Bruce
Herd Master
Are mind altering drugs legal there because I think that person must be using them.
rachels.haven's Journal
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farmerjan
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- Shenandoah Valley Virginia
Have to agree @Bruce.... except people just think that you are desperate to sell and so they figure you will accommodate them. It is really hilarious.
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rachels.haven
Herd Master
People can be a wee bit entitled and out of touch here. I did not expect that though when selling goats specifically as "bottle babies". A lot of breeders don't wean until 12 weeks...these are turning 4 this week!
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rachels.haven
Herd Master
I put up an add for female pekin ducks 3 days ago. Today I sold 7 and made $190...which unfortunately isn't making money with the way they eat and their age (12-16 weeks) BUT I recouped some of the cost of feed and that means I won't be feeding extra anymore-SO MUCH FEED. That means I'm down to 13, and maybe 6 or 7 of those drakes. I'd like to pick a lucky drake, process the rest of the males, and rethink my duck housing situation before time of lay now. I think they need a shed of their own instead of under the chicken coop, either that or I need to block off the part I don't want to be crawling around in the mud for eggs every morning. Something that won't blow over even with this insane wind we get that we've been having today.
Too bad I don't love growing out ducks. I could put out an order for females in the early spring, brood them for 8 weeks, and sell them, apparently very quickly for $30/each here and at 8 weeks that might make money...unlike now.
Live and learn I guess. Maybe someday I'll go back to layer ducks. I didn't do them this time mostly because I don't want them fitting through the fence and cattle panels and I know these fatties can't, with the added bonus of being too big looking to be appealing to most birds of prey-unlike the layers. Oh well.
Too bad I don't love growing out ducks. I could put out an order for females in the early spring, brood them for 8 weeks, and sell them, apparently very quickly for $30/each here and at 8 weeks that might make money...unlike now.
Live and learn I guess. Maybe someday I'll go back to layer ducks. I didn't do them this time mostly because I don't want them fitting through the fence and cattle panels and I know these fatties can't, with the added bonus of being too big looking to be appealing to most birds of prey-unlike the layers. Oh well.
Bruce
Herd Master
You have $27 worth of feed in each bird? Wow, they eat a lot more than chicks!
Jesusfreak101
Herd Master
Ducks are worse then chicken on eating for sure and geese are worse then them.
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rachels.haven
Herd Master
You said it.
8 weeks and out the door- there's a reason for that rule.
We went through a bag every few days-YUCK.
8 weeks and out the door- there's a reason for that rule.
We went through a bag every few days-YUCK.
CntryBoy777
Herd Master
I waited to respond to this cause I've been busy....but, I was wondering what size is your duck area?....the reason I ask is because I had mine under the chickens...we had heavy clay soil and it gets slick when wet, so we used hay in their bedding area and used the deep bedding system of management.....when ya get the eggs use a sprinkle of hay on top of dropping spots.....when it was time to clean it out I would use a pitch fork and place it in their drylot pen....this kept their pen from being muddy and our footing....when the pen needs cleaning a hoe and scoop and wheelbarrow will get super dirt to your garden....the ducks made their own nests and would continue laying in them until I pulled them out when cleaning....their bedding area was 8'x6' and around 4' high....it was secured with hardwarecloth and we locked them in.....here's a pic...
It was under this bldg and half on the bottom was ducks....and chickens had the other....
...I finshed the top and half of it was a brooding area with nestboxes on the floor....roosts and nests were on the left side...we brooded both in the bottom....and chickens had an opening with ramp into roost area.What I decided that I would do the next time I built something for ducks it would be a 3'x8-10' cage covered back and top and framed sides and front with hardware cloth.....hinge it so either top or back will swing for cleaning....they can see at night and stay on watch...if ya hear them, best to check....cause something has them stirred....
Senile_Texas_Aggie
Herd Master
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rachels.haven
Herd Master
Yes, three times yesterday. Kind of goofy. Kind of cold.
@CntryBoy777
The chicken house is 8x8, BUT it's only about a foot off the ground. It has an attached 8x8 run that is also part of their night quarters. No rain protection there though. During the day they get the whole fenced in acre and a half or so to de-bug, de-tick, and de-slug. The run gets slick after rain and it will be hard to get eggs from under the coop without laying in the slippery poop. Our dirt is dust with big rocks, so no clay, but it also gets amazing slick when wet, not southern slick, but definitely slide down a hill or fall in the run if you're not careful slick.
