The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[Mr MKK FARMS]

Quote:

Quote: Bingo. Your exactly right. *evil laugh*

 

[Kassaundra]

Here I'll post a few pics that I don't think I have posted to this thread














I am limited to only pics I've already uploaded since I'm at work.

 

[SallyinIndiana]

Snowed about 6 inches today. Chickens refused to go out of the coop. Anyone else have snow?

We had snow then it melted and now with the constant rain for the last 48 hours we have flooding. I wanted the chickens to go out in the snow but no, now that it is flooding and I won't let them out they all want to go outside. But I just don't feel like cleaning mud off eggs or replacing nesting box shavings.

~~?s of the day: Any readers familiar with Kakhi Campell Ducks? They are reported to rival chickens at laying, especially in the winter months. I'm thinking that my coop set up with a loft for the hens to roost, and the 8 x 8 lower level might be a perfect setting for a couple of ducks. I've had ducks in the way long ago past, and know how messy they can be, but I've never wintered them over. How hard would it be to keep them in the lower level and put a bird bath heater out in the winter chicken run for them? Would they be content to stay in the lower level if I made them a "dog house"? How well do ducks and chickens get along? How much extra work would be added to "chicken" chores? I'll be brooding chicks this spring. Could a couple of ducks be added without too much difficulty? I have a couple of kiddie pools that my 7 y.o. no longer uses that would be useful in the non-frozen months. Do ducks usually return to the coop at night, or are they more apt to want to stay out and do their own thing? Do they seem to be more or less predator proof than chickens?? And lastly, I know that chickens have successfully hatched ducks. Are ducks successful hatching chickens?

I have 2 Khaki Campbell ducks that are laying great. I hatched them from ebay eggs close to July 1st this year.
Random observations that might bring back memories since you have had ducks in the past.
They are bigger than chicks and grow faster. I started them off with chicks that were about 2-3 weeks old to keep them in the same size group. But they quickly grew into the next pen and the chicks were 6-8 weeks older than the ducklings. In each group even though the 2 ducklings were clearly outnumbered they were at the top of the pecking order in a few hours.
Ducklings eat much more than chicks. The ducklings I raised ate more as little things than they do now, or at least it seems that way. Now they forage great but for the first 8-12 weeks they ate like my meatie chicks did.
The ducklings I hatched were not cute in any way for a long time they were a dark dark brown and loud.
The mess created smell and even once outside it was as if the ducklings were happier once they had dug a mud hole and had a good smell pit going. inside they would tip water into shavings just to dig in the wet shavings. I fed wet food and that would end up in the shavings too. But they did like moving outside once they were about 3-4 weeks old. I moved them out during the day only for that first week.
The cat was fascinated by them for at least 6 weeks until they were large enough to purposely walk over and quack loudly in his face while he was sleeping. My ducks are very much control freaks. They will police all of the chickens even my Heritage RIR roosters that are almost twice their weight. However when caught off guard, my ducks have been mated by my RIR roosters.
You already mentioned the mess, but only 2 ducks can turn a 20*20 run that is slightly wet into a muddy muddy area in less than 2 days and have a blast doing it.
My ducks have each taken 2 days off from laying since they started laying about 4 weeks back. Not bad for beginning layers. The eggs while not giant are great for baking as I don't have to adjust the recipe at all. My family likes them cooked just about any way they would a chicken egg.
My ducks lay really really early in the morning, creating a need for someone to collect the eggs really really early in the morning on the below freezing days. Our coop lighting comes on at 6 am and the eggs are showing up and are cold by 5 am. I have had to feed a few frozen eggs back to the flock.

 

[lalaland]

Here I'll post a few pics that I don't think I have posted to this thread











I am limited to only pics I've already uploaded since I'm at work.

i"m so glad you posted the pics. love to see them and I especially love this white/grey ee/ameracauna or whoever she is!

 

[Kassaundra]

Thanks, she is an EE

 

[ki4got]

Quote:
actually, it was my isp... did all the other things before I asked. I also use ccleaner in addition to malwarebytes.

 

[ki4got]

After viewing the muppet chickens, please view the Sweedish cheff making popcorn shrimp.

that one was great too.

 

[ki4got]

Quote: you can watch nearly every muppet skit online at youtube. hubby pulls things up randomly LOL

 

[lazy gardener]

Thanks all for the realistic duck info. Though I think they would be fun, the reality presented is a nice wake up call. Thanks so much. Perhaps, I'll re-think that one! What I need is a big farm, and a farm hand to go with it!

 

[ki4got]

one definite NN disadvantage... they can't raise their hackles when they're sparring.