Post AP0gfUeTJNIKQA2l84 by Sir_Ivissia@chudbuds.lol
(DIR) More posts by Sir_Ivissia@chudbuds.lol
(DIR) Post #AP0cPq6xMHyiWgeBUm by Birds@poa.st
2022-10-28T00:15:45.730905Z
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Yard ducks. 🦆🦆🦆
(DIR) Post #AP0dZOnBsrYUeGWYCG by GhostBear@poa.st
2022-10-28T00:22:11.547432Z
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@Birds Ducks are dumb'r n' shit and mean bastards, but they can at least be cute!
(DIR) Post #AP0dh5ikfwQhod7F0C by Birds@poa.st
2022-10-28T00:30:04.966010Z
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@GhostBear They aren’t the brightest, it’s true, but I’ve never had behavioral problems. They’re far more afraid of me than I am of them. This little group comes up and watches me a lot. They’re some of my older birds— about 3-4 years old. We’re used to each other. 😅
(DIR) Post #AP0fmBmNmFAdxiN9tY by GhostBear@poa.st
2022-10-28T00:42:39.130463Z
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@Birds I'm always biased due to my personal experience with the chauvinistic males trying to find a mate come spring-early summer. (I've had to chase off males harassing mated couples off my father's property a LOT.)Still, nice to see you get ducks around your parts! I'm hoping to see a few crows before winter sets in.
(DIR) Post #AP0fuiBTBIxymQAeIq by Birds@poa.st
2022-10-28T00:54:57.338675Z
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@GhostBear Oh lord, yes. The males get super aggro during mating season.Mine are largely ducks I hatched myself or acquired as ducklings and I generally butcher the extra males for eating. Keeping the proper male/female ratio reduces a lot of issues.
(DIR) Post #AP0gfUeTJNIKQA2l84 by Sir_Ivissia@chudbuds.lol
2022-10-28T00:56:33.854358Z
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You do 1:6 or 1:8?
(DIR) Post #AP0gyRoM64Mh74hkAK by Birds@poa.st
2022-10-28T01:06:50.192347Z
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@Sir_Ivissia @GhostBear I try for 1:6. I don’t have enough ducks to do 1:8 yet, but I am hoping to incubate over the winter so I might have some new additions come spring.I also plan to order a few ducks and geese from a reputable hatchery this spring. I’ve never done geese before but I was thinking a male and two females to start.
(DIR) Post #AP0kOHrg030xelGqnY by Sir_Ivissia@chudbuds.lol
2022-10-28T01:20:26.253776Z
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Geese are fuckers, but worth keeping if you've got the room. They're fine at 1:6 or even 1:4 - the things are so damned aggressive with everything else they don't tend to fight much among themselves. The females will seek out and smash each others eggs though, so gather frequently!
(DIR) Post #AP0kbuMMBj2uoK7GnQ by Birds@poa.st
2022-10-28T01:47:34.825368Z
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@Sir_Ivissia @GhostBear I’ve got plenty of space, so that’s not an issue. I’ll take your advice to heart since I want them to hatch their eggs. Maybe making a little doghouse for each female to nest in would help?If you have any other goose advice I’m all ears. I got to have a roasted goose last Christmas and it was incredible but expensive so I figured I’d cut out the middleman. Considering Toulouse geese because I heard they’re less aggro?
(DIR) Post #AP0mOPPm83WayrPEmW by Sir_Ivissia@chudbuds.lol
2022-10-28T02:02:56.549773Z
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Toulouse if you want eggs and meat, Embden if you want slightly richer meat and guards - they're nasty enough with people they know! The Embden do lay, but not as well (the eggs are just as nice though). Toulouse get miserable if they don't have a decent amount of water to play in.Separate laying hutches is a good idea if you've got the space - make two extra, because you'll need to remove one from use every week to thoroughly clean it unless you are using it for hatching. With Toulouse, you'd probably get better results by pulling the eggs and sticking them under a broody hen. Not terribly maternal, those ones. Embden will set just fine, but about one in three eggs won't be viable, so candle them and mark them assuming she'll let you anywhere near!Both breeds are an easy butcher, so that's a wash. Both benefit from a bit of sulphur in their dust bath area, since they tend to get mites incredibly easily unless they're on the water most of the day. Boost their grain intake in the month before slaughter - whatever the feed store has cheap is just fine. they're less fussy than hens.That's about it really. They're not complex to look after. Not great company, but fun.
(DIR) Post #AP0mxmNoj006LqM8h6 by Birds@poa.st
2022-10-28T02:13:56.705748Z
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@Sir_Ivissia @GhostBear Thank you! I have a large-ish incubator so I might try that for the eggs to start. My hens are mostly first gen from the local feed store so I don’t have many with good hatching instincts, but I do have one so I could RFI leg-band her and see if I can track her down to give her some goose eggs.Does handling the goslings improve them any or are they doomed to be shitlords?
(DIR) Post #AP0r4NCx7jTs7Dfqlc by Sir_Ivissia@chudbuds.lol
2022-10-28T02:30:33.475925Z
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I've not noticed much difference if you handle them or no. Once they're past 6 months they'll follow the gaggle leader, not you, even if you hand raised them and they imprinted on you. It can't hurt, obviously, and having them used to being handled helps with the weekly checks (reduces stress on their part, if not damage on yours) but I'll not say it improves their disposition!