BREEDING FOR PRODUCTION...EGGS AND OR MEAT.

[LindaB220]

The only thing that I don't like about turkeys, compared to chickens, is that the meat is more difficult to get off the bone raw, and gums up the meat grinder a lot becauszze they have so much connective tissue that is tough.  Even our home grown non-hybrid chicken meat doesn't have quite as much tough connective tissue as turkey meat.  But we like the flavor and we liked the idea of growing our own Thanksgiving turkey, so we got some Narragansetts. 

Have only had duck one time - fancy grocery store in Dallas was having an after-Christmas clearance on them so we could afford to get it. Tasted great and made a rich broth from the bones and skin.  Would like to eventually have some ducks and geese to eat, but worried at the rate all this AI crap is going, it's going to be difficult to get ducks and geese once we are ready for them.

Put it on the back burner until next year. Hopefully by then, we'll h ave a better handle on AI.



Hate my phone. Lol

 

[LindaB220]

Well, there you go.  A while back Ariel wanted Moscovies in the worst way but I gently maneuvered her away from them.  It was cold then and NO one really wanted to start building a containment/housing for the ducks close to the pond because it would have been very difficult to work in those conditions.

Yesterday evening,  I suggested getting a few well bred Moscovies because we all really enjoy the meat plus the weather is almost ideal to build what we need to confine them at the pond.  The breasts are great smoked, like ham.

Alright.  I'm still the boss here.  I will try to find a trio of half grown birds and Jason WILL help me fix what we need to house them and we'll put a couple of his buddies to work for about a week.  

Most of you know we're 'preppers' in a fairly concerted way and even with all we have managed to pull together here, The ducks won't hurt to have around.

Done, done and done!    

Are you getting the large white muscovies?

 

[JRNash]

I personally never have liked the skovies. Years back we had a skovie hen with little ones in a pen with a mixed flock of chickens. We started noticing an alarming incidence of angel wing in the chickens. By chance one of the kids was feeding them and hung around longer than usual. When the feed was almost gone,the skovie would attack the chickens,the older ones would run.The chicks she would grab by the wings and twist. It wasn't angel wing. It was broke wing. She was immediately dispatched and her brood was gave away. My one and only experience with them.

 

[hellbender]

Are you getting the large white muscovies?

That's my intention but they are not too easily found, it seems but I've yet to put on a full court press. I should begin looking harder....anyone with information about them, please let me know.

 

[hellbender]

I personally never have liked the skovies. Years back we had a skovie hen with little ones in a pen with a mixed flock of chickens. We started noticing an alarming incidence of angel wing in the chickens. By chance one of the kids was feeding them and hung around longer than usual. When the feed was almost gone,the skovie would attack the chickens,the older ones would run.The chicks she would grab by the wings and twist. It wasn't angel wing. It was broke wing. She was immediately dispatched and her brood was gave away. My one and only experience with them.

I wouldn't let ducks mix with chickens, just as I didn't let the turkeys mingle with them.

We have room to segregate species and we do it, without fail. I've heard the bad stories like yours for many years and it just makes good sense to separate them...

 

[JRNash]

It was definitely a lesson learned. I think the main problem was over crowding. There were too many birds in that little pen.

 

[hellbender]

It was definitely a lesson learned. I think the main problem was over crowding. There were too many birds in that little pen.

Just this evening, I emptied a brooder ((12'X4'X2') of 36 chicks just in time. They were getting bored at 4 weeks of age and feeling just a bit crowded. I put them into a grow-out house and their demeanor changed immediately. They have about 10 times the room and I carried some up-rooted grass to their new home. I should have already begun that.

There are Chanteclers, Buckeyes and Dark Cornish chicks in this mix and the Chanteclers had just begun hitting two of their own. I sprayed the victims with Blue Cote and there is peace amongst all.

 

[JRNash]

I think the white Chanteclers are one of the most beutiful breeds Ive seen

 

[JRNash]

My next brooder will be 12' x 4' x4' and I WILL have the heat light on a thermostat.

 

[hellbender]

My next brooder will be 12' x 4' x4' and I WILL have the heat light on a thermostat.

12X4X2 is far easier to deal with because if you have 4 foot sides, they can still fly out very soon and it's difficult to clean them. We cover the brooders with 4 foot wide dog X-Pens that have been taken apart at one juncture, keeping then from flying out. We are going to take these heavy (3/4) brooders apart and replace them with quarter inch stuff. We can still re-use the #/4 material for other projects.