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[Chaos18]

Since there are a few duck experts here...

I have 1 old African grey goose (he is 15 or 16 years old) and 1 duck (not sure what kind he is, but he is also 15 or 16 years old), I would really like to add more ducks or geese but I am not sure how these two would treat them. Would they likely attack them? My old mama goose died a few months ago and now I'm not sure about these two old fellows and how they will treat any newcomers. They are not "tame" as in I do not handle them, they will sit in the yard where I am, but do not want to be touched, and do not want me to even act like I will touch them.

Maybe if you get them a couple friends there friends will teach them better manners and you can pet them.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I have a VCR, but the sound dont work no more so CD mode is used most often. That and it is also used as a prop up for the Nintendo '64. LOL

Get your home videos migrated to DVDs.

Question... do any of you have "ovation goals"? What I mean is do you set targets for reaching a certain number or anything like that, and does the ovation system motivate you to post posts that are worthy of ovations? Just curious...

-Kathy

I wouldn't call them goals but each time I hit another thousand, I'm pleased. It isn't the system that motivates me but I feel like the system should be for helpful posts, not necessarily what one likes to read.
I can post a joke and it will get a couple ovates and the same day post a lengthy well thought out complete explanation of the issue at hand and no ovates.

I really like the ovation system, I guess because it helps me understand what types of posts people like. For example, people liked my emergency post quite a bit it seems, but other, like my poo pages, not so much, lol.

-Kathy

Imagine that. Like I said, it's mostly what people like to read rather than good information that isn't necessarily fun to look at.

I wasn't ever aware of the system for a long time till someone on the Old Folks Home mentioned it. I looked it up and realized I already had a bunch.

Silly goal, but it gives me something to work towards.

-Kathy

Not silly. What I like is to get an ovation for something helpful I posted over a year ago and someone had researched the topic and appreciated the information they received.

Hey, all!!!! I've been super busy at work (very busy time of year) and traveling, but all is generally well. I am over 9200 posts behind so, no, read back WON'T be happening.

I have a question, hoping you guys have some ideas. I just realized that Lissa (one of the Cream Legbars) has scabby loss of feathers all along the front of her neck as well as at the base of her tail. Their paddock has high brush, and she's a bit shy, so I hadn't noticed until now, though in retrospect, I noticed it on her neck a while ago (thought it was feathers broken by the brush or something.) They dust bathe in their bedding (they have a dust bath of sand and peat, but consistently fill it with bedding by kicking, so it's hard to keep clear). She picks at the feathers (but I didn't know if that was because it was irritated, or the cause).

I managed to get her out of the coop and into my brooder/chicken infirmary and got some photos (easier to get back than neck). She is dirty, but I didn't see any critters (I tried to look at any black spot/speck, they didn't seem like bugs, but maybe my vision sucks). Vent looks fine.





Ideas? Anyone seen something like this before? There is scabbing or redness in some areas - I'm starting by spraying Vetericyn for that aspect.

(I will also search around on BYC, but thought it couldn't hurt to ask here.)

- Ant Farm

Roo damage and possibly beginning to molt on the neck. Do the other feathers look neat or a bit scruffy?

I have 2 babies - they are about 2 months old now, that have NO FEATHERS on their backs. Their wings are feathered, their stomachs are, but they have bare backs. There were 20 other babies in the same coop, and they have no feather loss. No critters that I can see. I sanitized their coop, and they now have access to plenty of dirt to bathe in. I can find no Mites, no Lice. I've increased protein and vitamins. The feathers aren't growing back.

When did you increase the protein and with what? From what total % crude protein to what %?
They likely won't come back completely till after molt.

Yes, she certainly is (she's in a trio), but it's right by her tail, which I hadn't seen before. I thought it might be rooster damage as well, looks like the upper backs of some of my poor naked necks (who have an oversexed roo), and there was a scab on the side (I need to trim his spurs), but I was confused by the neck (would he do that, too?). Then again, he is smaller, closer to her size, than Snape, who is huge and just steps on top of the NN girls (knight in shining armor that he is...). Guess if she was trying to refuse him, she might get this lower.

I was worried that I was missing some parasite problem because I haven't seen that before so I'm lacking in experience.

- Ant Farm

Trios will always have that kind of damage. I try to only have hens in trios for about a month at most. I can't do that now because my hen to rooster ratio is way off due to predation. I have one pair and a house with 9 hens and 2 roosters. Those are all problems for that kind of damage. I might try to separate all hens with damage from the flocks and let the roosters override their less favorites till I can grow out some more pullets.
Trouble is, my oldest batch of chicks is mostly cockerels.

Ideally you want 10-12 hens or more per rooster to prevent that kind of damage. If you go too far above that, you could have fertility issues.
My goal is to have trios and a couple flocks of 1:7 ratios and a house just for hens where I can rotate in and out of the other units.

I decided to find someone that fluent in Spanish and have them translate for me.

-Kathy

Translate what?

I was going to say what Kathy did. The rooster hanging on will pull neck feathers out.

But the feathers are missing in front of the neck.

I know! You can get a mouse, and use the energy from the wheel he runs on the power your incubator!

Good idea. I could build a 12 volt DC incubator and run it on solar/wind.

birthday was good.but but I checked my two turtle eggs and one died.was starting to stink bad.was developed just had to finish had a shell and eyes and all.I hope the other one makes it

That's too bad. I have to say I'm not surprised.
These aren't poultry eggs. This species eggs should be buried under about 6 inches of loose, moist soil and stay there till the turtles emerge on their own. If they were where they should have been this entire time, you couldn't possibly know if they were developing or had died.
The only activity you should have regarding the nest is to build a cage to go over the nest area that is predator proof but allow the babies to emerge.

I'm glad your birthday went well. I hope you got a hamster.

I think that the unique ovation is an ovation that some one wrote somthing attached to it!
( most of my time I had more ovation than posts! Until I got to this thread and started Babbling constantly!

)

Isn't that the truth. From one babbler to another.

It was nice, if you don't count the fishing; that sucked! 10 adults+an infant+2 dogs, one of which isn't housebroken, is entirely too much for a 22' pontoon boat.
Oh! I forgot my newest fishing rod got broken with a truck window. Other than those minor details, everything was fine. Sure was glad to get home!

I'm glad it went well.
My dad once put his fishing rods in the trunk with the trunk lid tied open. He hit a bump and they got snapped off.
I once put my rods on the ground behind the car till I could get the trunk keys. Then I got preoccupied, thought I was packed, got in the car and backed over them.

I am bald. Completely bald.

Chemotherapy?

Excellent. Thank you very much. So next time I should run a bigger experiment?

I think for guys like us, we need to start by isolating the experiments. Not doing an AA and cooling test with the same eggs. I've decided not to do any cooling over what happens with a candling or transferring of eggs.
This experiment will be just for ascorbic acid dips. I don't even think I have enough eggs in there to do that justice.
I don't have enough hens now to do it right.
All the chicks I'm hatching this summer should all be laying early next year so that would be a good time to test again.

The problem with voice type is that if you aren't paying attention, it will type something you didn't say, and you will send the message none the wiser.

That's why I love a real keyboard.

Excellent. I'm sure my wife will appreciate this

Mine always used to say, "do we really need more chicken?"
She has reluctantly given up. She does complain when there aren't enough eggs for a batch of deviled eggs or when she thinks we're low and I sell some.

...

I can just tell her that the professor said I have to do lots of experiments.

Mine wouldn't understand that either.

Bubbles this is for you

Love the tomato ducks.
Here's my stone duck.

I had to go get them before her fresh egg cooled off. I did not think about it until I was bringing them in, but I do not think I will be eating the older eggs. I am sure they have already begun to develop considering the heat the last few days. This led me to think about just putting them into the incubator.

I think I just might do that.

That nest or the occupier wouldn't last seconds after dusk here.

Might just as well fill the left over slots with chicken eggs; don't want to waste electricity

That is a great theory.

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-Kathy

Hello.

I'm pretending I'm with Benny. You know? "It's five o' clock somewhere!"

Beer's not just for breakfast any more.

 

[MommaHen2Four]

Newbie question... I'm on lockdown how do I keep my humidity around 60-70 if I can't get in?? Thanks in advance

 

[BullChick]

First, go ahead and open it if you need to add water. Second, use a straw or IV/fish tank tube to get water through the ventilation hole.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Sally, I have a question..... How much electricity does one of your coolerbators use? I have a friend who wants to make one (I have my enabler badge now!!) but she's on solar so she can't make something that uses a lot of power. I'd test mine, but I know it uses too much due to it not being insulated enough...... Thanks

There's no hard and fast rule.
It depends on the wattage of the heat source, the insulation of the incubator and the ambient air temperature of the room the incubator is in.
That last point is critical. If it is in a warm room with good insulation, a solar powered system is possible.
When I incubate in the cellar in winter, it will use up to 10 times the energy it uses in an upstairs room in summer.

Since there are a few duck experts here...

I have 1 old African grey goose (he is 15 or 16 years old) and 1 duck (not sure what kind he is, but he is also 15 or 16 years old), I would really like to add more ducks or geese but I am not sure how these two would treat them. Would they likely attack them? My old mama goose died a few months ago and now I'm not sure about these two old fellows and how they will treat any newcomers. They are not "tame" as in I do not handle them, they will sit in the yard where I am, but do not want to be touched, and do not want me to even act like I will touch them.

Depends on how much space you have. They might appreciate some friends of their own species. I'd try 3 of each.

Newbie question... I'm on lockdown how do I keep my humidity around 60-70 if I can't get in?? Thanks in advance

Raise it before you close up and use sponges or anything to increase surface area. If there are no pips yet, you can still do that. Mine are due in 26 hours and yet I'm going in to turn others.
Get a tube and funnel or some other combination so you can continue to add water to reservoirs.

 

[Chaos18]

......
I think for guys like us, we need to start by isolating the experiments. Not doing an AA and cooling test with the same eggs. I've decided not to do any cooling over what happens with a candling or transferring of eggs.
This experiment will be just for ascorbic acid dips. I don't even think I have enough eggs in there to do that justice.
I don't have enough hens now to do it right.
All the chicks I'm hatching this summer should all be laying early next year so that would be a good time to test again.

Mine always used to say, "do we really need more chicken?"
She has reluctantly given up. She does complain when there aren't enough eggs for a batch of deviled eggs or when she thinks we're low and I sell some.
.........

Yea that's what I was afraid of. I think I was trying to do to much with not enough samples per sample group. I think next time I will just be doing an AA test on half of the eggs and then maybe after that group do one where only cooling is involved. I'm hoping to hatch a smaller group at the end of summer so they start laying in the spring.

Mine is actually trying to get me to hatch some in the spring to sell so that the birds aren't being such freeloaders.

 

[MommaHen2Four]

First, go ahead and open it if you need to add water. Second, use a straw or IV/fish tank tube to get water through the ventilation hole.

Thanks lovelies... I wish I had someone on here that lived closer to me... I feel like I've done everything wrong. Like I've said before I'm raising 4 kids but chicks are diff.

 

[kwhites634]

Quote:
Hi Whites! Sounded like you had too many people on the pontoon boat to do fishing.

Quote: Hi Chaos
That's pretty much it

 

[lindalouly]

Thanks lovelies... I wish I had someone on here that lived closer to me... I feel like I've done everything wrong. Like I've said before I'm raising 4 kids but chicks are diff.

Use this as a training hatch. You learn something new every time something goes wrong. We all have to start somewhere and you are doing a fine job.

 

[kwhites634]

Quote: Peter, may I ask how old you are? you dont have to tell me just curious. What of the broodies, are they all finished? @Pensmaster

Quote: What symptoms did your ducks have that died>? did you send any out for testing?

A few updates, in pictoral form. I went out of town for a week, and was so relieved that all went well with the chicken sitter. First the sad. Jenny (who has ocular Mareks or other ocular tumors) has a faster growing tumor in one of her eyes now. There is nothing I can do to help her, and she is comfortable in her coop despite her already decreased vision, with a companionable fellow hen and a solicitous and sweet rooster who adores her, so I just keep an eye on her. She's getting along ok so far, not sure what the future holds.



Her "good" eye (which isn't normal, but it's the only eye she can see out of):


On a brighter note... The youngest "babies" are now 16 weeks old (wow - they grow so fast!). Not all have names - only the ones who "reveal" their names to me. Everyone else is "Hey, you."

I built the Sorority Sisters (Pullet group) an ugly-as-sin shade shelter out of a pallet and scrap wood (they have more sun than the others). They adore it. I also put out misters for them all once it started hitting about 100F, and they have done well in adapting.



Raven (Black Copper Maran pullet) is the friendliest of the bunch.

Arbequina (Olive egger) is splash copper maran mixed with wheaten ameraucana I think, and may be the prettiest bird in the yard. Alas, she knows it (little drama queen...)




I wanted to name the three German New Hampshire pullets after the Golden Girls (seemed to fit), but I just had to name the one that reminded me of Bea Arthur "Maude" instead of Dorothy.



Goodwin the Lavender Americana cockerel has continued to grow. And he's not "Goodwin" any more. He now only answers to "Robert E. Lee."


The Eight Acres German New Hampshires have done really well. One of the boys (Mr. Yellow, named after his leg band) ended up having a very slight cross beak (didn't even notice it until he was 13 weeks old), so he won't be a keeper, but of the four there are two (Mr. Black and Mr. Grey) who are vying for keeper status. The girls also look great - so pleased with these GNH!!!!

Here's Mr. Black, and to his right you can see Mr. Yellow's crossbeak if you look closely (or click on the photo to see it enlarged).



Here's Mr. Grey (the big one in the center).


And here some of them decided to line up for me - thought this was a cute photo


I had not planned on keeping any of the Black/Blue/Splash Copper Marans cockerels (in an attempt to keep things a bit more simple). However, this Splash boy is really big - on latest weigh-in, he is tied with Mr Black at 5 lbs 4 oz at 16 weeks. So I'm going to find a way to make room for him somehow. His name is Chunky Monkey. And his beak is "splash" too (pale with black spots), which I thought was nifty.




The boys have done well so far, but it's time to cull - I'm culling this coming weekend (the two hateful mean Cream Legbar boys who pick fights, and the two olive egger roosters, and Mr. Yellow the crossbeak GNH). Five is as much as I can do in a day, I think. I'll cull the non-keeper Copper Marans the following weekend, perhaps.

Last but not least, despite being really busy, I still feel a bit like a deadbeat, because I really need to get the Sorority Sisters' coop built. There's always something to do, isn't there?!

Aaaaaaaaannnnnnnnd that's all I've got. (Sorry for the photo bombs...)

- Ant Farm

Kristin so sorry about Jenny and all that you have to go through. ughhhh You are not a deadbeat by any means!!!

@BantyChooks Update: One of six hatched yesterday, Day 20. Other five eggs rotten!

I will let the broody raise her so she won't be lonely. Mama raised a pair last year for 8 weeks. They were bigger than her!

Learning to Eat



Scared of Flash - Sowwy little one.

awwwww so cute!!!

Bubbles this is for you

LOL cute like Bubbles bandti!!

Good morning everyone!

Morning Michael!!

Got to make a feed run

Morning Whites, have a good run.
Howdy, Dear Lady...good to see you