Thread formerly known as Hatch day is today

[Iain Utah]

He's doing a little better this morning, thanks for asking!! I could tell he was 100% relaxed and content in the pen last night and he slept really well. He has perked up a little this morning, is drinking/pooping, but does not seem interested in eating the mazuri. I am going to grab a little bit of corn (his favorite treat) when I go to the horse property for morning chores to see if he will eat a few kernels. I'll pick some grass for him too. He is clearly interested in the babies. They keep him company and provide entertainment. He doesn't seem to be antsy to get out of pen though, so I know he is still hurting.

 

[Iain Utah]

Celtic, The more time I spend with No. 1, the more ocd I am getting about wondering if he is a she and/or is the ebay egg. I read that there is a difference in voice pitch and type of honk between genders? No. 1 makes a very low pitched single long honk. All my other 4 are louder, much higher pitched and have more of a staccato honk, which I would consider more like chattering to me. Is there a pitch difference with yours? Also, have you hatched any babies with pink lower beaks (and some pink on top beak too) and white dewlap?

Between the pitch of voice, size of dewlap and body, the pink beak/white dewlap, and overall chill personality makes me wonder if she is a girl and all the others are boys... or if he/she is from different stock.

Note: the ebay stock was a mystery mix of white and grey ganders on white and grey geese.

 

[psue]

Celtic, The more time I spend with No. 1, the more ocd I am getting about wondering if he is a she and/or is the ebay egg. I read that there is a difference in voice pitch and type of honk between genders? No. 1 makes a very low pitched single long honk. All my other 4 are louder, much higher pitched and have more of a staccato honk, which I would consider more like chattering to me. Is there a pitch difference with yours? Also, have you hatched any babies with pink lower beaks (and some pink on top beak too) and white dewlap?

Between the pitch of voice, size of dewlap and body, the pink beak/white dewlap, and overall chill personality makes me wonder if she is a girl and all the others are boys... or if he/she is from different stock.

Note: the ebay stock was a mystery mix of white and grey ganders on white and grey geese.

all of my girls have a husky voice. Kinda like the difference between adult ducks... except in this case the boy is the "big mouth"

 

[Iain Utah]

Sue, I was reading that the girls are more husky and lower pitched, lower volume and the boys are the louder, higher pitched, chattier. If this is so, then No. 1 is a girl, and the others are boys. Since No. 1 is way larger with more pronounced white dewlap and pink lower beak, chances are I mixed up No. 1 and Ebay at birth, and No. 1 is the egg I got off Ebay. I am talking to the Ebay egg seller via email. She says she thinks she can identify No. 1 with pics, so I am sending them to her.

 

[Iain Utah]

Back to a ducky land topic... Over the past week+, I have been noticing Squeak (cayuga drake), who paired up with Twist, (cayuga duck) chasing off Caboose (other cayuga drake) if Caboose gets too close to Twist. Squeak looks like a goose charging with the neck stretched out low. Well, this morning, I looked over and saw one cayuga mounted on top of the other biting down on neck. At first I thought it was Squeak doing his thing with Twist, then realized it was Squeak on top of Caboose. WTH??

 

[JazminesZoo]

Jaz, do you cook them differently than waterfowl?

Utah is a cool nickname... I'll take the Poultry Poster Mom nickname as a great compliment too. But if you want to call me by my name, it's Janet.

At what I spent on the eggs, will NOT be eating these!!! I might need to be committed after this is none hatch

 

[Iain Utah]

At what I spent on the eggs, will NOT be eating these!!! I might need to be committed after this is none hatch

I meant... do you incubate these eggs the same as waterfowl?

 

[DutchChic]

I love the keels! My other grey boy, who I have named tank, already has defined keels at 2 weeks old! I have a feeling he is going to be one big chunky monkey when he grows up.
For weighing, you can always pick him up and stand on scale. Hubby weighs our dogs that way. He's 4 weeks, right? My bet is he only weighs 4 lbs.

I forgot I have a bathroom scale, lol. And I think he may be more like 5 weeks...will have to go back and check.

Jaz, do you cook them differently than waterfowl?

Utah is a cool nickname... I'll take the Poultry Poster Mom nickname as a great compliment too. But if you want to call me by my name, it's Janet.

I can't change now! I'm used to calling you Utah! And I like that nickname, lol. Just like I kind of like being called Dutch...even though I don't raise Dutch bantams anymore. I do still have one Dutch roo, though.

BYC Official Zorse Hatchery here we come

We're gonna be rich, I tell ya!!!

Back to a ducky land topic... Over the past week+, I have been noticing Squeak (cayuga drake), who paired up with Twist, (cayuga duck) chasing off Caboose (other cayuga drake) if Caboose gets too close to Twist. Squeak looks like a goose charging with the neck stretched out low. Well, this morning, I looked over and saw one cayuga mounted on top of the other biting down on neck. At first I thought it was Squeak doing his thing with Twist, then realized it was Squeak on top of Caboose. WTH??

Hmmm....act of dominance probably...or just light in the feet? lol

 

[Iain Utah]

I am thinking I need to separate Squeak and Twist, if Squeak is acting that possessive to attack the other cayuga drake?

 

[QuackerJackFarms]

Talked to neighbors. Again, I want to emphasize they are great people and have chickens themselves. The lady came over and carefully examined puncture with me and immediately offered to pay all costs for treatment. I am on hold with emergency clinic as they try to find a vet on call that can treat No. 1.

Awesome neighbors.

Good neighbors. Hopefully they keep the dog on a line or in a kennel from now on. Hope they find someone open who can see the gosling.

They sound like the kind of people that won't let this happen again.

Jeez.....
I just bought the standard of perfection book for birds on my kindle, and went to ducks, and they don't have Welsh Harlequins in there! Ahh! Or american geese... So kinda upset right now.... Then went to a website on the internest that told me EVERYTHING I needed to know about judging my own ducks! Made me quite upset. Luckily it was only $8 bucks, but still, COME ON!

Are Anconas or Appleyards in there?

DG, what year did you buy. American Buff geese are in the hard copy. Page 365 Welsh harlequin are on page 339. Sounds like you may have bought an old copy. Our hard bound is a 2010 edition and is the newest.

Isn't that like 200 something dollars? Or did I find the wrong thing.

We are back from the vet. No. 1 has no serious injuries. They plucked the puncture wound area, cleaned it up, and left it open for draining. Vet said the bite was on veiny tissue area so that is why there is ongoing bleeding that should eventually stop on its own. He is on meticam and baytril and being kept inside in our extra pen in brooder room for the next 3-5 days. Vet commented that he sees a lot of geese, but never had he seen an lap AFRICAN goose before. He gave No. 1 great compliments about how well-mannered he was and wished all his goose patients were as nice as him.

Neighbors were staring out window waiting for our return and they raced right over to check up on No. 1. I thought the lady was going to cry she was so upset that No. 1 got hurt. They came in and hung out in brooder room for a while with No. 1 and the dewlaps and they fell in love with Spirit specifically (how can you not? lol). By the time they left, the lady was talking about how she wants geese if they are as nice as mine. They insisted on paying the bill, too (was $116).

All's well that ends well, I guess.

Excellent.

Well I am having some eggs shipped to me on Tues !!!

I won 3 ebay auctions & I have a guy in Missouri sending me some eggs too!!

So you're the one bidding against me. I've lost 2 auctions on there lately. Guess I'm losing my touch.

At what I spent on the eggs, will NOT be eating these!!! I might need to be committed after this is none hatch

Lmao. Jazz? NOT eating something? Crazy.