The Front Porch Swing

[LindaB220]

Now that I'm done catching up with funeral stuff, I have a question about roosters, someone is offering me a free rooster to choose from Olive eager, creole buff or something like that, and another white type, I'm new in this neighborhood 4 months now, only have 1 close neighbor should I first talk to them before getting it incase it becomes a nuisance? Not sure if I'll get it. I do eventually want a rooster since I'd like fertile eggs to hatch.

Google for the quietest one. EE are loud I think. IDK.

 

[Beekissed]

Now that I'm done catching up with funeral stuff, I have a question about roosters, someone is offering me a free rooster to choose from Olive eager, creole buff or something like that, and another white type, I'm new in this neighborhood 4 months now, only have 1 close neighbor should I first talk to them before getting it incase it becomes a nuisance? Not sure if I'll get it. I do eventually want a rooster since I'd like fertile eggs to hatch.

Yep...I would definitely talk to the neighbors if you live close or in a suburb. They could cause a lot of trouble for you if they don't like your rooster's singing. I live out in the middle of the forest and our neighbor still gets a dig in now and again about hearing the rooster crow...and my rooster is very quiet and barely crows at all. Just a nosy, crotchety old man who likes to be a grump..but out here it's country rules and a crowing rooster is not even going to become an issue. Closer to civilization I imagine it becomes a bigger deal.

 

[Beekissed]

Missing Lindz lately....wonder where she's been?

Here's a pic or two I took this evening of my chicks and duckling snuggled under the heating pad snuggy house out in the coop...the rest of the chicks are back behind these few.

 

[Triple Willow]

Those ducks are so pretty!

 

[Beekissed]

He's the color and texture of a good mink...it's all I can do not to force my affection on him so I can admire his feel and form. I could watch this little guy all day long. I have 6 more coming on May 14th, one drake and 5 hens. I want to see if these ducks will make up half of a good layer flock. I've read they are excellent foragers and so far I believe it...this one duckling picks up far more food then any chicken I've ever seen. He seems to find worms right under the other chicken's very feet..the adult flock.

The plan later on is to pen them into the garden every couple weeks or so to let them glean the bugs there. Then I'll take their swimming water and water the garden with it when it needs refreshed.

I'm tweaking the coop soon to make for duck nesting and roosting areas. I was going to expand the coop a good bit but have changed my mind on that. If I expand at all it will be very minimally. I think the money could be better spent on other people and my chickens are just fine...they have a better place to live than many people in the world.

 

[Triple Willow]

@Bee... I have read that they are better layers than a whole lot of chickens. They look so soft and cute I just wanna touch them! lol Where did you order yours from?

 

[Beekissed]

@Bee... I have read that they are better layers than a whole lot of chickens. They look so soft and cute I just wanna touch them! lol Where did you order yours from?

This one came from TSC and they got it from Mt. Healthy, who does not breed them but contracts with an Amish guy they wouldn't tell me the name of. So, I ordered more from Meyers..ducks are a real sticker shock after ordering chickens but I'm thinking they will more than pay for themselves in eggs and in breeding, as they are scarce as hen's teeth around these parts. I'm thinking I can cull for exceptional laying and broody abilities and get myself some good duck stock going on.

Ask about their do not ship to list...

Found out their supplier doesn't and won't ship to anywhere in WV and some parts of KY because they can't fly them directly into good distribution points. As usual, these areas are like a leper colony to the outside world. I guess we are just too dang remote as we sit here in the middle of all the other states to which they will ship.

Anyhoo, had them shipped right across the river at my sister's post office in OH. Now, what is the difference between THAT post office and the one right directly across the OH river? Not a thing but the ignorance of the person shipping the ducks and a big piece of muddy water.

 

[Triple Willow]

Yeah that doesn't make much sense. Looks like if you have a post office you could get ducks, chickens or whatever.

 

[LBejaran]

What a day! Have I got a tale for you all! I can't promise it'll interest y'all, but I can swear it's sincere.

For about a year now I've been caring for this flock and it's about doubled in size. I'd like to think TPTB have been making me oh so fortunate an fruitful when it comes to my lovely birds. However, I make mistakes like everybody else.

I was out in the yard this morning, taking a look at the early morning light diffused by the oncoming clouds of a nearby storm. There was the low rumble of thunder nearby but I could tell it wouldn't reach us. I figured it would be a good day to hang out some laundry to dry. It would definitely alleviate the stress on our dryer, anyhow.

Just as I was hanging a sheet on the line, my favorite duck, Indie, comes on up to me and just stares. I stared back (I'm pretty sure Indie can read my mind) and then had a strange inkling that something was wrong. So I went around and started a head count on my ducks. And then I noticed the problem.

Che was gone.

Che is a funny little guy. He's an Indian Runner duck, but he wobbles along because of this gimpy little leg he has. The only reason I even bought him was because the feed store guy wanted to feed him to their Burmese Python and my little sister, Nivia, couldn't stand the thought. Rather than have her be upset, I forked over the ten bucks for a crippled duck and he became a new member of our flock.

His absence was noticed by me but the other ducks didn't seem too stressed out. His girlfriend, Swedie, was sitting out in their honeymoon spot, just laying down as she would when she was with him.

I saw evidence that he might have been snatched up by something. White feathers blown into the fence (it was quite windy today) and their was feather fluff on the grass. Now I was really worried. Had a hawk snatched him up? We've got massive hawks around here. But the skies were clear. Then I thought it might have been the dogs (Che loves to pick fights with the rat terriers and he is not-so-secretly flirtatious with my big shepherd/boxer mix), but there was no body and none of them were bloated.

Okay, so I checked the field behind the house. Somehow, ducks just manage to sometimes slip out of the fence and can't find their way back in. It's happened a couple times before. So I went and checked but no sign of Che. I went into the field and there were no feathers or little gimpy foot tracks. Now I was scared.

How do I tell Nivia that her favorite little duck is gone? As far as she is concerned, if we don't have Che, we don't have a proper flock. I texted her to see if maybe she had seen him this morning but she was in school and wouldn't give me a response.

I searched all day, taking periodic breaks to think about where he could be before continuing my search. Hours flew by and suddenly it was 5PM and Mom got home. She couldn't remember seeing him when she left for work.

I couldn't help thinking he was gone. And then I heard a quack. It was faint and I looked down.

Oh, just Ducky, our Cayuga. But then Swedie comes up to me as well and then Indie. They all just stare at me and don't make a peep. Then there is a single, low hissing quack.

I look around and the only thing I can't see under is our dog kennels. They are placed atop cinder blocks and there is hardly room for our smallest chickens to get in underneath. But I figure those ducks are looking at me for a reason. I get down on my knees and take a peek.

A single beady eye is looking back at me. It blinks and then the feathers around it crinkle as the bird quacks at me.

Yup, Che, that little punk, was wedged down there for the entire day. My only guess is that he bothered the dogs and when one finally chased him, he lodged himself down there and realized he couldn't get out. I had to get Mom to come out and help me lift the kennel off of him and he just climbed on into it, taking a breather on the soft blankets before trying to maintain a little dignity by marching out. It didn't work. He tripped over the edge of the kennel and tumbled out. His girl Swedie didn't mind though and was bobbing her head for him in the kiddie pool where he proceeded to take a long drink of water before hopping in and mating with her. Ah, young lovers reunited at last!

He gave me an awful scare today and still had the nerve to try and eat my pant hem when I didn't just hand over the food when J was feeding the dogs. Indie saw this interaction and simply gave me another stare. It clearly said that I was personifying these ducks way too much.

 

[wyoDreamer]

Quote:



Or use the mahogany door inside either for a passage door or on a pantry. Hate to see beautiful wood get torn up by the weather.

Bruce

Bruce,

I totally get what you are saying about cutting into that header at the stairway. If someone had mentioned doing that work I would have responded just about exactly as you did. As a background, my DH is a civil engineer and has been working on house remodeling with tradesmen since he was 13. He was working with master electricians, carpenters, master plumbers, etc.on his parents houses and remodeled our last two places. they were friends of the family and took time to explain what they were doing to a young kid eager to learn all he could; also, they were picky enough to make sure he did everything correctly and to their standards.

This house has problems with the second story already, the floor is sagging pretty well in the center and is quite the roller coaster to walk across. We were discussing putting in a couple of I-beams to bolster up the second floor, working in some support from the basement all the way to the second floor. It also looks like something may have already been done in that area because one of the trim boards is pine.

As far as the front door goes, the back door that we are going to be replacing has had a quality storm door installed and is on the east side of the house. In the area, most of the storms blow in from the northwest, so the door will not see that much severe weather, and the morning sun is not as damaging as the afternoon sun so that will help. All the interior doors are also still the original mahogany doors also, so not really any to replace with the exterior door - especially since it has glass almost the entire height of the door. A couple coats of sealant should help also.

DH has also found a place that will make a custom door out of mahogany that is not cheap, but something that we can probably afford in a little while with some saving.

Any idea what I can use to seal the door before we re-install it in its new place? If we do that. I kinda like the idea of using it for a pantry when we redo the kitchen and mudroom. That would help to tie that area into the architecture of the rest of the house.

Thank you for all your advice. You have given us some ideas to ponder.