Australians - Where are you all????

[duckyfromoz]

Morri is from show stock - so I hope she wins some prizes one day - but for now is an indoor pet just because its too cold for one lone silkie outside all alone- and I havent gotten around to making a pen for her yet either. OK...So I know the comb is the bit up on top of the head- and the wattles hang down...but this one is a bearded so shouldnt have wattles?? Well thats what I thought...But its my first and only chookin so I have a lot to learn. Its actually very hard to see anything much under that huge mop head thing she has going on.

Well done on splinting the little one. I hope the others leave his little shoe alone and he gets his toe straightened out.

Is it windy down there wooklet?? Its very blowy here tonight - I always worry I am going to loose roof tiles in weather like this.

 

[wooklet]

I asked about the wattles because I have noticed that the silkies seem to have bigger wattles when they are male. But I am only learning too so don't take all I say on! But I could see that Morri is good stock, she has middle toe feathers - first thing I look for in mine! It is not windy here yet but we have a severe weather warning for early this morning. This is when I start to panic about loosing power. You told me some time back that you have done something to counteract that but I can't remember what it was, could you repeat it please? I need to stop the panic when we have bad weather. Generators seem to be so expensive.
The pecking seems to have settled down a bit, if it continues I may take the little one out and put him in another box with just one other for a few days. What do you think? I'll give it until tomorrow.
Hope your tiles stay on!

 

[duckyfromoz]

See...I really know nothing... Feathers on the middle toe... I would never have realised that!! My daughter will enter her in a show sometime - but in the junior section so she wont be up against her parents in the open section. I wouldnt feel right showing her in the open section in case she beat one of the owners birds.

I have had a few power outages. And my generator is up at my block of land 2 hours drive away!! I bought a power inverter in case of a long blackout - You hook it up to a car battery - but I have been lucky over the last few months at least. If I lost power for too long I would be putting my eggs into a box I have that I use for little ones when I have to take them to work. It thick plastic and big enough for a hot water bottle on the bottom. Its a bit hard to regulate the heat- But at least they wouldnt cool down too far. You could always put them into the oven wooklet... ON VERY LOW!! and dont let your hubby near them!! The longest mine was out was 3 hours- I was in a real panic towards the end of that one. Once I was at work - I felt so helpless that time. An hour or so wont hurt... If the power goes out dont open the incubator at least for the first hour to try to retain the heat. You could try wrapping a towel around it to try to retain heat- After that if you are getting worried - you could put them onto a hot water bottle. I have gas hot water so the power going out doesnt effect that.

I hope the wind isnt too bad when it you your area.. And as for the little chicken - I think your idea is good... No point making extra work with a second brooder if things are all well in the morning.

 

[wooklet]

Thanks for that! We have all electric which is a bit of a worry, but I have one hw bottle, we also have a wood fire, so I could put all the chicks in front of that in a big box to keep them warm, and another thing I suppose I could do is fill plastic water bottles with hot water and use them a a sort of central heating in the brooder - suitably wrapped of course! Wonderful how ingenious we can be if neccessary - let hope it won't be! The wind is howling now, came up in the last ten minutes, and we have just had some thunder and lightning. It's going to be a long night for everyone I think.

 

[duckyfromoz]

The weather broke... And it was a beautiful sunny day today. Not too warm but the sun was out long enough for me to take the babies outside for their first run around on the grass.

First just the bigger ones...

then the younger ones came out as well.

Stevie - Ray my blind duckling isnt in the second photo. She had had enough and had wandered over and climbed into my lap. It made my wonder if she has some very small amount of sight. She was still feeling her way with her beak- and relied heavily on her hearing- But the fact that she came over and climbed onto me was just so sweet. She does love cuddles.

 

[wooklet]

They are just gorgeous. They all have that curious"what's happening?" expression on their faces. Is that cinnamon on the one that has 2 colours? Which one is Stevie in the first photo? I have a dog who is blind, supposedly, but she seems to walk around obstacles, so like you I feel she has some sight - and she sure knows where to find food! The little ducklings are doubly cute! All quiet in my incubator at the moment. Sighhhhhhhh........

 

[duckyfromoz]

Hi there Wooklet...it Alicia Here.... BUT WHERE ARE THE OTHER AUSTRALIANS???? Is almost getting like the Victorian / Tasmainian chat line here on this thread...not that I mind - But it would by lovely to have some others chime in too.

Stevie-Ray is the all white larger duckling with the pink beak right in front in the first photo. She is so sweet. The other two larger ones arent "correct " Cinnamons- I think they had a white mother. I havent got her anymore so should see better colouring coming through with the younger ones. They have wonderful personality though- and love attention and cuddles. They will make wonderful tame pets for someone looking for some quiet ducks... Quiet as in tame...these two talk and chatter all day- not very loud I guess- just constant.

Its interesting how the other senses adjust to compensate when one is laking. I havent put any obstacles up in front of Stevie- Ray, so I might have to do something like that as a way of working out if she has any sight at all.

I have tomorrow off work- I have a specialist appointment set up by my employers Insurance company. I am fighting my work cover claim after tearing a tendon in my elbow. So after that I will be heading to the post office with some precious packages. I hope the postal workers arent feeling like getting in on all the soccer hype at the moment....I would hate to be having the packages kicked around. You should have then on Tuesday or Wednesday. I thought I could set some eggs at the same time- so we can hatch together with this lot.

 

[Annabella]

Well the question arose where are the other Aussies - well I am here!! Have been enjoying listening (?) to you chat, didnt want to interrupt LOL
Have missed the foul weather you received - days are gorgeous here in Bris. Talking of gorgeous so are the photos of ducklings and chicks..
Am working full time again so have little time to organise building my chook coop so bought one off ebay. The older girls won't let the young ones sleep in theirs - so now that the young ones have their own - guess who has taken it over, yep the older ones!! Chooks are such characters.

 

[wooklet]

Hi,Annabella and Alicia! Nice to have someone else to chat, I am the same as Alicia and was wondering where all the other Australians had gone! Please feel free to interupt at any time!I have often looked at the chicken coops on ebay, was it easy to put together? I may need a new coop soon and poor DH has had enough to do lately. I look forward to my package arriving! The buff silkies wasn't it?? I was fossicking around in the garage today and found 14 Pekin eggs, I thought they were still off the lay cunning little so and sos, so the mix in the incubator is going to be fascinating!
Any reason for Stevie to have a pink beak whereas the others seem to be dark? She looks so alert one would never guess that she is blind. The other senses do take over, there have been blind dogs shown and the judge was completely unaware of it!Good luck with your compensation case, ouch! tendons hurt when they go. Please stay with us Annabella! We'd love to have more Aussies here too! Alicia and self have been having a lovely chat but it's not exclusive! Bye for now!

 

[duckyfromoz]

I certainly agree...Dont ever feel you would be interrupting Annabella...There are so few of us here on this site- thats its nice to come here and chat with some locals.

So we have most of the eastern states covered..... I wonder how things are going over the western side...There are a few Aussies on here from WA and Im sure I have seen a few from SA and one from NT too.

I would love some of that nice northern weather down here... It cold every day day- but not completely miserable. At least all my ducklings are always warm inside the house- With ducted heating on as well as a light in each brooder they are all very comfortable.

Oh Stevie- Rays Beak??..Its normal...Orange beaked ducks hatch with a bright orange beak - but then it goes pink for a few weeks. Not really sure why- but it happens to all my Pekin ducklings as well. It always goes back to the vibrant yellow - orange colour after a while. Stevie - Ray had a yellow/ orange beak when she hatched- so I assume it will start turning colour again soon. She is very alert- and people who have seen her always ask how I know she is blind...Guess they cant tell because she doesnt have her white cane or guide dog yet...

. But after watching her for a while- it is easy to recognise that see is sight impared.