starter flock

[rentmecheap]

Been researching all weekend. This will be the first dip into the waterfowl pool. Thinking on starting with ducks and a few geese.

Looking at 15 golden layer 300 hens, 5 st run welsh harlequin, 5 black swedish, 4 buff geese and 4 pilgrim geese. All will be raised and housed together. Housing will be in a 24 by 30 garage that I use for storing hay. It has a concrete floor, so cleaning will be easier. Pasture will be in an acre or so of orchard. The trees already have 5 foot trunk protectors on them.

 

[treldib]

Good Luck!

Remember: 1 Drake (male) to every 3-9 hens (females)

ETA: Are you getting them from Metzer Farms?

 

[D'Angelo N Va.]

WOW, for someone just starting out..seems like you are going straight to the top.... I can't wait to see pictures. Sounds like you have really put some thought and consideration into this. Way to go!!

 

[Amiga]

Sounds nice - had a chance to think about brooding and waterers? I love hearing how creative people are!

 

[rentmecheap]

The plan for brooding is pretty simalar to the chicken brooding. Several 104 quart tubs for the first week or two, then a brooding pen in the building where they will live as adults. Water will be the hard rubber tubs like I use to feed the hogs after they are feathered, chick waterers before that. Already found a source locally for waterfowl feed. Bath time will be the wal mart kiddie pool.

 

[Amiga]

rentmecheap, do you have ideas on dealing with the duckling splash? I found that I couldn't keep my brooder warm enough (by 10 degrees) until I got a handle on keeping most of the water from soaking the bedding.

Just sharing my duckling surprises with ya.

It seems to be something that many on the forum have written asking about (some with great alarm).

 

[rentmecheap]

My plan to keep the brooders dry is to take the little rubbermade sandwich tubs I use in my lunchbox and build a frame to go around them with 2x2 stock and cover with hardware cloth. Place the water on that. Think that will work?

 

[Olive Hill]

It won't work the way you're thinking it will. They splash a lot further than one of those little sandwich tubs.

 

[rentmecheap]

What do you suggest?

 

[Olive Hill]

Getting ducklings and goslings in the summer, not the early spring, when it's 80+ degrees outside and they can spend their days in a portable pen on the grass where the water will soak in as they splash it out.

Short of that ideal situation I would suggest using something no smaller than the size of a cookie sheet.

I also noticed that you plan to use a chick waterer for their brooder days. Ducklings and goslings need water deep enough to dip their bill to the top at least once or twice a day. The chick waterer will not be sufficient for that. You could just give them access a couple times while you supervise to a deeper dish but I never liked having that added work on top of everything else. I have found however that a chick feeder works fabulously. The long, trough type, with the top that has individual holes for them to stick their heads in works fine when they're still small. You can set it on your waterer platform, fill it up, shut the top and they can drink out of it, dip their bills completely, but cannot swim and splash in it the way they could an open dish.

With goslings keep your eye on them as they will outgrow the head holes much quicker than ducklings.