Wisconsin "Cheeseheads"

Morning All!

DH left this morning at around 7 to go to another seminar. Lat one for the season unless one pops up locally. It's a chick days/seminar combo. I was going to go but when I heard the rain this morning I just knew that I could not get all my dog, rabbit, and chicken chores done in time for us to leave. So I'm sitting this one out. It is in Ill.

The chickens are good but not happy about the rain. The rabbits are happy with the cold weather though.

Other then that not much going on here. Getting ready to go to the dump and the Maynards.....then I think I'll came home and do some chores around the house. Dusting maybe...I hate to dust...The house is old and dusty and it like to do it's best to create more dust right after I've just dusted. I finally gave up on my fish tank a few years ago because I could not keep that sucker clean. Not the tank is a brooder and I need to sell my canister filters....if any one is interested in them let me know. I have an Eheim and a Fluval 405.

Anywhoooo.....the quail hatch is done and I'm tossing out the eggs this morning so I can take them to the dump. I am horrible I did not count how many are in the tank, but it's ~25-30. I guess I should count them to let TO know how many she is getting....nah...I'll let her be surprised on tuesday!

Well, gotta go...TTFN!!
 
good morning, thanks DAS.. I guessed it was about 28 to 30 days,, I dated them for 30.. just to cover my aarss.

Nothing hatching today.. sure seems strange..

How old does a rooster have to be to be breeding age ?
DAS, I will take you up on your roo..
I took a pic of my "BR" yesterday.. IDK what i was thinking when I got it.. I guess I was so desperate for a roo I didn't check it out too well..

I have a Welsumer roo if anybody wants one..

again, I have pics, but the camera is upstairs , and I am too lazy etc etc..

I think I am going to start hauling junk out of the shop today.. I have a huge pile of scrap wood that is too good to throw away, but too small to be made into anything practical.. I guess I will throw it all onto the burn pile, and then if I need any of it, I can salvage it from there..and, why do people ( I ) keep empty cardboard boxes anyway ?

I took pictures of the drawers and the mess on my workbench .. It is overwhelming.. even after I put all the power tools into the drawers, the mess on the bench will still be untouched.. I admire people who have just one of each tool and keep them hanging neatly on a pegboard.
at last count, I had 78 screwdrivers.. and I can never find one when I need it..

then there are all the extension cords, drop lights, misc power tools, electric heaters, etc., that need slight repair. Tell me, just when the heII am I going to find the time to fix all those things ??

Hello boys and girls... can you say "rummage sale" ?

.............jiminwisc......
 
So my DGF is apparently very serious about wanting 2 ducks. Of course I say 4, 1 drake and 2 hens so we can hatch, but she just wants 2 hens. So I need some thoughts and ideas.

1. what are the best pet ducks
2. can they be kept with chickens.
3. do they need a water source inside their run if they are let out to free range. I would have a kiddie pool or something like that set near the run. and yes I would have drinking water in the run.
3 what feed do they need? gamebird feed or something like that?
4.anything else you might want tell me would be great!

Going to go play some pinball today, I know random, but I am excited!
 
So my DGF is apparently very serious about wanting 2 ducks. Of course I say 4, 1 drake and 2 hens so we can hatch, but she just wants 2 hens. So I need some thoughts and ideas.

1. what are the best pet ducks
2. can they be kept with chickens.
3. do they need a water source inside their run if they are let out to free range. I would have a kiddie pool or something like that set near the run. and yes I would have drinking water in the run.
3 what feed do they need? gamebird feed or something like that?
4.anything else you might want tell me would be great!

Going to go play some pinball today, I know random, but I am excited!
JOE!!! Look up Australian Spotted Ducks. I am imcubating some right now as my first ducks. They are bantam ducks. They are quiet ducks. They are very interesting to look at. They are FRIENDLY to people (aka no worries with kids). They are also decent layers, laying cream, BLUE, or GREEN eggs! They also are excellent mothers. I have 16 viable right now, with 2 weeks to go. I would be more than happy to have your girlfriend come and adopt a couple! She could have cute a selection to choose from if they keep going like they are! Google them!
 
So my DGF is apparently very serious about wanting 2 ducks. Of course I say 4, 1 drake and 2 hens so we can hatch, but she just wants 2 hens. So I need some thoughts and ideas.

1. what are the best pet ducks
2. can they be kept with chickens.
3. do they need a water source inside their run if they are let out to free range. I would have a kiddie pool or something like that set near the run. and yes I would have drinking water in the run.
3 what feed do they need? gamebird feed or something like that?
4.anything else you might want tell me would be great!

Going to go play some pinball today, I know random, but I am excited!

I'm partial to Pekins :) We also have Mallards but the Pekin and my baby pekin mix are my favorites. I have my ducks and chickens cooped together with no issues. I dug a pond for the ducks but was using a plastic kiddie pool before that and they were fine but I was bored one day and decided to add a pond. I feed flock raiser to all the birds. I do not have a water source beside the waterer inside the coop/pen area but I do open range from 730am till almost dark, so they have access to the pond all day.
 
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MJ-here is my 2cents on ducks.... I had some Domesticated Mallards at one time but I am by no means the duck expert here! I'm sure those people with ducks will disagree with me on some, if not all of my points, and that is okay, but like I said here are my 2 pennies:
1) Pet ducks.... Calls are cool and beyond adorable although they can be loud....My next choice are Cayuga's and then Muscovies and Rouens.
2)Kept with chickens: Yes to a free range situation but not in the same coop. Ducks are very very messy and they like water in any form and container. Chickens are much neater and prefer to drink their water instead of wear it. My Mallards ran with the chickens but had their own little pool in a little area that I set up as the "duck zone". No Chickens allowed. If I were to do ducks again, I'd keep them seperate just because ducks are ducks and messy....But they all got along at my place. The chickens ignored the ducks and vice versa. IMO, keeping ducks with chickens is like keeping turkeys with chickens....by the book, it is best not to keep them together. In reality a lot of people keep them together and never have any problems. But keep in mind that since ducks are messy, they have a tendency to keep their living space messy and kept in a run with chickens that could have a negative impact on your chickens health.
3)Water in their run is ok I guess but they will make an absolute mess...see above statement! With a pool in their run, they will get it all wet and gross so their run will be wet and disgusting. Sooo, I'd place their pool in an area that is easy to keep clean, sunny and can be dried by moving their kiddie pool. Or you can create a pond if you have the space.
4)Feed-ducks need a feed designed for water fowl. They have specific requirements regarding calcium and the correct balance there of. Nutrena had an awesome duck feed that since it was so great they took away to replaced it with a crapy horrible All Flock feed for "marketing reasons". Don't feed that All Flock-it's all wrong for ducks. HOWEVER....Nutrena is bringing back their great duck feed because all the customers who fed Nutrena's duck feed complained as well as my DH. So they are going to bring back a duck pellet....
I will have to ask DH about it. If you want more info on duck feeds PM me your number and I;ll have DH call you....Gamebird feed might be to high in protein for ducks and I think the calcium levels are wrong....I have to ask....Just give me a ring....
5)anything else to add:.....nope....but have fun with your ducks!!!
 
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I'm partial to Pekins :) We also have Mallards but the Pekin and my baby pekin mix are my favorites. I have my ducks and chickens cooped together with no issues. I dug a pond for the ducks but was using a plastic kiddie pool before that and they were fine but I was bored one day and decided to add a pond. I feed flock raiser to all the birds. I do not have a water source beside the waterer inside the coop/pen area but I do open range from 730am till almost dark, so they have access to the pond all day.
I think you're going home with a coupe ducklings from the bash too. Just so you're aware...:D
 
I think you're going home with a coupe ducklings from the bash too. Just so you're aware...
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:( I wont be at the bash. We've got a 4H day that weekend and I have no clue if DH is working Ot then or not. His boss likes to tell him on Wednesday if the weekend is mandatory or not. But hey if anyone wants to rehome some ducklings I'm all for it ;) I've got plenty of room ;)
 
Happy Saturday! I got 8 ducklings outta the bator this week. 3 Runners and 5 Welshies.
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A terrible hatch rate actually (had 21 viable at the end), but I am just glad some made it. Working on pics, man those little buggars are waaaay worse than children. But so friggin' cute!

As long as we are decoding acronyms, what on earth is CRS???

And I think I need to go looking for wild leeks this weekend...
 

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