Hello, My real name is Bobbie Sue but I go by Diamond. I have chickens and ducks now and lots of other pets. When I was in middle school the class raised chicks. each one was allowed 2 and to raise and take home after they hatched... I brought home 2... they turned out to be Bantams of some kind but cant remember. I had a Roster and a Hen. I raised them till adults and most of the summer but they must have been lonely being the only 2 because they keep wondering to the neighbors down the tracks (RR tracks) from my house and chillen with their flock.. lol BUT ever since then I wanted more... My mom would not have minded a few but my grumpy old dad was like no, I had bunnies and cats and dogs and cockatiels and what not I didn't need more... so at 33 or will be in September I got my self some in 2010 and in 2011 I got ducks lol this winter has been hard and lost some hen a few bunnies and my 2 rosters who I loved and were the greatest ever.. so sweet. I have in my flock now not counting the chicks an ducklings I just got in...(all hens) 2 Barred Plymouth rocks, Dorothy and Jag 1 Rhode Island Red Rose, 2 Dixie Rainbows Mercedes and Ferrari. Ducks: Females: a Pekin named Cena and and Khaki Campbell named Sham rock (sham for short). Drakes 1 Khaki Campbell named Anthem (his brother party rock passed on) an one Black Swedish duck name Shenanigans . my ones I got in I am not sure some I think I know from feather sexing.. did that with the bantams because I don't like vent sexing them. the others I did but not that great at it so we shall see if I am right... the chicks I can tell by at lest 2 sometimes 3 months is we have a late bloomer... ducks are a little more hard for me so about 3 months.. sometimes 4. When they start learning to quack I can tell. so of the new ones have name that are unisex named except the one I got in as hen...but that Is a really LONG list. we got 15 ducks in this year and 47 chicks... lol we wanted to make sure we got hens this year and not suck with a few hens to 1 or no hen and all rosters...we got a few sex linked but we wanted to get more other verietys that they didn't have sex linked... but to many rosters they will be adopted out same as the drakes... an to many of the same type of hens for PET only.. Every time I look up ANYTHING chicken or Ducks you guys always come up on my search so I decided to join... lol Not sure what a lot of mine are this year because out TS never has things marked right.. they have my Cayuga Duck marked as and told where mallards???? and they were Rouen and not mallards... my black duck was in the mix with more... but one died before I got it home and when I called they told me they would hold me 3 one to replace it and I was buying 2 more..... and they didn't hold them.. but happy with my Black Diamond in the Ruff I call him/her. lol some of mine I know as they came from a family owned feed store... and are all hens but the 25 bantams I ordered which turned out to be 30 (lost 3 of the smaller weak ones) I know what a few of the breeder are as I had them or friends have had them before... others I am learning as in from a chicks what they are... lol as adults I can tell unless they are cross or new cross. But I am learning. I use mine for eggs, feathers, (when they loose them and when they pass on we collect the feathers for arts/craft or to sell for fly tying) and my rosters are just my babies to look at and help protect them along with the dogs. Plus we use the nicest and most chilled out ones to teach others how cool chickens/ducks are and how smart when we do animal education. SO I hope I get to know yall and make more chicken and duck friends and learn some more from yall or help some of ya out...
Welcome to BYC, Diamond! I'm glad you joined us. Thanks for the wonderful introduction! It sounds like you have a nice flock.
Thank you all very much sorry I have not came on and thanked yall sooner. I have been dealing with sick baby bantams... we had stuff for their water and we never gotten medicated for them unless we took in a rescue that was sick as we get the starter for the chicks and ducks but these guys with in a day got sick... I have always had bad luck with them.. either I get them from TS and they are always sick and we try to nurse them or get given to us young to semi young from ppl that think oh lets get chickens and oh wait to much work (makes me mad) we got 25 they send 30 and now we have 24. BUT the 8 before hand we have had NO problem with an they are granted one for TS one from our feed store that is a family owned one ( not mine) and they both came from same supplier so I have to call them tomorrow and I lost my smallest one named tiny dancer who was either a Old English or Dutch an my female porcelain d'uccle which leave me the male who well retarded looking but he was so sick and still is every one else is perked up except him. but his one eye is weird and like a rescued wax wing ceder had depth perception only the chick is worse... the wax wing we had had other problems... Sorry to go on... but thanks for the welcome... all my others are fine just trying to figure out what some of the breeds I have.. I want to look them up to see how good I am at telling because some chicks and even little older ones look so much like others till older its hard to tell lol. but before I pull my hair out and go I have no clue I want to try. I mean if I want eventually try breeding them I should try to figure them out and be able to tell lol. now just to tell who is male/female.. I have done old things to new.. from vent sexing (which I am learning) but I can so do vent sexing on ducks better (I can see their little ding dongs better lol) and am more right them chickens...I don't and wont vent sex the bantams as they are to small but so far the feather thing from hatched to a few days old thing seems to be more right on for me. lol but by the time they are at lest 2/3 months old ( unless a late bloomer) I can tell the rosters and hens... the ducks take me a tad longer but when they start to quack I can tell. as soon as I can figure out how to upload pics I will do so... Also I am blond and sometimes you have to literally put things in crayon for me to get sometimes... some things I can wrap my blond brain around other things I can... so cant wait to talk more chickens with yall.
