Australians - Where are you all????

[wooklet]

I think last night was something to do with the server, this is virtually a brand new computer, shouldn't be having problems yet.

I have 10 eggs in lockdown at the moment, they should be hatched by Thursday or Friday,apart from knowing that there are a few Grey Silkie eggs in there, I have no idea what the rest are - eggs I found around the pens! But I know what is coming up next week! Little duckies from Taylors ducks! It's very exciting. I shall try and keep you informed from the beginning to the end, complete with pictures. Hopefully I can make it as exciting for you as it will be for me!

Also ordered 12 eggs from Shrimani farm - do you know them? 6 Polish/Frizzle and 6 black silkie.This place is going to be quacking,clucking and jumping!!

I would love to have seen your car loaded up with ducklings! Sounds like your duckie has a beautiful resting place, bless her. I had my beautiful little Yorkie cremated and she sleeps beside my bed as she always did. I couldn't bear to let her go. This way she will always be with me.

Rain,rain more rain - the ducklings are going to love this! We rebuilt the end coop, waterproofed it, put in ramps and little sleeping/nesting boxes, and it now holds 20 little ones - Barnevelders,silkies and frizzles, they spend thier time charging up and down the ramps peeping loudly,"look at me!look at me!", but in this weather at least I know they are dry and cosy.

Tell me, can ducks get the dreaded coccidiosis?

Bye for now!

 

[duckyfromoz]

Ducks can in very rare instances get cocci- but no where near as susceptible to it as chickens are.

I have had three of my ducks cremated too- they sit on a bookshelf beside my computer with a soft duck toy some little duckie ornaments each. The very special ones dont get buried - as I want to keep them close to me too.

I have heard of Shrimani farm - and have heard alot of good things about the eggs and chickens hatched from there. Good luck with yours!! And also for your lockdown eggs. I bet yours beat mine out!!

I had the two newly hatched babies on the front seat beside me - the young ducks were in the back of my station wagon in two large dog crates- I could see them through the little holes when they were standing up. It was a long way for them to go for a swim- but they made the most of there few hours up there- and ensured that they would all get another swim in the tub when they got home tonight.

So how many do you have at the moment wooklet?? I have about 43 birds all told at the moment - mostly ducks/ducklings of course.

 

[wooklet]

Ha! Beat you, I have 47, mostly chickens, in fact all chickens- until next week that is, oh hang on I forgot my 3 silkies so I have 50. Oh Lord, I wish that I had not counted them now! Whoops just remebered the other 3 silkies makes 53 - I'd better stop counting hadn't I? Actually I have 10 roosters on 2 acres - I just love my neighbours,so tolerant! It's the new one that moves in that worries me.
Aren't you lucky? My husband would freak if I wanted to take chickens for a drive - but it's a good idea for when he is not here!

Special animals should always stay with one! We'll all be cremated together when I go!

And on that note....!

 

[duckyfromoz]

Thats not nearly enough for a whole 2 acres!! Im sure you could easily double that number

Its kind of easier when they are smaller- except for the continual brooder cleaning. My adults get fed in the morning..When I get home from work- and when they are put away for the night- As for the babies!! Well Its almost a full time job having 4 different brooders for them. I have a lady coming to buy the 8 new little ones that just hatched. So I am trying very hard not to get too attached. I have a few other people who have enquired about buying some. One lady says she lost her females to a fox- and wants to buy some replacements. I dont want to sell to her unless she has changed her setup to ensure any new ducks are safe.

After spending the day up at my land yesterday- I am glad I have a three week break between hatching after next week. I will be able to get up there for a whole night very soon!!! Its been months since I slept up there and I miss it so much. Of course I will have to take up a heap of ducks with me too.

 

[wooklet]

2 pipping!

Hubby cleans the brooder - they do come in handy for something!

Got a new rooster this morning - a silver spangled hamburg, he is beautiful but it's made all the other roosters burst into a frenzy of crowing - sounds like all hell has broken loose!

Your property sounds lovely I will look at your post on BYC this evening.

 

[duckyfromoz]

Just wanted to share a pic I took of two of my youngens. The lighter one is a drake!! He is way too pretty and I hope he doesnt change too much when molting . The darker is his sister. Or maybe half sister- same mother anyway.

For the pips wooklet My ducklings are being slow again. I have been wondering if the temp has been low in the incubator...But ever time I check it seems to be OK. They just seem to mostly take an extra day or two after their due date lately. Maybe its just the colder weather - I do have the heater on all night- but let it drop back to 16 on the thermostat.


Oh...And I am down to 7 eggs fro lockdown next week

Hope all 8 of your are still ok.

 

[wooklet]

VERY handsome ducks! Can't wait.
I have 2 new chickies, one yellow with pink feet - no idea what that is! And one grey silkie which looks as though it has done everything right - blue beak,black skin and the most perfect feet - maybe I've got my showbird!
You were talking of foxes before, thank God we have none in Tassie I don't care what anyone says or how much they spend on the Tasmanian Fox Task force, if we had them we'd know and that's that! Quoll's are the worry here, and of course the hawks and eagles
Hope your ducklings hurry up!

Have you noticed that the other Aussies have disappeared again? Where are you all???

 

[duckyfromoz]

Maybe they are all just once a weekers... I am on here alot more than usual lately while I am off work- and I must admit- it is kind of boring to log on and see the same stuff every hour or so. Of course - if you only come on once a week there is so much that you miss. I dont read many of the forums.. Not much point looking in the sales and wanted area- and I do tend to stick more to the waterfowl area- and Random ramblings. As its a bit slower at this time of night I often look at the unanswered posts to see if there is a newbie with an unanswered question I may be able to help with.

I love Noggins colour.. He is such a pretty boy. I will keep him around for a while to see how he developes- and eventually sell him with a similar coloured girl... I will have plenty of them- but it is odd colouring for a drake.
I have one duck - who is a lovely colour- but not very upright. I didnt think she was laying early enough for these to be her offspring- But I just saw a photo and it made me wonder if she was a runner / buff orphington cross. It could explain the colouring....But she is a very light duck- and I was only looking at the underside of the wing colour. I know the lady I got her from has BO - so it could be a slight possibility.

Pink feet?? How many toes?? I am so chook illiterate- but I know silkie have the extra toe.

 

[wooklet]

Yep,your're right about that, if it has four toes it's not a silkie, and here was me thinking that the Silkie Rooster was the Dad, she must have sneaked off somewhere, that wanton female! And to be honest I have no idea where she sneaked off to! Or else someone sneaked in there and laid an egg - number 3 has just popped out, the Pekin Rooster is definitely the dad there.

I just re read your post about the ducklings being slow to hatch, mine seem to be a day early and we had a lot of trouble with the temperature as well, but for the opposite reason, it kept going up too high, so yes, I would imagine that temperature has a lot to do with it. With humidity, maybe you can help, can the humidity be TOO high?

Noggins is a lovely colour and LOVE the name! What other names have you come up with? My Frizzle Roo is called Boo, he has yellow legs like sticks of Bamboo, so it was shortened to Boo. The other Frizzle rooster is called Ryvita because he came from Rye, and I wanted something with Rye in it!The Jap rooster is Kamakazi, his size doesn't bother him or stop him from attacking, and when he attacks the big roosters it is definitely Kamakazi!The Polish rooster is Mr. Sheen(think about it!),the red silky rooster is "Ranga"and his girls the Rangettes. And I really won't bore you with the story of why the Barnevellder rooster is named Hal!Don't know what I'm going to call the new one yet, I find that I have to have them for a while before a name comes.Oh, and the Pekin is called MoyMoy after Fooie Fooie Moy Moy the rugby player(Hubby is a Paramatta supporter -)

O.K. I've talked enough!

(Always wanted to use that smilie!)

 

[duckyfromoz]

There are a few Smilies I have never used- and wanted to...I guess one day I will have the chance. HHHMMM names... OK.. But There are so many...I wont give reasons for all of them...

Flippy- Hatched with a vitamin deficiency and was flipping over all the time.
Harley and Quinn HARLEQUIN
Goggelduck He hatched with huge eyes
Harvey- Actually Halfy . He was a market rescue duck that cost me over $1000 in vet bills to save.
Crumpet - Harveys Wife
Lord Montague Mason the Squishy - my huge big fat Aylesbury drake
Noggin- His big head.
Stevie- Ray Is my blind girl
Regie My disabled girl who lives in my bedroom
Others are
Porshe, Charlie, Lotte, Jayden, Goonie, Gilbert, Forrest, Egor, Kahlua, Jaynie, Ollie, Heather, Yoshi, Brendan, Gundelini, Cindy, Lucy. There has been so many..

Oh...And I found the 8th egg again tonight when I turned them all. It was mixed in with the new ones I put in on Monday - So still have all 8 going well after all. I had taken out a few last time I candled- but didnt look at the markings on the eggs as I tossed them out.