North Carolina

[dutchbunny83]

Welcome to all the newbies!

@vkscafe-- you're right up the road from me, I live in the neighborhood behind the Raeford Rd TSC. If you're looking for chicks to lay eggs not exhibition, I would really recommend Ideal Poultry. They have a larger selection than the local place, they have the cheapest prices, the shipping they charge is actually less than the cost of shipping them & they only have a $25 minimum not a 25 bird minimum. I've bought from them several times & I've always had really healthy animals come from them. Check out their website. If you want a brown layer I am impartial to Barred Rocks & Red Sex Link (cinnamon queen, golden comet, red star, all the the same thing). Personally not a fan of the production reds or RIR, just the birds I've gotten my Red Sex Link has the best personality & a laying machine. (You should also throw an Easter Egger in there, they have great personalities and blue/green eggs are always fun )


I need some duck help!!! I desperately want to know the gender of what I have.
They're pushing 5 weeks old now (I keep getting people contacting me wanting few day old babies, where were they a month ago before I spent all this money on feed & heating them!) & have their tail feathers, scapular feathers, & chest feathers. The rest of the body is still transitioning from down to the feathers, they're kinda weird looking at the moment.
ANYWAY, I sex all my chicks I hatch at a week old by tail feathers or lack there of-- if there's no tail it will be a boy if their tail feathers are growing in it will be a girl. So far it's been 100% accurate on my hatchings. Does this work with ducks as well? Because some have more tail feathers than others. Obviously not the curled drake feathers yet.
Also, some are bigger than others does that mean they are more likely boys?
I hear girls are louder, but at this point they're all the same sound.

It's Swedish, Buff & Pekin ducks if breed makes a difference. From what I've seen those breeds look pretty much the same in boys and girls so having a harder time differentiating.

THANKS!

 

[BHep]

TO ALL THE NEW FOLKS !!





Dutch...ducks QUACK...drake quack. Also the drakes will get a curled feather on the tail after they molt.

 

[dutchbunny83]

Thanks!
When should I notice the voice difference?

 

[ramirezframing]

cool i go to sanford right often.. i want to get to that barnyard auction in sanford or the flock swap the hubby an i find such events amusing..i may go to the show that i am unprepared for just to amuse myself.. even if i dont show a bird.. bc idk if mine can show yet although if my standard book will hurry up and get here i may have something that can go once i scrutinize my flock. dont they have to have some sort of blood test etc before they can go to a show .. i know nothing about this or where to get it done .. do u take it to the vet or do they do it at the show ?.. geez i feel anxious..lol

If you go to any auction, make sure to get there early enough to check the birds out. Look to make sure they don't look sick. If you buy any you need to quarantine them away from your other birds for at least a month. As to you showing at Unifour, aint happening this year. You have to send in your entry fee and forum a few weeks before the show. As to the testing, I have heard that they do test at the shows, but since I have never showed before I could be wrong on that.

 

[dutchbunny83]

Well said, RF!
Even if they look healthy, absolutely QUARANTINE!!!! Learned that one the hard way.
Remember they could be a carrier of something without symptoms or even pick something up at the auction from another bird, even if they came healthy.

I don't exhibit birds or anything, but I've seen others say that they always quarantine their bird they took to the show for 30 days before allowing it to return to the flock in case they were exposed to something as well. Just something to keep in mind if you want to do exhibition.

 

[daphneysmamma]

i am doing so since i bought the little tractor to put them in .. the 2 splash silkies i got last night are in their own little house anyway so they are quarantined as well.

 

[Tikkijane]

Lost our barn kitty today.  Poor thing was found decapitated by a car on the road.  He was soooo snugly and sweet!!  A great mouser too, and he wasn't even six months old yet.  Rough day around here.

First the chickens get killed by dogs, then the dog gets crippled by a car and now my favorite barn cat is killed.  Beginning to think I'm not fit to have animals. 

!!!! . . I am so sorry.

 

[Tikkijane]

On my way to work today I saw DOT getting the body of a horse out of a roadside ditch. It has not been a great week for a lot of animals.

 

[jtbass2756]

On my way to work today I saw DOT getting the body of a horse out of a roadside ditch. It has not been a great week for a lot of animals.

 

[FVRM]

Fayetteville Poultry is a local business out by the Cumberland CO Mulch place near Owens.

We have attended one Flock Swap already but were not ready to purchase. But that is a good option, thanks!

umm i don't know if we are talking about the same thing but from what i know fayetteville poultry is not exactly a hatchery farm but just a home based business. he buys from hatcheries, ships them to his house and he resells them. he does have common hatchery breeds like orpingtons and barred rocks.

anyway, i have 5 one month old chicks. they are a buff orpington and red sexlink cross 4 are girls and 1 is a boy. (the girls came out peach and the boy is white) if you're interested send me a pm. i wish i could keep them but in 5 days ill have 20 something eggs hatching, im going to need room. if you want photo check out my blog thru my signature