Illinois...

[Faraday40]

Also, while out with the ducks today I noticed that of the 9 ducklings (was 11 but two parished over the past two months, one was a runny and the other was unknown causes) it looks like at last 4 are going to be drakes by the white neck rings that are developing already. I only need one drake, so I'll be processing drakes in the near future.

Thanks for the pic of the ducks. They have really grown.

Just curious how difficult is it to process a duck? Is it "just like chicken"?

 

[WhyDoILikeChickens]

Storm is on us now... I managed to make progress on the duck run renovation. The old pond hole is nearly filled in. I the everything in this hole. It was 5'x10'x4'. I put rotted wood, old landscape edging blocks, pavers from a very wavy patio (tree roots and ground settlement) we are redoing, gravel from the old pond, weeds, sticks, and finally typing it off with dirt I has piled up in a corner of the yard from previous landscaping projects.
View attachment 2715785

Eventually I'll get this done... and then on to redoing the patio behind the sunroom that we took pavers up from.

My luck next year I would decide to dig right there and have to dig all of them up.

 

[BReeder!]

Thanks for the pic of the ducks. They have really grown.

Just curious how difficult is it to process a duck? Is it "just like chicken"?

Very similar I suspect. I've actually not processed a chicken. I have processed turkeys and quail though. Difference with ducks is you have to use a flame (I prefer blow torch) to singe give hairs on the skin after you finish plucking. It is otherwise a normal process.

 

[BReeder!]

My luck next year I would decide to dig right there and have to dig all of them up.

Yea... I thought about that and it's a real fear. I'm just determined to keep it a run area and not dig it ever. Who knows though... I always come up with a new project.

 

[Faraday40]

After chopping down an old dying tree, I had my husband install our kids’ deep sandbox ..... about 8’ away. Poor guy had to use an axe everytime he came across a root.

 

[WhyDoILikeChickens]

Very similar I suspect. I've actually not processed a chicken. I have processed turkeys and quail though. Difference with ducks is you have to use a flame (I prefer blow torch) to singe give hairs on the skin after you finish plucking. It is otherwise a normal process.

I'll process my CX middle of September, I'll let you know so you get to experience it lol.
I dont like duck meat as much (but it's not bad) or I'd probably already have some.. I have not had duck eggs yet though. I thought of adding ducks just for the eggs..... mostly because DW sister likes them.

 

[Molpet]

I have 2 more broody hens. A white and a black, both half dark Cornish.
The black is in the poultry yard about 3 ft from where a turkey had a nest in daylilies in a fence row under some trees. I left her and hope for the best.
The white is in a coop, but in the box a hen with 2 chicks uses at night. Another is in another box with a turkey hen. The turkeys eggs got broken and she took over the chickens eggs.
A different coop none of Stinker's eggs hatched and she usually has a good hatch....when I candled they were clears. In that coop is a turkey due to hatch Friday, so I gave Stinker a few of those. Another chicken hen in that coop didn't have any hatch, and another gave up on one nest that didn't hatch and moved to another. ... Guess that roo is going to freeze camp.
A dog house has a turkey that had a pile of smelly eggs that didn't hatch. I gave her a couple of the other turkey's eggs. She did hatch out a couple chickens, but ignored them. A chicken took off with 2 and another I gave to a friend with some others and poults. If she ignores the poults their real mom will probably take them.
The last coop has a turkey and a chicken in one box and I think another went broody in another box.
I'm running out of nest boxes lol

 

[BReeder!]

I'll process my CX middle of September, I'll let you know so you get to experience it lol.
I dont like duck meat as much (but it's not bad) or I'd probably already have some.. I have not had duck eggs yet though. I thought of adding ducks just for the eggs..... mostly because DW sister likes them.

I'll be getting plenty of duck eggs soon enough. Right now it's just one duck laying, but when the youngsters start laying I'll have several. I'm happy to share. I give my sister eggs quite a bit and she's not far from you at all.

 

[BReeder!]

Apparently I need to dust for mites or lice. I never see them. One chicken ("Duck" the CX) has a bare rump though. She's actually had a bare rump for quite a while honestly. I just thought there was some weird molt issue at first. I have checked her a number of times for bugs. I never see any. I do see redness of the skin though. I researched this more today and all signs point towards mites or possibly lice. I think lice would have spread to the humans around here by now, so I'm putting my money on mites. I am booked all day 9-5 the next two days. I'll have to try to get to Farm and Fleet in the evening or get DW to go. So annoying! Good news is the other chickens do not seem affected. I don't want things getting worse though. I'll need to check the dust bath too. They like to dust bathe in the dry dirt a lot, but I keep an old tire filled with ash, dirt, sand, DE and whatever else I add for them to dust bath in just in case.

 

[Faraday40]

Apparently I need to dust for mites or lice. I never see them. One chicken ("Duck" the CX) has a bare rump though. She's actually had a bare rump for quite a while honestly. I just thought there was some weird molt issue at first. I have checked her a number of times for bugs. I never see any. I do see redness of the skin though. I researched this more today and all signs point towards mites or possibly lice. I think lice would have spread to the humans around here by now, so I'm putting my money on mites. I am booked all day 9-5 the next two days. I'll have to try to get to Farm and Fleet in the evening or get DW to go. So annoying! Good news is the other chickens do not seem affected. I don't want things getting worse though. I'll need to check the dust bath too. They like to dust bathe in the dry dirt a lot, but I keep an old tire filled with ash, dirt, sand, DE and whatever else I add for them to dust bath in just in case.

Lice can be species specific, so you probably wouldn't catch lice, but they are bigger, so you might see them. My guess is mites. You rarely see mites unless there's a huge infestation or you've got a bird that's not dust bathing - like a broody hen or weaker chicken. Either way, it's the same treatment. Although I do not see mites, I suspected it here.

For my birds, it started with poopy butt. (It's an orp thing.) As we washed each chicken, I noticed some had red skin and a couple had ratty-looking tummy feathers. Rooster feather damage is usually the head, back & sides of the hens. I know a couple people who are currently battling mites, so I suspect the weather this year may be the reason for the increase.

While my chickens were out in the yard on Saturday, I removed all the old bedding, feathers, spider webs, etc, then did a deep scrubbing, permethrin coop spray and DE after things dried before adding the new bedding. I also did lots of chicken baths and dusted them when dry.

TIPS:
* During/after the bath when the hen is wet, it's easier to inspect skin and feather shafts for mite damage.
* Chicken baths on a hot day help cool off chickens. Also allows you to keep chickens outside and prevents the need to blow dry.
* Easier to dust chickens at night and with a partner.