California - Northern

[Chooklet]

Thanks everyone for all the birthday wishes. Having a great day so far. Went to my son's Lacross game and we're having dinner later, tomorrow is a beach walk and oysters with friends. Gonna make it a birthday weekend.

What in the Heckle & Jeckle? Deann, you didn't tell me you had a birthday around the corner when we had lunch last week! And shame on me for being SO behind on my BYC reading.

. Well happy late birthday, I hope you had a WONDERFUL day, and weekend! Beach walk and oysters sounds wonderful, I hope the weather held out for you.

OK, someone needs to smack me in the face and wake me up from my over-worked stupor when important things like this happen on BYC!

 

[Luvinmyhurd]

I would wait a week to 10 days. It is not a good idea to give chickens too many treatments at one time.

I think Frontline will kill all mites anyway. wait and see how they do.

Ok. Thanks be to you all for all the info! I'm disappointed with myself for purchasing without seeing the birds (I spoke with the owner and they said they are healthy and haven't had any health problems) (I haven't had problems with chicken people being dishonest yet so I felt confident in my purchase)... But maybe I'm over reacting and they really are ok. We'll see either way. I'll give it some time and do some natural treatments on them.

:/ this is not a fun experience!

The disadvantage of being a beginner! Or I can look at it positive and say "this is a learning experience!"

 

[Luvinmyhurd]

Kathy your are always a wealth of information. I love that you take the time to figure what went wrong.

Yes you are! Thank you! So is all the others who come in and help out with knowledge and experience!

Helps out so very much! I've save my chickens life's, had a successful hatch, fixed leg problems in newly hatched chicks, now I'm learning to help my two new birds find their way to being well, and so much more!

Hooray for the Northern CA thread on BYC!

Oh yea and got connected with awesome people who have the breeds I CANT live without and people who understand how truly great having chickens is! You all are awesome!

 

[fowlman01]

So your ducks are always on wire? I'm trying to see how I can have some.

Oh crud, I'm doomed.

Another reason to hatch in egg cartons.

Adorable! I need some ducks!

The only time I've heard the clicking noise when they breathe is when they are dying. Sorry.

They are only on wire while being brooded. After they feather out they are on the ground and and in pens with enough room that playing in the water in not an issue because of the large space provided.

Walt

 

[chrissyr]

The trick with brooding waterfowl is to get them on wire as soon as possible. That way when they start playing in the water (use narrow lip waterers) all of that drops down into the catch pan which I fill with shavings to absorb the water. I have raised so many waterfowl I forgot they were messy......

Walt

Hi Walt,
Was wondering what you mean by on the wire. I put the shelf lining , that so many use ,over shavings. Hopefully that is equivalent. What does getting them on the wire help with? I don't have any wire floor in my brooder. Just want to make sure i'm doing what i'm supposed to with these guys.

Thank you

 

[fowlman01]

Hi Walt,
Was wondering what you mean by on the wire. I put the shelf lining , that so many use ,over shavings. Hopefully that is equivalent. What does getting them on the wire help with? I don't have any wire floor in my brooder. Just want to make sure i'm doing what i'm supposed to with these guys.

Thank you

I use brooders that have a hardware cloth (wire) flooring. All the excess water and whatever drops through the wire onto shaving in a pan below the brooder. You can do it the way you are doing it, but it is messier when after a few days the ducklings start to play in their water. Ducks like throwing water around. I also use verfry narrow lipped waterers to cut down on available water to be thrown around. I have raised thousands of ducks and this is the best method for me.

Walt

 

[member 142084]

The duckling photos are ADORABLE!! I wish I had a pond!

Mine had a rubbed feeder full of water They won't even used the kiddie pool. But they do have their favorite home made puddle.

 

[member 142084]

Ducks are messy little bugars.

 

[Luvinmyhurd]

Ducks are messy little bugars.

Yea! We had some but only had kiddy pools. We rehomed them to a very nice lady with a pond! They are MUCH happier then being with us... And we are too! We just don't have the right home for them! But we LOVED them!

 

[CackleJoy]

Ya'll member that bator chock full o eggs? (My son was watching duck dynasty, it rubs off).

The one that I bleach steamed? OOPS.

And then only removed 3 of the original 63 during the first candle?

Found one more blank and 6 quitters.

Yes, that makes me happy.

We are now down to a 52 viable eggs in a 41 egg incubator

Lock down is in 2 days. We shall see what happens. We've had to use the book method and who knows how effective that is. Also don't know if the bleached caused lasting damage.

This will be interesting and exciting!

I shall just choke if we end up with 50 chicks.

That will teach me to do a fertility test expecting poor results!