So...what next?
30 July 2016It will be spring soon, what then?
Well, in a month and a few days it will officially be spring.... So you may be wondering, what will I be doing, duck-wise then, and why would I still need donations and help?
Yes, once warmer spring weather arrives I won't be taking in healthy mother ducks and ducklings to raise, but will be leaving them to that themselves. I will be moving from here soon anyway, but until then whether or not I take in a (healthy) mum and ducklings will be based on the weather. For example if a mum and ducklings show up and there is still plenty of frosty weather forecast in the foreseeable future, then I will probably take them in. If the weather is mild, and it is far enough into spring that further frosty nights are unlikely and not in the forecast, then I would leave them be. Either way, I will be keeping an eye out for any ducklings in trouble (cold, abandoned, injured, or sick)
However even when the weather warms up, there is still plenty to do....
For example:
Orphaned spring ducklings. Along with any that may show up at my current address (I have offered to collect and care for any orphans that may be found after I move from here) I have also offered to take some of the many, many ducklings the Oxford bird rescue are inundated with each spring.
'Ducktopia':
I am hoping that once the influx of ducklings slows, and I don't have any very young ducklings here to watch over, that I will have more time to work on building the large compound for the ducks at my new address. The compound will initially be just over 17 by 28 m, on a 10 acre property where there is plenty of space to increase the size later on. The idea is to create a secure environment that has a free range feel to it. At the moment my domestic ducks and the older and adult rescued ducks all go out during the day and free range. While this is great for them in many ways there are some practical problems that it creates:
To keep the ducks safe from predators I have to lock them in cages at night. The cages are not as big as I'd like and too crowded at the moment.
And ducks don't automatically go into their houses at night like chickens will. They want to settle down on the banks of a river, pond island or creek. This is where they feel safest. And on a night of a full moon, they want to take advantage of the moonlight to forage and dabble for many more hours, or socialise with other ducks, and meet up with a mate.
So every night they have to be herded/'guided' into the safety of their cage.
And first thing in the morning, those same ducks want out! Forget about sleeping past sunrise, well actually past any time an hour or more prior to sunrise. At this point the ducks will start a regular rhythmic "quack quack quack", which continues until they are let out.
There is also the issue of cleaning. Small cages with lots of ducks = lots of duck poo mess, which over time turns any land into a muddy cesspit! This means that litter has to be laid down and replaced pretty much daily. Apart from the time, and cost of this, the ducks prefer to be on natural grass.
Also with groups of ducks of different ages and breeds, there is a pecking order to consider, and bullying does happen. Its much like a school yard and the younger ducklings who have just started to free range, generally have to start off in a small separate cage at night, then endure some pecking from the older ducks as they are integrated into the older duck population.
So I hope to solve these problems with Ducktopia, by creating a space that is large enough to have a free range feel, where different groups and ages of ducks have enough space to roam freely without being bullied. Where adult ducks can choose to spend their nights by the pond, on the pond, or on the island in the pond, similar to the sorts of places they would choose to overnight in the wild, except without any risk of predation.
There will be a large duck house, a place that ducks can choose to shelter from the weather (though most will prefer to sit out in the weather, even if its rain or snow!) and also the ability to create some separate areas when needed to house mums and ducklings, orphaned ducklings or nesting ducks.
A large pond will be built with a small isl
and in the middle. The compound will be predator proof with wire fencing, and overhead wire netting to prevent birds of prey taking ducklings. Long term the plan is also to have an electric wire outside the perimeter to deter any would be predators. The walls at the sides of the compound will be around 6ft. We are hoping to have enough wire netting to be able to raise the roof in the centre, to creat a higher 'dome' like feature. This is to allow any wild flying ducks which come to Ducktopia (either temporarily or any which are unable to be released permanently into the wild) to have a little bit of an opportunity to fly. If this cant happen to start with then it is definitely something I would like to add in future.
Currently we have mapped out the perimeter and dug all the holes for the fence posts. We have started putting the fence posts in. An inner layer of small mesh chicken wire has been started (this is to ensure that it is totally secure for even tiny ducklings) on one side. Next up is to draw up an outline for the pond, and then I need to calculate the cost of pond liner and start to save for that (unless someone donates some?).
Long term I would like the pond to have a small waterfall type feature. Not just to look pretty, but also to aerate the water. The water would be pumped up to the top of a small hill, filtered then run back down over a small rock feature back into the pond.
Another consideration is landscaping. Duck friendly plants and weeds placed to add some interest to the area, and create some separate spaces, so different social groups of ducks can hang out in different spots. As mentioned above, Ducktopia will house ducklings, mums with ducklings, and possibly injured ducks needing somewhere to recover. So I would also like to take this into account when landscaping, allowing for places where temporary fencing can be set up around existing established plants, to either create a cosy and private space for ducks that need it, or a safe and separated space that still allows the ducks within to feel part of the wider community (for older ducklings or new ducks undergoing initial quarantine.
One advantage of having all these ducks unexpectedly to care for this winter, is that I have learnt a lot about what I DONT want, or what looks good but in reality does not work. So I am hoping that a lot of the practical limitations and problems I have here, will be problems that I wont have with Ducktopia, because I will be able to plan well enough to prevent them!
As well as a home for my domestic ducks, and a temporary home for wild ducklings, I would like to make Ducktopia a home for any wild ducks who are unable to be released into the wild, either ones I have raised, or ones that may be found by other people or brought to the Oxford bird rescue.
If you have any of the following materials and are willing to donate them, please get in touch. Or if you prefer not to donate money, but would like to purchase needed items, you are welcome to either donate the following if you live locally, or if you are not local, get in touch with me, maybe we can arrange for you to purchase the items of your choice, from a local retailer where I can collect them...
Wire netting, strong enough that large dogs cannot get through it. Holes don't need to be as small as chicken wire, but small enough that an adult wild duck, in flight cant get through it.
Chicken wire with small holes (this does not have to be dog proof as it will be inside a stronger layer
Hinges, latches, etc
Pond liner, or material suitable for use as pond liner
Nails, screws, staples staple guns, and other accessories and tools for attaching wire to fence posts.
Pond filter and plumbing for these
Plants suitable for landscaping the space.
Gates, 6 ft high, at least 1m wide. (Need two)
Also for ongoing duckling and injured duck care:
Pet heat pads (ac powered type)
Ceramic heat lamps and bulbs
Towels
Wide shallow bowls made from heavy materials that cant be knocked over by ducklings (not plastic or metal).
Pet medicines and bandaging, in particular meloxicam (cat or dog pain relief), enrotril (antibiotic) baytril (antibiotic, tylosin), unused vetwrap (bandage, sticks to itself not to the animal), unopened saline, unused baby syringes, or other syringes (for administering oral medication/vitamins) niacin or multi vitamin b tablets that contain niacin/b3/nicotinamide (in original container pls so I can work out dosage).
Consumables:
Wood shavings
Straw or hay
Wet type Cat food (beef, liver, chicken, vegetable or turkey flavors, not cheese or fish)
Dry cat food (beef, liver, chicken, vegetable or turkey flavors, not cheese or fish)
Chicken grower pellets
niacin or multi vitamin b tablets that contain niacin/b3/nicotinamide (in original container pls so I can work out dosage).
Frozen vegetables, mixed vegies, peas, corn, peas and corn etc.
Wheat.
Seeds such as corn, barley, sunflower, oats,
Chicken layer pellets.
Chick starter crumbles.
Brewers yeast.
Apple cider vinegar unpasteurized.
Other stuff:
Yourself! If you live in the Nth Canty area, and maybe don't have much money or any needed items to donate, but want to help:
Donate your time! There is always tons of work to do, from cleaning, helping with the construction of Ducktopia, plus feeding, occasional diy on duck enclosures and so on. Even if you maybe aren't able to do anything very physical, there can be times when I have very young or fragile ducklings, when it would be great just to have someone there to keep an eye on them in case one suddenly got cold or hypoglycemic and needed urgent help.
Or if you are the salesy type with the gift of the gab, maybe you could approach some suitable businesses with a view to having them donate some needed products...
If you can help with any of the above, please get in touch with me via the message feature on the Facebook page:
Www.facebook.com/uninhibitedducks