North Carolina

[Hollowoakfarm]

I find myself coming back this morning looking for CSB's morning greeting. Where are you, CSB?

[COLOR=008000]Sorry Hollow.........I did a much needed " sleep in late" morning[/COLOR]
[COLOR=008000]and by the time I got online later in the day it just didn't feel right[/COLOR]
[COLOR=008000]to post. [/COLOR]

You are SO allowed to sleep in! I just enjoy your morning thoughts.

 

[The Howards]

I keep hearing how fabulous duck eggs are.
I'm thinking about getting a few this spring since the turkeys will be gone.
I have a coop and a 8'x20' run/
Can I just put in a kiddy pool and fill it with fresh water everyday or do I need a legit pond? I've heard of people keeping ducks in backyards....
Also, any suggestions on breeds that lay the best/most often? Don't really know much about them....


Edit: Think I'm going to go with the Khaki Campbell since they're small, aren't big flyers, and lay like crazy. Ideal sells sexed pullets (they're listed as pullets guess that's what you call female ducks as well?). I think I am going to get 3 to try it out. Waiting until Spring until after the quail. Still don't know about the pool though?

Curious-- anyone ever eat duck before? What's it like? (I know the Campbell's aren't a "meat" breed and don't plan on eating them, but was thinking about getting 1 pekin just to try it...)

Hey everyone. Glad to see most all are doing well and things are moving smoothly. Hope everyone has a great Christmas. Luckily we are closed at work so I only have to work Christmas Eve. The best part is DH has Christmas Day off too, super happy bout that. Placed another order for chicks today. Several of the ones we wanted were not available but I got most of the ones DH picked out. Think I have created a monster too. The catalog came in and he sat down and circled all the ones he wanted, plus the ducks. Who am I to complain?? You won't hear one word out of me, no-sir-ree-bob.

Welcome to all the new folks, glad to read aboutcha.

Yay Ducks!! I love ours. We have 10 and am going to order more soon. Duck eggs taste just the same as chicken, just a bit richer and fuller flavor. Anything you can do with a chicken egg you can do with duck. We have kiddie pools, 1 large and 2 small. Although half the time they all try and pile in one, a small one, and play. We also have several water containers set about. The chickens and ducks get along pretty well. If you are looking to eat them I have heard Muscovy are really good, less greasy. Ours are pets like the chickens tho. Oh, if you do ducks you have to get more than 1, 2 minimum. They are more of a flock bird than chickens and desperately need a companion who speaks their language.

 

[rbaker0345]

When mine reached "that age", we told them the history of Santa Claus and how people have carried the tradition on. Then we told them that they were now old enough to BE Santa. So after that, they got to pick someone to do something special for...as well as help with gifts for the younger kid, in Amy's case. It worked for us.

I like that idea. My sister-in-law has kept her son believing in Santa for 13 years now. It would seem appropriate if he wasn't such a sasquatch. The kid is 13, and he's like 6ft and still believes in Santa. It just doesn't seem right.

 

[carolbeau]

It would seem appropriate if he wasn't such a sasquatch. The kid is 13, and he's like 6ft and still believes in Santa. It just doesn't seem right.

LOL. Awww...

 

[rbaker0345]

I'm procrastinating. I have to go kill cockerels. I have a beautiful Sumatra mix, and I hate to do it, but he's just got to go. I had a friend bring me two beautiful Brahma boys to process and another friend bringing me like 8 pure partridge java and mile-fleur Leghorn cockerels to process and I feel just awful about killing such pretty boys, but you can only have just so many roosters before they just have to go. I need to rewire my garage so I can put a freezer in there. Though I must say that the pull-out freezer in my arnoir fridge can really pull its weight. What I really need (and have asked santa for) is a plucker. My fingers nearly froze off while plucking the Thanksgiving muscovy. I got his big feathers plucked and then brought him inside and handed him to my husband to do the pin feathers. My fingers were numb at that point and I get that syndrome where my fingers get all bright red and numb when they get too cold. Anyway, thank goodness its warm today. It will be good for processing.

 

[GenomicsGirl]

I like that idea. My sister-in-law has kept her son believing in Santa for 13 years now. It would seem appropriate if he wasn't such a sasquatch. The kid is 13, and he's like 6ft and still believes in Santa. It just doesn't seem right.

Haha - I know that type of child! He's 13 and wears size 14 shoe! And he's scared to come to our adult tae kwon do class and spar ME (5'9" & 125 lbs) LOL!!! AND he believes in Santa! Oh the innocence!

 

[dutchbunny83]

I'm procrastinating. I have to go kill cockerels. I have a beautiful Sumatra mix, and I hate to do it, but he's just got to go. I had a friend bring me two beautiful Brahma boys to process and another friend bringing me like 8 pure partridge java and mile-fleur Leghorn cockerels to process and I feel just awful about killing such pretty boys, but you can only have just so many roosters before they just have to go. I need to rewire my garage so I can put a freezer in there. Though I must say that the pull-out freezer in my arnoir fridge can really pull its weight. What I really need (and have asked santa for) is a plucker. My fingers nearly froze off while plucking the Thanksgiving muscovy. I got his big feathers plucked and then brought him inside and handed him to my husband to do the pin feathers. My fingers were numb at that point and I get that syndrome where my fingers get all bright red and numb when they get too cold. Anyway, thank goodness its warm today. It will be good for processing.

I feel your pain! We have to process 2 roo's that I REALLY don't want to!
Hope it goes smoothly for you!
Do you ever process yours without plucking? I realize that's not ideal (and if it's for Thanksgiving it needs the skin), but I make DH do all the processing alone and he asks to be allowed to just skin them when I won't help. Works great for chicken when we're going to break it into pieces anyway. He does the killing, peels the skin right off with the feathers, cleans them, then brings me the bird and I break it down into pieces and vacuum seal for freezer camp.
We're (well I use the term "we" lightly!) are processing today too, hope the rain holds out until we're done. We have 3 turkeys and 2 "pet" roosters to do
How was the duck? I've never had it, think we're going to get one in the spring....

 

[Hollowoakfarm]

We skin unless it's for roasting, too. We quit doing ducks, simply because they were soooooo much more work. "Surplus" roos we'll skin carefully for the hackle feathers for my son who ties fishing flies. Those are soup birds anyway.

 

[ramirezframing]

Only thing I pluck is the turkeys, all chickens are skinned. Turkeys either go in the oven or get smoked so the skin helps keep them moist.

 

[dutchbunny83]

We skin unless it's for roasting, too. We quit doing ducks, simply because they were soooooo much more work. "Surplus" roos we'll skin carefully for the hackle feathers for my son who ties fishing flies. Those are soup birds anyway.

I have a 6 month old Lavender Orpington roo & a 5 month old freedom ranger roo who both needed to go because they started crowing.
Do you think they are young enough I can still eat them like normal chicken or do you think they'll already be tough and should go in a soup or slow cooker?