Waiting Patiently

[ooptec]

hey,

Just cleaned up a couple of corners in coop where the goosies have nested before and put down a big pile of fresh straw and privacy boards in the hope they start laying any time. Ganders scrapping lots, yest had to wade in and grab 2 necks and separate a pair. Didn't even notice I was there. Some of them are getting a little raggety. No apparent 'boinking' going on yet but here's hoping soon. Flock is 3 years old now.

Had 20 X 3 year old cayuga ducks for breeding this year but weasel probs and down to 3 hens and about 6 drakes. Guess as soon as catch them boinking will section off the 3 hens and 3 best drakes and incubate as much as I can to get the numbers up.

Both usually start laying very early, hoping weather will finally warm to freezing or near at least and hold.

(hmmmm, suddenly HTML is off which must be why don't have the toolbar to load links and pics anymore. strange)

[Sweetened]

Im so surprised! My ducks haven't started laying yet (though maybe they wont do so without a male around, unlike chickens?) and my Guineas don't lay until mid summer! Lucky lucky

[Davinci]

Ooptec, did your gees lay fertile eggs in their first year? I have a male and female pilgrim, and they are just under a year old. He is trying to do his thing, but it's like he can't quite get the hang of it. I've been warned not to expect fertile eggs in their first egg cycle.

Also, you say you incubate your duck eggs. Do female ducks not go broody at the same time they start laying?

Sweetened, do you want some duck eggs too in your egg package? I cannot guarantee fertility though.

[ooptec]

geese boink better in water than dry land, but my toulouse bred the first spring after the one they were born. Last year learned the hard way to keep them penned when a hen is on the eggs. Last year I didn't and she would get lonely and wander off to find the rest then come back to set later and didn't manage to hatch any in 2 tries.

My ducks aren't very good parents, unless I can catch them as soon as they hatch and put mom and babies in a pen for a week they usually lose the ducklings in the first couple of days. After a week and the little ducklets are stronger they do pretty well w/mom. I usually incubate the first batch as the dugout is still frozen so I can pen them and then if they have their own and make it later great, but pretty iffy.

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