Learning Curve

What a few weeks it has been. We have learned a lot in the past few weeks and, so we don't forget, I'm writing it all down.

• Ducks are messy and smelly. What this means for the porch: the porch will be wet and smell funny if they are out there. Why they are messy and smelly: Ducks poop, a lot, all over the place. Ducks spread water, a lot, all over the place. Wet poop smells bad. Spread water drips out of dog kennel and on to porch making the porch wet on stocking feet. What to do next time: put ducks someplace where smell and wetness will not be a problem. Current solution: ducks live in barn basement.
• Ducks grow fast. What this means: They will not last long in any enclosure. What to do next time: don't bother trying to house ducks and chicks together in current brood box. Current solution: ducks live in barn basement.
• Ducks will be stupid with their food and water. What this means: They will get it wet and will lay in it. They will poop in it. Current solution: keep food far away from water. 

• Broilers and Layers should not be house together. Why is this a problem? Layers jump, flutter, and perch, but broilers should never do these things. Hard lesson learned: I believe a broiler died due to jumping (but it could have been another ailment?) Current solution: broilers now live in the barn basement.
• Broilers get big fast. Really, really, fast. They weigh quite a lot, a lot more than the layers
• Layers can "fly". They can "fly" out of their brood box and perch on the edge. 
• Chickens get shavings into their water. What this means: the waterer will fill up with shavings and they won't be able to drink anymore. What to do next time: get the hanging waterer in there ASAP
• Chickens huddle for warmth and will squish each other to death. Hard lesson learned: chicks pig-piled and one got smothered. What to do next time: put something in corners so that no one gets stuck and make sure brood box temp is checked more often.
• Chickens are distracting. What this means: chicken loving people may get "stuck" out on porch watching chickens a lot. Current solution: none, I enjoy it quite a lot!

This is the broilers and ducks new home. Actually, right now the fence is going in the other direction due to the torrential amount of rain we've had the past few days. The basement flooded much to the delight of the ducks and the dismay of the chickens.