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

[AgnesGray]

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...

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Wow, she is stunning! Looks like she's dressed for a masquerade ball or something. Really beautiful markings!

 

[AgnesGray]

Are you using them for meat?

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

We will process and eat them. They're in a coop on their own as of last night because we got tired of hearing their squabbles. Our poor bielefelder boy was run-flying back and forth between one squabble and the next one in the field and in the run trying to break them up. When we put the trouble makers away he must have been starving because he stood there and ate until it got dark. Everyone is resting better now being separated out.

How old is Rocky?

 

[Perris]

A lot of people can’t hatch BCM.

wish I'd known that before! I just set some under my broody - wish me luck !

 

[Swiss]

Oh, one more thought. I believe you were already warned to run, run, RUN!

I think it is too late for me! I'm looking at incubators, now!

I think I found a good deal on a used one (that isn't styrofoam) that only holds 10 chicken eggs (forcing me to take it slow)...and I could possibly get a deal on 2....... but..... for less than $10 more, I could get a brand new Little Giant 9300 that holds 40-something chicken eggs.......... I am not sure how I feel about spending that much on a styrofoam one, though...

I'm excited to watch everyone's eggs start to hatch in the next week!

 

[FortCluck]

Wow, she is stunning! Looks like she's dressed for a masquerade ball or something. Really beautiful markings!

She was bred to look pretty not ugly like some Muscovy. Shes like a peacock but a duck lol

 

[FortCluck]

We will process and eat them. They're in a coop on their own as of last night because we got tired of hearing their squabbles. Our poor bielefelder boy was run-flying back and forth between one squabble and the next one in the field and in the run trying to break them up. When we put the trouble makers away he must have been starving because he stood there and ate until it got dark. Everyone is resting better now being separated out.

How old is Rocky?

He is about 7 months now

 

[igorsMistress]

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!

I've never weighed eggs to check them, just candled. Do you have a chart you use to help determine if they're on track?

 

[igorsMistress]

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!

The fastest way to process quail is to breast them without plucking. The legs and wings aren't really worth the effort.

 

[FortCluck]

The fastest way to process quail is to breast them without plucking. The legs and wings aren't really worth the effort.

I heard that skinning them is easiest

 

[chickiebaby1]

I do and don’t have ducks and geese! I don’t personally own any. Never wanted to deal with the baby mess and we don’t have any ponds or anything! My neighbor however has a momma duck with 9 ducklings and 7 baby geese that make a beeline for my yard as soon as he lets them out in the morning! Don’t know what the appeal is in my yard. I don’t let my chickens free range at the moment do to predators but these little buttheads are here every day and boy do they make a yucky mess! They poop way more than any of my chickens ever did and it’s huge. It’s like walking in a minefield anytime I want to go outside. And they have found their way into my garage which is great! Had to use a shovel last night to get rid of all there poo! gonna have to get something to keep them out until we can get a garage door.