So.. I was smart enough to realize that space would ultimately be an issue, so I sat out there and listened to them and did my best to tell gender so I could keep all the girls. A friend of mine has a big pond and a duck house left over from 4-H years, so the extras went down to Kentucky yesterday.
It was hard! Listening to them cry when I separated them, listening to them cry in the cage when they were put in the car, listening to the ones left cry for the older ones who are gone... so sad! But it needed to be done. I sent away the Khaki Campbell, Blue Swedish, and 2 Pekins. Leaving me with 5. There are 4 eggs developing well in the incubator, so I'll need to do it again at some point, and make my final selection of 6 total, hopefully 2 boys and 4 girls.
But the timing was right. The weather changed to hot and humid, so with the added space, the basement ducks were right at 3 weeks old and ready to go outside.
There were 2 ducks I wasn't sure about with gender. I really did sit down and say "Final answer? You sure you don't have a quack in you? Alright, off you go". I was going to send the wild type Mallard too, but it threw such a fit and cried so pathetically, I pulled it out and put it back with the others. I'm such a sucker. I think it's a boy too, so when I know for sure on gender and my others hatch and are ready to go outside, I'll have to sell it as a pair with one of the Mallard crosses. Or something.
Bitter sweet news on the chicken end of things too. I kept saying "When the babies start laying, 4 hens have to go so I can put those 3 with the big girls". The 3 pullets live with the ducks, since there's ample room right now for that and not so much on the chicken side. I don't want to fool with hen pecking, so I strategically housed everyone based on who gets along with who best.
Yesterday I got my first tiny little pullet sized Maran egg. Beautiful little egg! But it means it's about time to send the 4 off to new homes and move the 3 over. I'm going to sell the Australorp, new Hampshire Red, and the 2 White Face Black Spanish. Leaving me with 2 Red Star, 2 Maran, and 1 Golden Lakenvelder. 5 chickens, 5 ducks. For the time being anyways.
It was hard! Listening to them cry when I separated them, listening to them cry in the cage when they were put in the car, listening to the ones left cry for the older ones who are gone... so sad! But it needed to be done. I sent away the Khaki Campbell, Blue Swedish, and 2 Pekins. Leaving me with 5. There are 4 eggs developing well in the incubator, so I'll need to do it again at some point, and make my final selection of 6 total, hopefully 2 boys and 4 girls.
But the timing was right. The weather changed to hot and humid, so with the added space, the basement ducks were right at 3 weeks old and ready to go outside.
There were 2 ducks I wasn't sure about with gender. I really did sit down and say "Final answer? You sure you don't have a quack in you? Alright, off you go". I was going to send the wild type Mallard too, but it threw such a fit and cried so pathetically, I pulled it out and put it back with the others. I'm such a sucker. I think it's a boy too, so when I know for sure on gender and my others hatch and are ready to go outside, I'll have to sell it as a pair with one of the Mallard crosses. Or something.
Bitter sweet news on the chicken end of things too. I kept saying "When the babies start laying, 4 hens have to go so I can put those 3 with the big girls". The 3 pullets live with the ducks, since there's ample room right now for that and not so much on the chicken side. I don't want to fool with hen pecking, so I strategically housed everyone based on who gets along with who best.
Yesterday I got my first tiny little pullet sized Maran egg. Beautiful little egg! But it means it's about time to send the 4 off to new homes and move the 3 over. I'm going to sell the Australorp, new Hampshire Red, and the 2 White Face Black Spanish. Leaving me with 2 Red Star, 2 Maran, and 1 Golden Lakenvelder. 5 chickens, 5 ducks. For the time being anyways.
