Duckling Diaries: the Life and Times of a Welshie Trio

[BantyChooks]

I know - it's not particularly pleasant even for those of us who are more experienced. But I promise, the relief it brings to both the chicken yard and to you is wonderful (I don't know about you, but when I've got fighting chickens, it sets my teeth on edge). I will be culling several of the big broiler NNs later this week, as they've started to really escalate the chasing around. Still creating the short list - I don't want to cull too many because I need to see how they do in the heat. But there are at least two that are for sure - one who has a cross beak (and is picked on and miserable), and one who really attacks my boots with way too much aggressiveness (and is also smaller and chased around a lot). I think I will only do two in a day, so I can be done before it gets hot.





I seem to always have cleaning/tidying to do...

- Ant Farm

It's creating so much stress in the flock. I hate it. Gotta cowboy up and kill a bunch.... Have 5ish hens that are going too, but I'm going to sell them rather than processing. They just started laying.

I've been trying for several weeks to sell these extra boys. I've gotten one sold, and that's it. Gotta give up, I guess..

 

[shawluvsbirds]

Procrastinating is my favorite thing to do!

 

[BantyChooks]

Banti, I need a vicarious duck fix. Do you have any photos of your appleyards?

I've been really lax in the photo department. I've had so much to do that I'm just shutting down and not doing any of it... But I know I need to do it so I feel bad doing fun stuff, so I sit here on the computer ignoring the mess.

Need to kick my rear out of the cycle.

 

[BantyChooks]

Procrastinating is my favorite thing to do!

Mine too, as evidenced by how much time I waste on here.

 

[shawluvsbirds]

Mine too, as evidenced by how much time I waste on here.

Hey we aren't a waste of time ! I'm never going to get my books read this summer though if I keep talking to ya all all day

 

[shawluvsbirds]

I'll help ya out ant farm!

 

[shawluvsbirds]

You've probably already seen most of those on my call duck thread though. My drake has been molting. He is a grumpy boy. He looks funny too !

 

[Fire Ant Farm]

It's creating so much stress in the flock. I hate it. Gotta cowboy up and kill a bunch.... Have 5ish hens that are going too, but I'm going to sell them rather than processing. They just started laying.

I've been trying for several weeks to sell these extra boys. I've gotten one sold, and that's it. Gotta give up, I guess..

From the moment they hatch and/or begin to show gender, I know that I will be culling extra boys (in some cases all boys), and so I have months to get used to the fact that that's the way it has to be. It's seriously ugly if I wait too long. I never sell them - not that I sell birds anyway, but also, I honestly trust myself to give them a humane end and to only have one bad day, vs. the fear of being moved around, and then the purchaser is likely to either cull him or (worse), use him as training bait for cock fighting.

I've been really lax in the photo department. I've had so much to do that I'm just shutting down and not doing any of it... But I know I need to do it so I feel bad doing fun stuff, so I sit here on the computer ignoring the mess.

Need to kick my rear out of the cycle.

Didn't mean to stress you out by asking. I was just window shopping in my head between welshies and appleyards. Not that I have either the room or the bandwidth for either, of course...

Mine too, as evidenced by how much time I waste on here.

You know, when BYC was down during the conversion, I got SOOOOOO much done that I had been putting off. I think I need to build in some limits or time out from BYC so I get more done. I am the QUEEN of procrastination.

I'm taking some more vacation time soon primarily to get yard and household stuff done that just isn't getting done otherwise.

- Ant Farm

 

[BantyChooks]

Hey we aren't a waste of time ! I'm never going to get my books read this summer though if I keep talking to ya all all day

Yeah, yeah, but talking to y'all doesn't get my house clean....

 

[Fire Ant Farm]

View attachment 1048046 View attachment 1048047 View attachment 1048049 View attachment 1048050 View attachment 1048052 View attachment 1048053 I'll help ya out ant farm!

You've probably already seen most of those on my call duck thread though. My drake has been molting. He is a grumpy boy. He looks funny too !

Thanks!!! I have indeed lurked on your call duck thread occasionally. I LOVE your Duck Deck - I would TOTALLY build one of these for my ducks. Love your pond as well - what's with the stone in the middle?

I do hope to have ducks one day (and maybe even geese). But I have 50+ chickens at the moment (kept in 10-11 separate coops), with a couple breeding projects going/planned, and really need to get those numbers back down as it's stretching the limits of my time as well as my space. I'm hoping to consolidate more in a year or two. I really need to be careful about hatching anything else (which is so hard!!!!)