July Hatch-a-Long (including 4th of July hatch-a-long)

[FortCluck]

Me too!



You guys are talking me into it.



Ducks are the best, in spite of the mess!



I got some feed store Pekins to be a buddy to my lone April hatcher. They are truly impressive how fast they grow and very sweet, but have shown me what duck mess can be in all of its glory and given me a new appreciation for my lighter and not AS messy harlies. Love them!

I had a few other breeds with the pekin, most were silver and one was a chocolate. I forget what they were. I vent sexed them so I had all females because my drake always grossed me out.

 

[AgnesGray]

I will write it down, do you have a "need by" time frame? It is spring so I need a deadline.

Next spring? I agreed to no more hatching (unless it just happens on its own.. a force of nature... a happy coincidence...) until next year. Maybe a winter hatch? January? Unless we want to have some around at Christmas when the kids are here...

I guess anytime would be fine. I don't see us doing any large hatches after this one for a while, but I've been contemplating a sportsman. $$ saved would be way more fun.

 

[BullChick]

The Muscovy. Pekins are they make everything messy. I traded all my ducks but the Muscovy for my 2 bunnies.

The Muscovy was an issue because she got the Pekin to be broody. I rarely used duck eggs (and Duckling stopped eating them) so I didn’t need more free loaders. I especially didn’t need three girls hatching out a million ducklings!

Update on my shipped eggs;
Day Seven. Candled and weighed all 47 eggs.
Cream Legbar- 8 out of 15 viable, 2 DIS, 5 unsure
Bielefelder- 11 out of 14 viable, 3 unsure
Black Copper Maran (eBay)- 0 out of 6 viable, 6 unsure
Black Copper Maran (Omega Hills)- 3 out of 12 viable, 9 unsure
Average weight loss is 5%. Right on target. I've been running the humidity between 40%-45% and for now that seems to be doing just fine. I'm disapointed that the Black Copper Marans appear to have such a low rate of viability but it's still early and it's still very hard to see inside the shells on most of them. Cross my fingers. Overall though, nearly half of the eggs are definitely alive and that's what I expected even though I hope for more. I'll check progress again next week. BTW... the new brooder is nearly set up!

A lot of people can’t hatch BCM. They need higher humidity.

 

[AgnesGray]

I had a few other breeds with the pekin, most were silver and one was a chocolate. I forget what they were. I vent sexed them so I had all females because my drake always grossed me out.

My husband is totally grossed out by our drakes. I think it's hilarious...

 

[FortCluck]

My husband is totally grossed out by our drakes. I think it's hilarious...

Soon as that pool was clean they wanted to do their thang in it

 

[AgnesGray]

Soon as that pool was clean they wanted to do their thang in it

Every. Single. Time.

Doesn't take much to get ducks in the mood!

 

[FortCluck]

Every. Single. Time.

Doesn't take much to get ducks in the mood!

I’d rather chickens and quail lol. My Muscovy is okay she is like a puppy.

 

[AgnesGray]

I’d rather chickens and quail lol. My Muscovy is okay she is like a puppy.

Awwww, I've heard they can be really sweet. My duck experience is pretty limited to harlies, and very recently a few pekins. Did you raise the muscovy from hatch?

I'm ready to cull some cockerels for doing this very thing to the point of stressing my girls. Crazytown with too many boys in the flock. Surprisingly none of them are fighting yet, but my girls are my babies and the boys are overly enthused. The ducks don't seem to mind. lol

 

[FortCluck]

Awwww, I've heard they can be really sweet. My duck experience is pretty limited to harlies, and very recently a few pekins. Did you raise the muscovy from hatch?

I'm ready to cull some cockerels for doing this very thing to the point of stressing my girls. Crazytown with too many boys in the flock. Surprisingly none of them are fighting yet, but my girls are my babies and the boys are overly enthused. The ducks don't seem to mind. lol

I got her when she was 8 weeks. Her name is Coco. She’s a chocolate Muscovy. She thinks she’s a chicken

You can’t really see her coloring in this pic, but she has green and blue feathers that shimmer in the sun. She’s drool worthy...

 

[FortCluck]

Awwww, I've heard they can be really sweet. My duck experience is pretty limited to harlies, and very recently a few pekins. Did you raise the muscovy from hatch?

I'm ready to cull some cockerels for doing this very thing to the point of stressing my girls. Crazytown with too many boys in the flock. Surprisingly none of them are fighting yet, but my girls are my babies and the boys are overly enthused. The ducks don't seem to mind. lol

Are you using them for meat?

I’m about to butcher Rocky and find a different cockerel. He’s horrible all the time!