Monday, January 26, 2009

Maybe if we all had ducks...

21 comments:

chaiselongue said...

Lovely video! How true - if we all had a duck .... We used to keep ducks and they are such fun to watch. But what would your rabbits think?

Tamra Stallings said...

Now I want a duck. I wonder if the wild coyotes would eat him.

ilex said...

Oh I know, now I want a duck too. And I don't even like ducks- their poo is really off-putting to me. I prefer animals who can be toilet trained. But what a happy quack on that little dude.

I'm sure coyotes would find a duck darned tasty. Duck is nothing if not delicious.

The rabbits would not be happy. This is a two-species household. They just barely tolerate that we hoomans live here. (Shh, they don't know I keep worms, too.)

RG said...

Couldn't get it to play on my 20th century set-up ... probably just as well I guess!!!

Sure liked those ears in a box!

Kateri said...

That is so cute. I want a duck, too.

Leslie said...

I kept looking at the pillows worrying that they'd topple and spill the duck, and wondering how he kept everything from being covered in duck poop. I guess a pet duck is not in the cards for me.

PJ said...

I think this is soooooo cute. What a happy quack! Nice catch, Miss Ilex.

PJ said...

Ilex, I was reading your post about worms and I'm not sure what you mean about releasing worms. Can you release manure worms or just no worms at all?

PJ said...

Also, is Can-O-Worms the right composter to start with?

d. moll, l.ac. said...

Yes, more people should have ducks.

ilex said...

PJ- wait, what? Releasing worms... I'm not sure what you read. The best worms for a beginner are eisenia fetida, and a good bin to start with is Can O' Worms, but it's not the only bin out there. Check out Happy D Ranch online. They are in CA, and have everything a new worm gal might need.

PJ said...

Thanks for the info, Miss Ilex. I'll prolly start with the homemade Rubbermaid bins worm composter on Instructables but want to get good worms so will order those.

I was reading about worms on your Tuesday, March 11, 2008 post:

Worms and You! The Worms... http://homesteadinginacondo.blogspot.com/2008/03/worms-and-you-worms.html

"So, what's a conscientious worm farmer to do? Never release your worms into the "wild". Even if your environment is urban, don't release your worms. In the ground, worms are the megafauna- the "whales" in their ocean of soil. They are far larger than almost any creature under there; fungi, springtails, bacteria, nematodes, arthropods. They quickly overtake a biosphere and can radically change it. If you have to get rid of your worms, donate them to a school or give them to a community garden, where they will be welcomed."

ilex said...

Oh, I gotcha Miss PJ. If you get to the point where you want to get rid of your worms (though why anyone would want to get rid of worms, I have no idea ;)), you should not set them free- garden, forest, no no no. Find another human home for them. None of the worms used in composting are native to the US. They are all imports- some have been here a few centuries now, but they are still considered invasive.

Margo said...

I'm sorry but I can't stop laughing! That's great! I grew up with mallards across the street from me, so I'm accustomed to duck-speak and duck-chatter. Sadly, duck is not in the cards for me; George and the duck would have frequent 'set-to's about sharing space, and I'd give them each about 50-50 odds.
*Quaaaack*
What a gem of a video!!

PJ said...

Thanks for all the info. I'll let you know how it goes.

PJ said...

Ilex, ahem, one more question, missy: I can get red wigglers locally so why do I want to order worms? Are they imbued with super-powers?

PJ said...

Never mind! I found the info I was looking for. Thanks anyway.

Anonymous said...

What a cute video!! If only everyone had a duck.. or a rabbit.. ;) I wonder how Joe taught his duck not to poo in the truck!

Friend of the Animals said...

THAT is so frickin cool!

Hubby and I rescued 4 babies a few years ago, sweet things, I cried for a week.

Fancy Pants Elitist said...

This is precious. Maybe I could get some ducks.

World peace, get a duck!

Fancy Pants Elitist said...

Re: Worms

The ones in my corral came out of nowhere and they are the "red wrigglers" so I'm not sure about not releasing them in the wild, they showed up on their own so they are out there. They may be introduced, but I was not looking for them until they showed up in my alpaca manure. They have now migrated to a new manure bin (on their own again). Maybe they were in the straw bales that I used to contain the manure? Maybe we should start a worm composting group on KGI.