Author Topic: Duck enclosure question (Read 13295 times)

Womble · « **Reply #15 on:** October 04, 2012, 05:21:55 pm »

What are you trying to say?

doganjo · « **Reply #16 on:** October 04, 2012, 05:24:01 pm »

That is sooo cute

goosepimple · « **Reply #17 on:** October 04, 2012, 05:34:14 pm »

Blueeyes · « **Reply #18 on:** October 04, 2012, 06:00:58 pm »

I have a mum, dad and baby version of these sat in my veg garden even with a little wooden egg

Blueeyes x

MAK · « **Reply #19 on:** October 04, 2012, 06:19:01 pm »

Great picture womble ! Do you know where we can buy a copy.
I am making a winter shelter for the ducks. It will be within the barn.
Simples ? NO !

Take a look at the list of jobs I have to do to acheieve this.
1. Empty the mid section of the barn of 20 - 30 year old fossilised cow dung.
2. Move stone blocks so I have a route for the wheelbarrow .
3.Clear soe veg beds so I have somewhere to tip the manure on.
3. Move yest more blocks of stone and sort them by size and shape.
4.Mend a large hole in the stone barn (walls about 80 cm thick) and fashion a doorway.
5. Fit a wooden doorframe then hang an old doorwe have.
6. Collect 8 discarded pallets from back of shops in town.
7. Build an internal wall with pallets , a few long beams and some more stone blocks.
9. Move 3 hutches inside barn.
10. Clear land outside barn door ( dug up nettle roots a few days ago and burnt them).
11. Move yet more bits of stone that I found under the nettles.
12. Drive in some fence posts ( need to go up the woods, cut some chestnut poles then make the posts).
13. hang a wire fence.
14. Drag a discarded bath from the bottom of a ditch under electric fence ( it is in a field down the lane ( Have to wait until heffers stop dropping their calves)).
16 Push and pull bath back to our patch.
15. Sink the bath into the ducks winter garden .

ALL BECAUSE THE DUCKS DON'T LIKE MUDDY FEET !

doganjo · « **Reply #20 on:** October 04, 2012, 09:55:36 pm »

I really hate to disillusion you Mak, but .................. never heard of 'mucky ducks' Ducks LIKE muddy feet!

goosepimple · « **Reply #21 on:** October 05, 2012, 01:56:18 pm »

liked that MAK, everyone who visits us wonders why it is all taking so long to do our place up - it's the 10 jobs that you have to do before the one you are trying to get to that get eats up time!

Don't list it by the way - the list is a job in itself and takes up too much time! My OH likes to put things on his list that he has done already just so he can score them off immediately - most satisfying! He also likes to eat out of date food because he thinks it's good for his immune system - always good when you need to clear out the fridge before the next Tesco shop arrives!

I blame TAS by the way - it gets in the way all the time - there's lots of time, you sit down at the computer, switch on TAS and then suddenly there's no time. All Rosemary and Dan's fault - see on how few occasions they come on and chat? They're out getting on with it while we're all nattering.

MAK · « **Reply #22 on:** October 05, 2012, 07:17:59 pm »

So true so true. Chris makes a list and I resent it but luv adding things that I have done ( even if they did not need doing).
We have just about finished rennovating the 3 floor house and I am moving along to the attcahed barn. I'd luv to sell the other barn as it is just a headache for me - thing is the wine cellar is under it !!!!!!!!!!!!!
Today I can tick off number 7 on my list above. Loveley warm day again so good to be working in the barn.
Tell the OH that he would have trouble identifying out of date cheese here in France as it is growing a fur coat when you buy it and seems to move by itself in the cheese safe.

goosepimple · « **Reply #23 on:** October 05, 2012, 08:28:23 pm »

Yum, just the way he likes it, all fur coat and nae knickers (quite unlike me of course). He's laughing at what you said as he pours himself (another) Friday night glass of wine, just to 'take the edge off' of course.

MAK · « **Reply #24 on:** October 05, 2012, 08:37:21 pm »

Friday night wine ? You should tell the OH that the supermarkets have wine on offer ( Fois de Vin). nice red Bordeaux (2009) at 218 Euros a bottle. OR a fruity bottle of Ventoux for 2.66 Euros. Guess what I am drinking.
Chris can not afford a fur coat but then it has been hot today.

goosepimple · « **Reply #25 on:** October 05, 2012, 08:45:31 pm »

He's on a 2010 Bons Ventos Portugese £6.50 from Oddbins - the guy who sold it said he would resign if he didn't like it - OH's had about 30 bottles of it over the past weeks just to make sure it's his favourite, says it's not as good as his home made though (hmmm). Think we're off the subject of duck enclosures, must be Friday.

robbiegrant · « **Reply #26 on:** October 09, 2012, 08:00:46 pm »

Quote from: Blueeyes on October 03, 2012, 11:17:41 am

might extend the gravel areas too, just always think it can't be comfortable on their little webbed feet $:-\$

In Chris and Mike Astons book " the domestic duck " ( a mine of information ) They also run the Indian Runner Duck Association... So they probably know a thing or two about ducks....

They say the best ground is free draining sandy soil. ( we are right on the river band ) deep dark rich alluvial soil, perfect for making mud!, They say for a winter yard sloping concrete is good but not good for their tootsies over long periods, however they say this could be covered with bark, peelings, sand or straw. ( This environment is only any good for growing ducks with a limited life. ( i.e. growers for eating )

they continue to say... on a smaller scale, gravel works well. It has to be deep enough so they cannot puddle and the droppings are washed down the pores. The best gravel is well rounded large pieces, too large for the ducks to swallow and smooth so their feet are not cut.

We plan to build an open, predator proof run with a corrugated see through roof adjacent to their wendy house so they can muck about " outside " if they wish if we are not around to let them in/out to graze. The gravel option is the best I have found so far.

goosepimple · « **Reply #27 on:** October 10, 2012, 06:49:54 pm »

I like the pretend outside thing - stop them getting that winter blues thing that people are getting these days.

MAK · « **Reply #28 on:** October 10, 2012, 08:56:49 pm »

I am not sure if ducks get seasonal affective disorder but if they do then I'm pretty sure they will need a daylight simulator lamp up there in Scotland. Lamps are available from all good stockists and will probabley help with egg production and the drakes libido.