The khaki-Campbell duck Thread !!!!!!!!

[nchvac]

I just spoke to her and she said she will only have 4 eggs by Wednesday when she is in town, so I told her I will take the 3 that are already hatched- odds are that 3 is all I would hatch out anyway so I will take the 5 week head start.

 

[caesargirl]

I just spoke to her and she said she will only have 4 eggs by Wednesday when she is in town, so I told her I will take the 3 that are already hatched- odds are that 3 is all I would hatch out anyway so I will take the 5 week head start. 

Probably easier. KCs can be a fairly skittish breed. Whatever your plans for them are in the future, the less skittish the better. My ducks were kept in a brooder that I modified to help ease their "prey" instincts. Instead of always reaching for them from above (like a predator) I made it so I would be able to reach from the side. And I handled mine constantly. Regardless of their use, be it food or friend, you want ducks that you can get near. If they get hurt, you need to be able to capture them. As a hunter, I don't want any animal I'm going to process, to run (at the end) it toughens the meat.

 

[nchvac]

I picked up the 3 this morning. The nice lady didn't charge me much for them ($2 each for 12 day old ducks is cheap enough) so I didn't sex them until I got home. I have 2 boys and 1 girl- I don't know if they new what the sex on them was or not. Suprisingly the female is a little larger than the males. Would have rather had 2 or 3 girls but at least I have something to work with. I stoped by TSC to see if they had any on the way home and they were sold out of all day old fowl. Probably just as well that I stick with these as egg laying is mostly what I am after right now and we need to see how the ducks work out with our chicken setup.

 

[Robeenop]

I ordered a Rouen Drake from my local feed store. Plus a replacement speckled Sussex pullet, and 3 naked neck pullets. They will all go together in my mixed flock. I have had people beg for fertile eggs from my Rouens and Khaki Campbell's, now I will have them. Plus some extra strange birds in my flock.they will go right under my heat plate brooder.

 

[NZDuckNewbies]

Exciting stuff, Lady has been laying for the last 10 days, and she just started sitting on the eggs today

 

[nchvac]

I ordered a Rouen Drake from my local feed store. Plus a replacement speckled Sussex pullet, and 3 naked neck pullets. They will all go together in my mixed flock. I have had people beg for fertile eggs from my Rouens and Khaki Campbell's, now I will have them. Plus some extra strange birds in my flock.they will go right under my heat plate brooder.

I have a naked neck and I think you will like those. What are your plans for that breed?

And what is a "heat plate brooder"? I have seen you mention it a couple of times.

 

[Robeenop]

No plans for the Turkens yet, but my Rooster is a Bearded BUff Polish. I think that would make a cool naked neck!
If you got to Premier 1 website, go to heat plates. This is a natural way to keep chicks warm. My 12 chicks last spring went right to it. I bought the cover and waterer too. Will never be without it. I was scared to death of the heat lamps, too hot, or starting fires. The plate was a great peace of mind. I love it!

 

[nchvac]

I ordered a Rouen Drake from my local feed store. Plus a replacement speckled Sussex pullet, and 3 naked neck pullets. They will all go together in my mixed flock. I have had people beg for fertile eggs from my Rouens and Khaki Campbell's, now I will have them. Plus some extra strange birds in my flock.they will go right under my heat plate brooder.

You will like the Naked Necks

 

[nchvac]

I posted this elsewhere on this forum but I wanted to ask you folks that deal with ducks your thoughts on this plan.

I have a hutch that I keep my chickens in. It is about 12 feet long and 3 feet wide not counting the nest and roosting compartments on the back which is about 2 feet wide.

I have bought 3 ducks and I am wanting to fence in beneath the hutch to keep them in that area, mainly to have them on the ground where I can open the door and let them go to the pool or whatever. From time to time I may have some chickens in there and if the ducks don't work out I may use the area for a meat pen for chickens. I have chicken wire available and chain link fence available. If I use the chain link fence on the outside of my 2 x 4 posts that hold up the hutch and then attach the chicken wire to the inside of the 2 x 4s (do note that the 2 x 4s are turned where the distance between the wires will only be 2 inches (actually 1.5 inches)), will that be good protection? Of course I will dig down and have some wire under the ground for that protection.

I don't know what type of problems rats present with ducks, but I think my ducks don't go broody(khaki Campbells) so I will be raising the little ones in the upper part of the hutch.

 

[nchvac]

The "fines" that the ducks leave in the bottom of the water bowl, I assume from washing out their nostrils, can these be salvaged and fed back tot he ducks or maybe the chickens? Or just pour them on the garden?