Pennsylvania!! Unite!!

[chicks1234]

My father-in-law rebuilt his old coop for my chickens. ...

and they love it!

 

[BullChick]

I miss my ducks! I'm going to try buff next year, I've never had them before.
!

I have considered them too.

 

[WackyQuacky]

I have a question. I have been trying to find people that live around me that have ducks so that I can make some new friends and have someone close by to talk to about ducks and maybe even find another female. At any rate I found an add for a farm that seemed decent that said they had some ducks to sell seemed like a good place to try and meet people. When we got there he took us into a sort of back stall in a barn with pens with rabbits and I don't know what all and there were some ducks running around the floor. It was pretty dark and very very dirty. I wanted to look at the ducks and so to catch one he grabs a fishing net off a hook to catch the duck with then grabs it and pulls it out by its wings very roughly and pushes it at me and the poor thing was freaking out. I get a hold of it gently and calm it down and it is disgustingly greasy and dirty. He says to me that it is a mallard then says you know a Rouen then tells me it's a female. I look at the poor thing and it has the dark head and drake feather and tell him it's a drake and he says no you can't go by that the male ruffles the feathers of the females when they breed. This is a female and I look down again at this perfectly curled unruffled drake feather and feel horrible for all of the animals this guy has. I put the drake down and the guy grabs up another drake and tries to tell me it's a female. This drake is equally dirty. I look around and this pen that is supposed to have ducks in it they are selling is full of drakes except one duck that has a terribly deformed bill. The whole visit left me feeling sick to my stomach. I realize though that I am new to having ducks and so my question is... Are my instincts right about this guy being mean and neglectful or do I just super spoil my ducks?

 

[fisherlady]

My father-in-law rebuilt his old coop for my chickens. ...

and they love it!

They should love it, it is wonderful looking! Very nice of your FIL to redo it for you!

The youngsters should grow up very happy.

 

[LeBlackbird]

I have a question. I have been trying to find people that live around me that have ducks so that I can make some new friends and have someone close by to talk to about ducks and maybe even find another female. At any rate I found an add for a farm that seemed decent that said they had some ducks to sell seemed like a good place to try and meet people. When we got there he took us into a sort of back stall in a barn with pens with rabbits and I don't know what all and there were some ducks running around the floor. It was pretty dark and very very dirty. I wanted to look at the ducks and so to catch one he grabs a fishing net off a hook to catch the duck with then grabs it and pulls it out by its wings very roughly and pushes it at me and the poor thing was freaking out. I get a hold of it gently and calm it down and it is disgustingly greasy and dirty. He says to me that it is a mallard then says you know a Rouen then tells me it's a female. I look at the poor thing and it has the dark head and drake feather and tell him it's a drake and he says no you can't go by that the male ruffles the feathers of the females when they breed. This is a female and I look down again at this perfectly curled unruffled drake feather and feel horrible for all of the animals this guy has. I put the drake down and the guy grabs up another drake and tries to tell me it's a female. This drake is equally dirty. I look around and this pen that is supposed to have ducks in it they are selling is full of drakes except one duck that has a terribly deformed bill. The whole visit left me feeling sick to my stomach. I realize though that I am new to having ducks and so my question is... Are my instincts right about this guy being mean and neglectful or do I just super spoil my ducks?

That....sounds really gross. I've generally found that waterfowl do way better being raised on grass in the sunlight than being confined to something dark indoors, even with proper husbandry. But that sounds awful and sad. I hope you went home and showered good! Would be awful if they were sick and your babies got something. I won't be doing ducks until next year. This year I have a couple geese coming and I really want to spend time hand raising them and building a new pen for them. Next year I'll try to do some ducks I miss their goofy personalities

 

[BullChick]

Wq, welcome to the thread, and BYC!
I'm in Clearfield county. I have a Pekin pair (no fertile eggs at this time) and supposedly (pretty sure) six Pekin ducklings. I will be posting on here when I am sure of the sexes, and someone else will get first dibs on any extra females. However, you're up next!
The conditions do sound gross. My coops are far from perfect, but I don't think that they would make one's skin crawl. I trust the toddler in there.
You seem to be well-versed in the difference between a male and a female. Trust that.

 

[Cindy07]

I have a question. I have been trying to find people that live around me that have ducks so that I can make some new friends and have someone close by to talk to about ducks and maybe even find another female. At any rate I found an add for a farm that seemed decent that said they had some ducks to sell seemed like a good place to try and meet people. When we got there he took us into a sort of back stall in a barn with pens with rabbits and I don't know what all and there were some ducks running around the floor. It was pretty dark and very very dirty. I wanted to look at the ducks and so to catch one he grabs a fishing net off a hook to catch the duck with then grabs it and pulls it out by its wings very roughly and pushes it at me and the poor thing was freaking out. I get a hold of it gently and calm it down and it is disgustingly greasy and dirty. He says to me that it is a mallard then says you know a Rouen then tells me it's a female. I look at the poor thing and it has the dark head and drake feather and tell him it's a drake and he says no you can't go by that the male ruffles the feathers of the females when they breed. This is a female and I look down again at this perfectly curled unruffled drake feather and feel horrible for all of the animals this guy has. I put the drake down and the guy grabs up another drake and tries to tell me it's a female. This drake is equally dirty. I look around and this pen that is supposed to have ducks in it they are selling is full of drakes except one duck that has a terribly deformed bill. The whole visit left me feeling sick to my stomach. I realize though that I am new to having ducks and so my question is... Are my instincts right about this guy being mean and neglectful or do I just super spoil my ducks?

I'm form Hershey. Not sure where you are located. I'm currently down to only 4 ducks. 2 males and 2 females. I need to invest in some more. I've been putting all the eggs I find in the incubator but I don't know if they will do anything, because my ducks are getting up there in age and my one female is starting to get health issues due to her old age.

The place you went sounds terrible. I keep my ducks in an outside pen with a chicken house they can go in for shelter. Sure I have issues with mud around their water bin, but with all the splashing they do hopping in and out of it, I don't think there is anyway to get rid of all the mud.

 

[WackyQuacky]

I'm form Hershey. Not sure where you are located. I'm currently down to only 4 ducks. 2 males and 2 females. I need to invest in some more. I've been putting all the eggs I find in the incubator but I don't know if they will do anything, because my ducks are getting up there in age and my one female is starting to get health issues due to her old age.

The place you went sounds terrible. I keep my ducks in an outside pen with a chicken house they can go in for shelter. Sure I have issues with mud around their water bin, but with all the splashing they do hopping in and out of it, I don't think there is anyway to get rid of all the mud.

Thank you for responding. I live outside of Erie so I am a bit away from you but I am very familiar with Hershey as my sister and brother in law used to work at the Milton Hershey school. I would very much like to friend you if that works for you as you are the closest person I have found so far. I totally understand the mud around their water hahaha they do love to splash and play don't they . I am hoping to get two female welsh harlequin soon they are supposed to hatch any day and the lady is going to email me, but even that is going to be a drive to pick them up. I hope you get some babies hatching soon...

 

[OneMountainAcres]

Well, we went to the chicken farm yesterday. It was different than I expected. We didn't get to actually go inside the building because of boisecurity but we were in the room at the end where the eggs came out on the conveyer. There was a great big viewing window there that we could see in. I now know what 10,000 chickens looks like now. They were everywhere! They did not have much space at all but they also looked like they didn't have any issues getting to where they wanted to be. But, like my husband said, he doubts that a chicken on this ends of the building would ever see the other end. They were dust bathing in the litter on the floor and looked generally content though it's not like they knew any better. They did have the doors open for them to "free range" where there were 100-200b outside sun bathing but their free range area was a fenced off area that only went out about 15 ft and then down the length of the building. It was all gravel. The place was very clean though and so were the birds. The people who own it were very nice. They had well cared for horses and pets. Their 7 year old even brought down her favorite horse to take my kids for a ride. Overall, it was a nice visit and am interesting experience. I still feel horrible for the birds but what can you do.

 

[AnneInTheBurbs]

I agree that it was likely a failure to thrive, especially if no others are showing signs of trouble. ..some are just weak and don't make it, sad but true.

Culling older hens is usually based on production of eggs or general condition exams. These were hatchery sex links and they were rarely laying, their body condition/weight still looked good, so a more practical time to cull, she will debone the meat and pressure can it (makes even the toughest birds great for use). She will also make broth from the bones and scraps.

Thanks, will have to look into pressure canning when the time comes.

I am selling exclusively through Pughtown Agway. They still have to order some hatchery chicks every few weeks to catch up with demand, but the last few weeks they have been selling at least 50 per week of the ones I hatch. They have never sold anywhere close to these numbers in the past. Some of it may be the burgeoning demand for backyard chickens, but I like to think some is the fact that word is out that they have some rare and unusual breeds, a customer might come to buy a cream legbar and get a few hatchery chicks too.

I am hatching more Ameraucanas and Black Sexlinks than I am selling. I am building more brooders at the farm to hold them all. The sexlinks will be fantastic layers if we can get a pastured egg busness going, and the black Ams are the best for free ranging. I love the look of black birds running around the sunlit grass.

That's awesome! I wish I could find a good supply of pastured eggs in my area, I just don't have enough room for enough chickens to satisfy our egg needs. Plus, I also have friends who would be steady buyers. Plans for the future.... At you doing the chicks more for enjoyment, or some side money also? If you don't mind the personal question.

My father-in-law rebuilt his old coop for my chickens. ...

and they love it!

That's awesome! Great setup! Mao you just need more chickens!

I have a question. I have been trying to find people that live around me that have ducks so that I can make some new friends and have someone close by to talk to about ducks and maybe even find another female. At any rate I found an add for a farm that seemed decent that said they had some ducks to sell seemed like a good place to try and meet people. When we got there he took us into a sort of back stall in a barn with pens with rabbits and I don't know what all and there were some ducks running around the floor. It was pretty dark and very very dirty. I wanted to look at the ducks and so to catch one he grabs a fishing net off a hook to catch the duck with then grabs it and pulls it out by its wings very roughly and pushes it at me and the poor thing was freaking out. I get a hold of it gently and calm it down and it is disgustingly greasy and dirty. He says to me that it is a mallard then says you know a Rouen then tells me it's a female. I look at the poor thing and it has the dark head and drake feather and tell him it's a drake and he says no you can't go by that the male ruffles the feathers of the females when they breed. This is a female and I look down again at this perfectly curled unruffled drake feather and feel horrible for all of the animals this guy has. I put the drake down and the guy grabs up another drake and tries to tell me it's a female. This drake is equally dirty. I look around and this pen that is supposed to have ducks in it they are selling is full of drakes except one duck that has a terribly deformed bill. The whole visit left me feeling sick to my stomach. I realize though that I am new to having ducks and so my question is... Are my instincts right about this guy being mean and neglectful or do I just super spoil my ducks?

I say trust your instincts and run. I hate that though, you feel so bad for the animals you want to buy them just to get them out of there. But it's important you buy healthy animals that are well kept.