NY chicken lover!!!!

[cracrzy4chicks]

ke5hde...................... I'll be growing the BLRW's up for a few more months. After I pick my 2, the rest will be up for sale, trade or freezer camp

I think you're a bit farther than an hour, but not much

 

[featherz]

Hey guys!!! Haven't been on as much as I am powering through school. Should be done with my degree in just a month or two! I'm asking everywhere - my capstone/practicum is on disaster planning and management, both pre and post. It's in Warren/Saratoga County, but can do other areas if I can somehow relate them to the county somehow (like a disaster there would affect us here or a state agency that would respond here).. If anyone IS or KNOWS someone I can interview, let me know.. Or if you hear of any classes or training exercises I can attend, also please let me know. I need to get 90 (!!) hours. eep! Would really like to get an interview with someone from the nuclear power plant or the knoll laboratory, but aside from one patient I knew years ago I doubt I can get anyone to talk to me there even with my federal clearance.

Chickens are all fine except I think I have two with botulism. Not sure where they got it but I scraped the ground clean, disinfected all the waterers, etc. Seems classic, hanging down head, etc. One I thought was dead already when I found her but she seems to be slowly recovering and is now eating and drinking on her own. The other is standing there with her head down but is still walking around well. She's much bigger so I can probably tube feed her if necessary. Poor chickies!! Oh, and today the entire flock was just standing there clucking at a small hawk. What the heck were they thinking?

County boy, if you are there, one of your little hens is sneaking out of my electric fence just to lay her tiny little eggs. Found a whole nest of itty bitty eggs today. They are soooo tiny! I have no idea if they are fertile - will check, but Nugget hasn't really gotten the hang of things yet. I come out to find him just standing on a hen like she's a footstool.

 

[Lynzi777]

I'm back....upset and happy at the same time. Love the ducks, they're beautiful. However I think they are both drakes. Wth!?! Guess I'm just not destined to have ducks! I read that magpie ducks and drakes are identical as far as appearance goes. I separated them when I got home to see if one would quack and call out to the other and neither of them did. This guy was kinda out there. He told me the blue was the female and the male was the black. He then says "you know, let me just double check that they are in fact male and female." So he takes one over to the fence and I'm thinking Oh, maybe this guy knows how to vent sex them or something? Nope, he takes this metal stick with a string tied to it, hangs it over the back of the duck, waits for it to move a certain way and says "yup, this is a female!" I'm standing there like you have GOT to be kidding me! So he's sexing these things by an old wives tale!?! I was like ok fine, great, thanks a lot and left. I do want one of them so worse case is I rehome one. Another thing I'm kinda upset about is (and I didn't see this on them until I got home) is it looks like they're wing feathers were trimmed. They look awful and I'm wondering how to fix this?? Is there a way at all that they can grow back from this??? Pics below...

Here is the pair

Here are pics of the black and white's wings

Other than them both being drakes and the wing issue I do love them. Just wish one would be giving me eggs.

 

[Nuttyfrom6kids]

I'm back....upset and happy at the same time. Love the ducks, they're beautiful. However I think they are both drakes. Wth!?! Guess I'm just not destined to have ducks! I read that magpie ducks and drakes are identical as far as appearance goes. I separated them when I got home to see if one would quack and call out to the other and neither of them did. This guy was kinda out there. He told me the blue was the female and the male was the black. He then says "you know, let me just double check that they are in fact male and female." So he takes one over to the fence and I'm thinking Oh, maybe this guy knows how to vent sex them or something? Nope, he takes this metal stick with a string tied to it, hangs it over the back of the duck, waits for it to move a certain way and says "yup, this is a female!" I'm standing there like you have GOT to be kidding me! So he's sexing these things by an old wives tale!?! I was like ok fine, great, thanks a lot and left. I do want one of them so worse case is I rehome one. Another thing I'm kinda upset about is (and I didn't see this on them until I got home) is it looks like they're wing feathers were trimmed. They look awful and I'm wondering how to fix this?? Is there a way at all that they can grow back from this??? Pics below...

Here is the pair


Here are pics of the black and white's wings



Other than them both being drakes and the wing issue I do love them. Just wish one would be giving me eggs.

Those look like something is chewing on them not that they were cut. I would make sure they don't have any bugs chewing on them and trim them If it is the ends they are just the flight feathers trim them evenly across they will grow back which is why you have to keep trimming feathers every 6-8 weeks to keep birds from flying

 

[Lynzi777]

Those look like something is chewing on them not that they were cut. I would make sure they don't have any bugs chewing on them and trim them If it is the ends they are just the flight feathers trim them evenly across they will grow back which is why you have to keep trimming feathers every 6-8 weeks to keep birds from flying

Well these are on the furthest part of their wings. I thought flight feathers were underneath? I'll have to take a closer look when I get back from the store. I would love to be able to trim them if possible. They just look awful.

 

[ke5hde]

I'm back....upset and happy at the same time. Love the ducks, they're beautiful. However I think they are both drakes. Wth!?! Guess I'm just not destined to have ducks! I read that magpie ducks and drakes are identical as far as appearance goes. I separated them when I got home to see if one would quack and call out to the other and neither of them did. This guy was kinda out there. He told me the blue was the female and the male was the black. He then says "you know, let me just double check that they are in fact male and female." So he takes one over to the fence and I'm thinking Oh, maybe this guy knows how to vent sex them or something? Nope, he takes this metal stick with a string tied to it, hangs it over the back of the duck, waits for it to move a certain way and says "yup, this is a female!" I'm standing there like you have GOT to be kidding me! So he's sexing these things by an old wives tale!?! I was like ok fine, great, thanks a lot and left. I do want one of them so worse case is I rehome one. Another thing I'm kinda upset about is (and I didn't see this on them until I got home) is it looks like they're wing feathers were trimmed. They look awful and I'm wondering how to fix this?? Is there a way at all that they can grow back from this??? Pics below...

Here is the pair

Here are pics of the black and white's wings

Other than them both being drakes and the wing issue I do love them. Just wish one would be giving me eggs.

REALLY?! A stick and a string? That's a new one to me. Danielle and I are really starting to feel bad for you :-(
The wings look like they were hacked up by a dull pair of scissors.
Here's Clyde's wing. The flight feathers are the longest, not that he needs them, runners don't fly.

They're a little ragged and he's probably going to molt soon, Bonnie is now so he won't be too far behind.

Chris

 

[Lynzi777]

Just googled the feather issue and someone on the site asked the same thing. Apparently they're just old feathers that will be replaced as the bird goes thru a molt which could be as early as June. So I'm thinking this is the case.

 

[cracrzy4chicks]

@ Rancher............... and anyone else that might be interested!
All 3 ( Lav in the back )

Lav

Black

Not sure what this color is called !!

here are some pics of my Aracauna cockerals. They were hatched 5/4

 

[cracrzy4chicks]

Also :
Golden Cuckoo Maran

( L to R ) Reg. barred rock cockerel, GCM cockerel, Blue barred rock cockerel ( rear right, I cut off his head in this pic)

Blue Barred Rock cockerel ( he's huge ! )

Blue barred rock pullet ( wanted to show the color and poor barring on this bird )
These were also hatched 5/4
I'll add more pics later

 

[SunnysideupstateNY]

Thank you for the well wishes....he is doing much better today. The redness has started to centralize to just around the wound but they are keeping him an extra day to be safe. Probably better....he is being a real peach.

Lynzi Agnes is beautiful!

Miquwid love the fro on the brabanter!

Nutty I hope your hubby starts to feel better real soon! Glad to hear he is home.

Ke5hde I would love for him to get rid of it...I will be working on that one. He was so lucky this time.

Chickprincess Signed!

Cracrzy4chicks I love your auracanas! They remind me of the lorax for some reason. How did your hatch go with these guys?