Washingtonians Come Together! Washington Peeps

It's my first soft shell. I'm not sure who this one is from, but it was under the roosting bars. It's like it just fell out while they were sleeping. They have oyster shells so I'm not sure why it's soft. Do you think it's because it was one of their first eggs?

melAnconaMom said:

chicken AND Duck lovers .

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I want duckies (calls i think) any ideas? just love them!!

Pookie_Momma said:

I want duckies (calls i think) any ideas? just love them!!

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I don't know much about call ducks.. I have Ancona ducks.. Though really if you want ducks, research your desired breed.. Make sure you have a safe and adequate environment for them and enough space.. Plus the means to care for them.. And find a local breeder you like to get them from and you should be set. Caring for ducks is no different than caring for any other animal.. It's takes money time and effort plus love and devotion to your flock.

CharMac76 said:

It's my first soft shell. I'm not sure who this one is from, but it was under the roosting bars. It's like it just fell out while they were sleeping. They have oyster shells so I'm not sure why it's soft. Do you think it's because it was one of their first eggs?

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Could be due to other reasons as we'll like stress, molting, in adequate feed.. Though it could just be as you said first egg.. Though not all first eggs are soft shell.. Keep an eye on it and your birds.. Don't go panicking though either. Lots of normal healthy reasons to get soft shelled eggs. And pardon typos I'm posting via the iPad it's autocorrect is awful.

anybody know anything about a bully baby? out of the 2 that hatched i have to keep the one i had to help out of shell separate. i have tried to put it in with the other but it is like he pecks and grabs on. is it like small chick syndrome?i had to pick a small silkie to keep little blue company because this one is such a bully. I have tried multiple times but this lil guy goes after both of them?

I only have 1 brooder so it is alone in the incubator i have no idea what to do about this? anyone got ideas?

I had a Spangled Orp that was like that. Last to hatch and was a runt. It would violently attack the others. This chick was out for blood! I had to put a barrier in the brooder and keep it separate for about 3 weeks until the others were big enough to defend themselves. It's now a little rooster named Hannibal. He still has a bad attitude but since he's smaller than the rest they keep him in his place. He never did get as big as the others.

catface said:

I had a Spangled Orp that was like that. Last to hatch and was a runt. It would violently attack the others. This chick was out for blood! I had to put a barrier in the brooder and keep it separate for about 3 weeks until the others were big enough to defend themselves. It's now a little rooster named Hannibal. He still has a bad attitude but since he's smaller than the rest they keep him in his place. He never did get as big as the others.

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well what i did was take a box way smaller than the brooder but big enough for it and cut a window in it and put window screen over the "window" and put him food and water in their and put him in the brooder. the little one that hatched with him Blu i think thought it was funny because she ran over to it and just stood their. he was pecking the screen and now he is a little mouthy but i am hoping it will work. hopefully he sees how Mickey and blu are getting along and cuddling and it will change his attitude. first 2 to hatch out 3 batches and i got a bully.

I seem to be addicted to incubating now because i am trying to get this thing down! the first batch was 10 barnies and 12 mixed and the hatch was 0/22. the second batch was 6 polish and a surprise duck and the hatch was 0/7. this third batch was 26 barnyard beauties and the hatch was 5 broken is shipment/1 internal crack/ 1 external crack/19 in bator with a hatch of 2/19

going to the enumclaw poultry auction this saturday to see what they have sigh.....

CharterChick said:

We own a charter boat in Westport! Yesterday our boat caught tuna on a combo trip! It was flat out too so double bonus!

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What's your boat name ?

LaurelC said:

Anyone around here grow broilers? Thinking of raising my (municipally allotted) 8 next year, and wondering how people acquire them, fertilized eggs, chicks?

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8 ?
As in eight ?


Why bother ?
If you are going to raise meat birds, do it is early spring, they cannot 'do' heat, and do a order of 25 or more from a hatchery, like McMurray.
And they eat and eat and eat, 100X more than layers.

We butchered the last of ours 2 weeks ago & decidedly will not do anymore, as feed is so expensive, it is purposeless to do so.
And ducks, on grass, build more meat faster with far far far less feed.
Far less.
Turkeys, grow even faster, with more meat, and will eat more grass as well.
Cornish meat birds will eat little except parking their nasty butts in front of a feeder & waiting for high protein feed, aka: Flockraiser or Turkey/game bird starter...

****** You can aquire a few meat birds at feed stores in the spring.*****

Bielefelders


Quakers & Peaches !