➡I accidentally bought Balut eggs: 2 live ducks! Now a Chat Thread!

[CrazyCrttr75]

Woohoo!!! Snow! Do the ducks like it? My chickens hate it, but the ducks seem to think it's pretty fun.

The ducks don't care at all. They are still swimming in their pool a lot. When they come out, they basically slide down the ramp to the ground. That's pretty funny to watch. When I was out there a little bit ago, they were out and about noodling around in the grass (what's left) and mud. They were more bothered/scared of the straw that we put down yesterday. Now that was interesting. They didn't want to go near it or walk on it. We've been getting so much rain upon rain upon more rain. It was getting difficult to walk in it, you were slipping and sliding all over the place. So we just bought a couple square bales and sprinkled it all over the worst sections. They finally realized that it wasn't going to eat them but it took them a while. The chickens LOVED the straw. They are like, ooooooh! what is this stuff that we can scratch around in? Did you put any treats in it? We didn't but that didn't stop them from looking all the same. The snow has melted a lot already so everybody is out and about looking to see what they can find.

 

[CrazyCrttr75]

Noah is still being a bit of a jerk. Not as bad but still. He isn't nipping at her neck as much or chasing her as much as he was. But he still does it some. And he will nip at her to push her away from where they are at. Not all the time tho. Just some times. And if he is in the pool, he will either nip at her to drive her away/keep her from getting in or will practically try to drag her in the pool so he can mate with her. I'm trying to figure all of this out. It's like he will include her and all 4 of them will be foraging and what not and then sometimes he just turns on her just to be a dominating jerk. I'll give it more time but he better straighten out! This may be a dumb question but I'm going to ask it anyway. Annabelle is the only one that is laying eggs at the moment. I haven't gotten a single egg other than that first one from either Luna or Xena. Is it possible that Noah "knows" that Annabelle is laying and that is playing a role in this whole integration dynamic? Or it's more likely that I just need to try and be patient and let them continue to work thru whatever they need to work thru.

 

[Conan]

Awesome! I was looking at some mini Nubian breeders here who refuse to disbud saying it’s cruel. I weeded them out of our list fast.

Really? That's just weird! I mean, it ain't fun, but it's over pretty quickly. They're so little when it's done that they forget pretty quickly (usually done at around 10 days). I'm not opposed to horns, but they can be a bit of a pain, especially if your goat likes to spar ... not so fun!

 

[Conan]

Aww cute picture!! And yeah, goats definitely have a lot of personality which seems like it would make them really fun but could also make them a tad bit of a pain (like chasing a toddler all the time lol) and the sheep seem really sweet and gentle, so idk. I kinda want mini goats if I got goats.

Sheep are sweet, but a little on the simple side. The only goat I've ever had to chase was a horrible Toggenburg. She was awful. Terrible to get up on the stand and even worse to milk. That jerk put her foot in the pail at least once a week. We didn't keep her very long. Once we switched to Lamanchas, we never went back. Very sweet and gentle. Easy milkers, loved being around us. The Nubians are, if possible, even more gentle and sweet. They just love being touched.

 

[Conan]

The ducks don't care at all. They are still swimming in their pool a lot. When they come out, they basically slide down the ramp to the ground. That's pretty funny to watch. When I was out there a little bit ago, they were out and about noodling around in the grass (what's left) and mud. They were more bothered/scared of the straw that we put down yesterday. Now that was interesting. They didn't want to go near it or walk on it. We've been getting so much rain upon rain upon more rain. It was getting difficult to walk in it, you were slipping and sliding all over the place. So we just bought a couple square bales and sprinkled it all over the worst sections. They finally realized that it wasn't going to eat them but it took them a while. The chickens LOVED the straw. They are like, ooooooh! what is this stuff that we can scratch around in? Did you put any treats in it? We didn't but that didn't stop them from looking all the same. The snow has melted a lot already so everybody is out and about looking to see what they can find.

Ducks and muck go hand in hand, don't they?

 

[CrazyCrttr75]

Sheep are sweet, but a little on the simple side. The only goat I've ever had to chase was a horrible Toggenburg. She was awful. Terrible to get up on the stand and even worse to milk. That jerk put her foot in the pail at least once a week. We didn't keep her very long. Once we switched to Lamanchas, we never went back. Very sweet and gentle. Easy milkers, loved being around us. The Nubians are, if possible, even more gentle and sweet. They just love being touched.

I am eventually wanting to get goats. I was hoping this yr but it may end up getting pushed back another yr. We didn't get the fencing done in the fall like we were wanting to do. They would be pets, yes, but also for milk/cheese. I was looking at Nigerian Dwarf tho. I read that their milk is sweeter? Would you recommend Lamanchas or Nubians instead?

 

[ShrekDawg]

Sheep are sweet, but a little on the simple side. The only goat I've ever had to chase was a horrible Toggenburg. She was awful. Terrible to get up on the stand and even worse to milk. That jerk put her foot in the pail at least once a week. We didn't keep her very long. Once we switched to Lamanchas, we never went back. Very sweet and gentle. Easy milkers, loved being around us. The Nubians are, if possible, even more gentle and sweet. They just love being touched.

In a way the simple could be good as they would maybe not always be testing the fence lol much like with FSIL’s dogs, one is super smart and is always trying to figure out how to get away with things and test limits, etc. whereas the other one doesn’t know how to be bad and he’s honestly a bit dim, doesn’t learn near instantaneously like the other one, but he is sooo sweet and cuddly and wants to please.

Yeah, I’ve heard Toggenburgs are a bit testy or moody or gamey or whatever lol Lamanchas seem like a good breed but I don’t think I can get past the no ear thing ha and Nubians I heard were loud? Considering Alpine, ND, or Oberhasli.

I am eventually wanting to get goats. I was hoping this yr but it may end up getting pushed back another yr. We didn't get the fencing done in the fall like we were wanting to do. They would be pets, yes, but also for milk/cheese. I was looking at Nigerian Dwarf tho. I read that their milk is sweeter? Would you recommend Lamanchas or Nubians instead?

I think the Nigerian Dwarfs have a higher butterfat content if I remember correctly. The other breeds seem like good breeds but the NDs have sooo much personality and seem so fun from what I have read and plus it is less feed. So I am considering them. Along with Alpine, Oberhasli, or even Boer. Not dairy but good for brush clearing, packing, and pets ha. Possibly even Saanan but I don’t know much about them.

 

[CrazyCrttr75]

Which kind of goats are the ones that have the long droopy ears? Those are cute! But with droopy ears I would think you'd have to worry more about ear mites/infections? Same as in dogs I would assume. They are still cute tho!

 

[ShrekDawg]

Which kind of goats are the ones that have the long droopy ears? Those are cute! But with droopy ears I would think you'd have to worry more about ear mites/infections? Same as in dogs I would assume. They are still cute tho!

Nubians

 

[Conan]

I am eventually wanting to get goats. I was hoping this yr but it may end up getting pushed back another yr. We didn't get the fencing done in the fall like we were wanting to do. They would be pets, yes, but also for milk/cheese. I was looking at Nigerian Dwarf tho. I read that their milk is sweeter? Would you recommend Lamanchas or Nubians instead?

Nigerians are neat little goats. They are a bit more on the clever/troublemaking side. The ones I've been around are very friendly. They are a bit more active than some of the larger, gentler breeds. I've heard many folks say that they are escape artists. I have no personal experience with owning them. Their milk does have a super high butterfat content of 6-10%, which is pretty amazing. They do not give nearly as much milk, but the quality is super good, and yeah, very sweet.
Nubians are the long eared variety. They are a full size goat and have good quality milk. They average around 4-5% butterfat. They give a lot of milk if you get goats from good lines.
Lamanchas are similar in their butterfat to Nubians and also give a lot of milk.
Personality wise, I love the standard goats. They are calmer and more docile than the Nigerian Dwarfs I've been around.
Our first goat was a Saanen. She was super friendly and gave tons of milk. Really low butterfat content and not the highest quality, but she was a real doll. She even rode in the car on the seat like a dog. Very neat goat. Loved being around people.
I am personally going with Nubians. If I found a local Lamancha breeder with nice lines, I would have considered them as well. Maybe one day I will be lucky enough to have both!
It all really comes down to personal preference and what is important to you.