Pennsylvania!! Unite!!

[SilkieSensation]

Quote: I'll let you know the next time I go & you can tell me how much to spend & how many you want. Toss me in a bit extra for gas & you can pick them up here or we can meet somewhere.

I have a couple questions for you duck people out there. Although I am not allowed by the wife to get a goat, she is ok with cute little duckies. So, with that said, I don't know anything about ducks! I have a small coy fish pond but that's it for water. It's about 10' x 4' and kidney shaped. Is that good enough? Can I just build a small coop for them with access to the pond? The pond freezes over in the winter, do they need access to "swimming" water in the winter? If I am correct, they eat the same food as chickens but do they need anything else? How quickly do they grow? Do they grow at the same pace as chickens? When will they start to lay eggs? What else should I know about raising ducks?

Ducks do not HAVE to have a pool at all but it helps them keep clean if they do. It also allows them to make a muddy mess of your yard or run. As long as they can dunk their heads in their water bucket they are fine. My pools were iced over most of the winter & we didn't have a problem as long as we kept fresh water to them in buckets 2-3 times per day. I used hot water a couple times to defrost pools if they started looking grungy & in need of a bath.

 

[SilkieSensation]

I'm extremely ticked right now. Among the many other issues we had with JJ's daughter while she was here she also brought bedbugs & lice with her. We found the lice right away & I just found the bedbugs when I was stripping beds. I may have to burn all of our beds to get rid of them. I can't afford to replace 3 beds right now. My son & daughter's beds are full of them (took me a month to find them because the kids usually do their own beds so they had time to multiply quite well) & I'm headed to check my bed now. I kept thinking we had fleas because I would wake up with bites all over me. Pretty sure they are in my bed too since it was my bed she slept in. I was nice enough to sleep on the floor for this spoiled 16 yr old so she could have a bed. She had mentioned (after she was here for 5 days) that they had had bedbugs at her house but swore they had gotten rid of them. OBVIOUSLY NOT!!! If anyone knows where I can get 2 twin beds & a full or queen extremely cheap I will be eternally grateful. Just the mattresses will work but box springs would be great too.

 

[sharron]

I only need them for "forage". They're supposed to be keeping down my multiflora rose, etc. I have 3 Boer mix wethers.

near Honesdale (up past Scranton).

oh, ok, maybe someone up that way can tell you, or you can type in auctions in pa and follow what comes up

 

[sharron]

I'm extremely ticked right now. Among the many other issues we had with JJ's daughter while she was here she also brought bedbugs & lice with her. We found the lice right away & I just found the bedbugs when I was stripping beds. I may have to burn all of our beds to get rid of them. I can't afford to replace 3 beds right now. My son & daughter's beds are full of them (took me a month to find them because the kids usually do their own beds so they had time to multiply quite well) & I'm headed to check my bed now. I kept thinking we had fleas because I would wake up with bites all over me. Pretty sure they are in my bed too since it was my bed she slept in. I was nice enough to sleep on the floor for this spoiled 16 yr old so she could have a bed. She had mentioned (after she was here for 5 days) that they had had bedbugs at her house but swore they had gotten rid of them. OBVIOUSLY NOT!!! If anyone knows where I can get 2 twin beds & a full or queen extremely cheap I will be eternally grateful. Just the mattresses will work but box springs would be great too.

 

[motherhen71185]

Any one have coturnix (sp) quail? How hard/ easy are they to raise?

 

[SilkieSensation]

Any one have coturnix (sp) quail? How hard/ easy are they to raise?

I have a bunch of cot eggs available right now. Texas A&M, jumbo, pharoah, buff, tux, cinnamon & italian speckled. They aren't hard & lay like mad. They do need heated shelter in winter though so a barn, shed, garage, basement, etc. or a very sheltered coop outside with heat.

 

[LisaYolkUm]

Tar paper is used as an extra moisture barrier between the shingles and the wood so I would recommend it if your looking long term. I don't remember it being expensive either, I got a 50 foot roll for $25. I've never heard of sealing the wood either before applying shingles. With the nails they actually say the nails should be poking through the wood, if you don't go deep enough the wind will blow the shingles off.

Another word of advice is if your using a piece of half inch plywood which it sounds like you are, make sure your rafters aren't too far apart or the roof will sag.

 

[motherhen71185]

I have a bunch of cot eggs available right now. Texas A&M, jumbo, pharoah, buff, tux, cinnamon & italian speckled. They aren't hard & lay like mad. They do need heated shelter in winter though so a barn, shed, garage, basement, etc. or a very sheltered coop outside with heat.

I will keep you in mind next year!! I had to promise this is my last hatch for now. But I wa thinking of building brooder cages and a quail cage in the barn over the winter. thanks!!

 

[Farmer Mike S]

Yea for 1/2" plywood your rafters should be 2 feet apart, no more or you will have problems with sagging. 3/4 you might be able to space a little note but I wouldn't recommend it. Did you look into a metal or plastic roof?

 

[nbenevento]

Pretty quiet around here tonight! I have another question I am hoping someone will answer. When using Wazine 17, can you continue to eat the eggs? Thanks!