Pennsylvania!! Unite!!

[fisherlady]

Well folks...from my last hatch, thought I had one CCL hatch....when 'she' dried off she isn't CCL but OE, she has the eyeliner and a black dot on her head.....interesting genetics...BCM boy over CCL girl.....seems some wheaten has gotten into the mix.....

She is quite a cutie! And looks very confident and perky!

 

[BullChick]

I walked around trying to revive a chick. Growling at it, and telling it to get mad didn't get it to peep! Disrespectful brat!

I found the entry point. It got in the door. The wiring was probably loose from getting pulled when the door sticks on ice and when erosion makes the dip fill in. The screen behind the wire was then torn.
It was all SPR teens. Three boys and a girl. Two were gutted and the meat about gone. One leg broken off. The other two are just dead. Not sure everyone can handle the pictures. It is life, but I don't want to turn anyone's stomach.

 

[BullChick]

Oh, and I hadn't thought of that, Stake. I will count the best I can today. I will do a better count tonight.

 

[AnneInTheBurbs]

Hey everybody! I saw an ad on Craigslist to adopt two male Muscovy ducks. I wrote a very long detailed response to the ad, and this is the answer o received back. If I got these ducks, I would get them some females as well. What do you guys think? Is this an issue? :/ . Do you all keep your ducks separate from the chickens? Hi, Anne Marie! Thank you for your detailed and thoughtful reply. Certainly it would be no trouble for them to stay here until you move to your new place (congratulations!). I am sorry for my delayed reply. The thing I have been wondering about is how these ducks would be with your chickens. I have been warned that they must be kept separate in breeding season (early spring to fall) from chickens; otherwise, they will attempt to mate with the chickens and cause their death from internal injuries. I believe that it is because the breed of drake (Muscovy) is so big that their "attentions" can do such damage. I am not sure you want to have this issue to worry about for so many months of the year (they are too young this year to be showing mating behaviors; I believe they are at most three months of age - juveniles still). It would take a lot of work to have everybody separate, and I don't think that the presence of female Muscovies would protect the chickens from the male Muscovies' "interest". That's what I am thinking about...so, unless you have ideas of solutions, I think the adoption wouldn't work. But thank you for adopting rescue ducks rather than paying breeders!

Serves me right for not speaking up. Oh well. The death of chickens is due to the spiral of the duck anatomy vs the straight of a chicken. The Pekin has not tried to mate the chickens because he had a female. Plus, the Pekin don't really fly or jump well. The Muscovy males have not shown interest in the females yet, and have only been seen jumping once. Onto a tote laying on its side. I don't think they would be a problem either. The ducks, chickens and turkey are all happy together.

Thanks for the info! I was unaware of different duck anatomy!

Hey everybody! I saw an ad on Craigslist to adopt two male Muscovy ducks. I wrote a very long detailed response to the ad, and this is the answer o received back. If I got these ducks, I would get them some females as well. What do you guys think? Is this an issue? :/ . Do you all keep your ducks separate from the chickens? Hi, Anne Marie! Thank you for your detailed and thoughtful reply. Certainly it would be no trouble for them to stay here until you move to your new place (congratulations!). I am sorry for my delayed reply. The thing I have been wondering about is how these ducks would be with your chickens. I have been warned that they must be kept separate in breeding season (early spring to fall) from chickens; otherwise, they will attempt to mate with the chickens and cause their death from internal injuries. I believe that it is because the breed of drake (Muscovy) is so big that their "attentions" can do such damage. I am not sure you want to have this issue to worry about for so many months of the year (they are too young this year to be showing mating behaviors; I believe they are at most three months of age - juveniles still). It would take a lot of work to have everybody separate, and I don't think that the presence of female Muscovies would protect the chickens from the male Muscovies' "interest". That's what I am thinking about...so, unless you have ideas of solutions, I think the adoption wouldn't work. But thank you for adopting rescue ducks rather than paying breeders!

Unless the Muscovy male has enough females (5-6) he will most likely bother your chickens. It won't be just the hens that he'll pick on, he'll try to breed anything fowl. ..and yes if he doesn't kill the chickens he will damage their backs because of the claws that he possesses. [COLOR=1D2129]1 year old Chihuahua female. She loves to be out in the pasture with the goats and chickens. This wood pile just happens to be in the pasture and as she was playing around on it I snapped a couple photos.[/COLOR]

Unless the Muscovy male has enough females (5-6) he will most likely bother your chickens. It won't be just the hens that he'll pick on, he'll try to breed anything fowl. ..and yes if he doesn't kill the chickens he will damage their backs because of the claws that he possesses.

I tend to agree. I am hesitant to mix ducks and chickens. I sometimes mix turkeys and chickens, but I have had toms kill a roo before. If you want muscovies, it would be better to buy a few ducklings and raise them up so you get both sexes.

Thanks Troyer and Dheltzel. I guess I will wait until next spring maybe to add ducks, and then I will start them from eggs.

That is funny, Stake. In four years, I have not had to deal with this. I am upset, but .. Not. The tears won't come, but I You guys know. I have four dead birds in my run. I don't know how, I don't know what. I saw them when I was getting ready to put the hose back. I had to walk around some doves (those birds think they are part of my flock) and saw the bodies out of the corner of my eye. I didn't see them sooner because the other birds were blocking them when I was opening the run. I have to go back out, but I couldn't deal with it yet. There were too many flies, so I can't practice processing. The three SPR boys (one was looking good for keeping) and a blue pullet are the victims. I think. I am waiting on three eggs to hatch in the house out of 16. A shortage of birds I do not have.

Well folks...from my last hatch, thought I had one CCL hatch....when 'she' dried off she isn't CCL but OE, she has the eyeliner and a black dot on her head.....interesting genetics...BCM boy over CCL girl.....seems some wheaten has gotten into the mix.....

Looks very cute!!

 

[AnneInTheBurbs]

30 days until settlement! I can make it!

 

[BullChick]

30 days until settlement! I can make it!

You aren't anxious or anything, right?

 

[chxmama]

Hi all!

So limping chx frm 2 weeks ago is still limping @fisherlady
I've kept her separate from her flock mates to heal, but it seems nothing has changed w/in that time period - she hasn't gotten either better or worse. I've checked her foot and all up and down her leg and joints. Felt the hip area under her feathers and just can't seem to detect any swelling, discoloration or other visible problems. I'm afraid that if I continue to keep her separate, it is going to cause problems when she's reintroduced back into the flock. Not sure what to do?

The run currently looks like there has been a pillow fight. One of the girls seems to be molting? She has 2 tail feathers left and looks a bit tattered and mangy. I was a little worried at first that it may be mites or something wrong, but think this must be a molt? She is 14/15 months. Is this a strange time to molt? I thought it happened closer to Fall months and cooler weather? How long to complete the molt and for feathers to grow back? She's not naked, though I just noticed a small wing patch that's getting close to bare. Also seems the other girls have been a bit more aggressive towards her?

One more question, 3 of the chickens in the same flock (of 6) have tattered, chewed looking tail feathers (at the ends/tips). Again, I thought mites, maybe lice. Checked over the girls several different times and they look clean. Couldn't find anything. Can't figure out why their feathers look like that?

Now I need to backtrack and find out what's been happening here!

 

[chxmama]

30 days until settlement! I can make it!

Awesome - you found a place!

 

[BullChick]

Hi all! 

So limping chx frm 2 weeks ago is still limping @fisherlady

I've kept her separate from her flock mates to heal, but it seems nothing has changed w/in that time period - she hasn't gotten either better or worse. I've checked her foot and all up and down her leg and joints. Felt the hip area under her feathers and just can't seem to detect any swelling, discoloration or other visible problems. I'm afraid that if I continue to keep her separate, it is going to cause problems when she's reintroduced back into the flock. Not sure what to do? 

The run currently looks like there has been a pillow fight. One of the girls seems to be molting? She has 2 tail feathers left and looks a bit tattered and mangy. I was a little worried at first that it may be mites or something wrong, but think this must be a molt? She is 14/15 months. Is this a strange time to molt? I thought it happened closer to Fall months and cooler weather? How long to complete the molt and for feathers to grow back? She's not naked, though I just noticed a small wing patch that's getting close to bare. Also seems the other girls have been a bit more aggressive towards her? 

One more question, 3 of the chickens in the same flock (of 6) have tattered, chewed looking tail feathers (at the ends/tips). Again, I thought mites, maybe lice. Checked over the girls several different times and they look clean. Couldn't find anything. Can't figure out why their feathers look like that? 

Now I need to backtrack and find out what's been happening here! 

Are you sure you don't have a feather picker?

 

[chxmama]

And this is one of the reasons the girls can no longer free-range.

This guy (girl?) has become to brazen. I can walk right up to the coop and she just sits there. She terrorizes the chickens. Chase her away, but she comes right back. A friend suggested getting a crow call b/c if you call the crows in, they will chase the hawks away, but I don't want crows in our yard again. They are so noisy especially in the AM!


Never tire of the lovely easter egg collection. Love the colorful baskets we've been getting. Even have some brown eggs that look pinkish next to the rest.
@dheltzel - check out the CCL blue from your stock!