Texas

[needlessjunk]

What was awful noisemakers were the pekin ducks! They NEVER shut up! And they were LOUD! They WHACK-QUACKED all day, all night, I grew to hate them and counted down the days until I could cut their heads off. If a flea farted, they sounded off about it. I might get ducks again at some point, but I don't think pekins make the list, unless they are in an underground bunker.

Can you tell I don't have chickens, lol. I know roosters don't just crow in the morning but this guy must not sleep. I usually hear him till around 11pm and then again at 3:30am onward. But he hardly ever crows during the day just night and early mornings. It's funny because I had 2 male pekins and they were never very loud. I now have 4 females and they are all already loud at 5 weeks.

 

[needlessjunk]

Well the sun came out and I put the ducklings out for a bit. I think they were in heaven!

 

[orumpoultry]

The sun came out today long enough for me to get excited.

Got the pen mostly ready to pick up the ducks tomorrow. All I'm missing is a water source. For swimming.... May steal an old protein tub we have stacked until I can get a proper pool.

Unfortunately the neighbors to the ducks are quite loud... They'll be living between the guineas and the Aussies.

 

[Baymule]

The sun came out today long enough for me to get excited.

Got the pen mostly ready to pick up the ducks tomorrow. All I'm missing is a water source. For swimming.... May steal an old protein tub we have stacked until I can get a proper pool.

Unfortunately the neighbors to the ducks are quite loud... They'll be living between the guineas and the Aussies.

We got a damaged bathtub from Lowes. It was for the dogs, but the ducks took it over!

 

[orumpoultry]

We got a damaged bathtub from Lowes. It was for the dogs, but the ducks took it over!

We just sold all of my old duck ponds, too. I think I'm going to build them one using sheeting later on. For now, I'll get them something.

 

[Baymule]

@orumpoultry it was so much fun to meet you and your husband! We enjoyed the visit and I am glad the ducks have a good home with you.

Here is the web site for the fruit tree nursery outside of Nacogdoches. I am so excited to find this place because these are trees grown in our own state and climate, instead of being shipped here from out of state. And the prices are real good too.

http://www.leggcreekfarm.com/index.html

And here is a link to the All American Pressure Canner from everythingkitchens.com I ordered my Family Grain Mill from here, was the best price I found and free shipping too. If you order from them, call, ask if there are any discounts. I did and got another $15 off the price of my grain mill.

http://www.everythingkitchens.com/all-american-pressure-cooker-930.html

 

[orumpoultry]

Thank you!!!

The ducks are all settled in for the night. They'll go in the big pen in the morning when I can watch them settle in. Tonight they're in the shed on shavings. It was to dark when we got home to do much else.

I'm so excited to have sucks again! DH spent most of the drive home asking questions about ducks and talking about building or getting them a bigger pool than we have now... Guessing he's excited, too. Haha. I'll post pictures tomorrow of them in their new house.

 

[Brookshire11]

Wow! Over a thousand pages of posts since I last checked in!

I am still out here and alive. Since our last post:

We have bought a house in Granbury
Started our own trucking company
Bought our first brand new truck
Wrecked our first new truck
And are now waiting to be cleared by the Doctors to return to work. May be some time before we can get cleared. I received a head injury and may have received permanent brain damage. Only time will tell. My husbands hands don't stay closed all the time when he is holding something. He drops stuff so it is hard for him.

Before the questions hit, no we were not at fault for the wreck. We have a lawyer and are waiting on all the insurance companies to decide what they are doing. Right now we are broke but at least alive. We are hoping this spring to get back into Chickens since we will be home until at least March (that's when we will know if the brain injury is permanent).

I'm off to read back on the thread a far as I can!

Oh no! So glad it wasn't worse...
That wreckage looks devastating..

Hello all! I've been lurking for a few weeks so I thought I should introduce myself! I'm located in Magnolia and the process of starting a small flock of my own... glad to see others members from Texas!

Welcome!

Well, it is still raining here...my son up in Denton got all kinds of yucky wet stuff!
I have two very silly chickens...they are out foraging in the rain and could not care less that they are soaked!!! Everyone else is holed up it the chicken house dry and warm...smarter by far...lol

Mine were out in it too

Had to bring them in multiple times

Got so much to accomplish outside abd thus far, end of 2014/early 2015 has been dreary, wet and cold. Uuugh. Strangely enough, my girls have been layijg amazinly. Anyways, hope everyone's holiday was nice. Happy New Year and welcome to the new peeper keepers!

Mine have really surprised me with laying...I'm still getting the normal amount (2 a day from my 2 girls who are left) and I even had one of my August girls start laying!

Orumpoulrty called me and she is coming to get the runner ducks tomorrow!

So glad they found a great home!

@orumpoultry it was so much fun to meet you and your husband! We enjoyed the visit and I am glad the ducks have a good home with you.

Here is the web site for the fruit tree nursery outside of Nacogdoches. I am so excited to find this place because these are trees grown in our own state and climate, instead of being shipped here from out of state. And the prices are real good too.

http://www.leggcreekfarm.com/index.html

And here is a link to the All American Pressure Canner from everythingkitchens.com I ordered my Family Grain Mill from here, was the best price I found and free shipping too. If you order from them, call, ask if there are any discounts. I did and got another $15 off the price of my grain mill.

http://www.everythingkitchens.com/all-american-pressure-cooker-930.html

I'm getting a dehydrator and pressure canner this spring. Totally WAY too excited.
Thanks for the link!

 

[Brookshire11]

Oh!

Anyone want to guess my mystery chick? lol
She was smuggled in with Russian Orloff eggs

 

[SlipsWife]

I haven't been on here in what feels like forever, I need to catch up. Until then, I HAVE to share with you the BEST way to 'boil' eggs. I despise having to peel eggs so much that we bought *gasp* deviled eggs for Thanksgiving so I didn't have to deal with it...they were bland and not impressive at all but I didn't have to peel eggs! I've tried so many different ways...I have an electric pressure cooker that I bought at Bed Bath and Beyond. I rarely use it but of course I HAD to have it, it's now paying for itself!

Room temp eggs (that's how we store them) can be FRESH, same day fresh! Use rack that comes with cooker, add enough water to cover the bottom but not touch the eggs (you might not have to do it exactly this way, this is just how I've done it so far) add as many eggs that can fit, trying not to touch the inside edge of the cookers pot. I fit a dozen medium eggs. Lock pressure cooker, set pressure to LOW, 6 minutes (maybe add a minute for cold eggs or larger eggs). Cooker will come to pressure, count down time, once timer has completed, let pressure naturally release (basically just give it a few minutes for the lid to unlock on its own, don't use the pressure release). Remove the eggs and place in ice water to stop the cooking process and cool them for peeling. They peel like a DREAM. For some reason I always have one give me problems out of the dozen, the white sticks to the shell some. It's always one of our blue eggs but I'm not sure if it's from the same girl each time and I'm sure I'm doing more than just one of her eggs at a time anyways, so I don't get it...lol Either way, if I were to never use the pressure cooker for anything, ever again, I would be happy enough just using it for eggs.

If you are someone who can boil them in a pot and are good to go (or steam with a rice cooker or any of the other 100 ways I've failed at) then boil away, I'm a little jealous but not as jealous as I once was!