Larsen Poultry Ranch - homesteading journey

[Larsen Poultry Ranch]

Liberty's other toes look better, I think the bruising has faded. The injured toe is looking worse. Liberty is getting around better though. She is still not super cooperative when I give her meds, but she's getting better.

 

[Larsen Poultry Ranch]

Hubby wants to create some raised beds so I can start our garden. He keeps wanting to use found wood to do it though. I'm having a hard time getting it into his head that treated wood/former concrete form boards will probably leach chemicals into the soil/plants. I think we could probably use cedar or redwood fence boards to make the beds and it wouldn't cost too much. Yes, they will break down but they should last a season or three. Long enough for us to get a bit more settled and figure out how to make aircrete raised bed walls. We watched a YouTube video and they looked really nice and clean, easy to move around, and if we make them 4" thick I think they should help retain heat and warm up the soil.

I saved a broccoli from the previous tenant's garden and it actually looks like it's going to grow some broccoli. Maybe just a floret or two though, it's small, but it's something.

 

[Larsen Poultry Ranch]

I researched pilgrim geese, then silver appleyard ducks, then looked at muscovies and pekins. I want ducks. But we need to build a yard for them first. Metzer Farms is in southern California, or I could order from Cackle Hatchery. Need good weather again so we can plan the yard layout.

 

[SA Farm]

I really loved my Pilgrims and SA ducks. So pretty and very friendly breeds. We had Pekins, but they were super wild. I would like to try Muscovies one day. I’ve liked everything I’ve read about them

 

[Larsen Poultry Ranch]

I really loved my Pilgrims and SA ducks. So pretty and very friendly breeds. We had Pekins, but they were super wild. I would like to try Muscovies one day. I’ve liked everything I’ve read about them

My family had a muscovy drake when we were growing up, he was mean but we got him as an adult and I don't think he was treated well growing up. He was a great watchdog.

I'm looking at options for meat/eggs, although I'll have plenty of eggs from the chickens. I like that the pilgrims and silver appleyard are supposed to be good foragers/grazers. Maybe I can turn them loose in the orchard to keep the grass trimmed there.

Cackle Hatchery is showing straight run pekin males pricing drops to $4/duck if you get 10+, and lower with larger purchase. I'm really tempted to get some but I didn't look at what the shipping would be. Might just stake out TSC or see what it would cost to order through them. The TSC by us is less than 3? miles away. Quite dangerous. Last year I was really good when they were having a sale on ccx, and didn't get them because I had no room. I think they were a week old and only 75 cents. It was hard to not get any. This year we are going to have room.

 

[Larsen Poultry Ranch]

Showed off the baby bunnies to relatives last night, and Sugar's kits had their eyes starting to open. Relatives were impressed with the size of the mixed breed does, said if they came upon a rabbit that size in the wild they would be alarmed. Honestly the girls are huge though. I think this weekend is when I get to breed them (Juniper and Nutmeg). Sage should already be bred, if she took this time. Need to check my records to confirm the due date.

 

[Bruce]

then looked at muscovies and pekins. I want ducks.

I follow Gold Shaw Farm's YouTube channel. With some experience he's decided that Pekins are sort of like CCX, bred to grow fast to be meat birds and suffer from that if they get to a couple of years of age. He just had to put down a 2 year old drake. Thus his opinion is not to get them unless one plans to raise them specifically for the table at the appropriate age.

 

[Larsen Poultry Ranch]

I follow Gold Shaw Farm's YouTube channel. With some experience he's decided that Pekins are sort of like CCX, bred to grow fast to be meat birds and suffer from that if they get to a couple of years of age. He just had to put down a 2 year old drake. Thus his opinion is not to get them unless one plans to raise them specifically for the table at the appropriate age.

Yep, that was the goal, to raise the pekins for the table. I think muscovies don't have the same issues so they could be for eggs and meat, and they are supposed to be good mothers. We don't have a place for the ducks yet, so probably won't get ducks until next year at least.

 

[Larsen Poultry Ranch]

Argh. Trying to find where I wrote down the breedings, not finding it so far. I know Toffee, Sage, and Pepper were bred last, and I think they are due this week. Pepper is looking extra fluffy. She did last time though and didn't kindle. I know I left her overnight with Frost, so hopefully she's actually pregnant. This is going to be her last litter, tired of fighting her to breed. She'd better have a daughter. I gave them nest boxes this morning.

I had a lot going on this weekend, so didn't get the last group bred. Need to try to do that tonight and tomorrow.

 

[Larsen Poultry Ranch]

Double argh. Raspberry's kits are 6 weeks on 2/11 and Paprika's kits are 6 weeks on 2/10. Need to wean them this week. I should be able to grow them out until 64 days max, and then they need to go so I can wean the next set on 3/4-3/5. I'll be fine until April, then I think I'll be one cage short since the third batch is supposed to be 3 litters. I will have to stop breeding in time to have no kits in nest boxes in late May. So I think 2 more breeding sets, possibly 3.