The Quack Shack

[Supercow]

Don't talk about Syrup! - @Magnolia Ducks introduced me to that Sorghum Syrup! Now i am addicted, emptied a quarter gallon in just two weeks.
I have ordered 30 Jerusalem artichokes, maybe those are good for Syrup too.

We're getting started on the (f)artichokes this year as well, the order should arrive in May, various cultivars.

Hey kale! What kind? For ducks or for people as well? I love the tuscan "black" (lacinato, cavolo nero) kale. And so do the ducks. Over the winter they have been picking dilligently at the plants that grow outside - black kale and chinese (napa) cabbage.

It's getting to be time here to sow tomatos (they'll go into the greenhouse when tall enough so that brings everything 3-4 weeks forward).

 

[Supercow]

Thank you @Canadian Wind and @WannaBeHillBilly for the good hints!

We'll have an incubator ready in case the sitting hen gets bored.
We're also setting up additional housing in case it all works out extremely well.

 

[Jenbirdee]

Don't talk about Syrup! - @Magnolia Ducks introduced me to that Sorghum Syrup! Now i am addicted, emptied a quarter gallon in just two weeks.
I have ordered 30 Jerusalem artichokes, maybe those are good for Syrup too.

ooooohhhh sunchokes yes I got them last year just 25 planted them in a 10x40 spot they grew 9 feet tall it was a jungle then a storm blew them over BUT they grew up from sideways anyway LOL we had a HUGE harvest and ate so many BTW their nickname is Fartichokes . I just fixed up that area for them to grow again this year they have so many pretty yellow flowers too I love them

 

[Supercow]

ooooohhhh sunchokes yes I got them last year just 25 planted them in a 10x40 spot they grew 9 feet tall it was a jungle then a storm blew them over BUT they grew up from sideways anyway LOL we had a HUGE harvest and ate so many BTW their nickname is Fartichokes . I just fixed up that area for them to grow again this year they have so many pretty yellow flowers too I love them

Have you had any luck removing the F from the Fartichokes? Some say boil in an acid, some say boil in an alkali medium...

 

[Canadian Wind]

I have several parts of fartichokes growing around here. Harvested some last year, and couldn't keep the ducks out of them!

The kind I have are 'fingerling' tubers. I'll see if I can grab some of the more round ones I know a store in town that sells them.

 

[Magnolia Ducks]

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!

Do Not clean eggs for hatching. That removes the bloom which is very important for keeping bacteria out of the fetuses. Dirty eggs are fine. Never wash eggs for harching.

 

[Jenbirdee]

I have several parts of fartichokes growing around here. Harvested some last year, and couldn't keep the ducks out of them!

The kind I have are 'fingerling' tubers. I'll see if I can grab some of the more round ones I know a store in town that sells them.

do your ducks dig up and eat the tubers ? or just the leaves ? my ducks can’t reach mine. I tossed some tubers into their pen while I was harvesting, but my ducks don’t care for them. however, the chickens eat them and the geese nibble on them.

 

[Jenbirdee]

We're getting started on the (f)artichokes this year as well, the order should arrive in May, various cultivars.

Hey kale! What kind? For ducks or for people as well? I love the tuscan "black" (lacinato, cavolo nero) kale. And so do the ducks. Over the winter they have been picking dilligently at the plants that grow outside - black kale and chinese (napa) cabbage.

It's getting to be time here to sow tomatos (they'll go into the greenhouse when tall enough so that brings everything 3-4 weeks forward).

if my ducks had access to my kale, it would be murdered

 

[Canadian Wind]

do your ducks dig up and eat the tubers ? or just the leaves ? my ducks can’t reach mine. I tossed some tubers into their pen while I was harvesting, but my ducks don’t care for them. however, the chickens eat them and the geese nibble on them.

They gobbles them up whole as I dug them up! Maybe its because they were the fingerling type and thus looked like huge grubs?

They didn't touch the plants themselves.

 

[Supercow]

if my ducks had access to my kale, it would be murdered

It was, repeatedly. But they are tough plants (both the kale and the napa cabbage) and just keep sending out new growth.

OK with some cabbages the ducks were just too dilligent and drilled the soil where the root was, and... thus the past tense.