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Keeping hens and ducks chat.
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Thought you all would like to see a photo of one of my beautiful ducks. She is an Indian Runner and is 5 years old now. I got her when she was 8 weeks old and she was so tiny then. Now she stands at 2ft tall. Bless her!! The ducks have spent most of today digging for worms in our veg beds.
Hope everyone is ok.
Edwink x**3.36 kWp solar panel system, 10 x Ultima & 4 x Panasonic solar panels, Solaredge Inverter **Biomass boiler stove for cooking, hot water & heating **2000ltr Rainwater harvesting system for loo flushing - **Hybrid Toyota Auris car **1 ex-battery hen - RIP Pingu, Hoppy & Ginger ****Hens & Ducks**** chat thread. http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.php?t=52822090 -
Edwink, how lovely!! Are you sure she is a pure IR? She looks like a Cayuga has had a play and gave her the pretty patchy colours. Not that it matters, mine are all mules (I learned they are not to be called mongrels in the Notes&Queries section of the paper, lol). I really like that each one is looking different as is their character and that I can tell them apart. No more pure breeds here since the last white Indian Runner died a few years back. I've not figured out how to post pictures on here so please keep them coming, Edwink, so I can admire yours!First they ignore you, then they ridicule you, then they fight you, and then you win - Gandhi0
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Happygreen wrote: »Edwink, how lovely!! Are you sure she is a pure IR? She looks like a Cayuga has had a play and gave her the pretty patchy colours. Not that it matters, mine are all mules (I learned they are not to be called mongrels in the Notes&Queries section of the paper, lol). I really like that each one is looking different as is their character and that I can tell them apart. No more pure breeds here since the last white Indian Runner died a few years back. I've not figured out how to post pictures on here so please keep them coming, Edwink, so I can admire yours!
Hi Happygreen
Yes your are right that she has a little Cayuga in her. She was bred where there were Cayuga's. I know that because we got some of our Cayugas at the same place. You can see a couple of our Cayugas in the same picture. One at the back of her that has started to moult and another to the right of her in the photo.
With regards to getting photos on here. I can now post them on but previous to someone's help on this thread I struggled and struggled with doing it and I just could not work it out. There is honestly no use in me trying to explain the process to you cos I can just about manage it myself. It was last year I was given the instructions on what I needed to do and I now can not remember who gave them to me. It was either Queen of cheap or Betterdays. I have a head like an absolute sieve sorry to whoever it was. Could you please put the instructions on the screen again for Happygreen to follow please. Thank you in advance.
Edwink x**3.36 kWp solar panel system, 10 x Ultima & 4 x Panasonic solar panels, Solaredge Inverter **Biomass boiler stove for cooking, hot water & heating **2000ltr Rainwater harvesting system for loo flushing - **Hybrid Toyota Auris car **1 ex-battery hen - RIP Pingu, Hoppy & Ginger ****Hens & Ducks**** chat thread. http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.php?t=52822090 -
Thanks, Edwink
Worming week has started....the ducks are very happy as they love pellets but the hens all "pulled up their noses" - NO TREATS, NO GRAIN! They'll get over it again, so I hope....First they ignore you, then they ridicule you, then they fight you, and then you win - Gandhi0 -
Hoorah!! Getting 5 eggs from 5 ducks now. The other 2 are drakes. Getting the lovely blue one from our Indian Runner now as she was the last to start laying.
Getting 18 hens eggs from 25 ex batt hens so that is a great amount. Looks like the rescue girls are feeling happy now they have settled in nicely and getting nice fresh food to eat along with their pellets. There is only one that isn't fully feathered and has not put on much weight. she is a funny skinny little thing but appears quite happy so I am not worried. I do try and give her a little extra of the treat food to help with her weight but it is difficult with other hens jumping around my feet. But, I did managed to give her 2 Blueberries and a little pasta on her own the other day so was pleased about that. I will keep on trying with her. We had an underweight duck and I did the same for her and she is a proper weight now so I know it will work for the little skinny hen in the end.
How is everyone else doing?
Edwink x**3.36 kWp solar panel system, 10 x Ultima & 4 x Panasonic solar panels, Solaredge Inverter **Biomass boiler stove for cooking, hot water & heating **2000ltr Rainwater harvesting system for loo flushing - **Hybrid Toyota Auris car **1 ex-battery hen - RIP Pingu, Hoppy & Ginger ****Hens & Ducks**** chat thread. http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.php?t=52822090 -
Morning all - quick update from me.
We have 4 new ducks and they are laying, I found 8 eggs yesterday. ! took 1 in the house to use in baking and the other's we're thinking about leaving for them to incubate. If it works, great, if not, we'll eat the next lot instead of leaving them. Will ducks still lay in the same place if I take their eggs away?
Our rescues are loving life now. It's so nice to see. They have learned that we are nice and will bring them food and they literally fall over each other to come to us when we go to their gate. We had 15 eggs from 22 hens yesterday. Of those 22 are my 6 old girls so we're pretty much at full capacity for the layers.
Counting down the days until the goslings arrive, has anyone any experience with hatching gosplings as I could do with some advice please?0 -
smallholding_antics wrote: »
Counting down the days until the goslings arrive, has anyone any experience with hatching gosplings as I could do with some advice please?
I'm afraid I've not got any experience with goslings at all. Hens and ducks are my thing. Have you not managed to find anything out on the internet?. How about where you are getting the gosling from can they offer you some advice. Not sure if there are any good books out there which would be of use. I would say that they would be similar to ducks but I could be wrong.
Hope everyone is ok and enjoying the slightly better weather.
Edwink x**3.36 kWp solar panel system, 10 x Ultima & 4 x Panasonic solar panels, Solaredge Inverter **Biomass boiler stove for cooking, hot water & heating **2000ltr Rainwater harvesting system for loo flushing - **Hybrid Toyota Auris car **1 ex-battery hen - RIP Pingu, Hoppy & Ginger ****Hens & Ducks**** chat thread. http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.php?t=52822090 -
Worming week is nearly over, another coup[le of days....It was harder work than usual, I must have spoiled those hens last year!
Emptied 2 duck nests outdoors last night before they actually start sitting on them! Awash with eggs here atm!First they ignore you, then they ridicule you, then they fight you, and then you win - Gandhi0 -
smallholding_antics wrote: »Will ducks still lay in the same place if I take their eggs away?/QUOTE]
In our experience with our ducks one of them makes a little nest in their hotel and if we remove the eggs from it they will still carry on laying there. But they are also known for laying in different places around the garden when they feel like it. It is often Easter egg hunt time most of the year here because they often lay wherever they feel like. Sometimes one of them will lay on the path and because there is nothing to stop it the egg will roll all the way down the garden until it hits the gate and smashes. Then the hens will pounce on it and gobble it all up. :rotfl:
Hope that is some help
Edwink x**3.36 kWp solar panel system, 10 x Ultima & 4 x Panasonic solar panels, Solaredge Inverter **Biomass boiler stove for cooking, hot water & heating **2000ltr Rainwater harvesting system for loo flushing - **Hybrid Toyota Auris car **1 ex-battery hen - RIP Pingu, Hoppy & Ginger ****Hens & Ducks**** chat thread. http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.php?t=52822090 -
smallholding_antics wrote: »Will ducks still lay in the same place if I take their eggs away?/QUOTE]
In our experience with our ducks one of them makes a little nest in their hotel and if we remove the eggs from it they will still carry on laying there. But they are also known for laying in different places around the garden when they feel like it. It is often Easter egg hunt time most of the year here because they often lay wherever they feel like.
Edwink x
If my ducks lay outdoors they will lay in the same place for a while but then find somewhere else if I keep taking them away. They are not stupid, they want to sit on them and know that the place is not safe
I let them be for a few days so I know where they are going and then collect the nest if the crows are not faster than me doing the robbing...then the search begins afresh 
First they ignore you, then they ridicule you, then they fight you, and then you win - Gandhi0
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