their throat. It is faster if you take the head and pull it to the side a bit as that makes the blood run out faster.
The cone makes it easier for you since you don't have to hold the bird. It is held in place as they tend to flap their wings even when dead.