The Quack Shack

[Luv Ducks]

They l

With the overnight temperatures being a little bit more compromising, i have started to relocate the first batch of peppers from the living room to the patio:

Using the two sunny days we had, these peppers received a heavy treatment with Permethrin and dish-detergent outside in full sunlight. I literally washed the aphids, their larvae and eggs off the plants before they joined the swiss-chard plants from last year:

I need twice as much space for the rest of the pepper plants…

They look great Frank!!!!

 

[Canadian Wind]

Man that sucks!
Having birbs is not a requirement to participate in this thread.
What will YOU do? Where will YOU stay?

I check in from time to time, just hurts right now to talk about birbs...

I'm working on it. I have friends and organizations trying to figure things out. But I don't know where I'll end up. Can't even MOVE the trailer with all this snow!

 

[Jenbirdee]

Update on my job interview from Monday: In a few words, they think that i am over-over-over qualified for a role as a simple Database Administrator. They fear that i would not be happy performing routine tasks on a daily base…
So »On the road again …«

I check in from time to time, just hurts right now to talk about birbs...

I'm working on it. I have friends and organizations trying to figure things out. But I don't know where I'll end up. Can't even MOVE the trailer with all this snow!

 

[Supercow]

We were somewhat late coming back from the city today - it is rare that we both need to be absent.

Exactly as we came home and went to the other side of the house to start herding the ducks in for the night, there was a big duck alarm with them running away from the orchard toward the house, as it was in the previous similar situation. Obviously frightened and again needed a time to cool down and allow themselves to be directed toward their 2 coops.

However, this time there are only 15 ducks, not 16... One of the 2024 generation is missing, the one that was limping a bit so it was the slowest to run. The fox (?) knows that there are ducks here, and came around for another try, and this time it was successful. And will definitely keep coming so we need to be extra vigilant.

 

[Luv Ducks]

We were somewhat late coming back from the city today - it is rare that we both need to be absent.

Exactly as we came home and went to the other side of the house to start herding the ducks in for the night, there was a big duck alarm with them running away from the orchard toward the house, as it was in the previous similar situation. Obviously frightened and again needed a time to cool down and allow themselves to be directed toward their 2 coops.

However, this time there are only 15 ducks, not 16... One of the 2024 generation is missing, the one that was limping a bit so it was the slowest to run. The fox (?) knows that there are ducks here, and came around for another try, and this time it was successful. And will definitely keep coming so we need to be extra vigilant.

So sorry that you lost one but glad it was only one. A fox carries them off one by one so it is good that at least you are aware of this and can keep an extra good eye on the rest of them.

 

[Supercow]

So sorry that you lost one but glad it was only one. A fox carries them off one by one so it is good that at least you are aware of this and can keep an extra good eye on the rest of them.

I did always want to add a livestock guardian dog, now I have a reason

As a first move I'll move one of our motion-detect night lights to the passage between our inner and outer orchards where I believe the fox got in; and start putting ducks to bed earlier, and avoid being late...

On a happy note, in 2 weeks we expect our imported batch of Welsh Harlequin eggs. I hope that goes well!

 

[Supercow]

Regarding the anticipated Welsh Harlequin ducklings, I have a question...

As I understand it, it's possible to tell girls from boys by the coloring of their bill ** in the first couple of days ** and then your next chance is when they get their voices.

In the first days of life they are too small to use leg bands. Is there another reliable way that I could mark them without doing them harm?

 

[Magnolia Ducks]

Regarding the anticipated Welsh Harlequin ducklings, I have a question...

As I understand it, it's possible to tell girls from boys by the coloring of their bill ** in the first couple of days ** and then your next chance is when they get their voices.

In the first days of life they are too small to use leg bands. Is there another reliable way that I could mark them without doing them harm?

You could mark their heads with food coloring

 

[Supercow]

You could mark their heads with food coloring

I just discovered that animal marking pens exist. Probably for twice the price of something simpler that would work just as well, such as a "permanent marker" sharpie. In any case this is no longer an open problem, yay

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

We were somewhat late coming back from the city today - it is rare that we both need to be absent.

Exactly as we came home and went to the other side of the house to start herding the ducks in for the night, there was a big duck alarm with them running away from the orchard toward the house, as it was in the previous similar situation. Obviously frightened and again needed a time to cool down and allow themselves to be directed toward their 2 coops.

However, this time there are only 15 ducks, not 16... One of the 2024 generation is missing, the one that was limping a bit so it was the slowest to run. The fox (?) knows that there are ducks here, and came around for another try, and this time it was successful. And will definitely keep coming so we need to be extra vigilant.

Something tried to break into the dux fortress during the night from Saturday to Sunday. When i dug out the dux run in the past, i collected all of the rocks and placed those around the fence base. Found some of them removed and a hole dug about 30cm -almost one foot deep in one corner.
While the dux were enjoying their Sunday break at the pond something entered their fortress through the open gate and ate four of their eggs - only the eggs on the dux-shelf remained untouched...
No clue what did this. - Some of the rocks that were moved were large and heavy enough for me to struggle when i put those back.
Are giant mutated trash pandas real?
Moving a heavy rock out of a hole requires hands, which foxes or coyotes lack.
Have raccoons and coyotes teamed up?
Questions over questions…