To Duck or Not to Duck

[Aidenbaby]

My dad called yesterday. No big deal, we're having a barbecue at this house today so it is kind of expected. However, he didn't call because of the barbecue; he called because one of his ex-students (he used to teach fifth grade but is now a principal) had just graduated. As part of one of their classes they did an experiment with ducklings using various food and watering techniques to see what worked the best to grow the biggest duckling the fastest. Anyway, the student grew fond of their duckling (5-6 weeks old). At the end of the year, the teacher was going to collect all the ducklings and send them to some kind of duck farm where assumably they process ducks at some point. The student couldn't bear to see their duckling being eaten at some point and brought it home. The parents (or the law) are saying that the duckling can no longer stay there and it needs to find a home. My dad called to see if we wanted a duckling. Here is the dilema: my husband isn't fond of my whole SS thing to start. The chickens (also illegal but my neighbors don't mind) are my project and he doesn't particularly care for them. He told me that he didn't care what I did regarding the duck because he "gave up" trying to talk me out of any animals. I see 3 options here. 1. Give the family of the duckling the web address for BYChickens and craigslist and wish them luck. 2. Bring home said duckling and try to rehome it myself using BYChickens or craigslist or freecycle. 3. Bring home the duckling and keep it for myself. I know that ultimately it is my decision. What are YOUR opinions?

 

[justusnak]

Well....depending on the breed of duck..it could be quite noisy. they need lots of water..and do smell a bit worse than chickens...because of the water. This just MIGHT put the neighbors over the edge. :/ If it was me...and haveing chickens was a no no....I would NOT chance the duck. Just might be the "straw that broke the camels back" and then you would lose the chickens as well. I say...tell the family to craigslist it...or BYC...and wish for the best.

 

[Aidenbaby]

I did forget to mention that it is a Peking duck.

 

[sylvie]

I wouldn't like being pressured into taking an animal that I wasn't planning on, or prepared for, especially if having chickens is already on the dicey side and Dh has been distancing himself from SS.
I vote let the family deal with it. They ok'd the child's participation in the program and need to see their decision through.

 

[freemotion]

Another vote for "don't risk it." My neighbors told me they bought the house BECAUSE I had the animals, now they complain now and then. They are noisy, etc. Well, ya knew that when ya moved it, dintcha? I am zoned for critters because of the strange spot I live in, so I don't have to get rid of anything. I do a lot of apologizing over the guineas! If you get someone upset due to noise or smell, they will likely make you get rid of everything.

I am SO opposed to those school projects, the way they are run. I had a teacher I didn't even know try to pressure me into taking straight run white leghorns that they hatched. If they want to do a hatching project, they should find homes BEFORE they get the eggs. I would've bought hatching eggs for them myself and would've loved to have the chicks of my choosing, not a breed that does not winter well here and attracts hawks when pastured. Sheesh. Sorry for the rant. Maybe a teacher will read this! They could've done the same with the duck project. Found a home in advance, and then get the kind of ducklings that the person wants. Win-win, especially for the birds.

 

[Quail_Antwerp]

If it were me, first I'd talk to my neighbors who are OK with my chickens, explain the situation to them, promise that it will only be one duck, and not get another duck, and see if they would have a problem with you having one duck.

THEN for the watering of the duck, since it is only ONE duck, I'd get a hard plastic child's wading pool...either one with a plug or one you can turn over to dump out...and I would make sure I scrubbed that thing out and put clean water in it once a week...just to keep any smell out.

AND if it is a Pekin, a male duck will be quiet, but if it's a female, your neighbors might not appreciate the loud "hahahahaha" sound a female makes. I have 2 female Pekins and you can hear them when they quack over all the other ducks.

You also need to make sure you can house this single duck, keep it out of the neighbors yards, out of their gardens, etc. It might not eat their garden, but those feet sure can trample a garden!

If you don't think you can do any of that, I'd not get the duck!

BUT ultimately, I also think the parents need to tell the kid, "Look, it's a meat duck, they are bred to be ate. It needs to go to the farm and become some well deserving, hard working farmers dinner. That is what it was bred for" because honestly, I think today's kids are so far removed from the circle of life and where their food comes from that pretty soon they'll be begging us not to eat eggs for fear of "preventing future little chickies from being born!"

 

[Aidenbaby]

I agree Quail. We had to euthanize a chick we had tried to save. It had been squished in the box by it's shipping mates and the store gave it to us to try to save. After a week, the other chick we got with it was twice as big and it wasn't getting any better. At the time I had 3 daycare kids along with my own two. I explained to the kids that the chick was not growing and was not having a happy life and that sometimes, they just don't make it. Not one of the kids was upset about it (after all, we still had 5 others) and it while it did bring up the death question, the parents and myself used it as a life lesson. I think my son didn't even really think about it because 1. he's three and 2. in the year prior I had to euthanise our ferret (adrenal disease). I think it's is very important that our children learn where our food comes from but learn that you don't have to treat the animals like they were already dead on the grocery store shelf.

 

[Wifezilla]

promise that it will only be one duck, and not get another duck, and see if they would have a problem with you having one duck.

That is not fair to the duck. Ducks are flock animals. I would find it a home where it can have at least one more buddy.

 

[Quail_Antwerp]

promise that it will only be one duck, and not get another duck, and see if they would have a problem with you having one duck.

That is not fair to the duck. Ducks are flock animals. I would find it a home where it can have at least one more buddy.

I was thinking the same thing when I posted it, but if she really wants the duck, and she already has illegal chickens, then I didn't think getting her neighbors to allow 2 ducks would go over well.

It's a Pekin. I say, dinner.

 

[ChickenPotPie]

Save your marriage, not the duck. Your husband will love you more and the student will learn a valuable lesson by dealing with the situation himself. I've been in your shoes many a time and have not always made the right decision.

So what did you decide?