The Migratory/Ornamental Waterfowl INFO Thread

[kangababy]

ONe other question.. Where can I get Shade cloth? or what can you use

 

[Boggy Bottom Bantams]

mny of the on line netting companies sell the shade cloth too.
Just goggle poultry netting and a blue million will pop up.

 

[KansasKid]

Now before i ask im saying right now that i will never do this because its to risky in my opinion but, what would the legality's be if you were to keep a legal purchased wood duck hen on a pond and let her get breed by a wild drake. Do you have to let the hen raise them as if they were wild and let them do there own thing, or since she is captive breed can you brood and keep them? (i would search USFWS but i'm feeling lazy at the moment

)

 

[Boggy Bottom Bantams]

not 100% sure on that one, think they are supposed to be in a captive enviroment to start with to be legally housed, so the whole thing may techincally be illegal

 

[kangababy]

Interesting... My NA pintail hen got lose last year so I bought a drake and put him on the pond this year... They are hanging out

 

[KansasKid]

hmm, ok so in the way of legally housing. She is pinioned and in a fenced in area with no top net????

Not that big of a deal, was just curious. Anyways really hoping my pintail hen keeps laying and sets good for me, has a total of 7 eggs so far, wasn't sure if she was going to lay this year as late as it is. Really hoping that i get to raise some and get my fed permit this year. Counting down the days till the ringed teal eggs hatch. Feel sorry for my silver pintails right now, the normal pintail drake is being truly aggressive toward everything in the pen and has the silvers hiding under the dead spruce tree all the time, not sure what to do for them??

 

[kangababy]

Quote:
Sending off for my permit tomorrow or I'm going to be in big trouble! Birds everywhere!

 

[4-H chicken mom]

My Mandarin is sitting on six eggs. The 28th day will be in the neighborhood of Thurs, Fri. or Sat. this week. She still comes out of the box every evening. I did candle the eggs last week and saw movement in them. Shouldn't she be sitting continuously on them now? It has been quite warm. Also, I have pea gravel in their pen, should I put some straw or something for the babies to land on when they leap from the box? How far from the box do they usually jump? I am a nervous wreck. I have gone through the pen, making it safe, I have hardware cloth in the pools for them to get out of. Food for them is out. Will she teach them to eat? Is there anything I am missing for them? This is my first time.

 

[Boggy Bottom Bantams]

no she still has to eat, they cover them with the down lining they put in the nest and they are just fine for an hour or two.
I always advise brooding in a closed brooder, it's much safer there are many things even in baby proofed pens that can cause problems with ducklings.
As for coming out of the box, they are fine, the naturally do it, hit any thing on the way down and run off just fine, they are very limber and flexible at hatch just for that reason. Some in the wild will fall 40+ feet and hit the ground below just fine. As for distance, they dont, they just get to the opening and bail out straight down.
Good luck with them.

I'm not 100% sure on the xtact current rules on housing, but I know purposful release is illegal. If pinioned you may get by with it on a personal pond, but I believe they do even still have to be inside some form of pen. or fence. Will check into that and get back on it.

 

[4-H chicken mom]

I forgot to add, they are in a wired covered avairy. I could fence off the area to herd them into the pen in the barn but I don't know if she would rather be outside with them? They do have some nice logs that I have made almost waterproof to stay in but don't know if they are good mothers or not? It is her first year as well. Should the male be kept away from the ducklings? Thanks

Edited to say: I will get a pic of the pen tommorrow.