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  1. meli229

    What breed would be best for me?

    I'm wanting to add a few ducks to my suburban homestead and wondering what breed would be best. Aiming just 2 or 3 (all female), and going to buy from local feed store. My options are Peking, Khaki Campbell, Cayuga, and Blue Swedish. I've kept chickens for a billion years for both eggs and...
  2. meli229

    How much water/pond is needed?

    I'm hoping to add ducks to my homestead next year. Was thinking 3 females. Is there a standard ratio of how many gallons of pond water needs to be provided per duck? If you have a small flock, I'd love to know how many you have, how big your pond is, and how often it needs to be...
  3. meli229

    how long do i leave the chicks alone with just mama, and other newbie questions?

    Our hen hatched out 4 chicks a few days ago, and she's doing a great job being a mama. This is both her, and my, first time hatching. They are enclosed in one of those larger metal dog crates (about 2x3), inside my hen house. The hen has been in this cage with her nesting box since she started...
  4. meli229

    OMG MY HEN HATCHED EGGS! Now what?

    First off, so sorry if all these questions have been answered. I'm so excited and nervous that I didn't have the patience to scroll though pages. My chicken books don't have much info on hatching "naturally". I went to feed the hens this morning and found out that were chicks under my broody...
  5. meli229

    understanding ventilation versus drafts

    I'm in process of constructing a new coop for our 8 hens. Standard shed shaped, with a gabled roof. I know that ventilation is very important, but its also important to keep drafts out. I guess I'm confused on how to to have ventilation without drafts. I'm thinking that if I wire off the...
  6. meli229

    1 giant next box?

    In my current hen house, regardless of having multiple next boxes to choose from, two hens often shove together in 1 box. I'm in progress of building a new coop, and had a thought on the nesting boxes. Instead of doing 5 small boxes, what if I just do 1 big long box? Has anyone tried this, or do...
  7. meli229

    rest before piecing out?

    I'm hoping someone can answer this in the next few hours, as I will be embarking on processing our 4 spent hens.... I know you need to let the meat rest, but does it need to stay whole to do that? To save fridge & then freezer space, I'll be piecing the hens out to add sections to soup. Can I...
  8. meli229

    unfertilized eggs from broody hen safe to eat?

    I have a broody hen but no rooster, and has been sitting for the past 5 days. I collect the eggs from her every evening when I get home from work, and they are HOT! Are these safe for me to eat? I wasn't sure if having them be sat on all day made them un-eatable. Thanks for any advice! Also...
  9. meli229

    depressed, picked-on, laying without shell- please help!

    This is my first post, I'm so glad I found this site! I have an Arucana mix hen that is seems depressed, is a loner compared to the other hens, and has layed a few eggs without shells. I'm getting concerned. Some background: I got 5 hens as pullets, and was told they were about 3 months old...
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