Frogleg wrote in message . ..
On 20 Oct 2003 16:44:08 -0700, (Mark) wrote:

I'm thinking of getting half a dozen ducks.

Now that you've told the kids, the decision is made. :-) Please,
*please* keep us up to date on your experience. It sounds as if you
have a reasonably realistic idea of what this will involve, and other
posters have offered some good advice. I'd really like to read more as
you go along.

My two pennies: Mark can say goodbye to walking barefoot outdoors, and
his kids immune system is going to get a great workout. I don't know
how one can form the idea that these animals are clean, because they
poop a ton, and the soft, slimy matter it is made of persists for
quite a long time. Maybe one should drive to a pond where there are
ducks, and inspect the quality of the ground around there.

I am of course very sympathetic with people trying these things, I am
just questioning the amount of work and discomfort involved in sharing
a yard with ducks (somewhat separate quarters would be a lot better).
If your wife is unhappy at you when you come in with your working
boots for a phone call or glass of water, she will be screaming once
ducks are around. Geese are, of course, much worse.
But they are nice animals that can inject a certain amount of cheer in
family life, not to mention real life experiences for the kids once
the racoons get them.