Goslings of 2014 Hatch-a-long

[Miss Lydia]

Here is what I call my adult flock:



The Blue Swedish drake is in the foreground. The Khaki Campbel drake is the one with the dark head. The two Khaki Campbell females are the tan ones and the Blue Swedish (crested) is the lighter grey behind the Khaki drake. I think the Swedish female laid one egg and the two Khakis laid two egg each in one day. Because of the time it takes to make an egg I am guessing they had one to lay and kept it in because of the stress of the Swedish make trying to attack the Khaki male. The the next day, when things had calmed down and the "family" was back together they had a second egg in the pipeline and like magic...two eggs each. I am guessing it was them because they have consistently laid and egg a day since they started. If I was in the duck egg business I would have nothing but Khaki females. They are egg machines.

Gorgeous ducks, jtn you maybe right stress can cause things to change and having one of the drakes in jail may have just gummed things up for the day. it takes around 24 hrs from one egg to the next so hopefully this won't happen again, I lost a Muscovy to egg laying issues back in early spring, when I brought her inside and let her soak in a tub of warm water for most of Sat. she didn't lay her egg till following morning I thought for sure that would take care of it but there must have been more in there that wouldn't pass cause I lost her Sunday evening. It is always worrisome when things like laying 2 eggs in one day happen it means something isn't quite right. I've never had one of my ducks lay 2 eggs in one day. and She was my first duck to having laying problems she was 2.5 yrs old.

 

[jtn42248]

Gorgeous ducks, jtn you maybe right stress can cause things to change and having one of the drakes in jail may have just gummed things up for the day. it takes around 24 hrs from one egg to the next so hopefully this won't happen again, I lost a Muscovy to egg laying issues back in early spring, when I brought her inside and let her soak in a tub of warm water for most of Sat. she didn't lay her egg till following morning I thought for sure that would take care of it but there must have been more in there that wouldn't pass cause I lost her Sunday evening. It is always worrisome when things like laying 2 eggs in one day happen it means something isn't quite right. I've never had one of my ducks lay 2 eggs in one day. and She was my first duck to having laying problems she was 2.5 yrs old.

Thanks, you should see my Cayugas in the sunlight. Things are back to normal this a.m. Two eggs from three girls. The eggs that I get daily are from the Khakis. The Swedish will lay an egg every second or third day. I think that heat wave we had that triggered the breeding (I suspect) in the geese also made the Blue Swedish drake extra "whatever". It is in the high 40's this a.m. and we are now in our Fall weather track and everyone seems to be back to normal.

Oh, if you get a chance, check out my most recent blog post. There are pictures of me herding the Cayugas out in the big field.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Thanks, you should see my Cayugas in the sunlight. Things are back to normal this a.m. Two eggs from three girls. The eggs that I get daily are from the Khakis. The Swedish will lay an egg every second or third day. I think that heat wave we had that triggered the breeding (I suspect) in the geese also made the Blue Swedish drake extra "whatever". It is in the high 40's this a.m. and we are now in our Fall weather track and everyone seems to be back to normal.

Oh, if you get a chance, check out my most recent blog post. There are pictures of me herding the Cayugas out in the big field.

Nice blog and I love that hoop house so nice and large. your Cayugas are beautiful I always wanted some since they are Made in the USA, lol and gorgeous, but Meeting my Scovys in the river over 10 yrs ago started me on a different journey, Do they fly? they look like they could. Oh and I know what you mean about preds staking out our birds, yesterday we had the hawks and last night the dogs barked alot inside of course but I know we have to be extra careful this time of year, we're in for a winter storm we could get up to 6" of snow and high elevations up to 12 what month are we in?

 

[andreacroyle]

Do they fly? they look like they could.

My cayugas fly with most of their flight feather cut. I dont think they would ever go anywhere since they are so timid. they dont even fly over the 3 ft garden fence that sections off their day time run. Preds are terrible even here. If I didnt live on a 100x70 ft lot in the middle of the city with a privacy fence, I think that I would have my birds completely enclosed their entire lives if wasnt with them.
the farmer that we got our white scovies from told me last month that she tried to chase away a 3.5 ft eagle that landed on her property. he landed and just looked at her. not scared at all of humans. she said she tried everything short of harming it to get it to leave and it woudlnt, it ended up leaving and took a baby goat right in front of her!

it takes around 24 hrs from one egg

Oh, if you get a chance, check out my most recent blog post. There are pictures of me herding the Cayugas out in the big field.

You have a blog!! I wish I knew sooner, I really need to start paying attention to what people write in their Profiles. I didnt read everything word for word , but I am going to because I love blogs! It's awesome that you have a goose named Miss Lydia! Do you have more pics of your goose house? It looks like a good size for my yard. I love all the land you have! and how you made the wooden gate for your house fence. You big house that is made out of PVC is awesome! We are making a little 6x12 chicken tractor from the same design to put our 3 OBE hens and silkie roo in during the day. thanks for posting the pics the the swedish blues and Khaki's. I definitely have a drake that is SBlue Cayuga mixed. the farmer let everyone mix and forgot the names of the breeds she had. she sells everything as mixed ducks. Some people around here seem to know very little about what they are breeding. He looks just like your SB drake but where yours is blue, Benny is cayuga green. I love the cayuga sounds! Well, i love the boy quacks. My girl is louder than our geese!

 

[jtn42248]

Nice blog and I love that hoop house so nice and large. your Cayugas are beautiful I always wanted some since they are Made in the USA, lol and gorgeous, but Meeting my Scovys in the river over 10 yrs ago started me on a different journey, Do they fly? they look like they could. Oh and I know what you mean about preds staking out our birds, yesterday we had the hawks and last night the dogs barked alot inside of course but I know we have to be extra careful this time of year, we're in for a winter storm we could get up to 6" of snow and high elevations up to 12 what month are we in?

They do fly a bit. More like run, flap wings, lift off ground with legs still running, make it about 10-15 feet and then back to ground where they may land and they may roll. The chatter constantly and the ladies, when they get going with each other, sound like they are laughing. We hope to get the hoop house going in the spring...my plan is to have it like a cross or a T with chickens at one point, ducks at one point and geese at another point each with access outside to the range but also each with access to an interior "play room" where they can be out and still be safe from flying predators. Last night I was out with the birds putting everyone back into their runs before putting them to bed for the night. No one sounded an alarm, not even Sting, and as far as anyone knew it was just another night. Then, around the corner of the house came B.T. and Sara barking at the sky, followed by Duke (the Anatolian) who was all bristled up to twice his normal size and making a growling sound that sent a chill up my spine. At first I though some sort of bird but Duke does not usually react to birds. I turned around just as a Bobcat dropped down out of a Mesquite tree in the field next door but overhanging my chicken coop. Duke's presence and growl must have done the job because he took off across the field and into the thicket fast.

But, like you say, it is that time of year. Their natural food supply is scarce as things get cooler and they begin to seek out other easy prey. We put the shotgun next to the back door just in case and made sure there was a window cracked on that side of the house so the dogs could hear and react if anything happened during the night. LuckilyDuke must have put the fear of God into the Bobcat because it did not come back. We now have to be extra vigilant because the Bobcat knows where there is food and the coyotes have sounded like they are closer in the evenings.

By the way, the Cayugas have figured out where the best and most plentiful grasshoppers are. When I take them out to the big field to forage they now make a bee line directly across the field to the gate into our orchard (apricots, peaches and pears) and wait for me to open the gate where they pig out for half an hour. Then, when they are almost choaking they go, on their own, back to their run where they have water and I can close that gate and they are safe. Smart and spoiled...go figure.

 

[jtn42248]

My cayugas fly with most of their flight feather cut. I dont think they would ever go anywhere since they are so timid. they dont even fly over the 3 ft garden fence that sections off their day time run. Preds are terrible even here. If I didnt live on a 100x70 ft lot in the middle of the city with a privacy fence, I think that I would have my birds completely enclosed their entire lives if wasnt with them.
the farmer that we got our white scovies from told me last month that she tried to chase away a 3.5 ft eagle that landed on her property. he landed and just looked at her. not scared at all of humans. she said she tried everything short of harming it to get it to leave and it woudlnt, it ended up leaving and took a baby goat right in front of her!


You have a blog!! I wish I knew sooner, I really need to start paying attention to what people write in their Profiles. I didnt read everything word for word , but I am going to because I love blogs! It's awesome that you have a goose named Miss Lydia! Do you have more pics of your goose house? It looks like a good size for my yard. I love all the land you have! and how you made the wooden gate for your house fence. You big house that is made out of PVC is awesome! We are making a little 6x12 chicken tractor from the same design to put our 3 OBE hens and silkie roo in during the day. thanks for posting the pics the the swedish blues and Khaki's. I definitely have a drake that is SBlue Cayuga mixed. the farmer let everyone mix and forgot the names of the breeds she had. she sells everything as mixed ducks. Some people around here seem to know very little about what they are breeding. He looks just like your SB drake but where yours is blue, Benny is cayuga green. I love the cayuga sounds! Well, i love the boy quacks. My girl is louder than our geese!

They can fly but not all that well. I keep my Cayugas fat enough (they do not protest) that they can get off the ground but not very high or for very far. They are great as far as ducks go. Two drakes and 14 females as a breeding colony. They are just over 20 weeks old now and have begun to establish two distinct flocks with a drake and his girls. I do want to separate out the two crested females though as the gene that makes the crest is actually a genetic flaw and not something I want to propagate. They are Donna (large crest) and Donatella (small crest) King (could not help myself).

Our goose house is (interior) 4 feet by 10 feet with the drawbridge door in the center and the two windows up high for ventilation but no direct drafts. Since prevailing winds in winter are from the north (to the tune of 50 mph) we have the north side solid and the openings on the south side. We use hay for bedding so that I can fluff it about each day and let it air and dry if need be. There is a tin roof on the house itself. We do not put food or water in the house overnight to help keep things clean and dry. They seem to do o.k. I don't know what I am going to have to adjust if they (Miss Lydia or Pauline) decide to nest and hatch in the spring. I am just hoping that they will decide to do it inside the house where they will be safe at night.

I imagine that your Swedish/Cayuga mix is beautiful. I really like the markings of my drake but he can get overly aggressive toward the Khaki and the Khaki has only one goal where the Cayugas are concerned and that is to kill the Cayuga drakes and take over the females. We keep the Cayugas in their own area because they are a breeding colony but we would have to anyway because of the two adult drakes.

Oh, and you are right, the female Cayugas can make a racket like nothing you have ever heard before. I think their reputation as a quiet breed is based on the males and not the females.

 

[andreacroyle]

They do fly a bit. More like run, flap wings, lift off ground with legs still running, make it about 10-15 feet and then back to ground where they may land and they may roll. The chatter constantly and the ladies, when they get going with each other, sound like they are laughing. We hope to get the hoop house going in the spring...my plan is to have it like a cross or a T with chickens at one point, ducks at one point and geese at another point each with access outside to the range but also each with access to an interior "play room" where they can be out and still be safe from flying predators. Last night I was out with the birds putting everyone back into their runs before putting them to bed for the night. No one sounded an alarm, not even Sting, and as far as anyone knew it was just another night. Then, around the corner of the house came B.T. and Sara barking at the sky, followed by Duke (the Anatolian) who was all bristled up to twice his normal size and making a growling sound that sent a chill up my spine. At first I though some sort of bird but Duke does not usually react to birds. I turned around just as a Bobcat dropped down out of a Mesquite tree in the field next door but overhanging my chicken coop. Duke's presence and growl must have done the job because he took off across the field and into the thicket fast.

But, like you say, it is that time of year. Their natural food supply is scarce as things get cooler and they begin to seek out other easy prey. We put the shotgun next to the back door just in case and made sure there was a window cracked on that side of the house so the dogs could hear and react if anything happened during the night. LuckilyDuke must have put the fear of God into the Bobcat because it did not come back. We now have to be extra vigilant because the Bobcat knows where there is food and the coyotes have sounded like they are closer in the evenings.

By the way, the Cayugas have figured out where the best and most plentiful grasshoppers are. When I take them out to the big field to forage they now make a bee line directly across the field to the gate into our orchard (apricots, peaches and pears) and wait for me to open the gate where they pig out for half an hour. Then, when they are almost choaking they go, on their own, back to their run where they have water and I can close that gate and they are safe. Smart and spoiled...go figure.

I dont know how long mine can fly for but they can lift off the ground about 5 feet. they fly up to the pool. they have never tried to fly across the yard. and my boys do make such nice chatter

 

[Miss Lydia]

Guess what I saw today, Babe nibbling on Sammy she actually nibbled on him so much he got out of the pool. He started it but she finished it. I have it on video but I can't get to my home page so will upload it as soon as I can, didn't see actual mating but this is exactly what Missy does when she is saying Come up and see me sometime Big Boy. LOL

https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?fs=1&source=atom#all/14967af5afc2a70d

 

[jtn42248]

Guess what I saw today, Babe nibbling on Sammy she actually nibbled on him so much he got out of the pool. He started it but she finished it. I have it on video but I can't get to my home page so will upload it as soon as I can, didn't see actual mating but this is exactly what Missy does when she is saying Come up and see me sometime Big Boy. LOL

So, Come Up and See Me Sometime Big Boy...that would explain the big bosom look...you have a Mae West want-to-be

 

[Miss Lydia]

So, Come Up and See Me Sometime Big Boy...that would explain the big bosom look...you have a Mae West want-to-be

I was thinking the same thing.