Keeping hens and ducks chat.

edwink

Still plodding on here trying to manage and so far ok. Hubby has been doing well with his arm but the other day something went ping in his arm. Sadly tomorrow he has to go through a 2nd lot of surgery at the Royal Free as they say it looks as if the tendon has what they call popped and has broken away. So now they need him to undergo surgery again to get it reattached. Poor man after the last lot of surgery and 30+ stitches down his arm that's all he needs. Up early in the morning to get him there in to London before the traffic builds up. So early night after posting this.

All going ok in the garden with our feathered friends. Luckily it hasn't been too hot otherwise I would need to clean both the hens and ducks hotels more than once a week. My friend is going to help me tomorrow when we get back from taking my hubby to hospital. Shouldn't take us more than a couple of hours to do and then get all their buckets and containers washed then hopefully that's it for the week except for feeding, scraping path and filling buckets and containers with clean water every day and putting down clean bedding. Managed to get some housework done this week so not too far behind indoors thankfully. Only thing that will have to wait at the moment is the dusting and some hovering but I am sure I can live with that.

How is everyone else getting on and their feathered friends too? Hope all good in your neck of the woods. Chat again as soon as I can.

Take care all

Edwink x

Dizzy_Ditzy

My Gloria has taken up residence on my dining room table again :eek: she hasn't left their bedroom area all day today and when I got there after work, I knew she wasn't right. I sat with her for half an hour and put some food and water in with her. She binged on the water and ignored the food. She couldn't keep her eyes open but stayed stood up. Her bum is a bit mucky but nothing like it was last time.

We've got her home and she's been laid almost on her side since, all fluffed up and sleeping. I have to keep checking that she's breathing

It's not looking good for her

no1catman

I live in a semi-detached house, in North Cardiff - suburban area, near neighbour recently 'lost' half-a-dozen chickens to a fox. They hadn't bought any eggs from a shop until seven years ago.
They have restocked with more chickens and reinforced their defences.

Tipsntreats

Hi edwink,
I have been thinking of you - Life is hard at times.

CAFCGirl

How are we all and our feathered friends?

Mine seem relatively happy, although egg production has slowed again and I'm only getting 2 a day from 4 chickens. We had reached the dizzy heights of 4 but were averaging 3 for about 2 weeks but its dropped off again. Im blaming the lack of true sunshine!

edwink

Dizzy_Ditzy wrote: »

My Gloria has taken up residence on my dining room table again :eek: We've got her home and she's been laid almost on her side since, all fluffed up and sleeping. I have to keep checking that she's breathing It's not looking good for her

Hi Dizzy

How is Gloria ? I know you said it wasn't looking good for her, bless her. Just wondered if she is ok! thinking of you.

Edwink x

edwink

CAFCGirl wrote: »

Im blaming the lack of true sunshine!

So am I re the lack of sunshine. We have been getting around 6 eggs a day from 17 hens :eek: Mind you some have been moulting and they are getting on a bit for ex batts. Most are coming up to 3 years old so that's pretty good for them really. Can only really guess their ages because we got the last lot from a friend who was moving house and he said they were 18mths/2 years old at the time and we have had them here for just over a year. So that's about right for their age I guess.

Our girls and 3 boys are doing very well and enjoying their freedom with us. Sun beaming down here today and most are sunbathing without a care in the world. Just as I like to see them, Aww bless them!!

Hubby now having physio after his 2nd lot of surgery. Friend drove him to get more bedding and feed today so all stocked up again for our feathered friends. It is true that you really do find out who your true friends are when you need them in a situation like ours. I have two very close friends and they have helped us so much. Taxis to hospital appointments and physio would cost us a fortune so we are very grateful to them both. Got food shopping on-line and got to the doctors by bus so all in all managing very well, thankfully.

Hope everyone is ok and their feathered friends too.

Edwink x

StarShapedPeg

Hello all,
I hope everyone's ok. How is Gloria, Dizzy?
Edwink so nice to hear your friend rallying around you and your husband.
My three nutters are fine, two are back in the land of the living, the youngest is still determined to be broody and irrationally hormonal. She's looking a bit thin and annoyed now but I get her up everyday and make sure she gets some fresh air, water and however much food she can eat.
I worry these constant cycles of broodiness run them ragged.x

affordmylife

Hello everyone. I've had three chickens since last august and all is going well.

I've just been offered some baby ducks. How many should I have? Should I have any? Can they live with my chickens. What do they eat!!! Any suggestions ideas!!!! Xx

edwink

affordmylife wrote: »

Hello everyone. I've had three chickens since last august and all is going well.

I've just been offered some baby ducks. How many should I have? Should I have any? Can they live with my chickens. What do they eat!!! Any suggestions ideas!!!! Xx

Hi affordmylife

We have ducks and they live happily besides our hens no problem. They do sleep in a different hut than our hens because hens always perch and ducks don't. The ducks will sleep happily on a bed of straw or something like unibedding.

The only thing I would say is that ducks can be a little noisy compared to hens. Drakes have what is known as half a quack because their quack is a lot quieter than the female quack. All depends on the breed really. Call ducks can be pretty noisy to be honest so personally I wouldn't keep them myself. Do you know the breed off the ducks you have been offered?

Mess wise ducks are certainly messier than hens. Hens poo is dry and curled up so easier to clean up but ducks do very wet poos almost like a big splodge. So I certainly wouldn't keep ducks and hens together in a small area because the poor hens would be walking in the ducks mess all day.

Do you have a area where the ducks can have a swim/splash about? a small accessible pond that they could get in and out of safely? Most ducks love a splash about if they can. When we have been cleaning our pond out it has been known for one of our ducks to climb in to one of the water buckets for a splash about, seriously they have. It is so funny watching them. It is as if to say "will you two hurry up I want to have a wash".

Ducks can eat the same layers pellets as hens do. No need to buy a special one for them. When it comes to water you will need space big enough to allow for several buckets when you have ducks because as soon as you fill one up with clean water they will start to empty it either trying to find something to eat in it or just generally being silly and playing with it. We can fill all our buckets up at least 2 or 3 times a day with our 7 ducks.

Do you know the gender of them yet? Even if you end up with a couple of drakes they will happily live side by side unlike cockerels. I have an Aylesbury boy and a Cayuga boy and they happily spend time together (chasing the females mainly).

If you think of anything else you need to ask just let us know as several of us have both ducks and hens. Let us know what you decide to do wont you?

Edwink