A Summer Most Fowl

Morning :)

We have a mixed marriage.  TWS raises Japanese Black Tailed White Banties.....

 

I raise Saxony, Runner, Cayuga, Appleyard, and Welsh Harlequin ducks.
(My second batch of ducklings back in May <3 )


The banty hens lay a LOT of very small eggs (I need to master the 18 egg omlet).  Here are two hens who have decided to be broody together and nest share....NOT in the fabulous nesting boxes that I worked hard on, but in the corner of the coop xsighx:



While they were awesome at hatching out eggs (well, them and Victoria who is very sensible and did use the nesting box), they are not so great at raising biddies, so we pull the hatched chicks and put them in the brooder:



My ducks aren't laying yet--too young.  So I mail order mine :D

I tried to take adorable pics of my new ducklings, but after two tries, I realized it was an exercise in futility. 

But I did manage to get two marginal photos of a Welsh Harlequin and a Cayuga






They will join my other 15 which consist of Indian Runners (the bowling pin ducks), Saxony, Silver Appleyard, and one Cayuga.  Because drakes are really difficult on hens (proper term for a female duck is actually duck, but that gets confusing, so many folk just say hen), you need a ratio of several hens per drake.  5:1 is best, but I am going to try to squeak by with about a 3:1.  If that does not work, then I will have to get rid of some drakes (OR order more ducks :D).  This last batch is 10 hens.

(Ok, I admit it, the biddies are SO cute when they are starting to get their big boy feathers!)


So now we have two brooders on the screen porch, one containing biddies and one containing ducklings.  One smells worse than the other (but is also filled with more cuteness, but don't tell TWS I said that ;) ).

The ducklings will stay in the brooder for about another week, then we will turn them out into one side of the chicken run so they are safe from the bigger ducks but everyone can get to know everyone else.  I will try to post pics when that happens :)

We also have more hens going broody (or the same hens....not sure) so we might be overrun with Black Tailed Whites here soon...anybody want a chicken?  I need to make room for my ducks.

  "Um, excuse me ma'am?  My chicken was a little under done...." :D