Don't buy straight run if possible

[firestomp]

From my experience at buying straight run from TSC, Rural King, wherever. I have either the worst luck OR these places are getting the NOT WANTED or needed males from suppliers along with a few females. I just spent the money to get female khaki's from Strombergs. These are guaranteed, sexed birds. The 4 drakes killed the female, then started in trying to breed my chickens. They killed one, 3 of the drakes are gone, now getting him 8 females (was cheaper than 6) that will take care of his raging hormones, and we will have more eggs and safe hens. I can also hatch these out for other who want a pet or meat. I don't like duck or goose myself. Lesson--- Spend the bit of money needed to get the right numbers, or pay for losses later. MISTAKE LEARNED

 

[Kiki]

Wouldn't it be nice if someone would have told you that straight run pretty much means males before you bought them the first time.

 

[Bills vs Beaks]

Im sorry that happened, and Im not doubting you at all, believe me. But I got straight run KCs at TSC, and I got 4-3 ratio, in favor of hens (there was fighting, until an owl took a drake. Not what I wanted at all, but oh well). Then I got four straight saxony (from a backyard breeder), and 2-2. Maybe I was just lucky

Please dont take this the wrong way I really am sorry you had such trouble...

 

[firestomp]

Im sorry that happened, and Im not doubting you at all, believe me. But I got straight run KCs at TSC, and I got 4-3 ratio, in favor of hens (there was fighting, until an owl took a drake. Not what I wanted at all, but oh well). Then I got four straight saxony (from a backyard breeder), and 2-2. Maybe I was just lucky


That is great, but I am betting at sexual maturity the hens will be plagued with this one to one ratio. It is supposed to be up to 8 to 1, I have read for the safety of the hens. Every time one drake bred her so did the other, all day and night long. It killed her. Then they picked out 1 specific barred rock. with buying 2 more ducks that were also drakes in the end from a store in another county, they were on her all the time. Again, it killed her as well. Ducks, unlike chickens (roosters have no external penis) have a corkscrew shaped penis, so you get the picture. Good luck, if you see them constantly breeding the hens, better get some more females.

 

[firestomp]

Wouldn't it be nice if someone would have told you that straight run pretty much means males before you bought them the first time.

I seen a large hatchery sex day old or so chicks. The females went in one direction to be kept, the males went into a trough with a conveyor belt that put them into a hopper to be used for dog feed. Sounds bad, but it's smart business. Keep the breeding stock or the meat birds, sell off those useless roosters before having a bunch of feed in them. Not to mention they would fight constantly. Personally, I will never buy straight run anything again. Pay the extra money and get exactly what and how many you want. Not only did I pay for the 4 drakes, but had a lot of feed and time in them, just to have to get rid of 3 of them many months later. The 4 would also mount each other if my flock was kept in their area. And I will never figure out how they singled out that one hen, every time. It was a sight, 4 drakes on one hen, surprised she didn't have a heart attack from it all.

 

[itsasmallfarm]

sorry for all the trouble you have dealt with, but here in Canada it's very hard to even find a hatchery that sells sexed ducklings, (unless you want birds that are 8 plus weeks old) so everything is straight run, (i got my two Swedish ducks straight run still don't know what gender they are).

 

[Butterflygirl50]

My straight runs are 5-2 males. Not happy.

 

[Lazy Farmer]

I realize this is an older thread first of all.
But, we are breeding enthusiasts, so we seek out straight runs. When we decide to start a breed we don't have, we desire the straight run batches in high hopes of obtaining a male or two.
We avoid the pullet only bin because we could breed them if we wanted to, if we had that particular breed anyway.
We rarely buy sexed birds.
This spring we will starting with ducks, after the turkeys are gone (Thanksgiving). We will seek straight run for ducks as well. I would love to breed and cross too!
Just saying straight runs are not bad for everybody..

 

[chickens really]

I breed Ducks myself and do not sex Ducklings...I have a pretty good eye for sexing Ducklings though...The Drakes that I end up with, I either give away or sell in pet pairs ....I have only had one person insist on only buying Hens and I never sold them one Duck....

 

[itsasmallfarm]

Guese am really lucky both my ducks are females. Getting a few more but the breeder sells them sexed at 8 weeks or older.