Time to consider housing for the ducks and geese

[L0rraine]

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We'd love to see pics when your finished (or in progress).

 

[chickboss]

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LOL, I forgot that living in the city you probably don't have a roo. She sounds fiesty! And very broody! I've heard that the Cochins can be quite broody. I have a EE/Cochin and she is so pretty. I kind of hope she decides to hatch a few, though they would have a Barred Rock cross daddy, so I don't know that they would inherit the colored egg trait. I'm thinking probably not.

 

[SDChef]

I think my neighbors would burn my house to the ground if I got a rooster, I think their just now figuring out that some of my "Ducks" may not be ducks after all. but as they have learned to love my chickens they will learn to love the geese too. I wouldn't doubt if your Cochin/EE will go broody eventually, with time of course. I think mine is around a year old, maybe a bit older.

 

[chickboss]

I think their just now figuring out that some of my "Ducks" may not be ducks after all.

I'm picturing the puzzled looks over the fence....LOL​

 

[SDChef]

my neighbors are luckily pretty cool, but they did look a bit puzzled today while I was talking to them through the fence. I'm sure it didn't help that the contractor who is building their new addition said "When are you getting the goats?"(I'm not getting goats..... yet...) I do have a question for you related to my original topic. When is it safe for them to free range unsupervised during the day? I'm still a bit nervous about my little runner's, I think they are still small enough for our "City" Hawks, and not to bright either might I add. I was thinking in a couple weeks, but at the same time I don't want to confine them too much longer since they seem to be growing faster. It is amazing how much these guys grow in a day, my jumbo pekins are HUGE now.

 

[chickboss]

I know what you mean. And at 3 weeks they are about to really start to shoot up. I have a major hawk concern as well, but at 5 weeks both my Kahkis and Muscovies seemed to be fed up with the tight quarters in the house and short outings. I have way too much going on to supervise constantly for extended periods of time. So, at five weeks I let them loose in their large fenced area, and pray. We live on the edge of a huge section of BLM that boarders NF, so predators are everywhere. My first Kahkis have reached adult size, regaurdless of the constant flow of Hawks and Eagles through out our little valley, and I worry a bit less. So, I don't have a good answer. I would, like you said, wait at least a couple of weeks more.