Waterfowl Heritage Thread

[kswaterfowl]

We keep Pilgrims at my inlaws farm. They pretty much have access to the entire property with the barn and pasture as well. They do EXTREMELY well there! They live with the dairy goats, horses, dairy cows, chickens etc...and we rarely lose any to predators and they look so beautiful when there is green grass for them to run on. They also find most of their own food, but are still nice sized birds. I had one tufted Roman hen at one point and loved her, I would love to find a pair of those to put in with our duck flock here at the house, but just haven't managed to find any yet. The pilgrims are by far my favorite goose breed, but my inlaws love the large flock roaming their property. We rarely show them simply because we often don't have the space to take them with us. Walt, your Embdens look happy even if there is no grass! I know my duck pens are normally bare about a month or two after the birds get rotated into them.
K&S

 

[DaveK]

Walt, I don't have Poms but like them enough to have paid some attention to them. I have seen some very nice single lobed birds and also birds where the breeder was not happy as there were dual lobes to be seen. More variation in the modern German bred stock than the old fashioned farm sort of Pomeranian that Bob remembers. I should mention too that those big modern German sorts seem only to be saddleback pattern. The old fashioned sort are gray, buff or white plus the gray and buff saddlebacks. They are not a flashy goose but do have a distinct breed type and are interesting to some of us. Bob, unless she is doing something different than her earlier years Evy raises her ducklings off the ground in "wet brooders" but otherwise they live out their days in her roomy pens with really good swimming water and shelter available. Don Krahe, the late Graham Oakford and others also allowed their ducks to live on the ground.

 

[fowlman01]

Quote:
In my opinion, bantams ducks seem to live longer if they are on the ground.They are much harder to keep in show condition on the ground though. Graham Oakford was the best Call breeder of all time in my eyes.

Walt

 

[Robert Blosl]

Quote:
In my opinion, bantams ducks seem to live longer if they are on the ground.They are much harder to keep in show condition on the ground though. Graham Oakford was the best Call breeder of all time in my eyes.

Walt

http://wnypoultryclub.webs.com/choatecallducks.htm
http://www.longshadowfarms.com/FAQ.html

http://www.picturetrail.com/sfx/album/view/649344
The above picture from Evys Web site is what I based my comment on. I know she has a indoor pond she raises them on but I have found it best for me in the first six weeks to raise my baby ducks in above the ground pens. The tubs that are on Chris Choate site are what I am using to raise my little ones. I have them on wire to keep them from getting wet.
In regards to Graham Oak ford. My wife and I lived in Marshfield Wisconsin about 23 years ago and I was on a weekend drive trying to find Halbach Poutlry Farm. I got lost and found myself in Graham Oakfords back yard. I drove in and he gave me a tour of his poultry plant. After a hour and half tour I would never think I would be raising call ducks. He had a big impact on my goals and what I am doing right now.
I would love to have pens like he did and his home made water pools in the ground. I just got to many hawks during the day and dogs who come in and kill my ducks. I plan to rebuild my pens with covers over the tops and protection with electric fences to keep out dogs and other varmints.

bob

 

[Chickielady]

wow what a fantastic set up they have with each box it's own water pan.
It is still work and alot of water to drain and fill each pan often enough so as not have disease and poopy water.
I was trying to apply a 55-gallon drum "trickle" filter system to a medium sized chicldren's swimming pool, set in the ground.
We used these type 55-gallon trickle filters alot in our koi farming days.
The barrel is 3/4 filled with medium sized red lava rock that is so easy to find in Northern California, and topped with stitched quilt batting.
The submersible pump sends the water to the top of the filter, which trickles over the rock and the nitrifying bacteria 'eats' up the ammonias and nitrites.
Weekly, depending on how many ducks are in the pond, the stitched quilt batting is removed, toosed on the lawn and the solids pressed out by booted feet and a garden hose.
Adding water is tricky as chlorine will kill the good bacteria, so have to use well water or creek water to add.
Worked for koi, worked so well you could have 'too many' fish per gallon.
Oh, and at the bottom of the barrel a pvc pipe lets the freash water back into the swimming hole.

 

[Robert Blosl]

http://www.picturetrail.com/sfx/album/view/23503605

These are a pair of Gray Calls from about five years ago David Touchett Stain

I have a male that is Half Touchett and Half Lundgren and hope to get some of the traits
from this pair which he is related from. Go down to the fourth picture to see Davids Pair.




I was bouncing around the differnet threads I started and saw the piture of this drake. Does anyone have a strain of call ducks with color that has a body like this guy does??"?


I just got a message from a future call duck breeder who wants to get some breeders this fall and wanted to know what he should be looking for when he goes to the shows with all his money in his wallet.

Is there any young birds alive from this male that has his type or even a little better?

I would love to see some pictures of the ducks some of you bought at the big show at Shawnee. Get some pictues head on and a side pose. Look forward to your pictures and the comments on this drake above. Bob

 

[AuroraSprings]

Our Cotton Patch Geese:

Our American Blue & Lavender Geese:

Our Ancona Ducks:

If you can't tell, we LOVE heritage breeds!!!!

 

[StevenW.]

I have Ancona Duck eggs from "Aurora Springs" they are on day 8.

 

[AuroraSprings]

How are they doing?

 

[Mrs. Turbo]

Quote:
that was our drake and we sold him a couple years ago on eggbid. I don't remember who bought him. We sold our flock of pastels to Bill Wulff if you are looking for some with that bloodline.

there are some pictures of the winnning ducks on the callducks.org website....almost all the colors.
When looking for breeders you want a big head, wide body, short legs, and a wide bill. We don't worry too much about bill length on our breeders becasue (you also don't want daffy duck) they will produce ducklings with different length of bills, but you can't magically make them wider if its not in the line. If he is serious about call ducks it is best to get in contact with a breeder that is willing to help him learn what to look for. It can get overwhelming looking through the sale pens if you are new to call ducks.