New kids on the block - New birds in the flock

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robo
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Funny you should mention curries but on a programme I was watching last week they said curries were eaten by farm families in the 1800s it formed a large part of their staple diet
On out allotment open day two years ago I won six eggs in a wire holder the eggs were perfect white and very nice
Alan are you selling your chickens when they are of age
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alan refail
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A few pictures of our new Welsh Harlequins, now just eight and a half weeks since hatching as fluffy yellow ducklings. Out and about in the field this morning. My, they do grow fast!

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Cred air o bob deg a glywi, a thi a gei rywfaint bach o wir (hen ddihareb Gymraeg)
Believe one tenth of what you hear, and you will get some little truth (old Welsh proverb)
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alan refail
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robo wrote:Alan are you selling your chickens when they are of age


All we have sold so far is a nice breeding trio of the new Harlequin ducks. We may sell a few of the new chickens later in the year or next year.
What we are planning for next year is to breed good birds and sell a lot of them.
We have a hatch of MarsBar chicks due on Wednesday and if all or most of 16 hatch I'm sure we will have to sell some of them.
Cred air o bob deg a glywi, a thi a gei rywfaint bach o wir (hen ddihareb Gymraeg)
Believe one tenth of what you hear, and you will get some little truth (old Welsh proverb)
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Primrose
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They re lucky ducks and hens Alan to live in such a lovely environment. No wonder the eggs taste lovely and radiate happiness! . Just sad to think of all those poor battery hens.
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alan refail
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A bit of Ooh! and Aah! for a Sunday evening.

Some pictures of the beautiful Cayuga ducklings we bought yesterday. They are coming up to three weeks old and have been allowed a little exploration time in the big duck run.
The other is the little Cayuga drake, who is only about ten days old and spending a few days in the brooder.

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Cred air o bob deg a glywi, a thi a gei rywfaint bach o wir (hen ddihareb Gymraeg)
Believe one tenth of what you hear, and you will get some little truth (old Welsh proverb)
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Primrose
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You can't help falling in love with these little creatures, can you?
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alan refail
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Primrose wrote:You can't help falling in love with these little creatures, can you?


I seriously like all chickens, Primrose, but I have to say that I am absolutely in love with ducks.
Cred air o bob deg a glywi, a thi a gei rywfaint bach o wir (hen ddihareb Gymraeg)
Believe one tenth of what you hear, and you will get some little truth (old Welsh proverb)
Stephen
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but I got the impression people liked to hear how things are done in different parts of the world.

Yes, it is fascinating.
Nothing is foolproof to a sufficiently talented fool.
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alan refail
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UPDATE from the poultry farm

The last hatch of the year is nearly complete. So far, from 16 eggs we have 13 chicks and we'll give the remaining three till tomorrow night before we give up on them. It's a fine way to end the hatching year. Picture to follow when they are all in the brooder.
Now we have to raise them and decide what to do with them :wink:
Another of the spare Welsh Harlequin drakes we swapped for a nice bottle of wine this afternoon.

Now all thoughts are on planning for next year.
Cred air o bob deg a glywi, a thi a gei rywfaint bach o wir (hen ddihareb Gymraeg)
Believe one tenth of what you hear, and you will get some little truth (old Welsh proverb)
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alan refail
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Some of yesterday's hatch of 14 MarsBar chicks in the brooder.
Cred air o bob deg a glywi, a thi a gei rywfaint bach o wir (hen ddihareb Gymraeg)
Believe one tenth of what you hear, and you will get some little truth (old Welsh proverb)
robo
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Alan ,do ducks start laying eggs the same as chickens around 21 weeks old ,sorry to myther you but I'm interested
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alan refail
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robo wrote:Alan ,do ducks start laying eggs the same as chickens around 21 weeks old ,sorry to myther you but I'm interested


No need to apologise. Ducks start laying about 20 weeks and upwards.
Cred air o bob deg a glywi, a thi a gei rywfaint bach o wir (hen ddihareb Gymraeg)
Believe one tenth of what you hear, and you will get some little truth (old Welsh proverb)
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Cuteness overload Alan!
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Primrose
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Alan
Do you have any advice for a contact of mine who's trying to incubate some eggs from a deserted wild female mallard's nest in her garden which was abandoned two/three weeks ago when the bird was disturbed and distressed by a branch falling on her whilst in the nest?

. She's been turning the eggs every day in her airing cupboard but has no idea whether the eggs are likely to be viable, or what to do if any of the eggs hatch. She's been soaking dried earthworms to feed them on just in case they hatch.
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alan refail
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I don't like to say it, Primrose, but she's set herself a real challenge. I'm not sure that an airing cupboard will work. When duck eggs are in the incubator the temperature needs to be at 37.5°C (99.5°F) and relative humidity at 55% - those figures mimic the actual body temperature and dampness of the brooding duck.
[edit] By the way, I forgot to add that duck eggs take 27 days to hatch so I estimate that soon, if not already, they will be pretty nasty and smelly inside.
Cred air o bob deg a glywi, a thi a gei rywfaint bach o wir (hen ddihareb Gymraeg)
Believe one tenth of what you hear, and you will get some little truth (old Welsh proverb)
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