rachels.haven's Journal

[rachels.haven]

Alright. The puzzling thing was that I got him as an adult over a year old. He didn't have angel wing then. He molted last year and it showed up, then again this year. So this came up after maturation. I'd never heard of that happening before.

I kind of wonder if I injured him during an incident where I had to handle him last time and caused some kind of damage to the joint. I had to pick him up, but he was so fat he almost got dropped (as in there were no "handlebars" to wing him by, because his shoulders had disappeared under fat as he moved, which I did not expect) and beat me with his wings as he panicked trying not to fall and something popped and at least blood feathers in his wing burst and got blood everywhere. If that's the case, I'd be happy to just keep him. He's really, really fat, unlike everyone else, but he is happy, and I do still occasionally get ducklings from him when there are multiple drakes, but only occasionally. I wish I knew if it was an injury vs. angel wing, but I feel like that would require an X-ray.

 

[Bruce]

You had a lot fewer birds, than we did. Ours would not have fit in a bathtub. But since we don’t have a bathtub, it’s a moot issue. Having a lot of birds, we put tarps down, on the floor and then put wood chips down. In the end, that is what caused the dust. Also, more birds produce more poop, which is difficult to keep clean. That is what caused the stink.

Ah, I see then. Yes with a few birds I was changing out the paper towels at least once a day.

 

[rachels.haven]

Paper towels? You are brave. Give me a good, highly absorbant bag of equine pellet bedding or at least a big bale of wood shavings and I can do ducklings inside for 2 weeks (and I'm still changing it daily). I do not think I could handle paper towels even in the beginning for a day or two. I need that pine smell.

My ducks are in the garage now because I failed to buy the equine bedding last feed shop run. The ducklings miss the chaos and handouts, but everyone's noses feel better.

 

[Bruce]

Chicks aren't nearly so messy as ducklings (or so I hear).

 

[rachels.haven]

That does make a big difference. Ducklings and goslings are almost intolerable. Chicks are just tolerable enough to make the world smelly and dusty.

BUT I may revise my thinking in a few weeks when I remember with the box of chicks that's coming my way. They'll be inside for a few days at least before I split them into my two brooders and brood them in the garage. They are SEXED, so I will hopefully only get the 3 cockerels I asked for.

I think I'm ready to begin my excess drake and drakeling-butcher-a-thon so the feed bill doesn't make me faint. It's time to stuff the freezer starting this saturday and going until I run out of drake-lets. This is the side of muscovy that isn't as light hearted, but is still fun in an artsy kind of way-once birds are done in, of course. The doing in is no fun. The making pretty roasting and soup birds is satisfying. Less feed bill is also good.

 

[Devonviolet]

I wish I knew if it was an injury vs. angel wing, but I feel like that would require an X-ray.

That sounds more like an injury, rather than angel wing.

 

[rachels.haven]

I want it to be just an injury. I also don't want angel winged ducklings. Maybe I'll get him restrained and look him over. Not sure I want the husband's help here because I'm worried he'll get clawed, but maybe I'll have him sit on Cocoa, or maybe I'll try to stuff Cocoa in a pillow case or feed sack and tie it and make a wing hole and then have DH hold the bag. Maybe this weekend.

 

[rachels.haven]

S'doribook Olivia was bred by Mustang Meadows J Wrangler.

S'doribook Angel was bred by Mustang Meadows KR Tahoe.

Avalon has still not had a strong enough heat and started flagging and getting intoxicated on the buck rag yet, but she will also be bred by Tahoe too.

Mustang Meadows T Durango is coming home with me because I've decided we're keeping a buck or two now. Although he's still cat sized, so he will have to spend this year growing, not breeding any ladies.

I'd like to get him a usable companion buck out of the Zanzabee or Swallow Hill Nigerians herds. We had a confusing misunderstanding with the Zanzabee lady a year or two ago when first looking into goats, so it will probably be the Swallow Hill herd that we get our buck a companion buck from if I do not retain one from Olivia. I like the Swallow Hill Nigerians builds on average better anyway. That breeder likes big teats on her does. I have small hands, so milking tiny teats is not a big deal, but I'd love a full hand workout instead of just two or three fingers. BUT you can't milk a buck (but you can spread good genes the farthest that way).

I may also retain a few does. Haven't told the husband yet. Already starting work on enlarging the penned area and splitting it. And building a buck house. This time I don't want to let the husband do it.

Funny story, yesterday I took my Angel to be bred. The kids couldn't get sitter and we have a car, so no crate could come, so I just put my favorite goat up by my feet. She enjoyed the car ride. She also peed my bare foot on the way back as a thank you for such a bucking good time. She wanted every buck on the premises when we arrived.

Cocoa got bought with full disclosure as well as a bunch of drakes. I didn't ask, but I think they wanted meat. So Samson will be my drake this year. I'll be keeping Pepper, the blue duck, and maybe Spiteful over the winter. Spiteful is a nasty broody so she may get souped rather than give me more bloody bruises. I'd rather have a bunch of Peppers. That means this year's ducklings will be black, split to lavender. Year after will be lavender.

And the chicks, I forgot the chicks. My mcmurray chicks came. They are all Ameraukindas that lay all blue and Whiting True Blues. 3 cockerels, the rest pullets. I pinioned all for safety reasons. Lost one when I switched feeds (should have transitioned slower, I guess). One chick has a sexing injury and just constantly dribbles poo and came in with what looked like a prolapsed vent. I'll probably have to cull him, but I called the hatchery and they credited me a fair bit. They're doing fine beyond that.

I'll do a better entry with with pictures later. Company's over.

 

[rachels.haven]

Here's the new buck. He's in with the bred does for the next little while until my parents help me set up a buckling pen and I get him a friend. He's not very bucky. Right now the girls think he's a cute punching bag, but everyone does cuddle together at night, so them being together does serve a purpose.

I do still have one unbred doe, but the breeder doesn't think he's going to be able to breed her-he's the smallest, least mature, and least bucky one there, so I think I agree. All the other bucks were interested in the doe I brought for breeding at the time I picked him up. He just wanted his neck scratched and to be picked up. I should have enough time to get him an apron, but if he does breed my last doe it's fine. I just wouldn't mind if they waited until his registration papers come back so a service memo won't have to be done. Otherwise Avalon will be bred to his father, if she ever goes into heat for long enough to get her to the buck. Having a cute little buck rag running around might help me figure out her heats.

 

[rachels.haven]

Here's some bred doe...or at least everyone but the white one on the top is bred. I'm a little concerned about Avalon. She acts so bucky sometimes I'm worried her hormones are off. She's also the tallest, so if the buckling tries to breed her he's going to have to back her up to something first. Despite my concerns, she'll probably eventually cycle and be bred next cycle (probably by the mature buck). I'm probably just being a worry wort.

The does are jealous that the buckling gets carried around and not them.