HalfWayUpAMountain
Songster
Hi everyone,
My partner and I are Brits who moved to Italy two years ago. This is our second year breeding from our extended flock - we bought our four KC ladies over via Eurotunnel !
We've had ducks for four year since we discovered I can eat ducks eggs - I am allergic to chicken eggs.
Last year and our first year of breeding was a breeze - they either hatched and lived or didnt hatch. We incubated the eggs because KC's have the rep for not being so great on the parenting front.
Since introducing a new stud duck (Cayuga) its been a bit hideous - there are clearly defects in his line and the partner we bought him with is probably a little too close in line terms....only two out of eight pure cayuga eggs made it and they both needed a lot of support to survive. More have made it when crossed with KC's and last years KC/Buff x's.
Its been very stressful with duckling dying and some needing a lot of nursing and care. I'd like to take this opportunity to say thank you to everyone here on the duck forum whose advice has most definitely saved a few of our young'uns !
We also have some geese (4 Czech and 2 Toulouse) - they hatched two goslings themselves but both of them passed at a couple of weeks. They were big personalities so they left a big hole for such small goslings - we arent sure why it happened but we had a cold snap and they were outside. I suspect we didnt get enough niacin into them or their parents.
We have problems getting feed out here because Italians tend to feed their animals from the garden and kitchen scraps so we are always on the lookout for tips on feeding - we also live rurally and the Amazon drivers a bit hit and miss, especially when the parcel weighs 20kg !
Our ladies in particular have very large personalities and its a huge source of joy watching them do their thing round the garden - a couple of them are very naughty indeed ! If we need anything deweeded, we just let them at it and an hour later, the weeds are gone !!
They know how to eat !
So hi everyone !!! I hope you all have a lovely Sunday
.
My partner and I are Brits who moved to Italy two years ago. This is our second year breeding from our extended flock - we bought our four KC ladies over via Eurotunnel !
We've had ducks for four year since we discovered I can eat ducks eggs - I am allergic to chicken eggs.
Last year and our first year of breeding was a breeze - they either hatched and lived or didnt hatch. We incubated the eggs because KC's have the rep for not being so great on the parenting front.
Since introducing a new stud duck (Cayuga) its been a bit hideous - there are clearly defects in his line and the partner we bought him with is probably a little too close in line terms....only two out of eight pure cayuga eggs made it and they both needed a lot of support to survive. More have made it when crossed with KC's and last years KC/Buff x's.
Its been very stressful with duckling dying and some needing a lot of nursing and care. I'd like to take this opportunity to say thank you to everyone here on the duck forum whose advice has most definitely saved a few of our young'uns !
We also have some geese (4 Czech and 2 Toulouse) - they hatched two goslings themselves but both of them passed at a couple of weeks. They were big personalities so they left a big hole for such small goslings - we arent sure why it happened but we had a cold snap and they were outside. I suspect we didnt get enough niacin into them or their parents.
We have problems getting feed out here because Italians tend to feed their animals from the garden and kitchen scraps so we are always on the lookout for tips on feeding - we also live rurally and the Amazon drivers a bit hit and miss, especially when the parcel weighs 20kg !
Our ladies in particular have very large personalities and its a huge source of joy watching them do their thing round the garden - a couple of them are very naughty indeed ! If we need anything deweeded, we just let them at it and an hour later, the weeds are gone !!
They know how to eat !
So hi everyone !!! I hope you all have a lovely Sunday
.
Last edited:
Glad you joined.
