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Birds--General/Pet Ducks
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I am thinking about getting a Pekin male duck. I would be keeping him at a barn during the summer with me at all times. There are horses there and a few dogs, and I ride sometimes twice a day. There is also a river where I go every day and the duck could swim there; the water is clean and shallow. The only water source there besides the river is iron water though. There were just a few questions I had about the duck and resources needed before I made the purchase.....
Is iron water safe for ducks to play/swim/bathe/drink?
Are there any diseases that my duck can catch from the horses or dogs?
Are the dogs and horses threats to the duck?
Will the duck start to follow me around as it gets more attached to me?
Can I train it to stay out of the riding arena while I am riding or can I leave it inside?
Thanks so much for your help!
McKinley
I don't think ducks are designed to be proper 'pets'. He needs friends of his own kind and a proper place where he can get away from other animals. Do you have the facilities and money to do this? Yes, dogs and horses are threats to the duck if they don't like ducks!
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| Rating(1-10) | Knowledgeability = 9 | Clarity of Response = 10 | Politeness = 10 |
| Comment | Thanks for the help! I don't think the duck is such a good idea anymore either, because a friend that lives there just got a new dog who is a bird dog. Thank you for the quick response! | ||
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Answers by Expert:
Abi
Expertise
I CAN'T ANSWER QUESTIONS ON ANIMALS OTHER THAN CHICKENS/DUCKS/GEESE- I WILL TRY BUT THEY ARE NOT MY SPECIALIST SUBJECT- PLEASE DO NOT ASK ME QUESTIONS ABOUT BUDGIES, FINCHES, PARROTS, COCKATIELS OR OTHER 'EXOTIC' BIRDS. I can answer questions on pretty much all CHICKEN breeds, including fancy and bantam birds. I can give advice on how to get the best egg production, brightest yolk colours and darkest egg shell colours, breeding (using broody hens, not incubators), bird problems/illnesses. I can give advice on all aspects of basic chicken care but I breed chickens for my own pleasure only, I do not often show or sell my birds.
Experience
I own and breed a wide range of chickens, but I speciallise in cochins and crevecour bantams; crevecours have a large crest (an afro!) so I can answer questions on problems concerning them; cochins have feathered legs, which leads to no end of problems which I have experienced! I also own a large flock of domestic, rescued 'battery' hens, and a single maran hen, Hilda, who is the matriarch of her flock, so I can give advice on how to get the best colour of maran eggs!
Education/Credentials
n/a
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