The Quack Shack

[Magnolia Ducks]

I made a trade with my neighbor. He gets my lavender crested hen and I get a black runner drake.

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

Just think how rich you'll be when they strike oil.

Might be just enough to pay for all that mud being moved back up the mountain…
I am so happy that i dug the drainage ditch in front of the dux-run last week! Just a puddle in the run because they need a new floor. - And i am out of wood-chips…

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

I made a trade with my neighbor. He gets my lavender crested hen and I get a black runner drake.

Darkwing Drake.

 

[Luv Ducks]

How do you - and the rest of the community - treat those pool-eggs?
In some YT channels people claimed these eggs are unsafe for humon consumption. To which Blanca Duck answers: »Humon i have pooped on my eggs and you just washed that off!«

They claim that the water washes the protective bloom off of them so if sitting in water on the ground I usually scramble them up for the dogs.

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

They claim that the water washes the protective bloom off of them so if sitting in water on the ground I usually scramble them up for the dogs.

I too scramble those eggs up - for me.
Unless of course i find an egg that was in a water bowl for days…

 

[Jenbirdee]

I made a trade with my neighbor. He gets my lavender crested hen and I get a black runner

what a deal!!!

They claim that the water washes the protective bloom off of them so if sitting in water on the ground I usually scramble them up for the dogs.

yes and bacteria is drawn towards warmth so , no bloom, cold ( duckypoopy) water, warm egg =

 

[Luv Ducks]

I too scramble those eggs up - for me.
Unless of course i find an egg that was in a water bowl for days…

Well Frank you are still around so they must not hurt you. lol

 

[Canadian Wind]

That was one heck of a storm @WannaBeHillBilly !

Over in the Great Wet North, we just came off a few days of unseasonably warm temps (again) that melted half the snow all the way down to the ice underneath. And now we are having a flash freeze as it dips from 12C to -16C overnight. Tomorrow remains cold and windy, but back over freezing temps on Friday.

The winds are bad though. Part of the dead tree at the end of the driveway (which my daughter keeps saying she's going to have cut down!) cracked and fell on the roof of the mud porch. Then later, some more, smaller branches fell on her van. So far no damage though, just a lot of firewood to be cleared. Keeping my fingers crossed the rest of the tree stays up, as well as the power!

 

[Canadian Wind]

I pick up my new ducks tomorrow!

Finally settled on names for them.

The Swedish Blue is Matcha, the Buff is Sushi, and the White Layer is Mochi. If I keep the Pekin, he'll be Bonito.

Also getting a Partridge Silkie roo, who is as of yet unnamed.

 

[Supercow]

So we've decided (and been encouraged by other local duck keepers) to try and hatch some eggs.

My plan is basically to start leaving eggs in the duck house and see if one of the hens decides to sit. If nothing happens in a week or so, say oh well, collects the eggs for eating (it's still cold enough outside) and try later with an incubator.

Now, my understanding is that the eggs should be clean and that it's better for them to be larger rather than smaller. But I would like to clear that up a bit more in the practical sense so I have some questions (yay).

- Do the eggs I leave need to be 100% super clean or can they have a dirty pinprick or two or a light stripe? We normally only get let's say 1 or 2 really clean eggs out of 6-7 per day.

- If the egg is somewhat dirty, can I try and clean that with a dry paper towel as to avoid damaging the surface? Does this even serve a purpose as the result will not be 100% super clean anyway, just cleaner?

- What happens if the eggs left in the house were super clean originally but I find out later on that they are not so clean anymore? For example while the eggs are still being accumulated and the hens are still thinking about whether to sit... then one comes along and poops on the lot Do I need to discard them all and start anew?

- How important is it for the eggs to be large? (To what extent does them being smaller affect the chances that the duckling will hatch and develop well?)

- (depending also on the answers above) If the only eggs in a day that are super clean are the ones that are the smallest, is that acceptable or should I say oh well let's wait for another day?

Also,

- Does the drake need to be rehomed out of the common duck house in order for a hen to decide to sit? For example because he would be bothering her, or trampling around... (Or will a broody hen soon show him who's the boss)

- In the last several days I've noticed that whereas before all the hens laid their daily eggs in one place, with very few random exceptions, now it seems that most of the eggs are in one spot but there are also separate places each with one egg, is that an indication of anything?

Thank you!