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Looks great! You've given me hope for my future. My little daughter has been promising me all kinds of wonderful things when she grows up. MIL says it won't happen, but now I see, in 20 years, it just may! Here's hoping to my 50s and 60s filled with homemade doughnuts, a yard full of snowmen...

I raise Ancona ducks. I chose them because they're decent for both meat and eggs. Working on getting my birds bigger, faster. I have a stream running through our yard, and the ducks free range without wrecking the garden too much. They work really well for our property, and we all love to eat...

Last year my Cackle surprise included 4 gold-spangled appenzeller spitzhauben, one rooster and three pullets. I was super excited, planning how I was going to set up my breeding pens etc. Then the rooster attacked my toddler, and I sold the group. So beautiful, but I couldn't risk it with my...

Those chestnut, shaded ones could be gold-spangled appenzeller spitzhauben. Keep a lookout for a little pointy crest developing in the next few weeks.

Some of it has to do with the kid. I raised geese one summer when my kids were 2 and 4. The older one is more assertiv, and she quickly learned to get a stick to make herself bigger, walk confidently, and move past or even herd the geese no problem. The younger one, in addition to being...

I started my duck flock with an order of 20 Ancona from cackle a couple years ago. Now I'm breeding my own. The ducklings are super adorable, and the adults have been good for garden pest patrol and general cuteness. Congrats on a great surprise, Anconas are excellent.

I had a little old camper, around 12', that came with our house. I ripped out the fridge and used the hinged propane access panel behind it as my pop door. When I pulled off the sofa cushions, I found that the seat base was a wooden box with slats across. Roosts! I used another box seat as a...

About feather legs, cackle sells brahmas, which have pea combs, and marans, which have lightly feathered legs. I got some Cochin, Brahma and marans. Well, I won't be sure on the marans until they grow up a bit.

I'm so glad your box made it alright!! I raise ducks, so I'm always set up for waterfowl. I'm kind of happy I've never gotten a turkey because I wouldn't know what to do.

I got my surprise about two weeks ago. Four ducklings, about 12 bantams, and the rest regular chicks. I sold the ducklings right away, but I'm having a hard time parting with the rest before I know what they'll grow into . I'm pretty sure the bantams are all oeg or Phoenix, neither of which I...

Hi, I'm from wny too. Originally my hubby built me a hoop coop with a hardware cloth skirt and metal roofing. I found it difficult to winterize, though it's great for summertime. Others have had more success with that. Right now I have ducks, they only have a rough windproof shed. For my chicks...

Wow,that's intense! I'm south of Buffalo, NY and so far we're only getting a normal heavy lake effect. Even your post office closed! Stay safe, and fx for your chickies

I hate when chicks ship right along with the bad weather! My surprise came a week and a half ago, right when the temps went fom mild to single digits. I was so nervous, but Cackle did a great job packing them. Double stuffing on the bottom, thick paper around the sides, and a heat pack. 53...

I have seen a design where the floor was mesh and then roosts laid almost right across it all the way through the coop. It was only used as secure night housing, so the birds didn't need long-term stable footing, just roost space. The mesh was more for security. I think it could work just fine...

Duck eggs can be pretty tough to hatch. If the one pipped 2 days ago and shows no more progress, it's probably dead. You can candle to make sure, or pick it up and listen for peeping sounds. For the rest, I'd pull them out and candle them. If they're still alive, you'll see the duckling...

Mashed up hardboiled egg, especially the yolk. Ground up oatmeal. Snip up some dandelion greens very fine and float them in the water. Put a little dish of sand or gritty soil so it can digest the greens.

Definitely add the niacin to the water. I would consider that the first thing to do with an apparently uninjured, limping duckling. Last year I raised a batch of 20 ducklings and didn't add niacin because I got starter labelled as appropriate for ducklings. Two of mine died and some others...

wow, that's a huge surprise box! so many chicks

@Liddy : have fun with your box next week! We had 56 birds arrive last month, all alive. Over the past few weeks, about five have died at various times, just weren't strong enough. The rest are looking peppy and healthy. So far we've identified: 2 pekin ducks 2 rouen duks --although now...

My little hoop coop is roofed over with corrugated metal roofing. The hoop is actually a 8 x 5 base frame with electrical conduit hooped as ribs on the ends and in the middle. I put hardware cloth up the sides 18" and then drilled holes and attached it to the roofing. If you use cattle...