Any one want to join me in waiting for eggs, posting and comparing notes?

[Spikes Chooks]

Amen to that! Although, my boyfriend might hide my incubator if I keep adding more animals to our household. Do any of you guys raise ducks? I'm thinking of hatching a flock of ducks later this spring. Don't tell my BF. He probably won't notice. Ducks are pretty quiet, right

I try not to think of the cost of my eggs, since chickens are primarily a hobby for me. I do sell eggs and chicks when I have extra, but at this point, I acknowledged the fact that I'm never going to make or save more money than I spend on them.

Spikes Chooks, stay cool and safe!

I haven't raised ducks but my friend did and he found the drakes a bit too aggressive with the chickens, so he had to separate them. Maybe he just had a nasty one, as it was pretty horrid to the duck girls too - ots of pecking on the neck. My brother is New Zealand has some that just live on the property, but he has 2 acres and isn't trying to collect the eggs. It is cute beyond bearing in the spring when the ducklings are out. Give it a try - just tell the BF some of the chickens are large ones.....

 

[Melabella]

Amen to that! Although, my boyfriend might hide my incubator if I keep adding more animals to our household. Do any of you guys raise ducks? I'm thinking of hatching a flock of ducks later this spring. Don't tell my BF. He probably won't notice. Ducks are pretty quiet, right

I try not to think of the cost of my eggs, since chickens are primarily a hobby for me. I do sell eggs and chicks when I have extra, but at this point, I acknowledged the fact that I'm never going to make or save more money than I spend on them.

Spikes Chooks, stay cool and safe!

No, I have not done ducks, if I branch away from chickens, I may attempt to train some gunieas. The ticks here are INSANE and I know they are tick munching machines! The one thing I keep hearing about ducks though is it is the next dimension in mess and smell, so maybe do the research there. I do adore them though... so cute! I hang out alot in the natural chicken keeping thread, and there are lots of peeps who dabble in ducks. One member aoxa has the most incredible photos of her ducks. SHe posted new ones the other day,, I don't think she would mind if I passed along a link....
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/729605/lightbox/post/10226798/id/5474240/user/102898

 

[BroosterSpringsteen]

Her photos are beautiful! I really love the one of her tom turkey. I had no idea turkeys could be so pretty.

We're in an ideal spot for ducks. We're have 3 acres on a bend in the river. There's a large shallow pool that's naturally refreshed by the river. I only want 3 or 4, and would keep them in a separate house from my chickens. I'd really like to have an automatic door to let them in and out though. We have all kinds of predators here, and I don't want to have to worry about locking them up if we're out of town. The only questions now are what kind of duck? And how to disguise them as chickens?

 

[Melabella]

Her photos are beautiful! I really love the one of her tom turkey. I had no idea turkeys could be so pretty.

We're in an ideal spot for ducks. We're have 3 acres on a bend in the river. There's a large shallow pool that's naturally refreshed by the river. I only want 3 or 4, and would keep them in a separate house from my chickens. I'd really like to have an automatic door to let them in and out though. We have all kinds of predators here, and I don't want to have to worry about locking them up if we're out of town. The only questions now are what kind of duck? And how to disguise them as chickens?

Reach out to aoxa... pm her, she is so wonderfully helpful, and also is so informative, and could steer you in the right direction as to good breeds for your needs. Tell her that Melabella from the Natural thread sent you....lol. her website is eyecandy as well, the photos are wonderful!

MB

 

[Melabella]

Hey EVVVERRYYYYBOOOODDDDDYYYYYY!

I got my second egg today! I knew it was good news when I went to let the girls out I peeked in the nest boxes, and nothing. The girl that has been laying has been getting an hour later a day, she is due around 11:30, so I really wasn't expecting one... put I can see a bit of the coop floor and could see a small very light egg. Not at all like the darker rounder egg I have been getting. I wonder if it was laid from the roost. It was very very cold, so it had been laid fairly early. I am SO EXCITED! Funny thing too, I went and did some errands and when I came back I decided to give the gang a bit of scratch to celebrate, and there was another egg in the nest boxes. It was def earlier than what I was suspecting, so maybe I did have two laying,, just on alternate days? In any event,,, I have two eggs in one day! I am so darn happy! First one was last Monday, second one this Monday... Hip Hip Hooray!

Here they are! Classic first egg on the right eh?

 

[BroosterSpringsteen]

Hey EVVVERRYYYYBOOOODDDDDYYYYYY!

I got my second egg today! I knew it was good news when I went to let the girls out I peeked in the nest boxes, and nothing. The girl that has been laying has been getting an hour later a day, she is due around 11:30, so I really wasn't expecting one... put I can see a bit of the coop floor and could see a small very light egg. Not at all like the darker rounder egg I have been getting. I wonder if it was laid from the roost. It was very very cold, so it had been laid fairly early. I am SO EXCITED! Funny thing too, I went and did some errands and when I came back I decided to give the gang a bit of scratch to celebrate, and there was another egg in the nest boxes. It was def earlier than what I was suspecting, so maybe I did have two laying,, just on alternate days? In any event,,, I have two eggs in one day! I am so darn happy! First one was last Monday, second one this Monday... Hip Hip Hooray!

Here they are! Classic first egg on the right eh?

YAY!!! Congrats on the new layer!! And you're right...classic first egg

 

[nakstk]

Hey EVVVERRYYYYBOOOODDDDDYYYYYY!

I got my second egg today! I knew it was good news when I went to let the girls out I peeked in the nest boxes, and nothing. The girl that has been laying has been getting an hour later a day, she is due around 11:30, so I really wasn't expecting one... put I can see a bit of the coop floor and could see a small very light egg. Not at all like the darker rounder egg I have been getting. I wonder if it was laid from the roost. It was very very cold, so it had been laid fairly early. I am SO EXCITED! Funny thing too, I went and did some errands and when I came back I decided to give the gang a bit of scratch to celebrate, and there was another egg in the nest boxes. It was def earlier than what I was suspecting, so maybe I did have two laying,, just on alternate days? In any event,,, I have two eggs in one day! I am so darn happy! First one was last Monday, second one this Monday... Hip Hip Hooray!

Here they are! Classic first egg on the right eh?

Pullet eggs are so cute! Congrats!!

 

[CatSol]

Yay for new layer

Congrats....

Spike I still bring my girls in at night do to the dogs here. They also seem to have gotten used to this. Its not as cold as at Melabella's but my girls quickly got used to going in at night to a nice warm bathroom. (I have a master bathroom that is huge) For the health and safety of the girls I am happy to bring them in. I am thrilled you can bring yours in. I am sure that once they know it is much nicer inside they may calm down from the stress of the heat. I think they may lay better for a little TLC... So far I have trapped one dog and had it picked up by animal control. The other one that keeps breaking out of the cages... I may have to poison her... There is a CA law that will allow me to do so...

Brooster let us know what you do... my friend has a few ducks. They are small and very colorful... can't remember the name. She bought two pairs for breeding but the person who sold them cut the wings to much so they can't fly. These ones need to fly so they can mate at a high level (my friend has a tall, big, enclosed avery for them). They were an expensive pair...So now my friend is thinking of getting some ducklings for meat. I think that is Muscovy ducks for that. I raised a few turkeys. I still have one royal palm hen and I want to try the broad breasted for the holidays.

 

[memcwhit]

Count me in. As of now, I have 2 production reds and one game hen that are molting (and we have a really hard time finding the game hens eggs anyway--every day is Easter with her), 1 9 month old rock hen that still has yet to lay, another game hen that seems to have gone dormant for the winter, and 3 surprise RIR boys, on top of our chicks who are about 14 weeks, but we think we only got about 2 or 3 girls from that batch, so we're starting the countdown on them. ANY egg will be a celebration here, but can't wait for our babies to start laying! Hopefully, I will have good news in the next couple of weeks, and I'll report any changes in the suspected pullets as they happen.

 

[Melabella]

Count me in. As of now, I have 2 production reds and one game hen that are molting (and we have a really hard time finding the game hens eggs anyway--every day is Easter with her), 1 9 month old rock hen that still has yet to lay, another game hen that seems to have gone dormant for the winter, and 3 surprise RIR boys, on top of our chicks who are about 14 weeks, but we think we only got about 2 or 3 girls from that batch, so we're starting the countdown on them. ANY egg will be a celebration here, but can't wait for our babies to start laying! Hopefully, I will have good news in the next couple of weeks, and I'll report any changes in the suspected pullets as they happen.

So happy to have you memcwhit!

thanks for joining out thread, and yes, keep us posted! Were your production reds good layers as they say? I have two, I suspect one is laying, and has given me an egg a day since... seven straight days so far.

What are you going to do with the suprise RIR boys? I have one suprise Columbian Wyandotte. He thinks he is the man around here. I have heard RiR boys can get quite aggressive. Any signs of that yet?

Nice to have you!
MB