The 8th Annual BYC Easter Hatch-a-long!!!!

[Happy Chooks]

My son has asked for ducks for years. Of course, I'm the one that takes care of all the critters!

Stupid question of the year: do ducks molt in winter too?

I know nothing about ducks, except they quack. Now if you want to talk bees, I can do that!

Slowly and it makes your yard look worse then when chickens molt.
May I ask why you are hatching ducks for your son if he doesn't help. Just seems wrong IMHO

I'm not hatching ducks, I'm hatching chickens. He has been asking for ducks since he was 5. He is 13 now. He also wants a cat that he is not getting.

I have been interested in ducks since I went to my first show. Those little bantam calls hypnotized me. I'm just thinking out loud.

 

[minihorse927]

My son has asked for ducks for years. Of course, I'm the one that takes care of all the critters!

Stupid question of the year: do ducks molt in winter too?

I know nothing about ducks, except they quack. Now if you want to talk bees, I can do that!

ducks molt twice a year. Spring and fall. They do not go bald like chickens but lose it a little bit over time. They can look ragged during molt but always have feathering of some sort. Some even continue to lay right through their molt

 

[Happy Chooks]

Kim - visions of ferrets attacking chickens is going through my head.

That is how I got chickens.......the husband wanted them for eggs. I told him I wasn't shoveling poop and no way on a rooster. Well, they became my hobby and it backfired on him. Then he decided we needed bees, and I take care of them. (Another hobby of mine now). See how this works?lau

 

[Happy Chooks]

Some even continue to lay right through their molt

See, now that was what I was thinking. Ducks keeping me in eggs when chickens aren't laying.

 

[Pyxis]

I got a goose egg today! So I set it, just in time for the HAL. Now I'll set the next one I get right away and then hold a few back to set all at once.

Just waiting till Monday to get the Call eggs set.

 

[dan26552]

See, now that was what I was thinking. Ducks keeping me in eggs when chickens aren't laying.

Mine mostly laid through their fall molt, it was funny, they slacked off during the first part but went full throttle through the worst part. (I'm not saying all duck will do that, just that mine did)

 

[I Love Layers]

Mine mostly laid through their fall molt, it was funny, they slacked off during the first part but went full throttle through the worst part. (I'm not saying all duck will do that, just that mine did)

Mine did the same their first and second year also, the one i have left hasn't laid an egg in 8 months though

 

[dan26552]

Mine did the same their first and second year also, the one i have left hasn't laid an egg in 8 months though

Nice. All of mine but the youngest (about 7 1/2 months old) and my broody are laying, then again they're only about a year and a half.

That stinks.

 

[Happy Chooks]

I got a goose egg today! So I set it, just in time for the HAL. Now I'll set the next one I get right away and then hold a few back to set all at once.

Just waiting till Monday to get the Call eggs set.

Yay! And call eggs too?

 

[The Duck Ladie]

YAAAAAAAAAAY! MC The malposition started zipping. And she's out! No help! She has good coloring. A few seconds later MG hatched! That's all of the magpies! I got a 100% hatch out of all the magpie eggs I set!

(Now I wait for the anconas..)