- Thread starter
- #241
You have such a way with words and describe most of our lead drakes to the T. lol I saw my dominate drake again today [he took about 3 days off during our most frigid weather ever] but today we got back up to close to normal so there goes Andy with Opies tail feathers in his mouth Opie running and Andy running behind with hold of the tail feathers, he does it with Henry too. I don't know how he keeps it up year after year he'll be in an old folks home way before his time. Andy will just be 3 yrs old this April he knocked our dominant drake off his throne last year and Opie is just going on 4 yrs. Henry will be 2. So it looks like Andy so far has kept the title. Mine only usually molt big 1X a year in the fall and my drakes almost look just like they do by end of summer they are so ragged looking already. They sure keep things interesting around the old homestead don't they?Spent a day completely away from the computer... my eyes were getting square
The year round mating isn't bad, that is just the mating thing. My girls aren't very resistive so it is just 15 seconds x 11 hens (less than 3 minutes) plus a bunch of boasting and wing flapping about twice/day. But now, it is the red peeling billed, I am a jerk and so full of hormones that my mind has migrated south thing which is sort of a pain. He spends less time mating and more time insuring that the girls are all his. Chasing away Tevye and Greta (not sure about this one since she has always been team Kaine). Hope this part goes away soon. He is otherwise a great flock leader and stands guard as the rest go into the house and signals alarms at every squirrel, or animal outside the fence plus inspects all nest building activity. When he isn't this way, he and Tevye actually get along well. Now Tevye has to spend most his time standing about 20ft from the outskirts of the flock circle, alone, looking on forlornly. Kaine's feathers are starting to tone down, so he might be getting close to his spring molt too, so maybe this is, "Make sure you are unquestionably in charge before you become silly and bald.", I don't know, this will be a first cycle for me.
I tried to re home my 2 youngest back last fall because I dreaded this spring and having to separate everyone again but it didn't work out so I guess they are here to stay, just can't bring myself to eat one of my boys. They hatched here I guess they'll die here. [naturally] lol
