Inherited with new house chickens, ducks and geese!

[DanicaDream]

We just bought a new house, and the previous owners asked us if we would keep their chickens, ducks, and geese because they could not take them with them. Since I have (and love!) chickens, we said yes. I have no idea what kind of birds we have or their genders, except for the rooster, and I'm pretty sure we have at least one gander judging from the mating activity going on.

I don't have good pictures of the birds because they are all so skittish that I can't get close enough or get them still enough for a good picture.

 

[DanicaDream]

Oh, I do know the picture of the single bird standing on one leg is the rooster. Is it weird that he has no tail feathers, or is that normal?

Also the goose with the deformed wings (I looked it up, and it said it was an angel wing) is a gander. Until I looked up and learned about angel wing, I thought it was just a deformity caused by overly aggressive sexual behavior!

 

[LynMcLean]

I am new to keeping chickens, but I have experience with rouen and peking ducks. The duck with the green head is a rouen drake.

 

[donrae]

I think your red hens and rooster are what's called production Reds. Basically hatchery birds that don't meet a specific breed standard like a Rhode Island Red, but boy do they churn out the eggs!
Do you know how old the chickens are? I'm wondering if he's molting, but it's a weird time of year if you're in the northern hemisphere. My next thought is one of the darkest or gander is being aggressive to him.

Looks like you bought a nice set up!

 

[DanicaDream]

Thanks Lyn!

Donrae, thanks! It is a nice set up, although the interior needs some work. Not enough good nesting boxes or perches. They converted an old greenhouse into the coop, so I'm thinking I may build a new coop and put this back to a greenhouse.

And thanks for the thoughts on the birds. I did wonder if the gander was being aggressive. I haven't seen it, but that doesn't mean it isn't happening. He snaps at the chickens all the time.

The previous owners said the chickens are between 3 and 7 years old, so no one is really laying. I've gotten one white egg since we've been here, which I suspect is from one of the white chickens. And that's fine, since my three are laying really well, and I already have more eggs than I can use.

 

[BantamLover21]

It looks like there are some Production Red hens (the red birds), a Production Red rooster, a few White Leghorns or White Rock hens (the white ones), White Chinese geese, one or two Embden geese, a possible hatchery quality Rouen drake, and what appears to be an old (therefore very white-feathered) Black Cayuga duck.

 

[DanicaDream]

It looks like there are some Production Red hens (the red birds), a Production Red rooster, a few White Leghorns or White Rock hens (the white ones), White Chinese geese, one or two Embden geese, a possible hatchery quality Rouen drake, and what appears to be an old (therefore very white-feathered) Black Cayuga duck.

Very cool, thanks! I was wondering about the black and white duck! I think the white ones are probably white rock, not leghorns because they're smaller than my friend's leghorns.

 

[Percheron chick]

Rocks will have red lobes (ears) while leghorns will have large white ones.

 

[DanicaDream]

Rocks will have red lobes (ears) while leghorns will have large white ones.

Cool, thanks! I will take a look as soon as I can get close enough. These white ones are super skittish.

 

[buggymuffin]

The black and white duck is definitely a Cayuga hen, but she may not be that old. Mine are 3 years old and one is almost completely white.