Thread formerly known as Hatch day is today

[Marty1876]

Yes... Twist, Squeak and Caboose are my cayugas.

Oh and Marty, cayugas can fly?? That is AWESOME!!! That makes them one hair safer from predators once I allow them to start free ranging by day.

Some say they can't, but they are a wild domestic. Oh, and I have seen my own take off! They used to go to the little leg 4 blocks away! I finally gave up and let them stay.

 

[Iain Utah]

I love that my geese can fly. They are so pretty to watch and I've seen them escape charging dogs easily, when necessary. I wish that all my hatchlings would be able to fly, although I am pretty sure it is near impossible for silver apples or dewlaps to even get off ground.

For your outdoor grow out pens, do you wire the floor? I want to set it up for my ducks to live in the yard, but we live in serious predator land and I do not want to lose any of my babies.

 

[Marty1876]

I don't wire the pens bottem, but we do have 1/4 rebarr along the base to keep animals from slipping under, but it doesn't stop them from digging, so we also have block, bricks, and some concrete chunks. Not visually appealing, but functioinal. Most of my summer pens are 8 x 8 x 4 foot wood frame with wire tacked on all sides, and most of top. There is also a plywood roof through the top, for protection from sun and any bad rain or hail in summertime.

 

[Iain Utah]

How many birds do you keep in that size?

 

[Marty1876]

I only keep 6-8 hens, but they are moved around the yard every single day.

 

[cbohn80]

drake feather will take several months to develop. the best way to tell is by their quack, drakes are quieter and have a raspy sound, with a whistle to it while the females are loud......very loud and louder until they mature. if you have cayugas i noticed my males heads had more green to them than the females at a young age but i dont know if this is always the case.

 

[QuackerJackFarms]

drake feather will take several months to develop. the best way to tell is by their quack, drakes are quieter and have a raspy sound, with a whistle to it while the females are loud......very loud and louder until they mature. if you have cayugas i noticed my males heads had more green to them than the females at a young age but i dont know if this is always the case.

Didn't think about head color. that's a good one.

 

[Goin Quackrrs]

julie i promise i will take pics when i get home.
i left mommy to her babies lastnight since they were only hours old.
but since she is a ham and enjoys the attention and hearin how pretty her babies are i wil get pics as soon as i get home!
i promise =)

Can't wait to see the babies!

so i have 9 eggs in the bator set to hatch tonight. they are actually starting to shake on occasion, wasnt expecting that at all. can anyone tell me what to expect from here on out and give me any pointers, this is my first hatch

Welcome to the hatching support group! So you're locked down, humidity up, eggs on their sides. Now you wait. And wait and wait and wait and...

Ducklings take a long time to hatch, in other words. You want to be looking for the external pip where they crack the shell for the first time. If that is on the pointy end, you've got trouble and need to log in here asap to let someone talk you through what to do next.

Sounds like you're doing well so far.

GQ: I want to get into bee keeping!! I've been researching it for a couple years now. (yes, a couple years). I've talked to the Missouri Beekeeper Association and there are a few people I can get in touch with around here.. but let me ask you one thing.. Is it hard to get the bees to "like" their new hive? Cuz I've heard that can be a tricky process.

Which reminds me of a story about my Great Uncle John. He was a bee charmer.

I have friends who keep bees, but we can't because hubby is allergic to their sting. The guy who does the beekeeping classes at our farm has hives for both honey bees and mason bees on the property. Wish I had been able to watch the class, but I was still working.

relax and expect to stress

oooo fresh HONEY and more stories

QUESTION: My sweet cayuga, Squeak, who turned 2 months old yesterday, has been making a foghorn type noise the past few days.... each day is louder and I swear my ears are playing tricks on me because it seems like it is starting to sound more Twist, who is definitely a girl. The other two boys have been getting quieter with more a cross between a hiss and a whistle. Is it possible that Squeak is a girl???

Beekeeping?? Of course that makes me want to share a piece of trivia. Utah is "the beehive state".

I was so confused at first trying to tell the quack from the not-quack.

Yay Julie!

Love the baby squirrel!

We raised a couple one year, when their momma got squashed on the road. We named them Sandy (yes, Spongebob's friend. Our kids were little.) and Peevy (my dad named that one). We had so much fun with them, and even after we released them, they would come back and chatter for pecans.

You know, I faithfully catch up on this thread every day. It takes me awhile! LOL

Sandy! Lol. My son loves Spongebob. We don't encourage it though, because SB's laugh used to haunt me in my sleep after watching too much of it.

Hi girls! How are we all today?

Minor improvement (I think) for the baby quail, this afternoon he appears to be bending his legs, where until now, they've been stiff behind him. Now, He can lay a bit more comfy, anyway. This morning I leaned him by the water, and he was eager to drink his fill. He's drinking, eating and pooping, so still there appears to be dim home for him.

I've started moving his legs around, and trying to help him stand, but there is no strength in his limbs yet. I guess if he's willing to eat and drink and wait, so can I.

Its funny seeing Iain and QJ discussing sound variations in quacks. LOL. Thaks for the pick-me-up!

Go little quail!!!

Got things all worked out and will have me some Ancona ducklings coming from Holderreads Old TSQ line.

This will be my best bet for good quality in blues, lavenders, chocolates and silvers probably get a couple blacks in there also. So now I'm less worried about the PR silvers coming. Although if I see any really nice ones from them I'll be keeping them otherwise I'll probably be sending them on down the road. Next year is going to be a very good year for my Ancona breeding program.

Exciting! I should get some Anconas... or as hubby calls them "Anaconda Ducks."

5 itty bitty babies



and this is mommy when still pregnant.
my pretty girl hazel, she only has 1 eye. (a couple years ago she got an eye infection and now has no eye )

I think I just melted.

She's not easy, lol. My khaki girls eggs were fertile over a month before hers started to be. Maybe he just hasn't impressed her yet.

Thanks! I had one a long time ago named Parker that lived in the backyard for a few years.




Go quail go!

x2
Especially since I guess I forgot to latch the quail cage and have no quail now.

Oh well, teaches me to be more careful.

So here's my freak out from yesterday morning. I went out to feed and water and all thos emorning duck chores and I hear... "Wak-wakkk-wakkk-wakk" coming from.... THE POND! The pond in the forbidden corner of the property. Where the raccoons live. Did I forget to close the gate? Did one get out somehow?

So, morning chores and duck count. All is well, everyone present. It was just our Mallards returning to the pond for the spring.

 

[Iain Utah]

Hm...all of their heads looks almost identical. Hard to get colors as the sun has set here. Will take pics tomorrow. But I did take a 1.5 minute video of them. The loudmouth on the right is Twist. The other extra friendly one who pecks the camera is Squeak. He/she is not being as loud as he/she was on the phone with Celtic earlier, and when I replay the video of him/her now... it sounds like a boy again to me????

 

[Kevin565]

Hi Everyone