Ducks and geese can be fed chick starter and grower rations if commercial duck and geese feed in not available. These rations should not contain sulfa drugs because they may be toxic to ducks.

Unlike backyard birds, waterfowl are more likely to be infected when bird flu is present. But there are many other reasons that you should not feed ducks and geese. It increases the chance of spreading many diseases that are common among waterfowl. It makes them tame, and causes them to become a nuisance. They lose their natural behaviors. It is best to enjoy your local wildlife from a distance!

Yes. The standard recommendation for ensuring that any wild game is safely cooked is to cook all types of meat thoroughly to at least 155-165 degrees Fahrenheit to kill disease organisms, parasites and viruses such as avian flu. It's not uncommon to see dead ducks or geese while in the field. Do not assume that any form of bird flu killed the ducks or geese, because these birds can die from many other causes.

ducklings, you should feed your ducks gamebird starter; give them gamebird grower oncve they are older. To reduce the cost of feed and help you ducks to be more self sufficient, let your ducks forage to find a portion of their diet themselves. Chicken feed is not okay. Because most chicken or "poultry" feeds have higher protein levels than gamebird feed or the natural diet of wild ducks, they cause abnormally quick wing development.

The strain of H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) that has circulated in Asia, Africa, and Europe has not yet been identified in the United States, so the risk that ducks or geese in your local park are infected is currently very low.

Yes. In the United States there is no need at present to remove a flock of poultry because of concerns regarding avian influenza. The U.S. Department of Agriculture monitors potential infection of poultry and poultry products by avian influenza viruses and other infectious disease agents.

Poultry producers should strengthen biosecurity practices to prevent the introduction of avian influenza into their flocks. Sound biosecurity practices can be found on the USDA Backyard Biosecurity for the Birds webpage at www.aphis.usda.gov/vs/birdbiosecurity/hpai.html , which include: Protect poultry flocks from coming into contact with wild or migratory birds. Keep poultry away from any source of water that could have been contaminated by wild birds.

In mature geese, masculinity is usually expressed by a larger body, longer neck, and a somewhat coarse and larger head than those of the females. In the Pilgrim breed from day-old maturity, the down, the plumage color of males is light or white, and in the females a dove-gray. The day-old Embden male has a lighter shade of gray present than the female. Mature male ducks are also commonly larger in body and head parts than the females.

Some breeds of ducks and geese, particularly the Embden, have an above average need for B-complex vitamins, particularly niacin. Administration of a water soluble stress pack (which contain niacin) in the drinking water is recommended.

Answer: This is an impossible question to answer completely. It would be just a little easier if it was asked which ones cannot be kept together safely. A few species, like Cape Baron Geese, Comb Ducks, Blue Ducks and Steamer Ducks are obviously too aggressive to be safely kept in a mixed flock. Many species, however, can become suddenly deadly during the breeding season in defense of their mates, their nests, or their young.

The BC market for waterfowl is supplied by three large federally registered processing plants located in the Fraser Valley of British Columbia. For further information please contact:

Around the same time as swans, although ducks can breed a few months earlier if the winter has been mild. Unlike swans and geese, ducks actually breed twice each year, typically between April & September.

Birds can be checked for avian schistosomes by hatching the miracidia from parasite eggs in the hosts' feces. If hatch-year (young birds) that can't fly are positive for avian schistosomes, then it must be concluded that they contacted the parasite on that specific lake. Not only can the bird species of dermatitis-producing parasite be isolated, but it is possible to determine the level of infection.

Yes, feed for waterfowl does differ from that of other types of poultry and one should obtain quality feed from a commercial feed mill to ensure the waterfowl receive adequate nutrition.

Resist the urge to feed ducks or any water fowl. "People" food is far less nutritious to a duck than its normal diet. Handouts may cause ducks to become tame and more exposed to natural predators. Migration could be delayed. Ducks are perfectly capable of finding food, unless they have become overly dependent on human handouts. Duck feeding causes problems for people, too. Duck waste may contain bacteria and parasites that are unhealthy for humans.

For geese typically 32-34 days and for ducks 24-28 days. and geese, ducks actually breed twice each year, typically between April & September.

Ducks should not be raised commercially by using natural lakes, streams or water courses running through your property because of environmental considerations. Commercial duck/geese operations can reside on fields supplied with water troughs but these kinds of operations can suffer from heavy predator losses, lack of control of nutrition and poorer economic performance.

GooseBuster was made specifically for this situation. Also,GooseChase is a safe, highly effective taste aversion agent. Terror Eyes, Irri-Tape and GatorGaurd are also very useful.

No. Large numbers of geese and swans can pose a nuisance on small ponds and coves, and feeding them may encourage more aggressive behavior and a dependence on us for food.

Yes, however there are two drawbacks to feeding these. First, the weight bearing bones are naturally harder, which precludes them for smaller dogs, and Second, these do not contain the proper calcium:meat ratio (much more meat than bone). We will feed these periodically when we're traveling, but would not consider making them a staple of our dogs' diets.

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You have to have a pond. You must have less than 6 chickens. The event happens on a non-rainy day after the Summer of the 2nd year. If you already have a duck, you won't get them any more. The weather forecast by the guy with a straw hat is much more accurate than the other guy. Keep tuning in to find his forecast.

Chicken pox has a fancier medical name called varicella zoster. It is a virus which infects the body causing the typical illness. To understand why it is called "chicken pox" see "Why is it called Chicken Pox?".

Almost never. Except for children and adults who have immune system problems, getting chicken pox confers life-long immunity. Now, the minute I say never, someone will come up with a story about how he or one of his family got it twice. While this is a possibility, it is extremely rare. Most of the time, these stories turn out that the original chicken pox "infection" was a rash that was mistaken for chicken pox.

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You can make a big batch of chicken broth and refrigerate or freeze. Organic chicken would be best, but you can use non organic if that is all you can find. You can also use the bones left from baked or broiled chicken.