Bay Area BYCers!

[juststruttin]

Once ducks are grown I think they are a whole lot easier to raise and keep than chickens. I have 500 birds here and half are waterfowl. Some female ducks can be noisy, but usually the larger the duck the less noise it makes., I have about 50 Runner ducks here and they are champion layers and I don't think they are noisy at all. Sometimes during breeding season they make noise, but they are not like the bantam ducks. There are very few chickens that will lay like Runner ducks do and the eggs are bigger.. Muscovys are quite, but they only lay a few clutches a year and don't lay all year like Runner ducks do.

In addition they are not dropping dead all the time like the chickens I read about here on BYC. A young duck has to be pretty mcuh hit by a truck to die before they are 10. I have ducks here over 10 years old that are laying like champs.....all year long. If you set your yard up right, ducks are easy keepers and not all that messy when adults. If you cram them in an 8 X 10 cage they will be messy.....if they have room they will not be messy.

Walt

Thanks for sharing Walt. Very interesting.

 

[annette333]

There is an urgent need for new homes for hens from Sonoma. If you are looking to start or expand your flock and can help:

http://sfbay.cropmobster.com/alert/please-share-egg-laying-hens-desperate-homes-sonoma/

 

[jeremy]

It's been pretty quiet here on the Bay Area thread...

How are everyone's birds doing this summer?

 

[annette333]

Doing great here in San Mateo. If anyone is looking for more hens, the humane societies in San Mateo and Sonoma have some.

 

[Chewbagawk]

My brood is doing great! Within a week I'm taking my SL Wyandotte cockerel to the vet to be caponized so that I can keep him in the city. If anyone wants the info for the vet, just message me and I'll let you know. It's in San Jose.

Just putting it out there, does anyone happen to have any Blue Laced Red Wyandottes?

 

[Honora]

My brood is doing great! Within a week I'm taking my SL Wyandotte cockerel to the vet to be caponized so that I can keep him in the city. If anyone wants the info for the vet, just message me and I'll let you know. It's in San Jose.

Just putting it out there, does anyone happen to have any Blue Laced Red Wyandottes?

Does that stop them from crowing?

 

[Chewbagawk]

Does that stop them from crowing?

I think it depends on what age they are when the procedure is done. I do know that it drastically reduces the frequency of their crowing, and it also eliminates their aggressive behavior (if no "slip," or partial Caponization occurs). I think I'll couple the procedure with a no crow collar (which may turn out to be unnecessary), and I'll be fine. For a much more definitive answer, I'd check out the Caponization thread or the almighty Google, haha.

 

[jeremy]

I think it depends on what age they are when the procedure is done. I do know that it drastically reduces the frequency of their crowing, and it also eliminates their aggressive behavior (if no "slip," or partial Caponization occurs). I think I'll couple the procedure with a no crow collar (which may turn out to be unnecessary), and I'll be fine. For a much more definitive answer, I'd check out the Caponization thread or the almighty Google, haha.

Have you ordered your no crow collar yet?

I have 2, size small (6"), that I never used for my boys. Could you use them?

 

[jeremy]

Not super chicken related but... does anyone know what kind of caterpillar these are? I found this one and a couple others munching on my hummingbird sage (salvia spathacea) this afternoon when deadheading plants.

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[ricebabyca]

Hello from South Santa Clara County!