Padreug
cd6fbc88e8
Corrects the postal address (456 Grand Rue de Bellissen, 09000 Bénac), adds the 11-hectare land note and the Château de Bénac / Faun's Castle name, fills in spring water as the on-site source (with a phytopurification system planned in Phase I eco-building), and specifies the duck breed as runner ducks.
84 lines
2.8 KiB
Markdown
84 lines
2.8 KiB
Markdown
---
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title: Chickens & Ducks
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description: Daily care for the flock
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tags:
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- animals
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- poultry
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- chickens
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- ducks
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---
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# Chickens & Ducks
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Our flock includes chickens and **4 runner ducks**: Tango, and 3 others (names TBD — candidates: Polka, Pinto, Skippi, Rio, Silo, Pippi).
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## Daily Routine
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- **Open coop** in the morning, **close at dusk** (predator protection).
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- **Fresh water** every day — ducks need water deep enough to dunk their heads.
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- **Feed** — appropriate grain/pellets, plus kitchen scraps (no avocado, chocolate, raw beans, citrus peels, onions).
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- **Egg collection** — daily.
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- **Quick health scan** — count birds, check for any acting "off."
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## Watching for Issues
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### ✅ Good signs
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- Active, foraging, scratching/pecking
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- Bright eyes, alert
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- Normal comb/wattle color (chickens) — bright red/pink
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- Smooth, glossy feathers
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- Eating, drinking, laying
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### ⚠️ Watch closely
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- Eating or drinking less than normal
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- Ruffled feathers + lethargy
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- Runny diarrhea
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- Discharge from eyes/nose
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- Fewer eggs, soft-shelled or misshapen eggs
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### 🚨 Emergency — see [[emergency|Animal Emergency]]
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**Chickens:**
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- **Open-mouth breathing, gasping, tail bobbing** → severe respiratory distress
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- **Comb/wattle blue, purple, or very pale** → oxygen / circulation crisis
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- Standing isolated, head down, feathers ruffled, eyes partly/fully closed → critically ill
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- **Stops eating completely 24+ hrs** → serious problem (digestive, infection, pain)
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**Ducks:**
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- **Limp, weak, eyes closed, cold feet/bill, shallow breathing** → shock
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- **Predator attack** — even no visible wound, shock can kill. Call vet.
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## Predator Protection
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- Coop **closed every dusk**, opened in the morning.
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- Watch for tracks, dug holes, missing birds.
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- Big bee/wasp activity around stables/coop → check for nests.
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- Our [[guardian-dogs|Anatolian Shepherd LGDs]] patrol the area and deter most predators.
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## Natural Daily Health Boosters
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The **"Holistic Trinity"** — see [[natural-care#poultry-holistic-trinity|Natural Care: Poultry]] for details.
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| Supplement | Dose | What it does |
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|------------|------|-------------|
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| **Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV)** | 1 tbsp / gallon water | pH balance, electrolytes, immune support |
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| **Garlic** | Crushed clove or powder in feed | Worm prevention, anti-mite/tick (in blood) |
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| **Diatomaceous Earth (food grade)** | Light dusting in feed and dust-bath area | Internal & external parasite control |
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Plus useful herbs in feed/water: **oregano, thyme, turmeric**.
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## Predator-Attack First Aid
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Even if no visible injury, **call vet** — shock kills.
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1. Move to quiet, warm, dim space.
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2. Wrap in towel if cold/shocked.
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3. Dropper of warm sugar water or electrolytes if conscious.
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4. Don't force food.
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## Related
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- [[emergency|🚨 Animal Emergency]]
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- [[natural-care|Natural & Preventative Care]]
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- [[first-aid-kit|First Aid Kit]]
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