A duck question

[KrisK]

I'm in search of Muscovy ducks for my place. So far, I haven't had much luck locating any but I do have a lead on some possibles. The problem, they are about 3 1/2 hours from me. I have a station wagon and an open utility trailer. If I were picking up 6-7 ducks, can I put them in a dog crate or two in the back of my car or would it be okay to put them in a more enclosed container in the utilty trailer? These won't be ducklings. And since I need to use my car daily for travelling to work, I really don't want it to smell too 'ducky' Any thoughts?

Oh, I just read a study done on Muscovy ducks and the reduction of fly populations! Totally amazing - in one case the fly population was reduced by 97%!!! Now that's what I call efficient

 

Thanks

[juliepoudrier]

I think I'd use dog crates tied securely into the utility trailer. You could use crates in the station wagon, and as long as you had penty of bedding (sawdust would probably be best as it's most absorbent, wood shavings would be my second choice--in fact I'd probably put newspapers down first and then sawdust or shavings over top just for ease of cleaning the crates when done with transport) they aren't likely to leave you "gifts" that would leave the vehicle stinking later, but if you have a way to secure crates in the trailer, you'd have the added bonus of not having to listen to them on the way home. I'm not sure how hot it is where you are this time of year, but I'd want to make sure they had plenty of air flow and weren't packed too tight in whatever they're being transported in.

 

And there's something to be said for bug control--although they're annoyingly noisy, we're seriously considering some guinea hens for tick control around here...

 

J.

[Rebecca, Irena Farm]

Ducks are incredibly efficient fly eaters. I really miss my big flock and if we ever get financially able again, I'll definitely be replacing them.

 

The best thing I've found for transporting ducks is that pine cat litter. It's super absorbant which is the biggest concern with ducks. Put no more than four in a Border collie sized crate, line the very bottom with paper for footing, then put about half an inch of pine litter on top. Then you can put this in the back of your car with no problem - if these ducks have been livin' right they won't smell any more than the dogs you carry around normally. Duck waste is mostly water. Also, unless you and the person you are getting them from are really great at catching them, they'll evacuate most of the waste they have "on board", before the trip. Put a tarp under, and over, the crates, and you should not experience anything that will make you regret carrying them in the car.

 

Ducks are susceptible to travel sickness - pneumonia, I mean - so I'd be worried with them in an open trailer.

[KrisK]

Thank you, that's very helpful. I have one vari-kennel and 3 wire crates. Would the wire crates be okay to use as well or would it be better to find another hard sized kennel? I have access to plenty of cedar sawdust. I'm really looking forward to having the ducks. We couldn't sit outside yesterday because of the dam* horseflies so if the ducks can eliminate some of them, it would suit me just fine

[Rebecca, Irena Farm]

The ducks will luuuuurrrrve your horseflies. Muscovies fly some, too, so they'll be gone, gone gone. Just be sure to clip their wings so the ducks don't disappear once the all you can eat buffet is depleted.

 

No, I'd get my hands on an airline crate for sure. What I do is stick them on top of a tarp, then use bungies to clip the edges of the tarp up the sides, if that makes sense. Especially up the front. Then all that should sit on a tarp that covers the back of the car. For a short trip I drape a third tarp over the top but they'll need the air on that long a trip so you can probably skip that. It's for privacy and keeping them quiet more than anything.

[hsnrs]

Ducks eat flies? Maybe DH will let us get some for herding dogs. Can you tell me about raising them; how many to get; what kind; how to house them; etc. THanks. N

[Rebecca, Irena Farm]

Ducks are raised much like poultry. They are more fragile the first six weeks or so, and also more messy. But after that they are much hardier than chickens. All they really need other than food and water (lots of water, though they don't need a pond to swim in necessarily), is protection from sun and severe cold or harsh precipitation and wind. We used to house them in a straw-filled pen with a panel propped up on cinderblocks and life was great. Then they free-ranged during the day.

 

As to how many, your average houseyard sitting on half to one acre could tolerate about half a dozen putzing around and that many will be just fine to keep the bugs down. IF you can get that many locally that's great. The bad news is that if you go through a mail order company they'll want to send you no less than ten to fifteen at once, to stay warm during transit. They come as day-old ducklings, through the USPS. You haven't lived until you've gotten a box of peepers in the mail.

 

From there, you'd follow the instructions in the books. There are some excellent ones. The homesteading series that's recently been revised is a great one - it's available in feed stores, in the book store, or online.