Theoretical Question, Duck Travel

[fisharescary]

So, being in the military, we've got to always be thinking 3-7 years ahead to our next couple of duty stations. The areas we could be going to will be ones where we can have ducks. Getting the ducks there, however, will be a major PITA.

Transporting them in the car might work, though it'll probly be noisy and stinky and take up a lot of room. The real problem is, where do we house them in between houses? Most hotels do not allow ducks. By most I mean "I cannot imagine finding a hotel which would approve of them."

So my question is, how likely would you be, BYCers, to hypothetically babysit a coupla ducks for a month or two? Let's say another BYCer would ship them to you at her own cost, in a dog kennel that could be used as their temporary house. Would you be willing to set them up in an isolated corner of your yard/farm/whathaveyou, make sure they get fed, watered, and let outside when possible, in exchange for any eggs and....a fee? What would be fair? Could this conceivably work? Or would even asking someone be a crazy rude imposition? I also thought it could be a nice opportunity to breed our (presumably genetically diverse) ducks. There's probably just enough time for a quarantine period for my ducks followed by a nice long honeymoon with any drakes you'd like to introduce them to.

I really am just asking in theory now, since it's another 3 1/2 years til this happens first. Speak up with your opinion, I'm not actually looking for volunteers now. Or does anyone else have any other ideas for our situation? It's 10 years til my husband gets out, and I don't want to have to put my life on hold til then! But it would be irresponsible to obtain animals without any plans for how to take them along.

er, make sense?

 

[classroomducks]

I transported 8 ducks...about 8 weeks old, from texas to colorado. We actually bought a collapseable dog crate and put them in the trunk of the car...We had a lincoln town car so it was a fairly large trunk. They were actually very quiet. We only heard them once or twice and it was when we had to slam on our breaks. Our trunk was virtually air tight to the outside, so we didnt have to worry about exhaust hurting them. As far as hotels go...i havent done it with ducks, but I have done it with other undesireable pets, ie rabbits...we just told the hotel we had a dog. We paid for the dog to stay there. The rabbits were in dog crates so on video it looked like we had a dog. as long as you dont stay at that motel for more than over night...they really wouldnt know the difference. Good luck with your situation. hope that helps.

 

[katharinad]

Relative of us moved 5 dogs across the country. They never told the hotels how many they had. They just had a dog as far as the hotel knew. Worked out fine. Also call dog kennels. Many of them can provide for ducks, and will put them into a run away from dogs. Still it is hard to move with animals while in the service. My husband was in the service for 21 years, so I know how it goes. Most bases don't even allow ducks, so you have to find a landlord that does. Not easy at all. I would transport them in a dog crate with dog training pad in it. That way you can easily swap them out when needed. You may need some painters tape to keep them secured in place. Ducks are curious and they may even enjoy the trip, if they can see what it outside. Yes it is stressful for some, but not for all.
Katharina