The Quack Shack

[Magnolia Ducks]

Hi guys. Missed you all. Took a break and it will probably take me a week to catch up. Had a stray dog attack and lost 6 hens and all my drakes. Oh the positive side, I got my first goose egg today! So tomorrow is clean the other coop and separate the ducks and geese. So all the people that decided to get doggie during the pandemic are abandding them. they leave their collers on but take off the tags. If chipped, they just don't respond. Packs of dogs roving. I'm seeing5 or more a day. Pretty sad. The shelters are all closed to new submittals.

 

[Miss Lydia]

That is awful Did they break into your coop? I am so sorry. I hope you can keep what you have left safe. Did they break into your pen?

 

[Magnolia Ducks]

Yep, not the coop but the electric fence. I know it was dogs because they were all p!ayed with to death not a bite out of anyone but the one survivor. She's been to the vet is on antibiotics. Clorohexidrine wash. But has some toes that may need amputation. The kicker is she's crested and I don't even want her. I gave my neighbor some runner drakes and hope I can trade her for one if I can get her well first.

 

[Miss Lydia]

So sad. They broke into your electric fence boy they must have really been wanting them bad or maybe the charge wasn't strong enough to keep them out? Better super charge that fence.

 

[Magnolia Ducks]

And she's 3/4 runner and a tiny little thing. Weighs maybe 2 lbs. So much smaller than everybody else.

 

[Magnolia Ducks]

Goose egg 2 today. Carefully covered in the nest but too small to hatch I think. Eh wants to eat them but I want her to practice. Any suggestions?. I have not seen Tiny getting busy with her.

 

[Luv Ducks]

Goose egg 2 today. Carefully covered in the nest but too small to hatch I think. Eh wants to eat them but I want her to practice. Any suggestions?. I have not seen Tiny getting busy with her.

How old is she? I don't know how many eggs geese lay in a clutch. I would be tempted to leave her have it but I am not experienced with raising geese, only ducks.

 

[Canadian Wind]

Dang, that's rough. It just makes me hate people in general all the more. Poor dogs...

As well as your poor flock. I'm surprised there hasn't been any issues with abandoned dogs out here. Just that fox!

 

[Miss Lydia]

Goose egg 2 today. Carefully covered in the nest but too small to hatch I think. Eh wants to eat them but I want her to practice. Any suggestions?. I have not seen Tiny getting busy with her.

They make awesome omelets .

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

Hey, it's a new year but not yet a full year of our duck story so I'm back with newbie questions

I've read that
- after a hen has been covered by a drake, the next egg will be fertile;
- an egg, if taken away and stored, will remain fertile for a couple of weeks.

What I'm missing is:

A hen is mated. The next egg is fertile. What about the next one and the one after that? Does one mating produce of series of fertile eggs laid on following days during a certain period - or just the one egg?

Don't laugh, we also have bees where one mating is sufficient for the queen's entire lifetime...

I don't think that the very next egg after mating is already been fertilized, i would wait a day or two before collecting hatching eggs.
Are you sure, that you want to go through with ducklings at this time of the year?
Are you sure that you want to go through with ducklings at all?
Remember, the male to female rate is about 50:50 - if the universe likes you…
Let me tell you, that little ducklings will steal your heart immediately and if something goes wrong it feels like being stabbed into your heart.
Would you be able to »get rid« of excess drakes that you have raised from egg to ducknager?
Since last year, i have learned that hatching duckies is a bittersweet experience...