What did you do with your flock today?

[Shetland lover]

That's wonderful that you have so many fruits growing

I'm curious too. The lady I got these birds from kept them separated by color and my understanding was that they're all pure bred. But I haven't seen anything showing blue in the native birds. There's lavender but some of the people from Oland say they're not pure dwarfs because of their color. Guessing that's why it seems Greenfire hasn't sold any of the lavender yet. They even pulled the picture of their lavender that they had up. Wondering if the blues have something else mixed in.
Wish I had her breeding records or had asked more questions when she was alive.
Either way, I just love these little guys. I need to name that boy now...his first time being handled and he went into cuddle mode immediately. Fell asleep and let me lift and play with his feathers like it was nothing new.

He looks adorable and so snug and happy

The photos are of Ferdy and Penelope at a couple of days old up to 3 months old. You can see how sparse their splash markings were. Don't know if the comparison helps at all?

 

[Shetland lover]

@PopoMyers @Shetland lover @TropicalBabies
My birds love both pineapple and apples. They're favorite treat though seems to be bread. My oldest goes to lunch at Subway and just eats the filling and brings the bread home for the birds. Her boss now does the same so I get 2 little loaves of bread almost every day for them...dosed with sauce and cheese bits. I rotate who gets it trying to make sure no one gets too much. They get so excited for that.

X4 on sweets...lol.

How could I forget bread! Mine adore bread too, especially if it has butter or cheese on it
I made some Norwegian cinnamon buns on Christmas Eve (they're DH's favourite breakfast) and Ferdy jumped on the counter, tore pieces off and dropped them on the floor for Stanley and the ladies. I couldn't be mad at him for long - it was just too sweet and funny

 

[FBMcrazy8]

So to add to my problems my 2 drakes have started fighting . I think the warm weather has them thinking it’s mating season already. The more dominant one (which we have known from the start) has started pulling feathers out of the other one. I really don’t know what to do. I could separate them but temps are suppose to drop again soon and they will need each other. I wish I could get my hands on some more females so this isn’t a problem.

Editing to add pictures..he lost more feathers since I posted this originally and he still isn’t backing down.

 

[TropicalBabies]

Hubby's family are still ranchers in Montana. When we were newlyweds and went to visit, they had ditches for the water like that and every inch of the fields was used. Now days they have these water systems that run in a giant circle so the field corners are untouched and unused. Each corner is actually over an acre. They've been selling those corners so now they have homes dotted throughout their hay fields. (They grow their own hay for the cows) The lots have two straight sides and one long curved side. One corner lot was sold to a bee guy ands covered in hives, another was sold to a fellow who turned it into horse pasture. Others have actually had homes built on them. It's a huge change and the ranch feels so much different these days.

Don't like the sound of that tape though just because it leaves so much waste.

That sounds romantic and lovely... or was lol.
I'll take you along my big basket weave adventure with photos- and ask for help when needed - @Shetland lover & @ChicksnMore

So dh and I had to go fill some bags with compost this morning. Gal who came to pick up and I started chatting about chickens etc. The etc was garden and then ducks, where I suggested she get Indian Runners (like I know these things lol) We can technically only get Muscovy on island but I know someone who I helped get IT'S, and who has asked and offered to have me hatch. Welp. Almost time to take her up on it. She said yes, but they are molting right now so I will wait till they are back their quasi normal selves. I'm pretty sure this means I will need to start a breeding pair. May have to scour the bushes for some new IR blood too. So, Jurassic Park adventures continue?

 

[ChicksnMore]

He looks adorable and so snug and happy

The photos are of Ferdy and Penelope at a couple of days old up to 3 months old. You can see how sparse their splash markings were. Don't know if the comparison helps at all?

Ferdy and Penelope are so pretty! And massively fluffy . I like seeing that some of the pics show bars down the center instead of just all black feathers. I know I have to have splash somewhere but none of my birds are just black and white.

How could I forget bread! Mine adore bread too, especially if it has butter or cheese on it
I made some Norwegian cinnamon buns on Christmas Eve (they're DH's favourite breakfast) and Ferdy jumped on the counter, tore pieces off and dropped them on the floor for Stanley and the ladies. I couldn't be mad at him for long - it was just too sweet and funny Lucky birds!

So to add to my problems my 2 drakes have started fighting . I think the warm weather has them thinking it’s mating season already. The more dominant one (which we have known from the start) has started pulling feathers out of the other one. I really don’t know what to do. I could separate them but temps are suppose to drop again soon and they will need each other. I wish I could get my hands on some more females so this isn’t a problem.

Editing to add pictures..he lost more feathers since I posted this originally and he still isn’t backing down.

I'm so sorry your boys are fighting Do you have two females and two males? If so, if you separate them into pairs for a bit, once the pairs are bonded to each other they might be able to live peacefully. They might both want the same female and are fighting over her. Ducks normally form pairs and are very loyal once they have. I'm too new to ducks still to have certain advice...this is just my thoughts and not knowledge . But it might get them through the cold too.

You might get a better answer if you start a thread asking for advice. Think @Overo Mare is an experienced call duck keeper.

 

[ChicksnMore]

Well I should have taken a closer look at his mom. She has the lacing. Now just curious if the whites splash or something else.

 

[ChicksnMore]

That sounds romantic and lovely... or was lol.
I'll take you along my big basket weave adventure with photos- and ask for help when needed - @Shetland lover & @ChicksnMore

So dh and I had to go fill some bags with compost this morning. Gal who came to pick up and I started chatting about chickens etc. The etc was garden and then ducks, where I suggested she get Indian Runners (like I know these things lol) We can technically only get Muscovy on island but I know someone who I helped get IT'S, and who has asked and offered to have me hatch. Welp. Almost time to take her up on it. She said yes, but they are molting right now so I will wait till they are back their quasi normal selves. I'm pretty sure this means I will need to start a breeding pair. May have to scour the bushes for some new IR blood too. So, Jurassic Park adventures continue?

Yay! Hopefully welcome to the goofy, happy world of ducks!

 

[FBMcrazy8]

Ferdy and Penelope are so pretty! And massively fluffy . I like seeing that some of the pics show bars down the center instead of just all black feathers. I know I have to have splash somewhere but none of my birds are just black and white.



I'm so sorry your boys are fighting Do you have two females and two males? If so, if you separate them into pairs for a bit, once the pairs are bonded to each other they might be able to live peacefully. They might both want the same female and are fighting over her. Ducks normally form pairs and are very loyal once they have. I'm too new to ducks still to have certain advice...this is just my thoughts and not knowledge . But it might get them through the cold too.

You might get a better answer if you start a thread asking for advice. Think @Overo Mare is an experienced call duck keeper.

Well I got in contact with the lady I got them from to see if it was “normal” or if I should separate. Cause I knew there would be some fighting over the girls. Just didn’t know what was too bad. And the fact Magu kept going after him, even though he was loosing, made me wonder how normal it was. But I separated them. The dominant one, who I haven’t settled on a name yet, is with the dominant female. Then I have Magu with the less dominant female, inside the house and the other 2 in the coop. So yes, to answer you I do have 2 boys and 2 girls. And of course it has been difficult finding JUST females. I just need to increase the girls numbers so maybe it will calm things down. I wish that I didn’t loose my last set of ducks cause I know those numbers were WAY better. But we had started a separate area for the ducks and decided the extra coop we got is going to go in the duck area, after a VERY good bleach cleaning. I ordered a net to go over it to keep them in tonight. I wasn’t prepared to do this right now. But we are hanging in the high 30s/50s area. The lady I got the ducks from is now freaking out too. She has the drakes and hens separated but only by a fence and she isn’t prepared either.

 

[FBMcrazy8]

Well I should have taken a closer look at his mom. She has the lacing. Now just curious if the whites splash or something else.View attachment 3362497View attachment 3362498View attachment 3362499View attachment 3362500

They are both really beautiful!!! I can’t wait to see how the white one feathers out. Momma is just SSOO pretty!

 

[FBMcrazy8]

My boys foot is getting better! So happy about that. Still no black, but I’m not holding my breath that it won’t show up. Both blisters on the bottom are shrinking. And the one that popped on the top is still doing good. Crossing my fingers he keeps going well. I don’t know what I would do if anything else goes wrong. I know that there is ups and downs raising animals but this is a lot in such a short time. Once I get my bearings I know things will get easier cause I will know how to handle it but until then, just have to remember to breath.