The First Days of Spring

The animals have been enjoying the first days of Spring so much, they can't quite contain themselves.  The ducklings have been moved outside, the chicks are all in the outside brooder, and Oreo is going NUTS!


Oreo is growing! Just, by goodness, look at the difference of him standing next to Terra in the last post vs this picture here with her.  WOW!   We are working on weaning him, but he doesn't quite want to work with me.

The Donkeys are being about normal.  It's about time for the farrier to come out and do his thing once again, though they will hopefully be rehomed soon to make room for more livestock.

They have been lonely, I think.  They were used to being around livestock, and they act like a kid getting thrown candy at a parade when horses walk past.  They like to bray at the neighboring cattle in the mornings.  They don't try to get out of their fence or anything, but I can see what they want.

 The dogs are enjoying the sun too.  I don't have any of Loretta and Poppet since they don't get along with the fowl.  They are hounds!  Of course they don't get along with them.  Sadly, the rabbit dog only wants to eat rabbit poop....  gross....

Freckles is the most photogenic, but maybe more will follow.  If only I could start him in herding.  He has the instinct and drive.

You haven't seen the latest duck pictures yet (most likely), so here are a few to get you started.  A couple are no longer with me.  I sold all but two of the Sweet Emilys, and one I had started having seizures she never recovered from.  The other SE turned out to be a Buff, so I have two!  WOOT!  I am okay with it because they are just SOOO beautiful.  You just cannot fully appreciate their beauty until you see them in person.  The duckling replacements came in, and everyone survived from the shipment.  I sold the two replacement KCs, and I kept the Cayuga (6 weeks old now).  As of right now, I have a Cayuga, four Khaki Campbells, two Buffs, and two Pekins.  The Pekins, there were originally three named Hewey, Dewey, and Louie,  were given to me by a friend of a friend.  It was a necessary outcome, so they were here.  They were accepted easily into my larger duckling flock.  I have found homes who may appreciate them a little better and give them more time and affection.  With all of them, I had eleven ducklings, ten after Emily passed away.  I only intend to keep the Buffs, KCs, and Cayuga because I don't have room for them all.  

 We have a lot of ducks.  

So you have seen the newer flock of ducklings, but what about the Disney Ducks?  Well, you saw a few of them up top with Freckles, but surely you want some GOOD pictures.   

Of course you do. 

Snow White (the rescue) has good days and bad.  I have discovered her favorite places to bask in the sun, one of which is on a pallet, stradling a board so she can stretch out her legs without putting weight on them.  She is only fed once a day to keep her weight down in order to keep her legs from straining too badly.  She still enjoys a good swim, and she still uses her wings for crutches.

Nemo is the same as always.  Clumsy but agile.  If I were to describe her with one word, it would be "determined."  She always gets where she is going, and when she flips over, she doesn't give up until she is set right again.

Chickens get to get out and peck no matter if it is hot or cold, wet or dry.  They get out and get muddy as easily as the dogs do.

I have been getting eggs like crazy from them!  I have been getting between eight and ten eggs a day out of my currently 16 adult hens.

I have some chicks in the brooder too, BTW.    These include five Barred Rock pullets and a Red (probably Production, but I'm not certain) pullet that are 6 weeks old.  There are two Tolbunt Polish chicks, a cockerel and a pullet (YES! ) that are about 5 or 6 weeks old, and four F2 (2nd Gen) Olive Eggers around 4 weeks old.  I'm a little chicken crazy, but we already knew this.

Even with everything I have now, there is more to come.......  Until next time.

Let's Reference......

....  back to the post about wanting a cow.  It's titled "I Want A Cow" from January 2014.  If you need a refresher, go ahead.  I'll wait.

...........

...........

Here it is!  I have a cow.  He's a bottle calf who's momma likely didn't last the night.  The owners (family) called and asked if we'd take him because they were getting too old to be able to bottle feed him.  Of course we didn't say no!  LOL  It is a bull calf, and we have plans to mate him to the Jersey we plan to buy by this time next year.  By doing this, we will have a constant supply of meat and milk.  

Say hey to Oreo!

I'll try to get him outside to play and get better pictures.

Cuddly Entertainment

The new ducklings came in yesterday!  While I was picking up my order, I saw Tractor Supply's order was in, so I just HAD to wait in town to see what they got in, but before I get into that, I have to show you my sweet new ducklings.  The black one is the Cayuga, and the other two are Khaki Campbells.  

Back to TSC chicks, I brought home five Barred Rocks and a Red that will more than likely turn out to be a run-of-the-mill Production Red, not that it's a bad thing.  I like girls that lay a lot.  They are staying with the younger girls for now, until the older duck flock goes outside to the brooder.

These guys are very docile, calm, and quiet once settled.  They aren't afraid of the hand.

The older group loves the water, of course.  They are happiest when diving in the bathtub.

Awe!  Cuddle time!  

I have two Phoenix hens.  At least one of them have become enamored with hiding her eggs, so every day is an egg hunt for me.  I have so far found an egg under the porch, in the brooder, and in the duck house, For the last week and a half, I haven't found any random eggs, so I figured she had tired of her game and started laying in the nesting box.  Yesterday, while looking for my extra heat lamp, I found an egg in the shed.  Hm...  She's back at it again.  The ducks were let out pretty early, so I went back to the duck house and saw a random little egg sitting right beside a rusty propane tank.

   When I picked it up, I noticed a few more eggs laying behind it.  Eleven eggs were found in this corner...  Thank you Phoenix!  They were all thrown out to the chickens and dogs since there was no telling how long they had been sitting there.

A New Hampshire Red and an EE were sharing a nesting box.

1 Week Old McMurray Ducklings

The ducklings are 1 week old today!  They are getting more active and bigger every day.  The mess is getting bigger too, but that's o.k.  We have plenty of shavings.

Admit it.  They are adorable, and you just want to cuddle them all!

Sweet little ducklings taking their daily swim.  

New Ducklings!

The new ducklings came in from McMurray Hatchery earlier this week. I started out with one Cayuga, one Buff, four Sweet Emilys, and five Khaki Campbells

Sadly, I lost two of the KCs and the Cayga, but McMurray is awesome and sending me replacements next week.

^Everyone minus one KC

Rescued Pekin Day 2

I have been watching our rescue, recently named Snow White (or Snow for short) closely today, and she is officially part of the Disney Quack Pack.  

Her interactions between the others are interesting.  She doesn't want to be the head hen, but Daisy is very jealous of her and challenges Snow for Donald's affections, who has grown sweet on Snow.  No one can resist her charm.  

The picture on the right has the best image of Snow's legs versus the way they should look, modeled by Donald (right) and Daisy (left).  Nemo is just there to enjoy the food.  

I Went to the Park Today......

I went to the park today, and I just could not believe how many ducks were there.  Ducks, big deal!  It's a park.  Ducks are ducks, right?  Unfortunately, not all ducks are created equally.  Domestic breeds such as Pekins, Rouen, and Muscovy are too heavy in body to migrate, and ducks raised by people do not always have the knowledge to forage.  Mallards, on the other hand, even some raised in captivity, have the instinct to migrate.  It is sadly almost impossible to tell the difference between Rouen ducks and Mallards, making it legally more difficult for those of us who would like to rescue them.

It's almost that time of year when feed stores will be obtaining ducklings.  I would like to help spread information about what happens to those cute little ducklings that are bought by people who just want a cute pet.  I'm not saying people shouldn't buy ducklings and have a small flock, but for people to PLEASE research what they are getting in to.  The most common reason ducklings are sold/abandoned at parks is they are messy!  MUCH more messy than chicks, and they can be a lot of work to clean after and care for.  Hens produce a loud quack that can become irritating to neighbors, and possibly the household residents.  In adulthood, ducks can destroy a small lawn, leaving holes and dirt patches.

Most of the ducks at parks are domestic breeds that were put there, and I guarantee it wasn't done by the city.  These breeds include, but are not limited to, Pekin, Muscovy, and Rouen.  These are just a few of the breeds I saw today at Bobby Ferguson Park.

These abandoned fowl have to compete for food, leaving the wild ducks unable to find enough food to energize them the rest of their migration.  They mate with the wild breeds, leaving offspring that are too heavy to follow in their wild mother's wake and unable to fend for themselves.

The Pekin I saw was badly handicapped to the point of inability to walk properly without using her wings as crutches.  She wouldn't have survived if she was attacked by a predator seeking a meal.  Granted, such is nature, but these domestic breeds are ill-equipped to survive in the wild.  They cannot forage for themselves, and the bread given to them by random visits does more harm than good.  Shelter is non-existent.  Winter can be harsh, even in our southern states, and there is no relief for them.  I had been given specific instructions by the city allowing me to capture this Pekin, and she is now safely relocated to my own flock, but that saves one.  I am trying to save them all the best way I know how.

If you reading this, and you have ducks that are much more trouble than you thought, please consider reselling them instead of leaving them at a park or lake.  There are always people willing to take them in.  If you can't find them a home, contact me if you are from the Texarkana area, and I will be more than happy to take them in with no judgements.

If you are reading this, and you would like to help this cause, please share!  I do not ask for money, nor do I ask to be the first choice to take in ducks.  I only want protect helpless ducks from being left and unable to fend for themselves.

Below is a picture of the Pekin described above.  If you notice her wings, you will see it is not a natural position.  She is using her wings to help distribute her weight and keep her balance.  She does not have a noticeable injury, though it is likely due to a Niacin deficiency.  I have another hen that suffers from this, though not to the extent of this poor girl.   What relevance does this revelation have?  She cannot survive in the wild with this condition, yet someone abandoned her at the park, leaving her helpless.