California - Northern

[zooweemama]

So your 16 week old duck laid an egg and you hatched it! Impressive!!!

I've got to double check my math but this was 6 weeks ago I collected those eggs...17 weeks old. They were 23 weeks old yesterday- 4 weeks incubation and the babies are 2 weeks old now.

 

[tommysgirl]

I've got to double check my math but this was 6 weeks ago I collected those eggs...17 weeks old. They were 23 weeks old yesterday- 4 weeks incubation and the babies are 2 weeks old now.

That's cool! How do you house your ducks and what keeps them home? I think they would be fun but we are less than a 1/4 mile from Clear Lake and I am afraid they would take off.

 

[zooweemama]

That's cool! How do you house your ducks and what keeps them home? I think they would be fun but we are less than a 1/4 mile from Clear Lake and I am afraid they would take off.

My ducks have their own coop. It's basically a 10x10. We free range them on our property. We have 4 1/2 acres but they stick to 2 or so by choice. Really about 1 or so by choice. They like their pond. We trained them to come in at night with peas. Most domestic ducks are too heavy to fly (mine can catch wind if gliding from uphill so that is not true flight lol). I don't clip feathers and my property fencing is 3-4 feet respectively. (varies) No one has tried to escape yet. I have ducks that weigh less than 4 pounds to ducks that weigh 8 or more pounds.

 

[BCollie]

Thanks guys! I was just curious - eggs aren't overly important to me, I'm mostly just in this because I've always loved chickens. Though all the eggs are a definitely plus, and they're how I convinced my mom to let me get hens! "Mom, our family would save almost $200 every year on eggs."

Not sure if anyone saw my last post, about my black Andalusian from blue parents...Will she grow up to be 100% black? Because some of her wing feathers are white. Picture...(by the way, those little white spots all over her are yogurt. She's very enthusiastic about eating it, and makes a huge mess of herself every time!)

 

[Ali707]

Way to spot the hyocracy! I had to laugh!
Iguess what I am saying is that I just want them to have a happy life right up till the end and OK I know you are teasing me but why do I feel the need to stammer out an apology???

NOOOO! Don't feel that way! I was just playing. I thought it was funny. I am the last one that wants to make anyone feel bad about their views. My views are all messed up so I try never to judge.

I just thought it was funny that yeah here I am sad about a few chicks that didn't make it out of the shell and in a few months I HAVE to figure out what to do with the boys.

I don't know how to tell if they're puffed up...this is my first time with chicks..I do have a dead-chick picture(sent to my mom who's out of town) but I don't think anyone wants that posted here.

A question...I got 1 black Andalusian (along with the 2 splash and 1 blue) and I'm wondering if she will grow up to be all black? Because a few of her wing feathers are white?

Ron has a sneaky way to hide a picture beneath a warning button. So those that want to see it can click on it. I haven't figured that one out yet, but he mentioned it the other day. It was pretty cool.

In news from the Shriners Hospital...Curly can now stroll around (OK lurch) and get both food and water all on her own! without toppling headfirst.

This is the hugest milestone! I feel confident that she has turned the corner.

Speaking of corners, last night she backed herself into one and got stuck facing out. Today she owns the orthopedic ward.

SEE! Now YOU are making me feel bad that I didn't put more effort in to the one I had to put out of it's misery.

Seemed to have the same leg issue, but it also had a really big belly that didn't go away and just seemed to get weaker and weaker.

I am happy that you were able to save this one and the posts are really helpful to me because I had no idea how to attach a "boot" to a chick.

It depends on the breed. Leghorns and brown hybrids are the earliest--16 to 20 weeks. I have heard that Wellsummers can take a year sometimes, right Happy Chooks?

The ones you just got may take a bit linger because of when they hatched--Usually by a couple of weeks or so. Most of them will be laying by 24 weeks old. The ones that start before November will lay over their first winter too.

My Welsummer took 11 months. She was the last one to lay but when she started she laid a nice big freckled egg almost every day. Sometimes it is worth the wait!

 

[BCollie]

My ducks have their own coop. It's basically a 10x10. We free range them on our property. We have 4 1/2 acres but they stick to 2 or so by choice. Really about 1 or so by choice. They like their pond. We trained them to come in at night with peas. Most domestic ducks are too heavy to fly (mine can catch wind if gliding from uphill so that is not true flight lol). I don't clip feathers and my property fencing is 3-4 feet respectively. (varies) No one has tried to escape yet. I have ducks that weigh less than 4 pounds to ducks that weigh 8 or more pounds.

Until I got into chickens, I had no idea there was so much variety in other fowl species, like ducks! Heck I didn't even realize there were more than a few types of chickens. I'll have ducks some day...after I move out of my parents house. I've seen some of your duck pictures, they're really nice!

 

[zooweemama]

Pickles (one in front) and Jojo (crested in back). That's all we have left! Yay!

 

[zooweemama]

Until I got into chickens, I had no idea there was so much variety in other fowl species, like ducks! Heck I didn't even realize there were more than a few types of chickens. I'll have ducks some day...after I move out of my parents house. I've seen some of your duck pictures, they're really nice!

Thanks!

 

[zooweemama]

Thanks guys! I was just curious - eggs aren't overly important to me, I'm mostly just in this because I've always loved chickens. Though all the eggs are a definitely plus, and they're how I convinced my mom to let me get hens! "Mom, our family would save almost $200 every year on eggs."

Not sure if anyone saw my last post, about my black Andalusian from blue parents...Will she grow up to be 100% black? Because some of her wing feathers are white. Picture...(by the way, those little white spots all over her are yogurt. She's very enthusiastic about eating it, and makes a huge mess of herself every time!)

So far most of the black chicken breeds I've seen have white on them as chicks. It's very odd! lol Australorps do it too.

 

[tommysgirl]

NOOOO! Don't feel that way! I was just playing. I thought it was funny. I am the last one that wants to make anyone feel bad about their views. My views are all messed up so I try never to judge.

I just thought it was funny that yeah here I am sad about a few chicks that didn't make it out of the shell and in a few months I HAVE to figure out what to do with the boys.



SEE! Now YOU are making me feel bad that I didn't put more effort in to the one I had to put out of it's misery.

Seemed to have the same leg issue, but it also had a really big belly that didn't go away and just seemed to get weaker and weaker.

I am happy that you were able to save this one and the posts are really helpful to me because I had no idea how to attach a "boot" to a chick.

Hahaha Ali I am all over the map too. This little one better be a girl but if not he will get a small harem of laying hens and I will have to drop my dream of having a Welsummer roo for awhile. Don't feel badly! I was too chicken to dispatch it. I think you did the right thing in your case. Thank God for Deb and her chicken boot post. I had a total breakdown trying to do it the other way. little toes combined with feeble small motor control = no bueno