At the risk of trying to change your fowl habits, I thought I might
mention that I am keeping a flock of small call ducks in the orchard
area, and they seem to be having a great time eating small creatures
that emerge from soil. I have a couple of small ponds -- almost a
requirement for keeping ducks happy -- and every evening at dusk I scoot
them into a contraption I built that I call the "duck mobile lounge".
It has a couple of wheels on it, and I can move it around to new areas
so the turf doesn't suffer too much. They need that protection from the
foxes at night, but seem able to avoid daytime predators like hawks on
their own. They are interesting and amusing to watch, quite a bit more
playful than chickens and such, and seem to have a very complex social
order that I do not fully understand. They are always available to help
when I start digging in a bed, looking for worms and grubs, and they
sometimes do get in the way a little, since they will stand right on the
spade, waiting. Neighborhood children visit them frequently.
Maybe I am a little prejudiced, but to me turkeys are turkeys, and
ducks, well, they are waterfowl. Ducks are tough little critters, quite
waterproof, and seem to require very little protection in the winter.
Don Yellman, Great Falls, VA
[NAFEX] Fowl in the Orchard,
Don Yellman, 11/16/2003