NY chicken lover!!!!

[Lapeerian]

Hello I'm in Hillsdale county Michigan . I have 7 peckin ducks and 13 Rhode Island reds . I have been searching hard for other breeds of ducks around where I live and I'm assuming there just not in demand or not popular becsuse I came up with nothing for two months now . I ended up giving up on the ads I placed and ordered baby ducklings from pure poultry . I got buffs ,cauga ,welsh harlequins and blue Swedish . All to be shipped on the 27th . The suspense is killing me ! I simply fell in love with the peckins I bought at tsc in February . There so much fun and lovable . I couldn't ask for a better hobby with my time . It's worth every second of my day . During the last two months I've noticed that the demand is out there in this county however there hard to get or find without driving forever . So I took some time and thought about it and how long I search and decided I will help breed and hatch or even incubate to help others in this area have ducklings ! I'm trying to get this rolling very soon and I hope it goes as planed . I'm currently building my coops for the 27th shipment of ducks . I'm asking for all your tips and advise . Any at all please . Do I need separate pen for each breed ? How many males do I need or do I even need males ? I'm new to all of this and have only had my peckins since February . Anyone have tips for incubating and what's the best one to get ? Will they hatch there own ? I need everyone's help so I can help others from this county and area have ducks . Thanks in advance !

Not sure if the NY community is where you were looking, but LadyHawkeAvery is the waterfowl person to talk to in here.

 

[Beer can]

@articfox2473There is a breeder of Ancona's (ducks) in Ohio, she has some really nice ones, doing a good job with their colors. She is NPIP and AI inspected, ships hatching eggs and ducklings. If you want her info let me know. She also has a few other breeds of ducks, Calls, can't remember what else. Also has some rare chickens, Oikhi (spelling?) Fly ties, some others.

 

[tao chick]

I have a question. My first chicks are 14 weeks old. I have 3 separated to grow out. The four still free-ranging are three pullets and a cockerel. The pullets are starting to turn pink in the comb now. When should I expect eggs? Still around 5 months? At least two of the cockerels are crowing. Also, I have 4 4-week old chicks. When would you add them to the coop?

 

[PhoredaBurds]

Morning all. Was up at 1130 last night because a bear broke into my silkie coop. Ripped the hardware wire out of the door. It got 3 of my juvenile silkies that I had just moves out there. I ran out like a crazed woman screaming at the bear. It had tipped over the coop as well. Dh and I righted it an I saw that only splash and little big man anD one of the babies was in there. I brought the in and put them in a cage downstairs. When my alarm went off this am I heard distress chirps outside. I ran out to find another baby had survived. It ran to me when I called. Poor things are so traumatized. I had to put splash in solitary this am as she was just being nasty to the babies. Little big man is being nice to them and allowing them to hide under him. They will be staying in the basement for a bit while we get the coop back on its base. That bear won't be leaving the next time it comes back if I have anything to do about it. I am so angry and upset over the loss of my babies. I know you all can understand that. Sorry, had to vent. Time to go fix up a temp fence outback for these survivors. Later all.

Ugh! I'm so sorry. So frustrating after the work that went into hatching & raising those babies. Hopefully "going mama bear" on the intruder will deter further visits. Certainly sounds like u were speaking bear language. Last night I heard the coyotes howling what sounded like way too close. I ran out to check the chickens to find them untouched. Not sure what I would have done if I found a pack of coyotes out there. All I had in hand was a flashlight.

 

[dragonlord483]

Finally, a group on Facebook for Western NY'ers that enjoy keeping chickens and poultry! Join us on Facebook to share pictures, info, and advice about our feathered friends!

 

[PhoredaBurds]

I have a question. My first chicks are 14 weeks old. I have 3 separated to grow out. The four still free-ranging are three pullets and a cockerel. The pullets are starting to turn pink in the comb now. When should I expect eggs? Still around 5 months? At least two of the cockerels are crowing. Also, I have 4 4-week old chicks. When would you add them to the coop?

4-5 months sounds right for most pullets, depending on the breed. Integrating different ages/sizes can sometimes be challenging. If there's a way u can house them next to each other for a few weeks so that they can see each other but not touch, that sometimes helps. I'd wait until they are a little closer in size before integrating them. It's good u have 4 of the younger birds, bc they can band together if they get picked on.

 

[rancher hicks]

Finally, a group on Facebook for Western NY'ers that enjoy keeping chickens and poultry! Join us on Facebook to share pictures, info, and advice about our feathered friends!

Why do you suggest we do that? We can share pictures and info here. Please don't suggest my friends leave for somewhere else.

 

[boskelli1571]

Morning all. Was up at 1130 last night because a bear broke into my silkie coop. Ripped the hardware wire out of the door. It got 3 of my juvenile silkies that I had just moves out there. I ran out like a crazed woman screaming at the bear. It had tipped over the coop as well. Dh and I righted it an I saw that only splash and little big man anD one of the babies was in there. I brought the in and put them in a cage downstairs. When my alarm went off this am I heard distress chirps outside. I ran out to find another baby had survived. It ran to me when I called. Poor things are so traumatized. I had to put splash in solitary this am as she was just being nasty to the babies. Little big man is being nice to them and allowing them to hide under him. They will be staying in the basement for a bit while we get the coop back on its base. That bear won't be leaving the next time it comes back if I have anything to do about it. I am so angry and upset over the loss of my babies. I know you all can understand that. Sorry, had to vent. Time to go fix up a temp fence outback for these survivors. Later all.

Sorry for your losses

- so frustrating...

 

[myfivegirls]

Morning all. Was up at 1130 last night because a bear broke into my silkie coop. Ripped the hardware wire out of the door. It got 3 of my juvenile silkies that I had just moves out there. I ran out like a crazed woman screaming at the bear. It had tipped over the coop as well. Dh and I righted it an I saw that only splash and little big man anD one of the babies was in there. I brought the in and put them in a cage downstairs. When my alarm went off this am I heard distress chirps outside. I ran out to find another baby had survived. It ran to me when I called. Poor things are so traumatized. I had to put splash in solitary this am as she was just being nasty to the babies. Little big man is being nice to them and allowing them to hide under him. They will be staying in the basement for a bit while we get the coop back on its base. That bear won't be leaving the next time it comes back if I have anything to do about it. I am so angry and upset over the loss of my babies. I know you all can understand that. Sorry, had to vent. Time to go fix up a temp fence outback for these survivors. Later all.

Sorry for your losses

especially since they were the young ones that you'd just moved out there.

 

[LuvMyChicks1491]

Pharm...I'm so sorry that the bear got some of your young ones. I can so picture you running out there.

Things her aren't that great right now either. First I had to put down my one Delaware girl that got her head pecked. She has been steadily going down hill ever since. I tried to do my best with her and knew that if I could keep her with a good quality of life that she would be fine, but yesterday she had an even harder time trying to get around and today I had to take her out of the coop and put her in front of the food and water. She couldn't stand up and couldn't even stay upright. She kept falling over. I tried the best that I could with her, but it was time. She is now buried in the back yard. She was so thin that even if I wanted to processes her there wouldn't have been any meat on her so I thought it best that she went to the pet cemetery on the hill.

Then tonight I get a late night phone call from my mom. It is never good when she calls at 9:30PM... One of my sisters was taken to the ER. She was having trouble breathing and had some severe pain in her shoulder. They admitted her and she has a collapsed lung!. They aren't sure what caused it, but they are putting in a chest tube to help re-inflate it. Besides my DH she is my best friend and I'm so worried. I wish that I could go to the hospital to be with her, but I can't right now. I'm so worried about her...Maybe now she will stop smoking! I'm sure that may have had something to do with it. She has just had a bad run of luck lately. Last month she had a miscarriage and now this. I hope that she starts getting some good luck her way cause it seems that if it wasn't for bad luck she wouldn't have any luck at all.