The Quack Shack

[WannaBeHillBilly]

You're a smart man, I'm sure you can figure something out. Blocking off the escape routes, catching them in groups. And perhaps put down a fenced duck yard as a future project.

Last year, mine decided than staying under my trailer was preferable to going into their coops, and there was no way I was getting them out of there, so that's where they stayed. Fox attacks this year have forced me to keep them fenced in, so they go into the coop at night. Perhaps next year (this year?) I'll finally get around to building something more permanent instead of surrounding the area with hardware cloth and plastic snow fencing.

Thank You! - Never thought about me as being smart…
There is a long term project, called »Perimeter Fence« which will be tackled in the future.
I want to fence in a larger area of my land with a combination of electric and wire-something fence, but before i have to overcome a couple of obstacles:

• I have to learn how to build fences on steep gradients like 45°
• I have to learn how to anchor fence posts in just 60cm (2') of
• I have to learn how to print my own money, the proposed length of the fence is about 2.000 meters (6561.68')...

That perimeter fence should also be able to keep the deer out, so that it is possible to be more flexible with garden beds.

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

... Getting a corgi? As I understand it they were originally herding dogs and they do not feel hobbled by their size (they consider themselves large).

https://thedailycorgi.com/2012/10/2012-pembroke-welsh-corgi-herding-trials.html

You're giving me ideas! - No, i won't have a dog, most of the ducks would not survive that as they are scared to death by dogs. I had a couple of dog-attacks by the dogs of careless neighbors.
But: I could come up with a dog-simulation at the pond, like cut-outs and artificial dog-barking. This needs some thought...

And the only dog that would stand a chance in that pond would be a »Seehund« - German, meaning "sea-dog", that's what we call harbour seals. Any other dog would go in the pond and never be able to come back out.

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

I actually dislike the looks of the corgi, so nope, not for me!

I looked up Corgi on the Wokepedia and i'd be worried about their small size. Blanca Duck has tried to eat a large snake…

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

Youtube has various videos of herding dogs working with ducks, event the classic border collie -- my mind went to corgis first bcs of the size, I was thinking along the lines of the dog should be small enough so that bad things are less likely to happen. Apparently ducks are even used for sheepdog training - to develop the dogs' herding reflexes.

There are a couple of videos available of YuckTube that show cats taking care of ducklings, chicks, ducks and chickens, like that:

I have to confess that i am not a dog-human, i like cats much better, but there will neither be cats nor dogs on this farm. Thinking about some Muscovies and if i could find some Cotton-Patch geese.

 

[Supercow]

So you are closer to Hungary than to the Mediterranean?

Oh yes, i remember the Buran hitting once while i was in Romania. Temperatures went from about +10° to -30° (50F ->-22F) within less than 12 hours and the snow starts to drift. We have something alike here, when the southern edge of a Canadian Clipper hits us, but its not that extreme.

We're at the same time very close to Austria (6 km from our location), Hungary and Croatia (both around 30 km). Flat land. Very exposed to wind when it feels like rising. Our redeeming grace is that in case of hail storms they usually don't do damage here because they move along so quickly.

Yes, that sounds like Buran Couple of years ago i was putting up hay bales around young fruit trees and, well... it made me feel better but the real danger is in the timing. Some plants just wake up early and once the sap starts flowing again it's really hard to truly protect anything in case of severe cold.

 

[Supercow]

And the only dog that would stand a chance in that pond would be a »Seehund« - German, meaning "sea-dog", that's what we call harbour seals. Any other dog would go in the pond and never be able to come back out.

In the Slovenian language the literal "sea dog" is "morski pes" which is a shark. Maybe that's a good thought as well but... I'm guessing ducks are not familiar with sharks in the first place and it could be more of an attraction than a threat.

 

[Miss Lydia]

There are a couple of videos available of YuckTube that show cats taking care of ducklings, chicks, ducks and chickens, like that:

I have to confess that i am not a dog-human, i like cats much better, but there will neither be cats nor dogs on this farm. Thinking about some Muscovies and if i could find some Cotton-Patch geese.

Love the video

 

[Muscovy Wunda]

Good morning to everyone except for the roof surfing peafowl

 

[Luv Ducks]

There are a couple of videos available of YuckTube that show cats taking care of ducklings, chicks, ducks and chickens, like that:

I have to confess that i am not a dog-human, i like cats much better, but there will neither be cats nor dogs on this farm. Thinking about some Muscovies and if i could find some Cotton-Patch geese.

I wonder what type of duck that is and also what type of cat? That was such a Sweet Video, I loved it!!! I just have never seen a duck that looked like that nor a cat either.

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

We're at the same time very close to Austria (6 km from our location), Hungary and Croatia (both around 30 km). Flat land. Very exposed to wind when it feels like rising. Our redeeming grace is that in case of hail storms they usually don't do damage here because they move along so quickly.

Yes, that sounds like Buran Couple of years ago i was putting up hay bales around young fruit trees and, well... it made me feel better but the real danger is in the timing. Some plants just wake up early and once the sap starts flowing again it's really hard to truly protect anything in case of severe cold.

Same had happened here two springs ago and killed the flowers of my large tulip-poplar, ruining that year's honey harvest entirely. I had to supplement Syrup to the bees in October...