I love the amazing sites out there and will try to feature many that I like. Please follow the links as they are informative as they are funny.
FORUMS ABOUT WATERFOWL
http://www.poultrycommunity.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=23
http://ponds.proboards.com/index.cgi#general
FAQ ON RAISING DUCKS
http://katihoza.home.comcast.net/~katihoza/faq/index.html
Friday, July 31, 2009
Aquaculture system with ducks
Our friend who recently got some of our Ancona ducks has started to use them in his aquaculture fish tanks. Check out his blog at www.donaldstreetducks.blogspot.com for some video on the system. I am sure he is going to update as they get older and more worked into the system.
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Why should you pay more for eggs?
Why should you pay more for eggs?
Evans response-
The reasons are clear, first off the farmers need to take care of the birds. This increases costs above the standard 1.50 a dozen farm fresh eggs rule. We are not in the 1960 or 1970's and need to pay more to the farmers who spend so much time trying to feed people. If the costs continue the same and Corn and cheap feed continues to be feed to the animals the changes will be seen. The damage is being done to grow large amounts of Corn and Soy for the feed, the fish meal is not safe finding alternatives is growing local Soy for the feed, other crops like chickweed, amaranth, Quinoa, rotating the grazing pattens, all kinds off options are out there just becoming aware that it takes more than just CHEAP feed to give these domesticated birds a healthy humane happy life.
Rachel-
at 1.50/doz farmers cannot afford to cover their costs let alone get paid for their time and level of care. With these prices to compete with its no wonder small farmers convert to larger caged systems. They cannot afford preditor control on that many free-ranged chickens so they choose breeds that lay eggs even when confined, even tourtured. For 1.50 a dozen what could the chicken have been fed? Other subsidized crops like corn and soy which are intensively sprayed with chemical fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides in their horizon spanning monocropped fields. As Joel Salatin says "chemical agriculture is like a drug trip, every year it takes more to get the same kick." and all these pollutants end up in our water.
Evans response-
The reasons are clear, first off the farmers need to take care of the birds. This increases costs above the standard 1.50 a dozen farm fresh eggs rule. We are not in the 1960 or 1970's and need to pay more to the farmers who spend so much time trying to feed people. If the costs continue the same and Corn and cheap feed continues to be feed to the animals the changes will be seen. The damage is being done to grow large amounts of Corn and Soy for the feed, the fish meal is not safe finding alternatives is growing local Soy for the feed, other crops like chickweed, amaranth, Quinoa, rotating the grazing pattens, all kinds off options are out there just becoming aware that it takes more than just CHEAP feed to give these domesticated birds a healthy humane happy life.
Rachel-
at 1.50/doz farmers cannot afford to cover their costs let alone get paid for their time and level of care. With these prices to compete with its no wonder small farmers convert to larger caged systems. They cannot afford preditor control on that many free-ranged chickens so they choose breeds that lay eggs even when confined, even tourtured. For 1.50 a dozen what could the chicken have been fed? Other subsidized crops like corn and soy which are intensively sprayed with chemical fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides in their horizon spanning monocropped fields. As Joel Salatin says "chemical agriculture is like a drug trip, every year it takes more to get the same kick." and all these pollutants end up in our water.
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Our Vet- Dr. Fricke
Our Vet- Dr. Fricke
Best Vet for Ducks, Chickens and Exotic birds, also dogs and cats, specializes in natural care methods-
Dr. Fricke received his Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine from Washington State University in 1994. Dr. Fricke began practice at McKenzie Animal Hospital in 1995. His areas of special interest beyond general practice are Exotic and Avian Medicine, Surgery, Acupuncture, and Alternative/Complementary Medicine. Dr. Fricke's interests outside the practice are his wife Katharine, soccer, snowboarding, wildlife rehabilitation, and home improvement projects. Dr. Fricke is the past President of the Lane County Veterinary Medical Association (LCVMA), serves as an Executive Board Member at Greenhill Humane Society and is the OR VMA delegate to the Wild West Veterinary Conference. His office website http://mckenzieanimalhospital.com/vets.htm
Accreditation-McKenzie Animal Hospital is accredited by The American Animal Hospital Association. Nationwide, less than 12% of all small animal hospitals receive this certification. In order to achieve this honor, McKenzie Animal Hospital is required to participate in a comprehensive evaluation of our facility, equipment, medical records, practice standards and health care. Evaluations are conducted every two to four years by The American Animal Hospital Association. We are currently accredited for four years - the highest level recognized by AAHA.
Best Vet for Ducks, Chickens and Exotic birds, also dogs and cats, specializes in natural care methods-
Dr. Fricke received his Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine from Washington State University in 1994. Dr. Fricke began practice at McKenzie Animal Hospital in 1995. His areas of special interest beyond general practice are Exotic and Avian Medicine, Surgery, Acupuncture, and Alternative/Complementary Medicine. Dr. Fricke's interests outside the practice are his wife Katharine, soccer, snowboarding, wildlife rehabilitation, and home improvement projects. Dr. Fricke is the past President of the Lane County Veterinary Medical Association (LCVMA), serves as an Executive Board Member at Greenhill Humane Society and is the OR VMA delegate to the Wild West Veterinary Conference. His office website http://mckenzieanimalhospital.com/vets.htm
Accreditation-McKenzie Animal Hospital is accredited by The American Animal Hospital Association. Nationwide, less than 12% of all small animal hospitals receive this certification. In order to achieve this honor, McKenzie Animal Hospital is required to participate in a comprehensive evaluation of our facility, equipment, medical records, practice standards and health care. Evaluations are conducted every two to four years by The American Animal Hospital Association. We are currently accredited for four years - the highest level recognized by AAHA.
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Duck House Construction
Duck House Construction
Keeping the panels individually separted creates areas for the individual bird flocks to be separted and kept extra clean. The bottom is raised up about a foot and individually filled with coated 1/4 inch wire. We still use the deep litter method here it is modified to allow the underside to be vented to allow air to pass underneath to help with the deep litter not molding too much. Water tends to be the biggest problem I see in other buildings, keeping it of the ground allows for the structure to dry out quicker.
ABOUT THE FLOORS
Raising ducks requires building a place for them to get locked away at night so predators especially raccoons cant get them, our structure can hold 25 ducks with separated pens and about 10 nesting boxes.
The floor and roof are the most important part of a duck house.The floor must be free of any obstacles they can trip on.
VENTILATION (UNFINISHED TOP PANELING!)
Keeping the panels individually separted creates areas for the individual bird flocks to be separted and kept extra clean. The bottom is raised up about a foot and individually filled with coated 1/4 inch wire. We still use the deep litter method here it is modified to allow the underside to be vented to allow air to pass underneath to help with the deep litter not molding too much. Water tends to be the biggest problem I see in other buildings, keeping it of the ground allows for the structure to dry out quicker.
ABOUT THE FLOORS
Raising ducks requires building a place for them to get locked away at night so predators especially raccoons cant get them, our structure can hold 25 ducks with separated pens and about 10 nesting boxes.
The floor and roof are the most important part of a duck house.The floor must be free of any obstacles they can trip on.
VENTILATION (UNFINISHED TOP PANELING!)
GOT DUCKS??
It recently came to me that another website has a poll running with our campaign slogans as one of its options as a tshirt. All I can say is make the tshirt, even though it is still our campaign to have people get ducks over chickens. The website has three other choices to go with and they might be better off choosing one of them.
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