Preparedness for when

[Deleted User]

Hi LOBBY I don't keep ducks but my elder daughter had a friend whose mum had a couple of Aylesburys when she was at primary school, they were little ankle peckers too. DD was told to always take long wellingtons when she went to see her friend as the ducks had free range of the garden and could fetch you quite a nasty bite with their bills.

KATEP who posts over on the No T Words thread keeps ducks, she'd be able to give you some advice if you got in touch, hope that's useful, Lyn xxx.

pineapple

MrsLurcherwalker wrote: »

The man on the news said today that ALL the homes affected by the Criptosporidium contamination were now able to use their tap water without boiling it

Ha ha don't be so sure. I am renovating a cottage outside the affected area but with the same water company. As I have lead pipes, I wanted to know the lead concentration (before deciding whether to fork out on new pipes or a filter unit). They came last Thursday to take water samples - to test for EVERYTHING :eek:
9.30pm Saturday evening this guy turns up to take more samples as they had picked something up in the tests (naturally I asked to see his credentials ). He also visited the properties on either side to get samples from them.
Fortunately, me and the dog have been drinking mineral water since we moved in just in case. Waiting to see what, if anything, they have found.

COOLTRIKERCHICK

I got ducks, geese, chickens, quail , pigs and a husband :rotfl:

Ducks are funny.. And are a big waste of time lol, BUT they are dirty, as in the ' squit' everywhere, their poo is very runny.. Some breeds will need their wings clipped regular, otherwise they will fly away..

Have you got a local community farm near you?? It might be worth going to have a chat with them... And maybe have some hands on..

fuddle

Of all the threads to not support this humanitarian situation where families have felt so desperate that they have left their homes with nothing to go to nothing, I am shocked to read such..... I can't even put it into words.

I guess for some people it's ok to bug out as long as you have a paracord and a backpack. I didn't expect to read such things here.

lobbyludd

thanks both, I will check out the community farm - and as for "squits everywhere" - that's the sort of info I need if I'm going to make a proper decision!

pineapple

lobbyludd wrote: »

DUCKS

Is there an association/book/website you could recommend as a stater for me to think about/read up on and then I would like a way of contacting a reputable duck keeper with a view to spending some time learning the hands on reality of it before committing us and some fowl to a life together.

any help gratefully received.

Someone on this forum might be able to advise
http://www.downthelane.net/forum/viewforum.php?f=41

[Deleted User]

Oh poor you PINEAPPLE I hope you haven't got problems and that whatever they have found is quickly sort- outable. How's the puppy dog doing these days?

FUDDLE love most of us are concerned and caring and hoping that those poor folks find a haven and a safe place very soon. Don't worry petal, the majority of us care about their plight and hope this all has a peaceful and positive outcome.

GreyQueen

lobbyludd wrote: »

thanks both, I will check out the community farm - and as for "squits everywhere" - that's the sort of info I need if I'm going to make a proper decision!

They're notorious for it, but they are also exceptionally good at hoovering up slugs, if they are a particular problem in your garden. Been times when I would have loved a flock of them on my allotment.

Most fowls have pros and cons, it's best to consult widely and visit with them to decide whether the pros outweigh the cons for your personal circumstances.

Some burger stole my lottie neighbour's brand-new chicken hut at some point in the past week or so. Fortunately, it was ahead of the chickens arriving, but it's still a pretty low blow. Allotments are all too soft targets and crimes seem to go in waves here. We've had a fair few episodes of poultry rustling over the years. The theft to the food at the same time seems to indicate that the thieves are intending to keep the birds rather than have them straight into the cooking pot.

Given that rescue chickens are widely available and very cheap, you'd think that people could get their own, wouldn't you?

I did ask my Nan (born 1923) if there was much problem in her village in the 1930s in respect of egg-stealing, as people were so desperately poor. I was expecting to hear something worthy about how everyone was poor but honest. Sadly, my illusions were dented to find that stealing eggs was commonplace and even stealing hens was known.

Karmacat

I'm pulling half-known knowledge out of thin air here, but don't geese eat slugs etc in the same way, and also provide guard dog levels of safety ?

sb44

TattyG wrote: »

Sorry for jumping in!

A little while ago someone asked about solar chargers and someone else recommended one on AmaZ0n which was quite pricey (£100+) but was meant to be really good - does anyone have the link?

I have had a look but can't get search function to work!

Thank you xx

Was it this one?

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Goal-Zero-Guide-Solar-Recharging/dp/B00DD6B9IK/

It was rec to me but not in my price range.