What Breed Should I Get?

[WannaBeHillBilly]

I just wonder what the rules for organic duck eggs might look, if the ducks would do the certification!

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

I guess it was in this thread, where the question »why is nobody selling sexed muscovy ducklings?« was raised?
I finally got an answer from Meter Farms, however it is not very much of an explanation:

Frank,

This is our second year offering the Muscovy as they are harder to ship. We may decide to offer them sexed in the future.

Thanks,
Ashley

On 1/19/21 5:29 PM, Frank wrote:

Inquiry:
Hi Metzer Team, just a quick question: Why are Muscovy ducklings only sold unsexed? I would love to have some 'scovy girls…

Best regards from Charleston (WV), Frank

Ashley
Metzer Farms
800-424-7755

So they don't sell sexed ducklings because they are harder to ship. (???)

 

[Pollo Blanco]

And actually, Wikipedia is a great source. When I was working on my thesis, I used it a lot to find other sources. Love them little blue links that take you to the bottom of the page! It's a great place to start looking for online resources. I tell my students that all the time. Why scour the internet when wikis have done the leg work for you? As long as you vet the sources, you're good!

When I have hiked a trail and find a bridge link missing, note it on that trails section on Wikipedia, only to have someone change it back, because there is no site on the internet noting that the bridge is gone, something is wrong.
If you go to the page regarding how the algorithm that uses the satelite link system (GPS) works, that information is also incorrect.
The gentleman who created the algorithm is a professor at the UW School of Computer Science. Why someone would change the entry is anyone's guess, but the Professor got tired of changing it back, so as it now stands it's incorrect. At least that's what he told his students when my wife was attending.
But, if anyone is interested in researching pesticides in your food, the Consumer Work Group lists the 'Clean fifteen' and the 'Dirty dozen' along with drinking water quality for the nation, among other things.

 

[SolarDuck]

I guess it was in this thread, where the question »why is nobody selling sexed muscovy ducklings?« was raised?
I finally got an answer from Meter Farms, however it is not very much of an explanation:


So they don't sell sexed ducklings because they are harder to ship. (???)

You should let them know that no other hatcheries sex Muscovy so if they do decide to sell them sexed they will sell a lot more, I see people asking for sexed muscovy on this forum all the time.

 

[Pollo Blanco]

I just wonder what the rules for organic duck eggs might look, if the ducks would do the certification!

My understanding is that their pasture and their auxiliary food sources would both have to be certified to get the seal. One of the reasons seafood cannot be certified as organic. Not sure how honey can be certified as organic on that basis. How they certify yard waste made into compost as organic is also a mystery to me because of all the weed killer in lawn fertilizer.
Anyway, 'best practices' and 'humanely raised' carry a lot more weight in my decisions. My pork is not certified organic, but it is pasture raised without all the pesticides and other garbage used by CAFO producers. Too often getting the certification is too costly for small producers, and as previously noted, it means very little in some cases. I buy organic produce whenever I can and especially make sure to buy organic vegetables when they are on the 'dirty dozen' list. Apples are one of those fruits that uses a lot of pesticides, so I make sure to buy them organic.

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

You should let them know that no other hatcheries sex Muscovy so if they do decide to sell them sexed they will sell a lot more, I see people asking for sexed muscovy on this forum all the time.

Good Idea! I have just replied to the e-mail from Ashley.

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

My understanding is that their pasture and their auxiliary food sources would both have to be certified to get the seal. One of the reasons seafood cannot be certified as organic. Not sure how honey can be certified as organic on that basis. How they certify yard waste made into compost as organic is also a mystery to me because of all the weed killer in lawn fertilizer.
Anyway, 'best practices' and 'humanely raised' carry a lot more weight in my decisions. My pork is not certified organic, but it is pasture raised without all the pesticides and other garbage used by CAFO producers. Too often getting the certification is too costly for small producers, and as previously noted, it means very little in some cases. I buy organic produce whenever I can and especially make sure to buy organic vegetables when they are on the 'dirty dozen' list. Apples are one of those fruits that uses a lot of pesticides, so I make sure to buy them organic.

Again: There is no common definition or regulation that defines the term organic.
There are a couple of certification programs, for example the NOP, run by the USDA that have set up rules for certified organic food.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Organic_Program
But again, anybody an set up such a certification program! All the package needs to say is certified organic food, certified by [organization name]. You can't use the USDA organic seal, but you are free to create your own seal.

 

[Aunt Angus]

And, again, I'm just trying to meet the requirements of the local farmer's market. But all good info!

 

[FernbergFarms]

Hey! Have you gotten your duckies yet?

 

[Aunt Angus]

Hey! Have you gotten your duckies yet?

Not yet! They ship on 2/8, but it's so friggin cold for our area right now. I think it's supposed to get back into the 40s by then, but I'm so paranoid...

Thinking about calling them and BEG to let me pick them up in person. I'll pay extra.