Dutch Hookbill Hatch!

[kerryb90]

OMG! I think i will explode!
I just routinely looked in the local Craigslist-page for duck eggs - just check for competitors - when i stumbled upon this: [ https://swv.craigslist.org/grd/d/freeman-duck-hatching-eggs-dutch/7292951191.html ]
View attachment 2611358
Clicked on this and now my day is ruined!!!

View attachment 2611387That SOB is crossbreeding Dutch Hookbills with Barnyard surprise ducks and selling the eggs. I am loosing it!

That is exactly the reason why i don't have Hookbill ducks now, despite having received a couple of offers! I cannot accommodate two separate flocks of ducks at the moment and crossbreeding a rare endangered breed with other breeds is exactly the reason why this breed became rare and endangered! This offer sounds exactly like a duckling mill!

@Pyxis if you look at those ducks, do they really look like Hookbills? Those three mallard colored drakes maybe, but definitely not clean bread…

that's actually my listing, I got my hookbills from someone else who was cross breeding and am doing my best to revive the breed from the little stock I have (8 drakes and 4 hens). I'm trying to get genetic diversity in my flock and would welcome hatching eggs once you have them. one of my drakes - not pictured - descends directly from the holderread line. I only have hookbill drakes, all of my other birds are female and anything crossed is, as I'm aware, not hookbill until 5 generations on (per breeding standards). I let the drakes mix with the others because as you may know, drakes have a very high sex drive, and 4 hens to 8 drakes is not a healthy duck-to-drake ratio. the previous owner had mixed ("upgraded") them with welsh harlequins and is very picky about his breeding program, so I got the ducks for a low price because they did not get very hookbill-y genes. the drakes have WH in them as well, but it's more than 5 generations back. If you like I can give you the previous owner's contact info. He blocked me on FB when I accidentally misstated something, but I do have his name and phone number. I got these ducks a few months ago and they are good birds and great layers.

My ducks live happy and free range on nearly an acre of land and if you would like (since you're local) you are welcome to stop by and visit if you don't believe me. I recently hatched 6 babies, bringing my flock to a total of maybe 30 ducks. hardly a mill. you are correct that my hookbills are not purebred, and perhaps my prices ARE a little high - I'm still working on that. feedback is welcomed in that regard.

I am happy to answer any questions you may have. thank you.
Kerry Bush
Bluefield, WV

 

[Pyxis]

Pyxis, I’m looking for some too. Where did you find these eggs?

Missed your question!

I made a friend on Facebook who is passionate about preserving rare ducks. She has a lot of rare breeds, like Golden Cascades, Overbergs, and of course the Hookbills. We got to talking about doing a swap - some Aztec eggs for some Hookbills.

 

[CHlCKEN]

Missed your question!

I made a friend on Facebook who is passionate about preserving rare ducks. She has a lot of rare breeds, like Golden Cascades, Overbergs, and of course the Hookbills. We got to talking about doing a swap - some Aztec eggs for some Hookbills.

It’s okay!

That’s cool! Never heard of Aztecs, I just looked them up though and they’re gorgeous!

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

that's actually my listing, I got my hookbills from someone else who was cross breeding and am doing my best to revive the breed from the little stock I have (8 drakes and 4 hens). I'm trying to get genetic diversity in my flock and would welcome hatching eggs once you have them. one of my drakes - not pictured - descends directly from the holderread line. I only have hookbill drakes, all of my other birds are female and anything crossed is, as I'm aware, not hookbill until 5 generations on (per breeding standards). I let the drakes mix with the others because as you may know, drakes have a very high sex drive, and 4 hens to 8 drakes is not a healthy duck-to-drake ratio. the previous owner had mixed ("upgraded") them with welsh harlequins and is very picky about his breeding program, so I got the ducks for a low price because they did not get very hookbill-y genes. the drakes have WH in them as well, but it's more than 5 generations back. If you like I can give you the previous owner's contact info. He blocked me on FB when I accidentally misstated something, but I do have his name and phone number. I got these ducks a few months ago and they are good birds and great layers.

My ducks live happy and free range on nearly an acre of land and if you would like (since you're local) you are welcome to stop by and visit if you don't believe me. I recently hatched 6 babies, bringing my flock to a total of maybe 30 ducks. hardly a mill. you are correct that my hookbills are not purebred, and perhaps my prices ARE a little high - I'm still working on that. feedback is welcomed in that regard.

I am happy to answer any questions you may have. thank you.
Kerry Bush
Bluefield, WV

If what your saying is true, i sincerely apologize for my rage!
The trigger was the sentence: »I will have hookbill/barnyard mix hatching eggs available for $5 each.« in your listing. That really, really sounds as if you're running a "duckling mill" and are after the "quick buck".

Your prices are ok! - I was told that egg from clean-breed HB's will sell un Europe for over 200€ per dozen, compared to that you sell cheap!

So the previous owner "upgraded" the ducks with some WH genes?
Interesting move! I would have carefully introduced some Runner genes into the pool instead, because there seem to be a connection between the Hookbill breed and Indian Runner ducks.
It is assumed that far back in time in the Netherlands the Hookbill was bred out of Runner ducks to help the duck-hunters distinguish between wild/feral ducks from domesticated ducks.
You will have a hard time to revert the previous owner's slip-up in your flock and it might even be necessary to introduce additional genetic material…

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

@kerrybush Forgot to wish you good luck with your hatch!
And requesting pictures of cute little ducklings and ducks with bent bills.

 

[kerryb90]

If what your saying is true, i sincerely apologize for my rage!
The trigger was the sentence: »I will have hookbill/barnyard mix hatching eggs available for $5 each.« in your listing. That really, really sounds as if you're running a "duckling mill" and are after the "quick buck".

Your prices are ok! - I was told that egg from clean-breed HB's will sell un Europe for over 200€ per dozen, compared to that you sell cheap!

So the previous owner "upgraded" the ducks with some WH genes?
Interesting move! I would have carefully introduced some Runner genes into the pool instead, because there seem to be a connection between the Hookbill breed and Indian Runner ducks.
It is assumed that far back in time in the Netherlands the Hookbill was bred out of Runner ducks to help the duck-hunters distinguish between wild/feral ducks from domesticated ducks.
You will have a hard time to revert the previous owner's slip-up in your flock and it might even be necessary to introduce additional genetic material…

No worries at all. I can see where you may have misunderstood and I'm still working on refining the language I use to describe my breeding program. I appreciate the feedback - even if it was sent while you were mad, haha.

For what it's worth, I'm not mixing my female hookbills with any breed except hookbills, and the other ducks my drakes are mating with are purebred khaki campbells, indian runners, and pekins that I got from Metzer Farms last November. So no mixed breed yet, aside from the welsh harlequin upgrade. I just don't have enough lady hookbills to satisfy 8 drakes!

I'm definitely going to be adding genetic diversity to my flock eventually - though right now space is limited, as we're still working on expansion. My original four drakes are brothers, which of course the original owner didn't tell me until I arrived to get them (3 hours one way). I have 4 more unrelated drakes now from the same breeder and the hens are all unrelated. Once the ducklings I hatched last week come of age, I will start separating the birds to prevent inbreeding as best as I can. For now, all 27 adult ducks (and 6 chickens) run free in my yard! They have WAY more space than they need and are excellent (and adorable) lawnmowers.

Duckling pictures later! I'm planning to take them outside for the first time today because it's pretty warm. I'll send pictures then. Their bills aren't curved at hatch but are finally starting to droop at 6 days old! Exciting!!!

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

Tell me about randy drakes! - I have eleven! Eight are nice guys but three are serial rapists and terrorize the whole flock. And the only way to catch them would be going into the duck house at night which would scare the Duckies into the walls…
And even if i manage to catch and separate them they would hop the fences.

 

[kerryb90]

@kerrybush Forgot to wish you good luck with your hatch!
And requesting pictures of cute little ducklings and ducks with bent bills.

here's some of their run, there's a bit more you can't see. no issues with hawks thanks to the mockingbirds who nest here, and no issues with ground predators because the neighbor's black lab runs loose - and he's aware of our electric fence!

the white drake to the right below is Jefferson, my Holderread drake - a founding duck-ther

everybody loves a freshly filled kiddie pool! never full for long though haha

off to the side you can see Poseidon, our blue silkie rooster, and Amphitrite (Amphy), his mate in the center-upper-left.

 

[kerryb90]

Tell me about randy drakes! - I have eleven! Eight are nice guys but three are serial rapists and terrorize the whole flock. And the only way to catch them would be going into the duck house at night which would scare the Duckies into the walls…
And even if i manage to catch and separate them they would hop the fences.

yikes! your poor girls. how many girls do you have? what breeds do you keep?

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

here's some of their run, there's a bit more you can't see. no issues with hawks thanks to the mockingbirds who nest here, and no issues with ground predators because the neighbor's black lab runs loose - and he's aware of our electric fence!
View attachment 2616235

the white drake to the right below is Jefferson, my Holderread drake - a founding duck-ther

View attachment 2616238
everybody loves a freshly filled kiddie pool! never full for long though haha
View attachment 2616249
off to the side you can see Poseidon, our blue silkie rooster, and Amphitrite (Amphy), his mate in the center-upper-left.
View attachment 2616250

You have a lot of flat land! - What i have here is such a steep hill-site that the ducks have developed one long and one short leg and if they turn around they roll right down the hill and i have to go and collect them at the bottom.
That is the main reason why i have not gotten into Hookbills and other birds. I just cannot erect something like a hoop-house here, everything has to go on a platform, downhill-side high in the air. Expensive and not a weekend-project/
Your drakes definitely have hook-bills! On the pictures at CL you cannot see it! How are their ladies looking, do they also have wonky-bills?
Careful with the neighbor's dog, especially if it is a Labrador(-mix?). I have lost one of my beloved ducks in January to the neighbor's Lab-mix. Since then i have erected an electric fence with three strands. It also keeps the deer out.
So mockingbirds keep hawks away? - I provide the local murder of crows with food during the year and they actively are chasing the hawks away. Just recently they were divebombing a hawk-pair out of the tree they have started to build a nest - very close to my house and the ducks. I love them, no law protects hawks from the crows…