The Quack Shack

[Canadian Wind]

oh no
what kind of predators are in your area that could destroy a pen?
i’m so sorry.

Do you have bears? for the pen to be destroyed sounds like a bear

I don't think it was a bear simply because the pen was right next to the road, although sheltered under trees.

I used hard netting as the fencing as hardware cloth is out of my budget right now, that's how it got destroyed. It was ripped in at least three places. It might have been that dang fox again although I didn't smell it (fox musk is very pungent). I didn't really see any tracks in the dirt either.

Once my back can handle it, I'll splurge and try to get hardware cloth and rebuild. I have a bit leftover, too.

It was a shock and I'm still very upset over it. And the adult pen is way overcrowded now (that's where I put the 9).

 

[Luv Ducks]

on a cheerful note- i just have to show y'all Calliope’s odd brown head feather poofs. the side one looks like a gill and the little top one is a tiny crest. she now has a full name : Calliope Gillcrest.
the breeder i got her from said she’s not 100% ancona, but i don’t know how she got those View attachment 3903716View attachment 3903718

They are beautiful!!!

 

[Luv Ducks]

I don't think it was a bear simply because the pen was right next to the road, although sheltered under trees.

I used hard netting as the fencing as hardware cloth is out of my budget right now, that's how it got destroyed. It was ripped in at least three places. It might have been that dang fox again although I didn't smell it (fox musk is very pungent). I didn't really see any tracks in the dirt either.

Once my back can handle it, I'll splurge and try to get hardware cloth and rebuild. I have a bit leftover, too.

It was a shock and I'm still very upset over it. And the adult pen is way overcrowded now (that's where I put the 9).

So sorry to hear this. Since there were no feathers or killed birds could it have been someone on the road wanting free ducks? Being right next to the road anyone could have done a snatch and run and just tore the pen up to get to them. Just wondering.

 

[Luv Ducks]

do you think that drakes who were handled a lot by their person the first 2 months of life will be calmer and nicer boys ? i am hoping this since i have now one pekin drake 11 weeks old and one cayuga x drake 6 weeks old. So far they are nice babies .

I think they might be nicer to you but not to the girls when they get older. Their hormones will take over no matter how nice and friendly they are it seems. Good luck with them. I have a new male Runner Duck that I am hoping will be happy with all the hens he can chose from in the Spring as then he will be old enough to want to mate. Time will tell.

 

[Canadian Wind]

So sorry to hear this. Since there were no feathers or killed birds could it have been someone on the road wanting free ducks? Being right next to the road anyone could have done a snatch and run and just tore the pen up to get to them. Just wondering.

No, it can't even be seen from the road due to the branches of the spruce and cedar it's under. The location is almost like a cave with the walls and ceiling being the branches. There's nothing under there apart from small birds and chipmunks, the branches are too thick up above for hawks.

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

do you think that drakes who were handled a lot by their person the first 2 months of life will be calmer and nicer boys ? i am hoping this since i have now one pekin drake 11 weeks old and one cayuga x drake 6 weeks old. So far they are nice babies .

I don't know? - It could be, as Harry was handled 2x7 by us as a little duckling and now he is the best dad i have seen ever. He is not cuddling with his offspring or leading them to food, but he is always there, especially when Sunny is being chased around and he protects the not anymore little ones as best as he can.

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

No, it can't even be seen from the road due to the branches of the spruce and cedar it's under. The location is almost like a cave with the walls and ceiling being the branches. There's nothing under there apart from small birds and chipmunks, the branches are too thick up above for hawks.

You sure? - The sad thing about this kind of two legged predator is that they neither need to see their prey nor smell it. They are perfectly able to execute their sinister tasks on rumor and knowledge.

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

@Jenbirdee @Luv Ducks @Miss Lydia @Supercow
I thought a lot about the drake-discussion and i observed my drakes while cleaning out the duck-run and duck-house.
The common pattern i have found for all of my drakes is that they slow down with age. My oldest Drake, Erpelchen, was an absolute drakehole during his first spring, i remember the White Layers hiding under the patio to escape his corkscrew-attacks. Today, five year old Erpelchen sits side by side with Blanca Duck in the duck-house during mating season and that corkscrew stays coiled up inside his rump.
Remember the three sons from Katharina Duck, those ending up with the Monty-Python names? During the first two springs of their life there was a duck screaming somewhere the whole day. - Now they enjoy hiding in the tall grass with the Runner Ducks.
At the moment Mayhem here absolutely lives up to his name, he is focused on Sunny and he and Harry fight almost every day. Usually Harry wins, dad-power…
Drakes seem to be an absolute menace in their first year, the second one is already better and after that they calm down somewhat.
Just what i observed today and recalled from my memory while shoveling poop from the duck-run into my wheelbarrow…

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

In order to drive Tweedledee and Laura nuts again, we played another round of »Hungry Hungry Ducklings« today:

This time it was the "Pasta Edition". About half of the flock are avowed Pastafarians. They were all lucky that Blanca Duck was napping in the house, she is the pasta-vacuum…

 

[Luv Ducks]

@Jenbirdee @Luv Ducks @Miss Lydia @Supercow
I thought a lot about the drake-discussion and i observed my drakes while cleaning out the duck-run and duck-house.
The common pattern i have found for all of my drakes is that they slow down with age. My oldest Drake, Erpelchen, was an absolute drakehole during his first spring, i remember the White Layers hiding under the patio to escape his corkscrew-attacks. Today, five year old Erpelchen sits side by side with Blanca Duck in the duck-house during mating season and that corkscrew stays coiled up inside his rump.
Remember the three sons from Katharina Duck, those ending up with the Monty-Python names? During the first two springs of their life there was a duck screaming somewhere the whole day. - Now they enjoy hiding in the tall grass with the Runner Ducks.
At the moment Mayhem here absolutely lives up to his name, he is focused on Sunny and he and Harry fight almost every day. Usually Harry wins, dad-power…
Drakes seem to be an absolute menace in their first year, the second one is already better and after that they calm down somewhat.
Just what i observed today and recalled from my memory while shoveling poop from the duck-run into my wheelbarrow…

That's good to know Frank, thanks. I usually send mine down the road as soon as one of the girls get picked on because for some reason mine like to go for one girl in particular and they leave the others alone. Mine do not have the room you have for yours either so it's harder for them to escape the males. I have a very young beautiful black Runner drake right now that I would like to keep so I am hoping next spring he will like them all and not just pick on one. It's good to know that in a few years they will settle down. I've had one two seasons before but he was the exact same so he left us. I guess I would have to shoot for three.