What's up with diaper-wearing indoor ducks

[Loopeend]

As expected; it arrived here now too. JAY.
(thanks BYC, I saw it going from U.S.A. to U.K. and knew it was only a short time before it reached this country...)

I got a lot of e-mails of Dutch people recently wanting a duck to keep in the house in diapers. they ain't getting any from me offcourse. I politely tell them ducks are social animals, and what they need, and that it is really hard to do that in a home; giving them what they need.

I'm working now with my national animal society and other EU national animal society's to make an press release with a statement that we do not condone and support this and to make this an act of animal-cruelty at the government. This would mean the police come take you duck away if you are still keeping it this way after a warning. (unless the duck has to live indoors due to medical reasons offcourse, for the duck. Not the human. We do not do support-animals here. Only official trained dogs for blind/handicapped/epilepsy).

I notice that duck-diaper-fad is not so prevelent on here anymore?
Is that the moderators, or is the fad over?
Or did they go to other communities?
Will it ever be gone, or will it get bigger?
What is your opinion/forecast?

 

[Cayuga momma]

I'm not sure if this will become a bigger fad.
My opinion is if you can be home all day with your duck on a normal basis with them and can give them that kind of attention and they are healthy, then I don't have a problem with it.
That being said most people work and can't be at home with them on a regular basis. If that's the case than I believe a case can be made for animal cruelty.
Ducks are always together so if a person can't make that happen then their duck should be with other ducks.
That's just my opinion.
But people are gonna do what they want to do.

 

[SueT]

Who's to say what is best for a duck considering how commercial farms raise ducks for production, is keeping one for a pet so bad? Not that I want a house duck or chicken. It would be a huge commitment.
Remember Kylie and her duck from Steve Hartman's 'On the Road:"

I have seen updates that Snowflake is now a registered therapy animal and she takes him to visit people in nursing homes and hospitals.

 

[chickens really]

You just opened a huge debate and I wish you luck..I definitely think it's rediculous so leaving before I'm in trouble.....

 

[duluthralphie]

While I would never own a dux.

Who am I to begrudge someone from having one in their home if they want one?

As stated before, if you care for it what difference does it make?

Most owners would baby it to the point of spoiling it.

Seems outlawing a house dux, or poultry of any kind is definitely government over reach into something government should not be involved in.

I find it terribly arrogant of one person to tell another what they can or cannot do in their own homes.

Btw if I had a dux it would be in my freezer, which is far harder on the dux than running around the house in a silly looking diaper.

 

[Fishkeeper]

I really don't think it's animal cruelty. As long as the bird gets socialization (preferably also from other ducks, but from the owner works), has time to swim around in the water sometimes, and is otherwise given suitable enrichment, it should be fine.

I think you have much more important things to focus on than people keeping pet ducks in a slightly less-than-ideal situation. Like making sure all ducks must be provided with water to play in, and that they have to have enough room, and must be protected from predators. Or making it illegal to keep meat chickens in such a manner that their legs end up breaking under them before they're harvested. Or pushing for breed standards of all animals to specify that the animal must be healthy and fully functional- look at those fancy pigeons with beaks so small they can't feed their young, the ones that can't fly in a straight line, the ones that can't fly at all. Look at pugs!

 

[danceswithronin]

I'm personally not cleaning out anyone's diaper unless it's my own sainted mother and father in their age of infirmity, and even then it'll be under duress and that will be handled by a nurse if I can afford it. Animals that can't be housebroken, live in a tank/cage, or use a litterbox live outside as far as I'm concerned. No diapers for me, thanks.

None of my business though if people want to keep poultry indoors as a pet really, especially when poultry culture is just as happy to chuck them into a meat grinder alive or decapitate them with kitchen shears or raise them from infancy just for a butcher.

 

[quackiemama]

I am always intrigued with your responses @duluthralphie very well spoken with a nice little twist. I always get a good giggle with your comments.

 

[bluemerle]

I'd gladly give a duck to someone who wanted a house pet. A kinder existence then "natural" ducks who end up in the freezer before they're even a year old, which is the reality for many farm animals.

 

[MallardMomx2]

To each their own, but I don’t see a problem with house ducks. Quite honestly, from what I’ve seen, people who have house ducks often treat them very well. In some cases, better than poultry kept outside. Animal cruelty to me is much more extreme than keeping a duck in a house. I’ve seen many cruel poultry situations...extremely filthy pens, too many drakes, too small of space, not getting proper nutrition...so I do not think a spoiled duck in a diaper is very cruel. I would hate to see people get their babies taken away due to keeping them in the house when people are keeping poultry in extremely cruel situations everyday.