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Starting Member
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Last Login: 4/18/2008 5:57:57 AM
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| I am raising 11 Broad Breasted Bronze's, and 20 flying mallards. The Turkeys and 10 ducks are 3wks old and the other 10 ducks are 2wks old. I currently have the turkey's in a large cardboard box in the house. The problem is they are to the point that they can fly up to the top of the box and jump out. I could just put the top flaps straight up, but I feel like they need to exercise their ability to fly. Or I could put poultry netting up, but don't want them to get tangled in it. Secondly, the ducks are becoming really messy. I have the young ones in a big tupperware storage bin, the older ones I clamshelled two kiddie pools together and cut the center out of the bottom (of the upside down pool on top). I am using pine bedding and a standard chick waterer and feeder. We are going to build something outside to keep the ducks and turkeys separate. Any suggestions on what to build and what to do about the turkeys in the meantime? Anything will help, I've never done this before.
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Last Login: Today @ 7:58:29 AM
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| I've never tried ducks but if they are anything like geese...messy is an understatement and it doesn't get any better. It was my experience with turkeys and with the geese that they need to be inside until it's really nice outside as they chill so easily. I am going to try Bourbon Reds (again) this year. I had 5 the first time around and it was not a success. I've done much better with the geese; even got a gosling out of my first pair. I used a tall horse trough for fowl (chicks or whatever) and liked the shavings of some sort for bedding. At one time I had some wood pellets from a stove that got wet and couldn't be used in the stove but worked great as bedding. Of course, I've used newspaper which isn't great but if you read the local paper, it is cheap. I think there is some reason that isn't recommended but it didn't pose a problem for any of mine. Good luck. Mary Ann
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New Member
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Last Login: Today @ 2:14:38 PM
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Starting Member
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Last Login: 4/18/2008 5:57:57 AM
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| Thanks Sue, I'll look into these!
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Starting Member
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Last Login: 4/15/2008 6:59:31 PM
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| HI! Every year we usually raise ducks and chicken, sometimes turkeys and geese. By far the easiest and best way for the birds is, we start with a storage tote , cut a big square out of the of the top and add wire (drill holes around the square and "sew " wire over the hole, the light can go over the opening on top of wire. The totes are reasonable priced and very easy to clean, hose out, scrub and you never have to worry about leaks or anything oozing out. As the birds grow you can either put them into a bigger tote or split them and use two totes or more. We are lucky to have an old water tub ( 75 gallons) that has a crack in it we use when the birds get to big for the totes if the weather is still too cold to put them out. Added bonuses:: you can use a smaller light because the tote holds the heat great ( be careful not to overheat!!!), the little birds can't get out ,and you don't have a problem with drafts getting to the PEEPS! Good Luck!!!!!! Hope this helps you! This has worked great for us.
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Starting Member
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Last Login: 5/9/2008 5:47:43 AM
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| Hi, we have had great success with taking two saw horses, putting a stabilizing board across to join them, then drape the whole thing with poultry netting, great for the warm days, easy to catch the birds to move them back in for the cool nights, or net the bottom also to just carry them around from place to place. You attach the netting to the stabilizing board and just wrap it down and around, attach with anything removable and everything is easy to get to and reusable! Good Luck! TheMisFitFarm
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