The Duck Thread

[MandyJ]

I am confused!!!! Why is it when you place a picture in your quote that it puts it at the TOP of the "quote" page. When I try to move it I can't get it to go down. Any help would be appreciated!!!

This was supposed to be a post about the duck house. When I type in words it looks fine (other than the picture is in the wrong place) but when I submit it all the writing goes away. If I go in to edit it they are all there! Help! Is it me or the website???

Mandy

 

[MandyJ]

As I was trying to post, I'll start again!

We put our enclosure floor up 3 feet from the ground so I could get up under there for whatever reason. I do wash out the underside since poop falls through the floor, that way flies don't have a field day. The ramp ended up having to be 9 feet long to enable the ducks to go up easily. I was really surprised, I didn't think it would have to be that long. I will say the ducks get up under there and won't come out. We have a real duck rodeo when we are trying to get them inside when they don't want to go! LOL

Good luck!
Mandy

 

[chickengirl72]

Thank you so much for the picture! The visuals really help a lot.

 

[MandyJ]

Thank you so much for the picture! The visuals really help a lot.

You mentioned that you were concerned that they didn't like to go up a ramp. My girls don't seem to have a problem, they go up and down all day long. You will notice that the ramp has little cleats on it so they can get traction. So far the only predator we have found in the pen is a snake.
Good luck,
Mandy

 

[widelacing]

I saw some other responses, but wanted to offer some of my own recommendations. If you have duck skin render that into duck fat. It's amazing. I like to fry Brussels sprouts in it and serve it up as a salad with homemade pickled fennel.

Duck meat is a red meat culinarily speaking. My favorite way to cook up duck breast is a Japanese style kamo rosu, which sears the duck in a soy/sake/mirin mix then marinates for at least a day. It's served cold and when ever I make it its gone in a Matter of minutes.

Duck confit is also one of my go to's. There's lots of recipes online for it, so my only comment here is that it's a great recipe for when you have older ducks that aren't really going to make a good roaster. For those older birds I've last ground the breast meat up to make homemade duck ravioli.

I'm hoping to try my hand at duck pruscitto this fall, as well as some Chinese style webs in red sauce.

They're really a very versatile meat source and just about every type of cuisine has a few ways of cooking them up.

Thanks! Do you have any insight on fattening them before harvesting?

 

[Welshies]

Thanks! Do you have any insight on fattening them before harvesting?

Just going to add my two bits...
Don't fatten them. Do NOT. Lean duck is a billion times better than duck that floats in fat.

 

[Amiga]

we're building a new duck house this weekend, loosely based on these plans. http://www.flytesofancy.co.uk/chickenhouses/Classic_Duck_Houses.html How high up off the ground would you make the house? i'm worried that if we just do little stilts as pictured, that rats will set up shop under the duck house. If we go a bit higher, like a foot off the ground will our runner ducks still be able to climb up the ramp? i've heard that they don't like to climb at all.

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If the ramp is long enough (so it's not at all steep) and wide enough, with a nice grippy surface (I attached plastic poultry fence to the ramp to the first duck house) it should be okay.

 

[MandyJ]

If the ramp is long enough (so it's not at all steep) and wide enough, with a nice grippy surface (I attached plastic poultry fence to the ramp to the first duck house) it should be okay.

Poultry fencing, I hadn't thought of that! Good idea!!
We first tried the ramp at 5 feet, it was just too steep for them (and me) to climb comfortably, so we added a section on to make the 9 feet.

 

[Welshies]

This is my ramp. It works well, and is nice and sturdy. It was cheap to make (used wood scraps from around the farm). (bottom)

 

[Ren2014]

I am confused!!!! Why is it when you place a picture in your quote that it puts it at the TOP of the "quote" page. When I try to move it I can't get it to go down. Any help would be appreciated!!!

This was supposed to be a post about the duck house. When I type in words it looks fine (other than the picture is in the wrong place) but when I submit it all the writing goes away. If I go in to edit it they are all there! Help! Is it me or the website???

Mandy

I think it might be you

It looks like you figured it out in your next post??