Washingtonians

[rainplace]

Well, I used the search feature for washington and kept seeing people post about this thread. I find this thread and see the last post was in 2008!

I hope I'm allowed to resurrect this.

Hi, I'm from Washington and fairly new to the boards. So far I am a goose and duck lover, but maybe, just maybe that could change. Maybe.

So that's my introduction straight from Western Washington!

 

[Chicken Rustler]

Quote:
Welcome rainplace. FYI this thread is alive and well. No need to resurrect it. Don't know how ya found that the last post was 2008 but if thats the case I am really in trouble.

 

[savingdogs]

Welcome Rainplace, I'm new also and from Washington. We've just got chickens so far but my husband and I ALMOST brought home geese and ducks as an impulse buy the day we brought our chicks home. Since then, I've heard lots of pros and cons about keeping them together, with some folks saying they boss the chickens around, some saying they have to be raised together, and lots of folks mentioning how wet and messy the ducks made everything.

We had thought to raise ducks and geese but don't have a natural pond, although we have a seasonal creek we had envisioned damming up and perhaps supplementing with water for some ducks. We are in the forest so would need to enclose the area to protect from predators.
I'm wondering just how wet and messy you find the ducks to be in our climate? Have you known people keeping ducks and chickens together?
Since we only wanted two ducks, it would be quite a project to erect an entirely different structure for just a couple pets. However I know some folks interested in eggs.
Would wonder what your thoughts on this would be?
Or some of our resident experts, especially those in our wet western washington climate.

 

[suburbanchickchick]

Welcome Rainplace,

I made the same mistake at first I think you did! The "registered" date is not the date the message was posted - I assume it is the date the person became a BYC member. The date of the post is above the poster's name, etc. On my computer it is in a blue line. I was very confused for a while!!! I have noticed the time of day on the postings is off for me. I need to change the time zone. There are new posts here daily so keep checking back!
Cheers!

 

[crazychickenluver]

Hi all, Hope everyone is doing well.

My hens are really slowing down on eggs. I have 7 hens and amgetting oneegg a day right now. I am not sure if they are hiding eggs or if there is a problem. One hen is raising her brood of 3 so I know she is not laying. I only give them layer pellets and fruitand veggie scraps. Does anyonehave any suggestions?

Still hopeing to add Black Copper Marans to my group. So I am waiting for some hens to appear somewhere. One month to go before I can start building my new coop but I think that I am just going to buy a shed and convert it. Ok so enough rambling to everyone. Hope everyone has a good day!!!

 

[rainplace]

Quote:
Hah! You're absolutely correct! thanks for pointing that out.

I'm sort of new to the duck thing, but I can tell you what I've experienced so far, and what I've read.

Arin:
It's wet here anyway.

They don't need a natural pond to swim in. Many people use kiddie pools, or even masonry bins. Mostly they just need to be able to keep they bills/noses cleaned out. So the water has to be just deep enough for bill submergence. Personally I built a pond over the course of a few weekends and put a mega pump in it and made a homemade biofilter. I'm having silt issues, but after 4 weeks I have no bad smell coming from the pond, though it does always look murky. It's still a work in progress.

I don't have chickens but I know people around here do. If you're looking to get a pair I wouldn't worry about the mess too much. Just make a special thing for their water. Like a mesh (big enough for poop to fall through) over a tray, so that the mess falls in the tray and not onto the bedding. There are people in the duck forums that could give you more information about that.

The water literally falls right off them. They spend a lot of time preening and keeping their feathers all tidy. They don't suffer from many of the diseases and parasites that chickens do, and they are herdable!

As far as protection from predators, I would imagine you're already doing that for your chickens, so if you kept them together they should be just fine.

I keep mine enclosed when I am at work and then take them for long walks before and after work. They stay close to me and follow me everywhere. Get ducks! They are great!

 

[Tailfeathers]

Hi Rainplace, Welcome Aboard from Granite Falls. So where do you hang your hat? Btw, I have some Pekins, Swedish Blues, and Black Cayugas that I'm getting rid of. Would sell or trade for some Runners.

Arin, I have chickens, ducks, geese, guineas, and peafowl that all free range together. I have not witnessed a single problem. They all seem to know their pecking order.

For everyone else, I've got about 15 guinea keets left if anyone is interested in guineas. Still have the peachicks too.

God Bless,

 

[Rare Feathers Farm]

Quote:
Hey....how old are your cayugas? I have a lady here that's looking for a pair or two...she wanted ducklings but mine aren't laying now and I cannot find anyone who has laying cayugas! LOL

 

[rainplace]

Quote:
I got rid of my black swedes to get the black silkies and now I'm looking for show quality (or near to) black runners. The runners in my flock right now are all pets and will be kept till they die. My new flock will be a different story

Oh, I'm on Bainbridge Island at the moment... looking to move more west.

 

[Tailfeathers]

Quote:
Hi Heather, these two drakes are just a little over a year old but they aren't SQ. I recently acquired five ducklings though whose daddy won Best Waterfowl last December at the Winter Brisk. They are dandies! I'll probably keep all five but I may decide to let some go depending on what I wind up with in the way of males vs. females.

Thanks for asking.

God Bless,