California - Northern

[zooweemama]

I PM'd Celtic Oaks to see if she has some hatching eggs maybe for the Silver Appleyards. I would prefer to have ducklings though. I don't have an incubator. lmbo! It would be fun to join the hatch along though!

 

[ronott1]

I PM'd Celtic Oaks to see if she has some hatching eggs maybe for the Silver Appleyards. I would prefer to have ducklings though. I don't have an incubator. lmbo! It would be fun to join the hatch along though!

Pappa Brooder has incubators!

I bet he would hatch them for you!

 

[zooweemama]

Pappa Brooder has incubators!

I bet he would hatch them for you!

Hmm that would be awesome. I will see if she has any first. I would be over the moooon! I'd like to have some ducklings over the winter. They do take a while to feather out though. About 6 weeks before I can turn those babies outside. Although the sheer size of the big ones make me nervous. They might be mean to the younger ones. Hmmm. Have to use one of the big crates I have to separate them I guess.

While everyone else is buying theirs this Spring I will be ready to turn my attention to the chickens I will be getting. haha! Well except the hatching eggs I will be getting from Cheryl in Jan.

MF Leghorns! Woot!

 

[ronott1]

Quote: The rain has started here too. This is just the first one. The worst is supposed to be on Friday. My chickens are going to be mad at me! They are on lockdown today.

Quote: Unless CapayValleyChick has some Dorkings ready, I will not be hatching for this one. I am hatching Amelias now. Those are Cream Legbar Pene crosses. 10 are going.

Cooper12s hatch was a bust Jason and I are going to bite the bullet and get some from Sand Hill. We need to order soon though. I am thinking about getting some Magogany Russian Orloffs. They sound like they could probably take on a hawk too.

Foggy here in the mountains. I didn't get to the coop cleaning, but I did add some fresh shavings to keep it dry. My birds are really good about scratching around in it.

With the predator attacks we've had lately, I really didn't want to upset them more than they already are by forcing them outside when they are not comfortable. They are hanging out in the coop most of the day in hiding. Lost 3 pullets to either a bobcat or a hawk (of course the darn thing can't take the 5 extra cockerels, has to take the pullets instead) - thankfully my 2 barnevelder boys that I'm growing out are fine. (phew) I broke down and ordered netting to keep whatever is getting into the run during the day out. It's going to be a pain to install, but should work fine after that.

I am so sorry about the predator attacks on your chickens! I was going to say that you should get some hot cord for protection and then saw that Kim beat me to it! It is one of the best ways to stop them. There is a person selling the good Live Stock Guardian dogs as pups for $250.00 per pup. They may be gone now, but that is the other good way to protect your flock.

 

[ronott1]

Quote: I would hatch them for you, but I am not too close.

How are the TJs chicks doing? It will probably take a bit to get them used to you and a bit less flighty. Meal worms should do the trick.

 

[zooweemama]

Woop woop! Celtic Oaks has eggs for the NYD hatch or will have ducklings of the SAs. I will have to think about this. I would get a dozen eggs but if they all hatch I am not sure I want to brood 12 ducklings? A lot of work as we brood in the house- no other draft free place to do it.

If I got ducklings I would probably get 6 or 8. Hmmm...

 

[zooweemama]

I would hatch them for you, but I am not too close.

How are the TJs chicks doing? It will probably take a bit to get them used to you and a bit less flighty. Meal worms should do the trick.

They are doing great so far. They are in the coop now with the chickens. The EEs did so well that I made a judgement call and skipped quarantine. They ARE in the coop inside a very large dog crate though- so they are not 'free'. Their own food and water, a nest box to hide in and everyone checks each other out. The kids are in love with their whiteness and shape. I gotta admit I love their shape. Once this storm passes- I will set them 'free'. So next week some time.

I am now down to 3 roosters total. Woohoo! My 2 big roosters still sleep under our back porch in a dog carrier though haha! I won't put them in the coop until the new one is done. I am dreading the new coop move- I bet ALL my pullets stop laying huh? Wahh!

 

[zooweemama]

Woop woop! Celtic Oaks has eggs for the NYD hatch or will have ducklings of the SAs. I will have to think about this. I would get a dozen eggs but if they all hatch I am not sure I want to brood 12 ducklings? A lot of work as we brood in the house- no other draft free place to do it.

If I got ducklings I would probably get 6 or 8. Hmmm...

I am probably better off doing the hatching eggs. Ideally I would like to end up with 2 drakes and 6 to 8 females. I am afraid to settle on 1 drake because if something happens to him- I have to get more ducks! haha

 

[ronott1]

Quote: Shipped eggs are usually 50% hatch rate. You should get three of each gender. You never know though....Postal routes and etc.

I read a post that Ducks lay like crazy the first winter but lay badly the second winter. It is a great idea to hatch now!

 

[zooweemama]

Shipped eggs are usually 50% hatch rate. You should get three of each gender. You never know though....Postal routes and etc.

I read a post that Ducks lay like crazy the first winter but lay badly the second winter. It is a great idea to hatch now!

Oh yes. This is still very much an eggsperiment. haha! We have chosen to do both chickens and ducks to help our odds of getting eating eggs yearly. I will sell off/re-home spent layers or some of the breeds I just want to cut out. I am pretty sure I want to re-home my Buff duck trio. Nothing wrong with them at all. Pretty ducks- just not the breed I want to reproduce. I look forward to seeing how long these guys (ducks in general) take off to molt and how they lay when they come back from the molt. I am curious how it stacks up to the chickens.

Our Buff Orp chickens might be really useful in the Winters since they tend to lay ok then. It's fun learning all this!