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Animals come in all shapes and sizes, so who says the family pet has to be a dog or cat? Many people find love and devotion in unusual packages. They live and camp very happily with their rabbits, chickens, pygmy goats, pot-bellied pigs, and miniature donkeys. They might keep a hermit crab in the RV or travel with their beloved gecko. If you like to step off the beaten path, then an unusual pet might be perfect for you!
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Ducks
You may think of them as farm animals, but ducks make surprisingly good pets. These adorable animals are friendly, companionable, and unlikely to fly away. They’re social and talkative, cute to look at, and they’ll also eat up your kitchen scraps. Think you might be ready to raise ducks? Read on!
How Many Ducks?
Ducks are happiest living in groups, so be prepared to raise a small group. In a pinch, you can raise a solitary duck, but in that case it’s crucial that you spend a lot of time with your duck so it doesn’t get lonely. If you’ll be gone during the day at school or at work, it’s best to get a few ducks to raise together.
Adopt-a-duck?
You can buy ducklings at most feed stores, but ducks can also be adopted from shelters and rescue organizations. After Easter every year, a number of unwanted ducks are let loose, and these adorable critters often end up at shelters, looking for homes. You can change the life of some of these ducks if you take in ducklings from a shelter.
Handling Your Duck
If you want your adult duck to enjoy petting and contact, start by handling it when it’s a duckling. You’ll need to spend time every day, gently holding and petting your ducklings. You should keep ducklings inside for the first four or five weeks, until they’re old enough to survive cool nighttime temperatures. Ask your shelter or local feed store for more advice on raising ducklings.
Living Quarters
Ducks can live in the house, but they’re happiest outside. If you’re camping or want to have a mobile duck pen (that wild predators can’t get into), you can build a duck box that’s open on the bottom and has stiff netting on all other sides. Two people can move the pen from time to time with ducks inside, and in this way you’ll trim and fertilize the grass across your whole lawn! The pen system will also work when you’re camping.
Ideally, ducks will have plenty of space. Ducks need to have a pond or place to swim. You can sink a kiddie wading pool in the ground or create a more permanent pond with native greenery. To protect your ducks from predators, lock them in an enclosure (similar to a chicken coop) at night.
Food and Feeding
Ducks eat a wide variety of things, which is great if you’re trying to cut down on kitchen waste. In addition to duck feed and cracked corn, ducks can eat chopped vegetable scraps, hard-boiled eggs, and any dark, leafy greens. Make sure your ducks always have plenty of water to go with their food.
Ducks will also eat a number of garden pests. Many gardeners are delighted to learn that their ducks will eat slugs, snails, and other yard bugs.
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Easter PetsSpringtime and Easter go hand-in-hand with adorable animals. At this time of year, you might wonder if your family is ready to raise a rabbit, chicks, or a flock of ducks. If you’re serious about caring for and loving these animals, they can make wonderful, fascinating pets. And your kids might love the experience of living on a mini-farm!
Ducks
Ducklings are so adorable, they’re almost impossible to resist. Of course, ducklings grow into ducks, but that’s not so much of a problem since ducks are pretty handsome, too. If you’re thinking about getting ducklings, consider where the ducks will live when they’re older. Do you have a yard with a pond? Could you put out a kiddie wading pool for your ducks? You should always get more than one duck, since they’re social creatures that need to have friends and companions.
Rabbits
Fluffy, gentle rabbits are an Easter dream. Rabbits make very nice pets, and they can even be litter-box trained and allowed to roam freely through the house. But be prepared to find your pencils and papers chewed on from time to time! Rabbits love being near people (and other rabbits) because they’re very social animals, so be sure to spend a lot of time with yours. Young rabbits can be fragile—they’re prone to heart attacks if they’re frightened by a dog or other predator. If you keep your rabbit safe and socialized, they can be amazingly sweet companions.
Chicks
With their fluffy bodies and sweet little chirps, chicks will melt your heart. If you have a strong love of chicks and chickens, this might be the perfect pet for you. Chickens are fascinating animals, and if you handle your chicks when they’re young, you can train the chickens to enjoy your company. Chickens also eat kitchen scraps, so they’re great for reducing waste.
To raise chicks, you’ll need a heat lamp. Talk to the people at your local feed store or check out a book from the library on the subject. When the chickens get older, you can house them outside in a coop. A single chicken can also live in a large dog carrier. It’s very important that your coop be secure and that you shut your chickens in every night, to protect them from predators. If you can, build them an outdoor yard that’s fully screened. Inside the coop, chickens need fresh water, food (chicken feed and kitchen vegetable scraps), and a few roosts set off the floor.
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Pets from the Farm
A new trend in pet ownership is sweeping the nation, from Hollywood to your backyard. People have discovered that some farm animals make great pets! If you have a good-sized yard and an interest in raising chickens, miniature horses, or a pot-bellied pig, a farm companion might just be the perfect one for you.
Before you get started, it's important to determine if you have the right habitat for the pet you're interested in. Many pot-bellied pigs can live in the house, but they also have special needs--room to play, water to wallow in, and plenty of loving care and attention. Chickens can live happily with less space. Even in the city, people can comfortably keep hens (no rooster). But make sure you're prepared to do what it takes to keep your country pet happy at your home.
Homes that keep a farm animal or two in the yard are called hobby farms, since taking care of the ducks or goats becomes a fun hobby for the family. The first key to starting up your own hobby farm is to start small with just one type of animal at a time. If you want to have miniature horses or mini donkeys, you'll want to get used to caring for them before you introduce peacocks or hens, for example.
Your local library will have books on raising animals of all different types, and they'll even explain what kind of food and housing you'll need to provide. Assuming you've already built the pen, coop, or small stable and decided where you'll buy hay, grain, or chicken feed, you're ready to start. If you know what kind of animal you want but aren't sure what exact variety to get, you might take a trip to your county fair. There you can interview farmers and 4-H kids who have first-hand experience at raising goats, chickens, or ducks. They can tell you the differences between the breeds and whether they get along with each other.
The fair is also a great place to learn about handling your animals or activities you can do with them. For instance, people with miniature horses often train for cart-pulling competitions, freestyle shows, and other contests. You can learn about collecting chicken or duck eggs and which breeds make the best layers. And you might even catch a goat or sheep milking demonstration with an explanation for how to make your own yogurt or goat cheese. If you enjoy spinning and knitting, you may be interested in angora goats or angora rabbits, or you might be looking for a particular type of wooly sheep.
Pot-bellied pigs are beloved by their owners for their intelligence, loyalty, and affection. These pigs are much smaller than farm pigs, and many top out at the size of a large dog. Some, however, can grow to 300 pounds, so be sure you're prepared for your piglet to grow up! These pigs are adorable, especially when they're small--cute enough to melt any heart. Pot-bellied pigs can be trained to walk on a leash (with a harness) and to use a large litter box. But because all pigs like to root around in any loose material, it's very important that you pig-proof your house before introducing your pot-bellied pig, the way you would get your house ready for a toddler.
Miniature horses, donkeys, and goats are small versions of their full-sized cousins. Although a mini horse might look like a pony, it's actually more like a horse, just with a small stature (less than 38 inches at the withers). Mini horses are friendly, gentle, and companionable, displaying all the traits of big horses--except it doesn't hurt so much if one steps on your foot! It's important to know that miniature horses cannot be ridden, even by small children, since that's very harmful for their backs. They are great cart-pullers, however, and they'll happily pull an adult in a driving competition. Mini horses live a little longer than full-sized horses, at 25-35 years.
Chickens are surprisingly fun to keep. If your space is small, you might consider raising a small breed, like the beautiful Bantams. Some breeds, like Araucanas, are called Easter chickens because they lay multi-colored eggs in shades of blue, green, and pink. Adults and kids alike can find hours of entertainment watching a group of chickens interact, discovering the origin of sayings like "pecking order," "fly the coop," "stick in your craw," "home to roost," "hen pecked," and "spring chicken." Their social hierarchy and culture is quite complex and fascinating.
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Unusual Pets
