Waterfowl Heritage Thread

[DaveK]

Pomeranian Geese. There's been a lot of discussion about what got into the APA Standard and how and why. Fact remains that what is called Pomeranian in Germany is a more modern, very exhibition type bird sometimes faulted for dual lobes. They are a big, sometimes very big bird with tremendous substance. The old fashioned Middle European farm Pomeranian is not the size and bulk of these German birds and is catered to by some breeders here. If they show results are not always so called great but these guys understand that we have, in a way, two different versions of a breed. Having handled the north east breeder in question birds I would have to wonder if his Poms, large as they were, really had been infused with Embden. The type and proportions were all wrong on the Poms as far as showing Embden characteristics but I will say too that you never know how stuff is going to combine or what will result from continued breeding and selection. But I have been shown Poms bred down from German stock and what were supposed to be a couple of imported ganders (owned by two different breeders) and they were of the same type as the north east breeder had. Sometimes it's interesting to wonder how different lines and families develop. My own waterfowl interest is the Sebastopols which I guess would be considered as quite old though their history isn't exactly etched in granite for posterity either. But great birds to be working with.

 

[fowlman01]

Quote:
Do your Poms have one or two lobes?

Walt

 

[kswaterfowl]

I would not consider Welsh Harlequins to be a heritage breed in this country considering the fact that they are a fairly recent newcomer in the duck world, like 80's and 90's. But in my opinion, they are an excellent dual purpose bird for many applications. We LOVE them! Have had them for almost our entire poultry career thus far. I've seen far too many birds that are suppose to be Welsh Harlequins, but they are not, so I feel there is still a lot of education needed as to what a welsh harlequin should and does look like.

I do like the Indian Runner. I was so sick of seeing all those junky Fawn & White "Campbells" that normally show up at 4-H shows, so I finally went out and purchased real Runners and have really enjoyed them ever since. Our trout Runners still need a lot of work on type and proper size, but I think its hard to beat a nice looking Runner for champion light duck. (Granted...its almost always a white, but hopefully one of these days. But I am partial, and always prefer it to be a Welsh Harlequin.)

 

[Mrs. Turbo]

Here are some of ours.....

and our call duck breeding pens

 

[Mrs. Turbo]

Quote:
We have all our call ducks in off the ground pens for showing and breeding and raise the ducklings the same way. In the winter they are in the barn in off the ground pens with houses and some are in flock pens on the ground in the barn. The larger ducks run the pond and are locked up at night.

 

[Chickielady]

I know nothing about runners, but these are the parents, chocolate and blacks.
I guess the hen is not supposed to have the white flected breast feathers, correct ?
I am hatching the eggs for a friend...
Beautiful call duck pen system and birds Mrs Turbo!
I LOVE the kswaterfowl..welsh Harlequinns, nice dual purpose bird..
wi=ould anyone have more pom geese photos ?

 

[HallFamilyFarm]

Quote:
We start ours in brooder totes on wire, then move them to the brooder house at about a week old. The brooder house is a deep litter on top of card board. Wire is underneath. Most of the moisture drains out. We change the litter/shavings about once a week. When they are fully feathered we place them under the brooder house with a heat lamp and a small pasture. At about 2 or 2 1/2 months old they are ready for full pasture.

We rotate the flock between three small pastures. If the grass gets low, we allow them to "free range" outside the pasture in the afternoons.

We started getting Buff Duck eggs yesterday. These started laying at about 6 months old and layed till mid October. Hoping they lay this well all spring, summer and fall. Have some listed on eBay at present.

 

[Chickielady]

Thanks for the housing/raising info...

 

[Robert Blosl]

Quote:
Dave which state do you live in?

Thanks for the message on Pomeriaina.

If any of you remember a Pomeranian was shown by Matt Lhamon of Lima Ohio a few years ago I will try to dig up the picture. It remeinded me of my Grand Pas Pomeranians he had. He told me he got his from a feed store in the 1940s and rasied them on his farm in the Hanaford Valley I can remember them about 1954 and latter. He said he breed them like his dad did in Germany. He did not have a Standard of Perfection he just breed them to what he thought they should look like but I will never forget those pink feet and bills on those geese. Those where the first I ever saw and never owned one in my life.

Lots of nice pictures on this site and for worring about raising call ducks or any ducks on wire, Art Lundgren and Evy Avery do it in New York and they get super colod weather and snow as high as the pens. I just do it to protect them from the dogs and possiums.

I hope to raise my little ducks on the ground this year when I build my duck tracktors .

Well lets hope to see more pictures. I sure enjoyed Walts pictures befor I went to work.

I will get my old black and white standard out and see what they had in thier in 1964 many of todays waterfowl are better than what they had years ago. More breeders are breeding them to the standard and I hope we can learn from that and do the same with chickens. The bantam people have but the large fowl people have gone back a notch or two. bob

 

[fowlman01]

Some of my Embdens. Note that there is no grass anywhere in their yard. They keep it pretty clean.

Walt