Mike CHS
Herd Master
It does that. The graze is looking better than I would have ever thought just a few years ago.
Ready or Not....... Shouldvknwnbetter- Fall
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It does that. The graze is looking better than I would have ever thought just a few years ago.
Genipher
True BYH Addict
Just wanted to throw in my 2¢. The herb Moringa is supposed to be a life saver when it comes to arthritis.
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- #1,823
Hens and Roos
Herd Master
thanks, I'll have to look into it...
- Thread starter
- #1,824
Hens and Roos
Herd Master
Nothing to exciting happening here, working on only 1 rental unit to get ready...haven't gotten it rented yet so not a mad dash which is nice for a change! Plus all the other items that need to be taken care of..
Took a drive today about 2 hours north west of us, we traded our enclosed trailer in for a flat deck, we hadn't been using the enclosed trailer as much these past few years as the scope of our work has changed. We figured that a flat deck will get more use...of course DH jokingly told me that he would be able to haul more hay bales for my goats as a good reason to get it...
(like he really needed to convince me)
Took a drive today about 2 hours north west of us, we traded our enclosed trailer in for a flat deck, we hadn't been using the enclosed trailer as much these past few years as the scope of our work has changed. We figured that a flat deck will get more use...of course DH jokingly told me that he would be able to haul more hay bales for my goats as a good reason to get it...
(like he really needed to convince me)- Thread starter
- #1,825
Hens and Roos
Herd Master
@CntryBoy777 would you please share more about KC ducks and how well they get along with goats...especially as we have winter here 
CntryBoy777
Herd Master
I just saw your post and would be glad to do that....I've been thru your area during winter, but have never lived there, so most of my experience was in Mississippi.....I did some extensive research before settling on the KCs, but there were 3 main reasons for choosing them....they have a stronger drive than other breeds for eating snails and slugs, which are the hosts for many parasites, especially the meanigeal (sp?) worm and others that come from deer....they will begiin to lay between 17-20wks of age and will lay 300-320 eggs per year....they are very prolific layers....and their entertainment value....they actually are a cross between the Indian runner and Rouen breeds, and it is the runner side of them that makes them so entertaining.....they are a true flock bird and mainly stay together as they forage, unlike chickens that go in evey direction.
Some of the benefits that I discovered after getting them....they are absolutely relentless in chasing and eating flies, wasps, hornets, and any maggots they come across in goat litter.....I gave them some pellets....Layena non-medicated, which is what we fed the chickens....tho, they actually didn't require them, because we free ranged them in the field with the goats....they both were excellent companions and the goats never went after them and even let them roam inside their pen and house....the size of the goats, we had pygmy/boer crosses, deterred hawks....and the ducks would keep the biting flies off the goats and eat the bugs the goats stirred up as they moved thru the grass.
As a general rule, ducks lay between 5-8am in the morning and if ya pen them and let them out about 9am each morning ya can collect the eggs for the day....there will be a few that will hold their egg and release it as they move around or get in the pool and drop them there.....if they laid in a nest in the field, they would lead me to the area and just chitter away until I saw them....they were so sweet, but they didn't like to be touched or held, but would follow us everywhere and would show me where they had been that day before I would put them up for the nite....they were very routine oriented, just like the goats.
About the eggs....a duck egg is alkaline based, where a chicken egg is acid based....people that are allergic or sensitive to chicken eggs can usually eat duck eggs without issues.....the yolk is creamier and larger that a chicken egg and it also has more protien....if you bake with them, cakes and such, ya will notice a marked difference....it will be lighter, moister, and will stay that way covered with foil on the counter for atleast 4-5 days....there is a very slight difference in taste when fried or boiled, but I like it much better than chicken, but when baked there isn't any difference that any could detect.
During winters there, I would just give them water to drink each day and not be concerned about a pool....if ya close them up at nite and there isn't any food left in their area they doon't require water overnite....it is a Must if they have food to also have water....it is how they are designed to eat, the difference between a bill and a beak.....also, ducks can see in the dark, so they like to be able to have areas they can see thru around them....I kept them in a hardware cloth covered pen on the ground and used the hay waste of the goats for their bedding...deep litter method....I would stick my head out the door and listen to see if they were alerting every so often, and when they were hollaring I'd grab the rifle and check it out.....got several possums and coons that way, but never lost a duck or chicken by predator.....there were a few false alarms with them discussing who was gonna have what spot, but it was worth checking out to me.
I dumped my phone to the computer and don't have any pics on my phone now, but if ya would like, I can post some pics of their setup and some of them with the goats....just let me know and I put em on my phone and post them for ya here....I usually try to avoid doing that unless the OP asks.....if there is something else ya wish to ask I'll be more than happy to answer it for ya.....
Oh, something that is very important....if ya brood them, ya have to be sure to mix niacin or brewer's yeast with the non-medicated crumbles....it is impotant for their bone development....after they are 14-17 wks it isn't as critical and they will probably get what they need with foraging, but ya can mix some brewer's yeast with pellts every so often...once a month or so....it won't hurt them....also, if ya brood, they grow extremely fast, so depending on how many ya get....triple the space.....they are messy to brood, but once they get outside it isn't very bad at all.....and they will entertain ya on rainy days for sure!!!.....
Some of the benefits that I discovered after getting them....they are absolutely relentless in chasing and eating flies, wasps, hornets, and any maggots they come across in goat litter.....I gave them some pellets....Layena non-medicated, which is what we fed the chickens....tho, they actually didn't require them, because we free ranged them in the field with the goats....they both were excellent companions and the goats never went after them and even let them roam inside their pen and house....the size of the goats, we had pygmy/boer crosses, deterred hawks....and the ducks would keep the biting flies off the goats and eat the bugs the goats stirred up as they moved thru the grass.
As a general rule, ducks lay between 5-8am in the morning and if ya pen them and let them out about 9am each morning ya can collect the eggs for the day....there will be a few that will hold their egg and release it as they move around or get in the pool and drop them there.....if they laid in a nest in the field, they would lead me to the area and just chitter away until I saw them....they were so sweet, but they didn't like to be touched or held, but would follow us everywhere and would show me where they had been that day before I would put them up for the nite....they were very routine oriented, just like the goats.
About the eggs....a duck egg is alkaline based, where a chicken egg is acid based....people that are allergic or sensitive to chicken eggs can usually eat duck eggs without issues.....the yolk is creamier and larger that a chicken egg and it also has more protien....if you bake with them, cakes and such, ya will notice a marked difference....it will be lighter, moister, and will stay that way covered with foil on the counter for atleast 4-5 days....there is a very slight difference in taste when fried or boiled, but I like it much better than chicken, but when baked there isn't any difference that any could detect.
During winters there, I would just give them water to drink each day and not be concerned about a pool....if ya close them up at nite and there isn't any food left in their area they doon't require water overnite....it is a Must if they have food to also have water....it is how they are designed to eat, the difference between a bill and a beak.....also, ducks can see in the dark, so they like to be able to have areas they can see thru around them....I kept them in a hardware cloth covered pen on the ground and used the hay waste of the goats for their bedding...deep litter method....I would stick my head out the door and listen to see if they were alerting every so often, and when they were hollaring I'd grab the rifle and check it out.....got several possums and coons that way, but never lost a duck or chicken by predator.....there were a few false alarms with them discussing who was gonna have what spot, but it was worth checking out to me.
I dumped my phone to the computer and don't have any pics on my phone now, but if ya would like, I can post some pics of their setup and some of them with the goats....just let me know and I put em on my phone and post them for ya here....I usually try to avoid doing that unless the OP asks.....if there is something else ya wish to ask I'll be more than happy to answer it for ya.....
Oh, something that is very important....if ya brood them, ya have to be sure to mix niacin or brewer's yeast with the non-medicated crumbles....it is impotant for their bone development....after they are 14-17 wks it isn't as critical and they will probably get what they need with foraging, but ya can mix some brewer's yeast with pellts every so often...once a month or so....it won't hurt them....also, if ya brood, they grow extremely fast, so depending on how many ya get....triple the space.....they are messy to brood, but once they get outside it isn't very bad at all.....and they will entertain ya on rainy days for sure!!!.....
- Thread starter
- #1,827
Hens and Roos
Herd Master
@CntryBoy777 thanks for sharing the great information and yes would love to see some pictures of your set up and with the goats when you have a chance! Since we haven't raised ducks before, are they not able to be fed medicated feed when brooding them?
B&B Happy goats
Herd Master
Not to interupt your conversation, .....but Fred talking us into getting the KC 's was the best decision ever ! We absolutely love them, they eat out the feed bowls with the goats and we do not have a mosquito or snail problem anymore, they put a smile on our faces EVERY day. 
Bruce
Herd Master
Will niacin or brewer's yeast have a negative effect on chicks/chickens?
CntryBoy777
Herd Master
The medicated chicken feeds, crumbles and pellets, are not good for ducks and will cause them problems....the niacin is similar to copper with sheep and goats, there is enough in the crumbles and pellets for chickens, but not for the ducks. Everything I have read cautions against changing from the starter feed to laying feed until the first egg is laid...so, that is what we did and things went well for us.
This link explains the medicated feed issue....
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/why-cant-ducks-have-medicated-feed.771763/
As for the setup....we got 12 ducklings and had never dealt with them before, so we just used our knowledge with chicks...I couldn't find any information on brooding more than a few at a time....we used an old shower curtain liner to water proof the area and used hay as the litter, but used the open woven shelf liner on top of the hay for their footing and to deter them from nibbling too much hay....we also used the "mother hen" for them also, but they mainly stayed on top of the little hut....we also used a plastic tote to keep their water in so it was contained....here are some pics of it....
....here is one of them in the tub for a swim, this kept them busy while we changed and cleaned the other area.....
...we had khaki campbells and rouens and we enjoyed both, but the KCs were our favorites....after experiencing this "adventure" I built another brooder, but we only had 1 duck to hatch, so this became the blending coop for him to get aquainted with the flock.....
....we brooded him in a box after we took him from the hen that hatched him.....that is why we named him Soli..........I'll post some of them with the goats in just a little bit......
This link explains the medicated feed issue....
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/why-cant-ducks-have-medicated-feed.771763/
As for the setup....we got 12 ducklings and had never dealt with them before, so we just used our knowledge with chicks...I couldn't find any information on brooding more than a few at a time....we used an old shower curtain liner to water proof the area and used hay as the litter, but used the open woven shelf liner on top of the hay for their footing and to deter them from nibbling too much hay....we also used the "mother hen" for them also, but they mainly stayed on top of the little hut....we also used a plastic tote to keep their water in so it was contained....here are some pics of it....
....here is one of them in the tub for a swim, this kept them busy while we changed and cleaned the other area..... ...we had khaki campbells and rouens and we enjoyed both, but the KCs were our favorites....after experiencing this "adventure" I built another brooder, but we only had 1 duck to hatch, so this became the blending coop for him to get aquainted with the flock..... ....we brooded him in a box after we took him from the hen that hatched him.....that is why we named him Soli..........I'll post some of them with the goats in just a little bit......
