Show off your house ducks!

[Kaessa]

L
I looked in the mirror... One side of my face is covered in little duck hickies. They were very happy to see me, apparently!

 

[drumstick diva]

Funny, I dropped in to read about house ducks, and I learned something about skunks - female on Prozac etc. If she needs to be beaten up by the male, I imagine they both release plenty of skunk fumes - oh my. I do enjoy learning something new every day at BYC. In our area some years ago the skunk population was greatly diminished by an outbreak of distemper. Only recently have we been seeing any skunks again.

 

[Amykins]

Funny, I dropped in to read about house ducks, and I learned something about skunks - female on Prozac etc. If she needs to be beaten up by the male, I imagine they both release plenty of skunk fumes - oh my. I do enjoy learning something new every day at BYC. In our area some years ago the skunk population was greatly diminished by an outbreak of distemper. Only recently have we been seeing any skunks again.

Distemper, yikes! I don't see many skunks up here, but I do smell them on occasion. What I DO see plenty of are raccoons. I hate those horrible, vicious, duck-killing beasts! Sadly the previous homeowner of my house used to feed them because for the first year or so after I moved in they'd scratch at my back window every night, whole droves of 'em. I'm sure she meant well, or maybe she thought they were cats...?

 

[kukupecpec]

Yeah...I mean, I get WHY the law exists, to stop poaching and prevent introducing non-native species (and diseases) into local habitats, but it just sucks that a few careless people ruin it for everyone else. I had a pet skunk as a child, and I ADORED her, but now in California, my home state, and here in Washington I cannot legally own one anymore. Boo.

Skunks are so interesting! We don't have a lot of them here in the desert, but i know they are out there because I've known people who've been spayed lol. I hadn't ever actually seen one until i went away to university. I had just been dumped and was crying on the steps of my apartment when something rubbed against my leg. Thinking it was a cat i reached down and petted it, but because i was crying didn't see what it was right at first and when i wiped my eyes to look down at the sweet stay cat who was comforting me i nearly had a heart attack! I JUMPED up and squealed and ran up the stairs! Poor skunk, i probably scared it even more than it scared me!

Funny, I dropped in to read about house ducks,  and I learned something about skunks - female on Prozac etc.   If she needs to be beaten up by the male, I imagine they both release  plenty of skunk fumes  -  oh my.   I do enjoy learning something new every day at BYC.  In our area some years ago the skunk population was greatly diminished by an outbreak of distemper.   Only recently have we been seeing any skunks again.

I wonder if skunk mating season is stinky? How funny!

Distemper, yikes! I don't see many skunks up here, but I do smell them on occasion. What I DO see plenty of are raccoons. I hate those horrible, vicious, duck-killing beasts! Sadly the previous homeowner of my house used to feed them because for the first year or so after I moved in they'd scratch at my back window every night, whole droves of 'em. I'm sure she meant well, or maybe she thought they were cats...?

raccoons are something we DO have plenty of. And those things wreak havoc on all the chicken owners! I think they are cute, but most of my family just shoot at them lol. There's one terrorizing my childhood cat at my parents house. Bad coon eats the cat food and Button hides on the roof and starves!

 

[SilkieSensation]

Yeah...I mean, I get WHY the law exists, to stop poaching and prevent introducing non-native species (and diseases) into local habitats, but it just sucks that a few careless people ruin it for everyone else. I had a pet skunk as a child, and I ADORED her, but now in California, my home state, and here in Washington I cannot legally own one anymore. Boo.

Skunks are so interesting! We don't have a lot of them here in the desert, but i know they are out there because I've known people who've been spayed lol. I hadn't ever actually seen one until i went away to university. I had just been dumped and was crying on the steps of my apartment when something rubbed against my leg. Thinking it was a cat i reached down and petted it, but because i was crying didn't see what it was right at first and when i wiped my eyes to look down at the sweet stay cat who was comforting me i nearly had a heart attack! I JUMPED up and squealed and ran up the stairs! Poor skunk, i probably scared it even more than it scared me!

Funny, I dropped in to read about house ducks,  and I learned something about skunks - female on Prozac etc.   If she needs to be beaten up by the male, I imagine they both release  plenty of skunk fumes  -  oh my.   I do enjoy learning something new every day at BYC.  In our area some years ago the skunk population was greatly diminished by an outbreak of distemper.   Only recently have we been seeing any skunks again.

I wonder if skunk mating season is stinky? How funny!

Distemper, yikes! I don't see many skunks up here, but I do smell them on occasion. What I DO see plenty of are raccoons. I hate those horrible, vicious, duck-killing beasts! Sadly the previous homeowner of my house used to feed them because for the first year or so after I moved in they'd scratch at my back window every night, whole droves of 'em. I'm sure she meant well, or maybe she thought they were cats...?

raccoons are something we DO have plenty of. And those things wreak havoc on all the chicken owners! I think they are cute, but most of my family just shoot at them lol. There's one terrorizing my childhood cat at my parents house. Bad coon eats the cat food and Button hides on the roof and starves!

You are very lucky it didn't spray you. Never make loud noises or fast movements near a skunk. Back away slowly & quietly if you ever encounter another.
We have tons of skunk around here. My son caught 1 in his live trap in December. Shoulda seen him sneaking up on the trap from behing 1 of my old sheets. Once he got the sheet over the trap he could shoot it in the trap without getting sprayed. The 1 he shot from a distance last fall sprayed as it was dying & we smelled it for 2 weeks after. And yes, skunk mating deason is stinky. We've been smelling the suckers for the past 2 weeks.
You are allowed to own descented captive bred skunks in Ohio with a permit. Same for deer, raccoon & opossum and pretty much any other wild animal native to Ohio.

 

[LadyHawkeAvry]

You are very lucky it didn't spray you. Never make loud noises or fast movements near a skunk. Back away slowly & quietly if you ever encounter another.
We have tons of skunk around here. My son caught 1 in his live trap in December. Shoulda seen him sneaking up on the trap from behing 1 of my old sheets. Once he got the sheet over the trap he could shoot it in the trap without getting sprayed. The 1 he shot from a distance last fall sprayed as it was dying & we smelled it for 2 weeks after. And yes, skunk mating deason is stinky. We've been smelling the suckers for the past 2 weeks.
You are allowed to own descented captive bred skunks in Ohio with a permit. Same for deer, raccoon & opossum and pretty much any other wild animal native to Ohio.

The skunks are out in force here as well. Most I've seen have been road kill. None on my property though - they are quail killers, and although I love them, I had to adopt a zero tolerance policy on them. If they are near my birds, I don't care about getting sprayed - or anything else for that matter - I heard the pheasant alert early one morning and saw a skunk in my aviary killing quail, one by one, not eating them, just killing them. I ran out with a gun, in nothing but my underwear and a T-shirt. Fortunately no one drove down the road at the time, otherwise they would have witnessed the horror of a half dressed middle aged woman running around brandishing firearms. They would have needed years of therapy to get over that one...
So then I got geese. Narcissus has enough Chinese goose in him that you can hear his alert for miles. Between the pheasant cock and him, nothing sets foot on the property unannounced. I have not seen a skunk here since. I'd like to think it was the guard birds, but the skunks are probably all still traumatized by my gun toting fiasco....

 

[Julie Birb]

L
I looked in the mirror... One side of my face is covered in little duck hickies. They were very happy to see me, apparently!

Heehee. Cute little billed duckies. They luvs yous. I bet you were happy to get to hold their fuzzy bods.

 

[LadyHawkeAvry]

Heehee.  Cute little billed duckies.  They luvs yous.  I bet you were happy to get to hold their fuzzy bods.

So warm and fuzzy! All but the two shortest simply hopped straight out of their tub to see me this morning. (They grow so fast! *sniff) If the weather gets as nice as is forecast, I'll take them for a walk outside later. Last time I tried, they got distracted by all the things in the garage they could put in their mouths... This time they will take the basket express to the side door (no distractions!!)

 

[SilkieSensation]

You are very lucky it didn't spray you. Never make loud noises or fast movements near a skunk. Back away slowly & quietly if you ever encounter another.
We have tons of skunk around here. My son caught 1 in his live trap in December. Shoulda seen him sneaking up on the trap from behing 1 of my old sheets. Once he got the sheet over the trap he could shoot it in the trap without getting sprayed. The 1 he shot from a distance last fall sprayed as it was dying & we smelled it for 2 weeks after. And yes, skunk mating deason is stinky. We've been smelling the suckers for the past 2 weeks.
You are allowed to own descented captive bred skunks in Ohio with a permit. Same for deer, raccoon & opossum and pretty much any other wild animal native to Ohio.

The skunks are out in force here as well. Most I've seen have been road kill. None on my property though - they are quail killers, and although I love them, I had to adopt a zero tolerance policy on them. If they are near my birds, I don't care about getting sprayed - or anything else for that matter - I heard the pheasant alert early one morning and saw a skunk in my aviary killing quail, one by one, not eating them, just killing them. I ran out with a gun, in nothing but my underwear and a T-shirt. Fortunately no one drove down the road at the time, otherwise they would have witnessed the horror of a half dressed middle aged woman running around brandishing firearms. They would have needed years of therapy to get over that one...
So then I got geese. Narcissus has enough Chinese goose in him that you can hear his alert for miles. Between the pheasant cock and him, nothing sets foot on the property unannounced. I have not seen a skunk here since. I'd like to think it was the guard birds, but the skunks are probably all still traumatized by my gun toting fiasco....

I have done similar things in that attire only brandishing a ball bat instead of a gun & chasing a coon instead of a skunk...lol

 

[LadyHawkeAvry]

I have done similar things in that attire only brandishing a ball bat instead of a gun & chasing a coon instead of a skunk...lol

Lol!!! I was so focused on protecting the birds it didn't even register that I had run out without any pants! Eventually it dawned on me, and I was extremely happy it was as early in the morning as it was (just getting light out) so most folks weren't up yet!! I beat a hasty retreat into the house to dress before disposing of bodies and assessing the damage...
Now with the geese I can't just do a quick run out the back door to feed anyone either. They know I have food, and feel they must inform everyone within a mile radius that the food giver has arrived, and that Narcissus gets the first bite because he is so beautiful, and that the ducks should be in awe of his very presence...
...so loud that one day I went to a local drive through and the guy at the window asked if I "still had those d@&% geese" I said, "why yes, I still have those d@&% geese, and they are laying eggs!" He then proceeded to tell me he had decided to get chickens, and was expecting Jersey Giant chicks in May. I have started a trend!
The bird virus is spreading! Mwahahahaha!!!