[sheardale]

How are the chicks now         Hope all goes well for them

[storm35]

Well last night jut before i went to bed, shne went right over to the water, took a long drink was there for a while, and this morning she was drinking again, thank goodness, i can now relax.
Thanks everyone for your help xxxxx

[doganjo]

A long time ago(2001 I think) John and I tried a new project taking on 700 supposedly day old to 13 week slaughter - free range.  We had a huge barn, and half an acre for them.  We got them at a week old due to the bad weather (it was January - wrong time to start that venture with hindsight, and the promotors didn't tell us, needless to say)  They needed so much heat (gas bottles) and food, trailers loads at a time, that we actually lost about £50 overall in stead of making the £350 on the batch that they predicted!  Lots of losses due to the cold - found some frozen to the barn wall in a snowstorm, and to scouring, and some just unexplained deaths, although some due to john's big feet  They also told us they weren't up all to the required weight of 2 kilos so restricted our payment.  We never did it again!  I think we were conned to be honest.

[storm35]

A long time ago(2001 I think) John and I tried a new project taking on 700 supposedly day old to 13 week slaughter - free range.  We had a huge barn, and half an acre for them.  We got them at a week old due to the bad weather (it was January - wrong time to start that venture with hindsight, and the promotors didn't tell us, needless to say)  They needed so much heat (gas bottles) and food, trailers loads at a time, that we actually lost about £50 overall in stead of making the £350 on the batch that they predicted!  Lots of losses due to the cold - found some frozen to the barn wall in a snowstorm, and to scouring, and some just unexplained deaths, although some due to john's big feet  They also told us they weren't up all to the required weight of 2 kilos so restricted our payment.  We never did it again!  I think we were conned to be honest.

How awful, sounds like you were conned, poor things, trial and error on a lot of things, but its sad when it comes to animals.

[doganjo]

It was particularly galling for me as John had been made redundant the year before and become depressed and was sitting around doing nothing while I was at the office(except when out climbing - the love of his life  ).  I thought it would be something he could take on as a business for himself that he could build up and earn a little cash too.  SAdly we never did find that something before he fell.

[storm35]

It was particularly galling for me as John had been made redundant the year before and become depressed and was sitting around doing nothing while I was at the office(except when out climbing - the love of his life  ).  I thought it would be something he could take on as a business for himself that he could build up and earn a little cash too.  SAdly we never did find that something before he fell.

So sorry to hear that xx

[sheardale]

Oh that is sad Doganjo.   Sorry to hear that.   Are you ok
Helen

[doganjo]

Oh that is sad Doganjo.   Sorry to hear that.   Are you ok
Helen

Yes, fine, thanks, Helen. Long time ago now - 2003.  You can't 'unhappen' things so you just get on with the rest of your life.  Remind me to show you the big picture in my hallway when you come here on Saturday. Are you bringing family with you?  My grandkids are coming too - 11, 8, and 3 (their granda was killed in a road crash - he saved my life so I could annoy all of you! )

[little blue]

Well last night jut before i went to bed, shne went right over to the water, took a long drink was there for a while, and this morning she was drinking again, thank goodness, i can now relax.
Thanks everyone for your help xxxxx

glad things are looking up for her, Storm35.
been "offline" for a while (bloomin' BT!) so nice to know...   

[storm35]

Well last night jut before i went to bed, shne went right over to the water, took a long drink was there for a while, and this morning she was drinking again, thank goodness, i can now relax.
Thanks everyone for your help xxxxx

glad things are looking up for her, Storm35.
been "offline" for a while (bloomin' BT!) so nice to know...   

Sorry but the little one died i have a duckling and a chick left, duck is getting huge and more smelly by the day, chick thinks duck is her mummy, am stuck as to what to do now, i cant keep duck in with chick as chick wont be able to go out for a while, duck is getting big, cant get a duck house made up to put him even if i could find a duck for company for him, chick goes mad if duck is awya for a swim in bath, so i cant seperate them. Only thing i can come up with is take them back to the breeder, which will be a shame as they have a great bond together, so am stuck

[Roxy]

Can you get another chick of a similar size and age?  Seems a shame for you to part with them, after what you have just been through, and everything.  And another duckling for the duckling you have already ......doubled your numbers for you!!

[storm35]

Can you get another chick of a similar size and age?  Seems a shame for you to part with them, after what you have just been through, and everything.  And another duckling for the duckling you have already ......doubled your numbers for you!!

Not really, no one around here has a chick of same age, or duck, the thing is, the duck was to live with the hens, but now that i have only 1 of each, duck is getting huge, he will have to go out before the chick, chick will cry for her, and duck cant go out alone, i been told duck cant go out until 8 weeks, he is smelly juist now but going to outgrow the big pen i have for them, then the chick i am scared to get anymore chicks incase they die on me, so it looks like i am going to have to take them back, just should have got pol hens, i am not sure if anyone on here is close byu that can look after duck and hen, would want them to live together, be a shame to part them?

[jameslindsay]

Storm keeping the duck in the house will stink to high heaven. The weather is still mild enough to put it outside for a while every day if you have a secure run you could leave it in? Other than that a shed you could move it to with the heat lamp on when necessary? I have had a single hatch duckling once before and I know the smell they are capable of making but getting it outside for a while is good for the duckling too. Hope this helps a wee bit.

[storm35]

Storm keeping the duck in the house will stink to high heaven. The weather is still mild enough to put it outside for a while every day if you have a secure run you could leave it in? Other than that a shed you could move it to with the heat lamp on when necessary? I have had a single hatch duckling once before and I know the smell they are capable of making but getting it outside for a while is good for the duckling too. Hope this helps a wee bit.

Thank you, i have been told ducklings can go out when 3 weeks old, and i have been told ducklings cant go out until they are all feathered, but if i did put duck out, its cold and raining here, the chick would bawl for duck as she thinks its her mother. Another thing breeder said i can let duck live with hens, or hen in my case, but i have been told that they cant as a duck likes water and will make the bedding and hen house all wet, not good for hen? Its a huge mess, i am stuck as to what to do, i cant get another hen house for the duck, then i would need to get another duck, breeder has not ducks same age, so if anyone can look after the 2 of them, keep them together, i would be happy, i have 1 more person i can ask and then am out of ideas, other than handing them back

[jameslindsay]

You are obviously getting yourself worked in to a state over this situation and it is clear you are desperate to do the right thing for these animals. I think in this case it would be best for them, and you, if you quickly found them a new home. The thing you do not want to do is go back to the farm and say here have them back because if they do not want them you don't know how they would be looked after. It also seems that the person who sold you these didn't bother too much about the animals welfare at the start. If you were close to me I would have helped you out earlier and raised them for you unril they were big enough to come home and join you and some friends the same sort of adult stage. Good luck.