Category Archives: Ducks

Pekin Ducks

At Bent Pine Farm the ducks have their own personal pool right under the Little Girl Fountain . The boys have curly tails.  The gals will be your pals.  The boys are taller, (the gals are smaller).   Ducks love to free range and look for bugs and water.  And remember …ducks don’t climb stairs:

LESSONS LEARNED

Ducks eat a lot! Because of their large bone structure, they need high protein feed (18-21%). They like lots of water with their meals.

They are happiest free ranging. They stick together in groups and are very social. They will stay under bushes or in the middle of a pond at night to avoid predators.

Happy Homesteading,

T.

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Fish Tales…

We had no sooner gotten the new Tilapia pool set up and saved 300+ fish, when the next fiasco began.  After the large fish pool was all set, we set up the smaller pool to start growing duck weed again.  Duck weed is very high in protein and easy to grow.  It’s a treat for both fish and ducks. 

Set the small pool up, filled it with water,  and put in the duck weed.  Voila.   Everything looked great. Next morning the pool was completely empty and the pool bottom covered with duck weed and dirt!  There were dirty paw marks all over the edge of the big pool all around, several dead fish floating, and the feeder pool right next to the big pool was completely empty of a couple hundred fry!  Gone!

We soon found a tear in the side of the small pool, looked like a sharp claw had poked through.  Raccoon, we thought.  Out come the traps, set with bait, and now to wait overnight.  Next morning, the bait is gone, and the traps not sprung!  And the duck weed is gone!  

Obviously, raccoons, or whatever the predator, have mastered the science of traps.  And as for the duck weed, one look at the dirt green beaks of those ducks tells the story! Wonder if the raccoon and the ducks were in it together.

Pekin Duck

Happy Homesteading,

T.

Ducks Don’t Climb Stairs

You perhaps have never thought about it, but duck legs are too short to negotiate stairs. And their knees bend the wrong way. So, unless you are prepared to carry each bird in separately, (quite time-consuming if there are very many), you are not likely to have many ducks as house guests.

I hate to think that I may have limited my acquaintances with the feathered fowl due to this issue…but there it is.

Cheers,

Gus

Feather Pen Post