Just some thoughts on general information. I am not all that articulate but here goes. LOL We have been having some discussions on poultry etc. These are fun and I love it that this board has so many helpful and fun people. Yes, you too Stan. LOL Alan mentioned that he didn't think it was necessary to ask an electrician to screw in a lightbulb. So right Alan! We all know how do do that if we are adults. But I think that if a person is doing something that could affect the health of their family, like canning maybe, we owe it to them not to kill them off with botulism or salmonella and to double check our info. The same if we are raising live creatures who depend on us for their wellfare. We owe it to them to give them the best(reasonably)care we can and not to torture, maim, cripple or kill them out of ignorance. Makes no difference whether we are raising them for the show ring,pets, a 4-H project or are going to slaughter them for the freezer. Accurate info is the way. Is this rocket science, is this important in the great scheme of things? Of course not. But let me give you a "for instance". If I ask this board for an explanation of why my ducklings died when I left them out in the wading pool too long(ask Julie about that). What would my answers be? I bet you dollars to doughnuts that I would be told that they died because they were too young to have "oil glands", or they couldn't use those glands and so their feathers weren't waterproofed and they got waterlogged and drowned. That would probably be the answers I got, but those answers would be wrong. So, it has happened again. A theory or an idea has been perpetuated and it's not accurate. How important is this? Not very. Unless you are one of the many people who extrapolated from that "old saw" that since those ducklings didn't have oil glands and drowned because of that, ergo- and- to- wit I can put my adult ducks out in the wading pool and they, because they have oil glands and therefore can float, will be fine. Wrong. Adults have,will, and do drowned in pools they can't get out of. So, accurate info is not rocket science, and probably not important to anyone unless you are the person who's adult ducks drowned because of inaccurate info. I am not saying that general boards are not valuable, fun and great places to learn. Of course they are. I think this board is the best. But they should be places where, if someone does not know the answer to a question that affects living creatures(humans included, LOL), they can post a link or an addy to a specialty board where they know there is complete and accurate info. I like it when people show a willingness to learn about things. Especially live creatures that need us to survive. Gail was teasing me about being a "watch dog" for poultry. LOL I hope I am. I see too many critters get maimed, starved, frozen, crippled and the like just out of ignorance. So... I know this is not a big deal in our lives but I think we owe it to those who ask questions(those who are serious about an answer)to give them the best we can. Just my take on things. Should I brace myself now? LOL Thanks, LQ

-- Little Quacker (carouselxing@juno.com), February 10, 2002

Answers

"Glad you didn't have a whole lot of thoughts"!

-- r.h. in okla. (rhays@sstelco.com), February 10, 2002.

what brought this about,, and WHY was I mentioned, HUH?HUH?? And who was drowning duckling on purpose??? I havnt done that since I was a kid,, along with the lawnmower/kitten incident

-- Stan (sopal@net-port.com), February 10, 2002.

Take EVERYTHING you read or hear with a PECK of salt. Ask more than one person, decided for YOURSELF and take responsibility for YOUR OWN ACTIONS regardless of who's "advice" you took for gospel. 'nuff said.

-- Susan in Northern Michigan (cobwoman@yahoo.com), February 10, 2002.

Lil' Quacker, I meant my post for everyone, I didn't mean to aim it at you in particular. Pardon my shouting too. Please. Thanks, Susan

-- Susan in Northern Michigan (cobwoman@yahoo.com), February 10, 2002.

It's nice to get a wide bunch of opinions on a topic. But they are just opinions, people need to sort out the godd & bad. :)

Another thing, I see a lot of questions here that a person could get good answers from a web search. Just got to your favorite (everybody does use web search engines, aka portals, don't they?) such as www.google.com - type in a couple key words, and you will find a chart or publication that answers all your questions of a technical nature. Like, do I need a 2x4 or a 2x6? Etc.

--->Paul

-- paul (ramblerplm@hotmail.com), February 10, 2002.

No vet would diagnose a critter over the phone, yet it's done on these message boards! Of course we want to attempt to help folks, but sometimes the wasted time on a message board can be critical to a critter.

One of the biggest problems is with poultry, since not all vets see them. When I asked my vets if they'd see poultry, they said they'd be willing, but they couldn't understand why I'd pay them more than the cost of the critter. Fortunately, I haven't had a sick bird and I would hope I have the knowledge to fix what would be wrong.

I've rarely needed a vet in all the years I've had livestock, but I wouldn't hesitate to call one of them if I had a problem.

-- ~Rogo (rogo2222@hotmail.com), February 11, 2002.

no, I was teasing you about being a watch dog...not gail. This is a forum, a place for discussion. I want to ask my questions here. I think experienced and common sence is what brings farmers/homesteaders here. As far as learning, I have three degrees in education, and working on my fourth, but it doesn't make me a farmer, time on the farm does. If I need advise about homesteading I prefer to ask it here. I think for the most part I have seen good advise here. Besides, I hate using the poultry forum because it is not user friendly. AND, I nor you can save every duck out there. (The one I ate for dinner last night was great.) Julie

-- julie (jbritt@ceva.net), February 11, 2002.

Julie, You are very right about experience! It is invaluable and I see your point. But why not take advantage of someone elses when they have been there and done that? And with people who know what they are talking about? Of course, there are lots of subjects that it is not cut and dried at all, subjective as to what is best for you. And I also agree that poultry is good eating. After all that's why mankind domesticated them in the first place. And no, we can't nor should we save them all. But why kill them out of ignorance when there is a world of knowledge out there to draw from? And with some technical stuff experts are needed. Just a subjective view. LOL Thanks for your reply, that's what makes forums so much fun! LQ

-- Little Quacker (carouselxing@juno.com), February 11, 2002.