Colorado

[PirateGirl]

Definitely check with any local feed store. Murdoch’s should be a good one - I think I got my first peahens from the Murdoch’s in Fort Morgan. Other than that, I usually look for some on Craig’s List.

Oh! Isn’t there a bird show/swap at the Stock Show?

I'll have to look up info on the Stock Show because that might be fun to go to either way.

 

[PirateGirl]

and the poultry show is actually in a few weeks in January. Even if no one is selling then, I bet I can meet someone to buy from in the future!

https://www.poultryshowcentral.com/National_Western_Stock_Show.html

 

[21hens-incharge]

I found pekin males to be problematic.

Pets? Meat? Eggs? Yard pretties?

Cayuga are neat ducks as are silver appleyard and Welch harlequin.

Great now I want ducks.

 

[Percheron chick]

Stock show poultry show last year maybe had 100-125 birds total. Very few geese, 2 emu and the rest 1/2 chickens and 1/2 ducks. Check out FB Colorado poultry group. Someone just gave away 3 ducks. You will reach a different audience that is more outside the metro area.
Any good feed store will special order in ducklings with their chicks if the hatchery they buy forms supplies them.

 

[lomine]

I plan on putting in an order to Holderread for next spring because I want some really good Saxony (and maybe more Welshies). They have limited breeds and their a bit more expensive but I want to breed so I want to start with good stock. I have ordered from Metzer. They were great but I did pay a lot for shipping. I wanted a breed that you don’t normally see in feed stores and I wanted them sexed. Postal service to your house will determine how well shipping goes.

I’ve been to the swap in Falcon once. I only saw full grow ducks but it was early fall. I didn’t look that closely so I’m not sure how healthy they looked. I have seen ducklings on Craigslist but usually just one breed per post. If I remember right there was one person trying to sell Anconda ducklings for $15 each. Those would be straight run too. Seemed expensive to me.

I do love my original Welshies. They are sweet and like to talk softly to me. The Cayuga I just got from my nieces’ school are very loud and drive me a bit crazy. It’s almost non stop when I’m in the barn. The boys aren’t so bad but they will be butchered in January. They still run away when I walk near. I really hope the girls settle down after they start laying.

 

[uzisuzuki]

@uzisuzuki
Long time no see!

I am hoping you had a good holiday. Ours was quiet and peaceful.

It was, thank you! I’m glad yours sounds like it was good, too! The only hiccup I had was not getting my grandparents’ Christmas coffee mugs done on time, but I can’t control the weather. It was just too cold the last two weeks for the clay to dry enough - all but 2 of the mugs exploded in the kiln because of it.

And holy smokes, the single digits & below zero weather - I can’t believe there was a time when I enjoyed snow & cold weather! I also can’t believe my little dog, Arya, loves the snow so much. I almost want to go back to the autumn weather we were having here until the 21st.

 

[21hens-incharge]

It was a miserably cold stretch.

I have been house training a new puppy so was out in it way to often.

Here is a pic of my new doggie. We named her Sable.


I will write more later today. I am not quite awake yet.

 

[Percheron chick]

Been quiet around here lately. Glad to see December come to an end. Had some low moments. Lost my favorite gander, a percheron mare and a rooster. I did have a Christmas miracle. My best goose that was in with the gander showed up at a neighbor's about a 1/2 mile away. I didn't even look for her because I could see her feathers 1/2 way down the pasture. It wasn't until 10 days later when my dogs got out that I learned about a white goose wandering around the neighborhood. Took me another 2 days to track her down. I would of been extatic if she had been in a dog crate in someone's garage and fed bread but she ended up with someone who owned geese. I know they were a little bummed I showed up a week later but I promised them a gosling for their lone gander if I successfully hatch some this spring.
Good riddance to 2017. To a great 2018.

 

[lomine]

Been quiet around here lately. Glad to see December come to an end. Had some low moments. Lost my favorite gander, a percheron mare and a rooster. I did have a Christmas miracle. My best goose that was in with the gander showed up at a neighbor's about a 1/2 mile away. I didn't even look for her because I could see her feathers 1/2 way down the pasture. It wasn't until 10 days later when my dogs got out that I learned about a white goose wandering around the neighborhood. Took me another 2 days to track her down. I would of been extatic if she had been in a dog crate in someone's garage and fed bread but she ended up with someone who owned geese. I know they were a little bummed I showed up a week later but I promised them a gosling for their lone gander if I successfully hatch some this spring.
Good riddance to 2017. To a great 2018.

I'm sorry you lost so many animals. That really stinks. Glad you found your goose. I sure hope next year is better for you and you hatch lots of eggs!

@21hens-incharge cute puppy! And I like your new profile picture.

I too am looking forward to next year. I am planning on starting a new journey in my work life. For almost 15 years I have worked for my father's company. I started by entering purchase orders and am now the HR and accounting manager. We have had our ups and downs over the years but have grown quit a bit. However, over the last year I have come to realize that my father is never going to let go and give anyone else substantial control. He even said right to our faces that he didn't want to give control to my brother, SIL, and myself because he didn't "want the company to fail." (This was after we paid a consultant a lot of money to help us build a new business structure where we would share more of the work load and control.) It was a huge slap in the face considering all the hard work we have put into the company, because for us it was very much our company too and a big part of our futures. He could retire today and easily live off his army retirement but our financial futures are dependent on the company doing well. To say the arguments and disagreements on how things need to change have caused a strain on my relationship with my father would be an understatement. Not something I want at all. Anyway, I told everyone I plan to leave. I hope to start my own virtual bookkeeping business. The hard part for me will be the marketing part and getting clients. But it will be nice to have full control of my work life and not dread going to work and having to talk to my own father. One good thing to come out of this is that I have a much better understanding of why my older brother left the company a few years ago and I think sharing our feelings has strengthened our relationship. Sorry for the long rant, guess I needed to share that with people other than family or friends.

And of course there was the whole situation with being an hour away from putting down my dog, finding out she wasn't that bad off, and then dealing with a tough and expensive road to recovery. I learned a very important lesson about not fully trusting a vet's opinion and asking more questions about medication side-effects. No matter what, I am eternally grateful she is still with me and doing so well.

So I also say good riddance 2017. I hope everyone has a wonderful 2018.

 

[PirateGirl]

After a costly surgery/recovery/infection with my pup I too have learned there is value in a second opinion from another vet. Even if they agree on the problem, their course of treatment may be different and it's worth learning about and weighing the different options. I hope the road to recovery is smooth from here on out. Trust me when I say I understand how difficult it can be.