Freecyclegardener, are you out there?

poultrygeist · « **Reply #30 on:** July 14, 2008, 22:26 »

You should enter that one in the photo comp

They want some non-dog/cat entries.

I dread to think of the ordeal if we let our chooks free range. They'd be 3 streets away by bedtime. :roll:

I want to open them out a bit maybe in Winter. Have to devise a means of limiting their range without building a 12' razor wire fence.

Rob

FCG · « **Reply #31 on:** July 14, 2008, 22:58 »

Put them on a lead rob! More seriously put up 3" high fencing. Works for me.

Kate my chickens love pots as well, there is about 10 over two grids in the garden and they'll be all over them as soon as i let them out looking for the slugs.

Kate and her Ducks · « **Reply #32 on:** July 15, 2008, 20:09 »

Not sure I have more than about 3 reclusive slugs left in my garden. It's not a safe environment for invertebrates

They mainly love digging stuff out of pots rather than sitting in them although one of the girls did take to sitting in one and laying her eggs over the side. Had to talk her out of that!

FCG · « **Reply #33 on:** July 15, 2008, 20:52 »

Found an egg under a bush today, i was surprised. You'll be amazed what one managed to get hold of today - a mouse. Squeak squeak and she ran around the garden with it in her mouth. Dinosaur! Thankfully the mouse managed to escape minus a few tufts of fur. We get a lot of small mammals in our garden as we are right near a lot of fields. Do your ducks attack anything (other than the plants).

Vember does your goose attack? I remember being chased by a swan by a canal when i was younger.

Kate and her Ducks · « **Reply #34 on:** July 15, 2008, 21:05 »

My ducks pretty much go for anything they think they can get down their gobs! Mainly slugs, snails, ants, flies and the odd bumble bee (quite fizzy sounding as they go down). They attack my cats and any strays that wander into the garden

Even a day old duckling chased off my slightly curious cat by running up to him and biting his nose!!!

My drake got a bit over protective in the spring and attacked me while I was rescuing the duck that sank in the pond.

My fearless cat

And his terrifying opponent

FCG · « **Reply #35 on:** July 15, 2008, 21:27 »

Don't post duckling pictures! It's irresistible!

Also - how does a duck sink in a pond?

Kate and her Ducks · « **Reply #36 on:** July 15, 2008, 21:34 »

Well she moulted all at once, seemed to forget to grow the new ones before she got the new ones. Was left with only patchy down and almost no proper feathers. Came hame from work to find her stood on the bottom of the pond with just her head and neck above water. Soaked to the skin and half frozen to death. Brought her in and dried her with a towel which didn't seem to make much difference. Had to blow dry her in the end (not a sentence I ever thought I would have to say) which I don't think either of us enjoyed a great deal :shock: . Think my sense of humour held up a lot better than hers. Some ducks just take themselves for too seriously (well not many to be fair

).

muntjac · « **Reply #37 on:** July 16, 2008, 07:28 »

Quote from: "poultrygeist"

I'm thinking of getting some advertising space on the thread. Could do a 50/50 deal with John.

I wonder if the double yolkers are a beginner's thing. We had quite a few to start with but only rarely now. Maybe they need to get the synchrotron sorted calibrated in the early days. How old is your Amberlink Mike ??
Ours started laying around the 24 week stage I think. It should be documented on a thread somewhere.
And I got my local pet shop to order some oyster grit. Big bag for about a tenner i think. I bought 2.5kg from them and it's lasting a few months so a sound investment. or just pinch Kate's. It's a good excuse to go and see her ducks.

If you can't have a pond, see about getting some container with water in. It's amazing what shows up once there's a guaranteed water supply.

Good luck.

Rob

double yolkers can be got till the bird dies we have one or 2 a week at the moment but when down south i had birds of 7 stil laying them.only stopped when i ate the bird :roll:

Kate and her Ducks · « **Reply #38 on:** July 16, 2008, 18:34 »

Quote from: "poultrygeist"

You should enter that one in the photo comp

Rob

The picture I am really trying to get is of my ducks doing their daily pilates but I never manage to time it right. Trust me, you will all be the first to know if I manage it.

poultrygeist · « **Reply #39 on:** July 16, 2008, 18:37 »

Is that the leg and neck stretch followed by wing stretch ?

Or do they do the full 10 minute workout ?? (with ball) :shock:

Rob

Kate and her Ducks · « **Reply #40 on:** July 16, 2008, 19:03 »

They stretch their wing and leg on the same side out behind them while standing on the other leg. All of them do it even from a young age without seeing someone else do it. They struggle a little while little with the balance bit as they keep falling over. If I could get my phone to do more than 3 seconds of video with try that. Failing vid its the luck of catching them at it with the incredibly long delay on mobile digital cameras.