Do you make nest boxes for you ducks and geese? I'm thinking that by next spring I have to get those moved out of the chicken area cause once they start laying they're going to get really territorial about the space.
MollyD
TF (or anyone else) a duck/goose question
My ducks and geese always make their own nests on the ground, though they like to make them in an enclosed place like under the bbq grill or in their duck house (plastic kids log playhouse) or in the fawn pen.
my first duck picked a poor spot for her first nest. the second time, the chickens were gone so she made herself "at home" in the henhouse on the floor. i have pelnty of bedding, so the floor is actually quite clean...
they like places with privacy, so instead of a box, you might try leaning small pieces of plywood against the wall. now i guess you mean for raising babies. i don't have the kind that lay eggs for eating...
you likely have some nice shaded/covered areas, brambles, etc... [that the goats don't tear down], and they will choose something like that. and yes, they will not like you near it!
sorry to be so late answering. personally i like jyl's ducks choices LOL
tf
We have a very large old dog house left by the previous owner. I think I'll get Paul to move that out of the goat area and over where I mean to put the ducks and geese. With a few repairs it would make a nice house for them even through the winter. I guess they could make a nest in there if they want to. I thought they might need a box or something but if they can use the ground so be it.
tf for the geese we plan to raise the babies to eat or sell. For the ducks we plan to eat some of their eggs but also have them raise babies for eating or sale.
MollyD
One of ours did nest under a low hanging gooseberry bush. t too ke two weeks to find it!
We have to keep our animals all penned in for their own safety. No chance I won't see where they're nesting!
MollyD
yeah, right, good luck with that Molly...
Molly.......I have very limited experience with ducks, but years ago we had 2 ducks that layed eggs and they did it right next to the nest boxes. Of course, they might like the dog house too. Do your ducks and goats like to stay with your goats?
ladybug I would gladly let them stay with the goats but it's too far from the house for them to be safe at night. I worry about the goats as it is. Lots of predators here. No my ducks/geese/chickens all share what was my greenhouse. At night they're locked inside it for their own good. I put a screen door on it and if it's hot I close that one. If it's cool I close the solid door. During the day all of them stay inside a very large enclosed area. They seem happy running around in there.
I suspect the goats would enjoy visiting with them LOL
MollyD
Molly....I guess I was asking because our ducks and geese seem to love spending their time with the goats and I was wondering if yours did too. I remember you mentioning putting a screen door on your greenhouse before and I was wondering......would a predator be able to go right through the screen if they wanted to? I was thinking that if we did that here and didn't put in some kind of 1x1 inch square wire behind or in front of the screen, a coon or opossum would have no problems getting right in.
I have been thinking about your pasturing the goats problem. ok, so the tie up system won't work because they want to stay together.......what about a movable grazing pen...kind of a smaller version of your over all plan, but less expensive for now. Right now, we have our jumbo white turkeys in a system like this.....its a pen made with no bottom, the frame work is boards and light weight metal bars and poultry wire. We also have the poultry wire over the top so they can't get out and chicken hawks can't swoop in and grab a treat. Every afternoon, we pull the waterer out, move the pen and put the waterer back in. I'm not sure what materials you have available to use or can get for little money......but I was wondering if you could use something like hog panels or some kind of fencing, put some hot wire around it with a long extension cord, maybe tie in a feeder for grain.....or you could feed that in the barn, and put a bucket or big round tub for water. I don't know how heavy that might be to move or if you have a tractor with a pitch fork on it so you could the pen easily.......but I thought I would share the idea. I am hoping this or some version of this might work for you!
Oops, I think I just put this under the wrong thread......should I cut it paste it over to somewhere else?
Christy
Christy no materials on hand here. Poultry fencing is the cheapest but it wouldn't hold goats at all. Not strong enough. Still would need T post cause they love to rub against any fencing putting all of their 100+ pounds into it. Has to be at least 4' high cause they're real good jumpers. By the time I've bought the fencing and the T post I might as well make the permanent fence!! Hog panels aren't tall enough to stop them I'm afraid. Cattle panels would work but they're almost $20. for 16 ft length so that gets very expensive fast!
I like your movable pen for the turkeys idea. I might borrow that for the ducks and geese since they need fresh grass to graze on. We have a tractor but no pitch fork. Just bucket, two mowing blades (fine and brush) and a thing to push snow or level soil (can't remember what it's called).
Keep thinking please!
Thanks!
MollyD
Well dang! I was hoping you maybe had a little of this and a little of that laying around that maybe you could use to put something together. I don't know what the area where you are is like.......as far as if there are or were a lot of dairy's and farms around, but I was thinking maybe you could post a wanted on free cycle or craigslist for t-posts and cattle panels. You never know what people have laying around that they don't need anymore. Also, sometimes auctions where a farmer is going out of business or selling off equipment you can sometimes find panels and posts too. They might be rusty, but if they work? I was thinking about the hot wire around the top or at nose level so that if they did attempt to jump or get out, it might only be once.
ok, you have a tractor with a bucket so I have another idea, hope it don't sound too out in left field. Would there be any way to put wheels or little 'tires' on the pen? I know new they would very pricey, but maybe another free cycle listing? I'm not sure what size....(DH knows the right lingo for this stuff....I usually say thingy or doo-hickey until I figure out what it is called) Anyway, I was thinking that during the day when they are in it, some of the t-posts could be driven into the ground so they can't just walk around with the pen (now that WOULD be free range, huh?) and at night pull up the posts and push it with the bucket.....of course, if it was on wheels you probably could push it easily.
I don't know if any of this would work or could even really be done, but maybe with all the brainstorming something that will work can come out of it. Or someone might wonder on by and have a better idea. I hope something can work out, you have all that grass they could be eating!
Christy
I like the freecycle idea Christy. I sure can post requesting that kind of stuff.
A pen that has to be moved is not good. Paul is the only one who can drive the tractor and he's usually not home till after dark (9pm or so) most nights. I'm not allowed to touch his precious baby (snort!). Like I might damage it or something. It's uphill from the grassy area to the barn. Would not look forward to that at all!!!
I'll go see about the freecycle right now and maybe someone has fencing.
Thanks! Keep brainstorming!!
MollyD
Hey Molly.......any offers from free cycle yet?
I wonder if something on wheels would work.....then you could push it. I had to laugh about your comment about Paul and his tractor.......boys and their toys, huh? : ) When we were farming, my DH didn't have a choice but to put me on several different tractors with mowers, rakes, balers, silage wagons, plows, etc. Good thing he had taught me how to drive a stick a couple of years before........on the loosest gear shifter there ever was. Then he would throw me on a tractor and give me a 3 minute 'lesson' on what to do once I was in the field. It used to frustrate the heck out of him when I wouldn't move one thing until I was told ALL the ends and outs of everything, but in time he got used to that, I learned what questions to ask and it didn't take that long. I miss the field work now......most of the time. I never did like plowing......sitting in a tractor for 5-6 hours at a time in an enclosed cab with no air in the hot sun with not much to watch out for to keep the mind occupied was never my idea of a good time!
Sorry, stepped of for a minute down memory lane!
I'll keep brain storming, but I think my thinker might be about thunk out.......but I'll try!
Christy
Briefly on today trying to catch up here. Had one response on Friday from Freecycle and they never got back to me with the address. They had a little bit of stuff but I figured I'd take it and anything else I was offered. Nothing since.
MollyD
Well dang......maybe they are busy and will still get back to you. If you get a lot of offers and have a place to put it, it's a good idea to take it all. I know we have gotten a lot of odds and ends here and there and they come in very handy sometimes......and its fun to see what you can repurpose!
I hope many, many offers come your way!
Christy
i have discovered there are other forums too, check you yahoo for local groups. we have a trash to treasure where people sell stuff instead of offering it for free, and a SEMIcycle forum very similar... some of the same people on all forums, but we cover more population that way...
Heard from her this afternoon. Picked it up. There were only 3 T post 4ft high and two small rolls of covered wire about 3' h. I figure I can use those to protect the plants I took the wire off to make the new fence dividing the goat area. That was the only offer Christy.
Will do tf
MollyD
so i guess i neeed a nesting box too now...
i am overrun with ducks. the kids want to keep them all. had it not been for the htree roos in that pen, the dog that visisted this monring owuld have gotten them. i guess he didn't smell/see/hear them since i covered their brooder with wire and hay on top of that...
Tf you sure are having a run of bad dogs on your place. Any way to stop them before they reach your poultry?
MollyD
Oh no! did the dog get the roos? Same dog as before? Hope not! Sure wish owners would keep their dogs at home! They just don't understand that dogs can not resist the 'chase' & all fowl run. Glad he didn't find your ducks. Shoot TF, I am soooo sorry you have to deal with this.