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Post by borzoi on Jul 12, 2009 5:58:05 GMT 1
We used to have chickens / ducks / geese and the only thing that provided security from foxes was an electric fence and shutting them in to their house every night. Not sure what fencing you have ( not read the whole thread ) but the foxes dug under the chainlink even though it was laid into concrete in the ground Do have to check the electric fencing to make sure it doesn't short from overgrowing vegetation of course. Lovely 'photos of lucky ducks, we could never kill ours either, purely pets...the chickens were all ex-battery and watching them blossom was wonderful
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Post by petdesigns on Jul 12, 2009 9:19:35 GMT 1
Hi, Borzoi, we do put them in at night and we have just purchased a 50 m electric fence which will hopefully be working by tomorrow. The big ones have been living in a 3m x 20m (1.70 m high) run - fully enclosed, but of course that is not for long-term. So I hope from tomorrow on they can all be outside in the electric fencing enclosure all day long! (Even though of course the Appleyard can and does fly over it!!!) I'll keep you posted
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Post by borzoi on Jul 12, 2009 9:32:11 GMT 1
Great news, would hate anyone to go through what we did....learning the hard way what worked best Cutting the tips of the wing feathers on only 1 wing, unbalances birds so they can't fly, but at the same time, if they can fly, they can possibly get up out of the way of trouble...as well as fly into it !!!
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Post by petdesigns on Jul 12, 2009 20:25:05 GMT 1
Yeah, I don't know what to do about the flying. It'd seem such a shame to deprive him of .. well, being a bird! We'll see!
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Post by petdesigns on Jul 28, 2009 10:20:45 GMT 1
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Post by Old Dragon (Al) on Jul 28, 2009 10:43:42 GMT 1
They are lovely, Jutta, and I'm glad your goose/gander has a companion now.
My little Kharki Campbells are having to live with the chickens at the moment. That partly because they aren't yet strong enough to exit the deep bath the boys sank in the duck run, but also because the two drakes are a very randy pair, and have new conquests dominating their minds when they see the little ones!!!
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Post by petdesigns on Jul 28, 2009 17:37:55 GMT 1
"but also because the two drakes are a very randy pair" Well they're men... and yes, I've heard that many times, that's why I've been trying to get girls at roughly the same age!
The geese and the runner duck are 'together' now, sometimes with applesauce, even though he sometimes seems to be more with the little appleyards, Penny and Finrich. the Khakis still mainly keep to themselves - and they all seem to like to tease the others. They're so funny to watch! I'm quite miffed that I'm away at work the next 3 days!
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Post by lastresort on Aug 2, 2009 21:51:27 GMT 1
Just read through this, and aww the littles ones are so lovely. The big ones all look great too. Ah to have more land...I would have my dream chickens LOL
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Post by petdesigns on Sept 8, 2009 13:24:54 GMT 1
Well, latest news: All 4 of my first ducks are actually drakes. I'm afraid this means I have to rehome 2, if not 3 of them or at least keep them somewhere else (although I have no idea how to do that). The 2 older ones (applesauce and the runner duck) are already 'taking their liberties' with the Khaki Campbell girls and I don't want them to suffer! Any tipps??
The piglets (3 of them) are coming in a couple of weeks, it's all pretty much prepared for them now.
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Post by Old Dragon (Al) on Sept 8, 2009 23:14:58 GMT 1
Alas, Jutta, drakes will be drakes, and my two only have to see the new, young khaki girls and they go into overdrive! Actually, for some reason they don't seem to bother the runner duck female at all, perhaps because she is a different colour (white), and despite one drake being a runner, and coloured similar to a mallard. Both drakes seem to prefer the old khaki duck above all others. Her neck shows the amount of attention she gets - and she is the only duck showing that. Can't help wondering what those piggies will be called, and how you will cope when they have to become 'pork chops' and 'bacon' etc... Perhaps some Jacob sheep might be an idea? At least then you could call them 'Felt Slippers'; 'Woolly Jumper'; etc.
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Post by petdesigns on Sept 9, 2009 9:51:59 GMT 1
Well... The pigs will probably be called Bacon, pork chop and Schnitzel, I think And personally, I have very grave doubts whether we'll be able to have them slaughtered, but Martin reckons we can! As they are lovely piglets and their parents look nice, too (pietrain x), I don't mind anyway tee hee Re the ducks - they are (luckily) not a really suitable breed 'for the pot' - the runner duck maybe, at a stretch, but the other 3 are at best miniature appleyards, but I suspect that at least 'Penny' is a call duck X - she's mainly white and therefore, the 3 "miniature appleyard" ducks probably all are!
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Post by petdesigns on Sept 20, 2009 10:54:40 GMT 1
Right, at this very moment I am waiting for the delivery of the 3 piglets! Their bed in the shed is prepared, the pig ark in their run is placed, Martin is at this very moment finishing the fencing and it's all very exciting! We are also planning to separate the geese from the ducks and to put them in our "orchard" area so they have more and better grass to eat / keep short for us. We still don't know if they are male or female or if it's a pair, that'll be our spring surprise then! Ducks - even "Penny" seems to be a "Penfold" = drake (the tail feathers haven't really curled, but he/she is not quacking, but doing this drake-way of 'talking'). Sigh. Not sure yet what we'll do, whether we'll try to rehome the runner drake (as he seems a touch hyper-sexed and bullies Fini and tries to tread the geese and treads the Muffins he might even end up as duck al orange, the little blighter!) or put Penfold and Fini with the geese, but with their own ark for the nights. We are definitely getting two more girls from a friend of mine here because she has to reduce the amount of ducks she has and those two girls are just gorgeous! All this plus being very much in demand for my 2 'bank' jobs for the NHS plus just having had a lady stay with us who is/was attending a Tellington Touch Course here at the Tilley Farm is why I'm not managing to be on TRPD as often as I'd like to! As opposed to Al I do actually sleep in between
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Post by Old Dragon (Al) on Sept 20, 2009 11:44:01 GMT 1
Well, Jutta, if you had a karki drake, I'd be interested, as my three youngsters are all ducks. Somehow I need to introduce them to the other ducks and the two drakes I do have, as they are still in with the hens. That will probably happen when they are allowed the run of the allotments during the winter, but first I need to move a stack of young aquilegias down to the bird garden. Progress there has been slower than I'd like, and I still cannot get my boots on, which are better for gardening that these open-toed sandals!
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Post by petdesigns on Sept 21, 2009 11:10:54 GMT 1
Not a khaki drake I'm afraid - but I think there may be a khaki cross drake from my friend? Shall I ask her? Her ducks and drakes are very good-looking!!! Oh - the piglets have arrived and they're gorgeous
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Post by Florrie on Sept 21, 2009 16:16:11 GMT 1
;)didn't realise keeping ducks/chooks was so complicated and now pigs too where are the photos ;D
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Post by Old Dragon (Al) on Sept 21, 2009 16:38:59 GMT 1
I already have a kharki cross drake in Draco, Jutta, but thanks anyway. Looking forward to pics of Bacon, Scratchings and Pork Choops, or whatever you and Martin call them. ;D
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Post by petdesigns on Sept 22, 2009 9:28:07 GMT 1
I'll try to upload the first piccies tomorrow when I have a 'day off' (working from home!).
Yes, Sue, it's surprisingly complicated - but they really are adorable, the ducks and geese! (I try to keep away from the piglets!! I don't want to fall for them too much...)
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Post by petdesigns on Sept 23, 2009 11:05:59 GMT 1
Here 2 pics, one from all the feathered ones: and one from the pigs on their first day, still very very shy (that has changed now, they're even playing football! )
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Post by Old Dragon (Al) on Sept 23, 2009 11:13:22 GMT 1
Oh, dear... playing football now... I foresee two 'Babes' in the making, rather than bacon, sausages and chops... ;D
Perhaps pet, pot bellied piglets would have been a wiser choice...?
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Post by reclaimingrebus on Sept 23, 2009 18:11:39 GMT 1
am deeply envious. I enjoyed the ducks and hens we had. The hens , Pinky and Perpy (don't ask!) lived for ages and had free range of the back garden during the day, and slept in a hutch in the aviary at night. When they wanted to go back, they would peck on the back door till someone let them into the aviary.
The ducklings we eventually had to rehome to someone who had a large pond, but they enjoyed the summer .Didnt seem to make much difference to the sllug population though!
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