NY chicken lover!!!!

[Coop de Cuse]

I raised mine from keets too! They are a lot of fun to watch but also are the most aggressive towards newcomers. Aka new chickens. I am nervous this year as they should start laying. I'm told that's when they take off sometimes. Perhaps yours are in the woods on a nest somewhere rancher?

I raised them in the same brooder with my chicks and they all get along just fine. It is possible and I would be surprised if there were more keets in the spring

 

[rancher hicks]

Now, now do you really beleive everything you read? And do you think that an old drake wouldn't back down from a shovel or booted foot. My drake is afraid of his own shadow and his hens and the roosters. And Ray. He runs the other way when Ray yells "get off the deck"....doesn't even have to move toward him. Now he is young, but if he tries anything he is just a bird, without a beak for that matter, and I will knock some sense into him. But for now he is a very respectful, to large to fly up and hurt me, duck.

And as far as roosting in trees, mine don't even roost on the rail of my deck or the chicken roosts, much less a tree. They sleep on the floor of the coop or the top of the table in the coop.

I got them to eat the flies. They are supposed to like flies. I guess if they don't like flies then I guess I won't hatch any more of them....but they are good foragers. So soon my feed bill will go down.

If they also eat mice and voles THAT would be a wonderful bonus.

Everything but what I read on BYC.

I'm just repeating what is in this book. I know there are exceptions to the rule. I wouldn't mind if they roosted an a coop though.

 

[Cass]

Everything but what I read on BYC.

I'm just repeating what is in this book. I know there are exceptions to the rule. I wouldn't mind if they roosted an a coop though.

Personally, I think you need to find another book to read because a LOT of what you quote from this book as fact is only the observations and opinion of the author of that ONE BOOK. It is not and does not accurately reflect the experiences of many others who have had or do have the breeds and species of birds the author claims to know so much about.

 

[horsekeeper]

Now, now do you really beleive everything you read? And do you think that an old drake wouldn't back down from a shovel or booted foot. My drake is afraid of his own shadow and his hens and the roosters. And Ray. He runs the other way when Ray yells "get off the deck"....doesn't even have to move toward him. Now he is young, but if he tries anything he is just a bird, without a beak for that matter, and I will knock some sense into him. But for now he is a very respectful, to large to fly up and hurt me, duck.

And as far as roosting in trees, mine don't even roost on the rail of my deck or the chicken roosts, much less a tree. They sleep on the floor of the coop or the top of the table in the coop.

I got them to eat the flies. They are supposed to like flies. I guess if they don't like flies then I guess I won't hatch any more of them....but they are good foragers. So soon my feed bill will go down.

If they also eat mice and voles THAT would be a wonderful bonus.

What Cass said! So sweet and friendly, especially the oldest drake. He waddles over wagging his tail whenever he sees me and is too heavy to fly. They live with the chickens and the hens roost with the chickens. Half of them pile up on the floor to sleep. As someone commented in the duck thread, they fly around, but they don't fly away. A three-foot fence kept them out of the garden last year. By the way, their favorite snack is mosquitoes. That's where the name came from. Way smarter and calmer than all the other ducks. Here's my most spoiled hen who actually begs for treats and pulls on my pant leg to get my attention.

Brownie


They are as broody as silkies and will raise three broods a year if you let them.

 

[Cass]

What Cass said! So sweet and friendly, especially the oldest drake. He waddles over wagging his tail whenever he sees me and is too heavy to fly. They live with the chickens and the hens roost with the chickens. Half of them pile up on the floor to sleep. As someone commented in the duck thread, they fly around, but they don't fly away. A three-foot fence kept them out of the garden last year. By the way, their favorite snack is mosquitoes. That's where the name came from. Way smarter and calmer than all the other ducks. Here's my most spoiled hen who actually begs for treats and pulls on my pant leg to get my attention.

Brownie


They are as broody as silkies and will raise three broods a year if you let them.

Hey, Horsekeeper, can I get them to sit on chicken eggs and hatch THEM for me? Now THAT would be great.

 

[JLaw]

Hey, Horsekeeper, can I get them to sit on chicken eggs and hatch THEM for me? Now THAT would be great.

edit because horsekeeper made some good points I didn't think of.

 

[horsekeeper]

Hey, Horsekeeper, can I get them to sit on chicken eggs and hatch THEM for me? Now THAT would be great.

Last year two of the hens buddied up and were sitting on around 3 dozen eggs together. The problem with setting chicken eggs is their weight and claws which would destroy the thinner shelled chicken eggs. I think chicks would be too fragile under a duck. The first year I was appalled when one of the new mommas kept picking up a partially hatched egg and slamming it on the floor until it bled. The duckling survived and I think she was helping it escape the shell. A chick would have been dead. Probably why ducklings have such thick plush, to help protect them from overzealous mama. They are so protective they trample all over the babies to attack anything that comes near them.

When I was picking up Brownie's babies to check them over she attacked my feet with a vengeance. No damage, but she was trying to claw my legs to ribbons and ripping at my pant legs with her bill. She was so hysterical I felt bad. She pinched and wing beat her sisters until they were terrified of her

. Then her sisters hatched broods and go their revenge.

What does work is getting hatching eggs for other duck breeds and letting a dedicated muscovy brood them. The pekins lay well and go broody, then give up and leave the nest. Brownie almost killed herself brooding for 3 months straight last year until I said enough and threw all the eggs away. They had a nest in every corner and kept moving from one to the other, so nothing got hatched. This year she gets her own little house and pen to brood in peace.

 

[JLaw]

Just looking at craigs list and came across silver appleyard hatching eggs in Dayton ohio here is a link if ya'll want to see about shipping and that.

http://dayton.craigslist.org/grd/4353951748.html

 

[Gramma Chick]

Quote: Its probably not the hatchery that does that ..It is TSC. for their convenience..mt Healthy has 30 varieties
They cant have a bin for all the breeds so they merge the chicks when they can
Red Pullets can be comets RIR , Etc ..( 1 bin )
Random may be chickens that dont fit their specifics or ones Mt Healthy has extra of .
Black Sex links can be different breeds also right?

 

[Tab's chicken obsession]

Morning!

Driving the girls in to school today. Have to search for hat and mittens that were left on the bus, also her other pair of boots left at class. Then its off to the store need dog/cat food, new feed scoop, and some groceries. We got our chicks moved to the brooder yesterday afternoon. 20 of 27 that grew hatched. I don't count the NN I set as they weren't fertile. I'm going to try setting some more NN because DH has seen him trying to get the job done. The roo is 7 months old close to 8 months. Hopefully I'll get some pics when I get home to show everyone.