keljonma
Epicurean Goddess
Sounds like you had a wonderful, but busy, holiday week-end! I hate weeding too! 
BeccaOH: Update of just STUFF
- Thread starter BeccaOH
- Start date
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- #592
BeccaOH
Almost Self-Reliant
Finally, an update. 
It has been work from sun-up to sun-down these days. I get up between 6 and 7 and open the coops and check the animals. I prep for the day and then I'm off to my desk job by 9 where the work just increases on my shoulders while hiring help is still a ways away.
I get home between 6 and 7. Check in with my mom and try to help some with supper fixings. (At this pace of life my eating has not been good -- mostly grab and go that is too heavy on the carbs and sugar.)
Each evening I have an hour or more of chores to do with the animals, and there is always a new project to work on like cleaning a pen, building a new hoop house, running new fencing, etc. as well as general mowing and upkeep. Then I fall into the chair for a hour of TV/movie relaxation and then off to bed where I fight my dog for the blankets.
News on the duck front is that back in May I started a total of 19 ducklings (most from Holderread and all unsexed). This past week I came to the final conclusion that 9 out of 10 Hookbills are boys, all 5 Saxony are girls, and I'm thinking all 3 runners are boys.
What are the odds? 
Not the great breeding groups I had planned for. But I need all the girls I can get because I have built up a good customer base for duck eggs. I have a couple guys who "fight" to get to my place first and buy all I have in stock. But I only have 2 runners laying right now. Thankfully they both lay about 6 eggs a week. (Anyone have girls for sale?)
It has been work from sun-up to sun-down these days. I get up between 6 and 7 and open the coops and check the animals. I prep for the day and then I'm off to my desk job by 9 where the work just increases on my shoulders while hiring help is still a ways away.
I get home between 6 and 7. Check in with my mom and try to help some with supper fixings. (At this pace of life my eating has not been good -- mostly grab and go that is too heavy on the carbs and sugar.)
Each evening I have an hour or more of chores to do with the animals, and there is always a new project to work on like cleaning a pen, building a new hoop house, running new fencing, etc. as well as general mowing and upkeep. Then I fall into the chair for a hour of TV/movie relaxation and then off to bed where I fight my dog for the blankets.
News on the duck front is that back in May I started a total of 19 ducklings (most from Holderread and all unsexed). This past week I came to the final conclusion that 9 out of 10 Hookbills are boys, all 5 Saxony are girls, and I'm thinking all 3 runners are boys.
What are the odds? Not the great breeding groups I had planned for. But I need all the girls I can get because I have built up a good customer base for duck eggs. I have a couple guys who "fight" to get to my place first and buy all I have in stock. But I only have 2 runners laying right now. Thankfully they both lay about 6 eggs a week. (Anyone have girls for sale?)
lorihadams
Always doing laundry
I got 6 2 month old runners.....I know one chocolate is for sure a male but I'm sure I have some females in the bunch....wanna come to VA? 
- Thread starter
- #594
BeccaOH
Almost Self-Reliant
Oh, I'd love to.lorihadams said:I got 6 2 month old runners.....I know one chocolate is for sure a male but I'm sure I have some females in the bunch....wanna come to VA?
.My sister is in Maryland and my 2 nieces live in the Norfolk area, but I don't have any travel plans. :/
keljonma
Epicurean Goddess
Good to hear from you, Becca! Sounds like you have been busy...which I'm sure makes the summer fly.
One of my friends up here said she had lots of males hatch this spring... I am not sure if she meant the ducks, although that is what we were talking about - she raises chickens, turkeys, peafowl, ducks, guineas and geese
One of my friends up here said she had lots of males hatch this spring... I am not sure if she meant the ducks, although that is what we were talking about - she raises chickens, turkeys, peafowl, ducks, guineas and geese
- Thread starter
- #596
BeccaOH
Almost Self-Reliant
Went and picked up 6 new ducks this weekend. (Sent 4 of my boys to auction.) I really needed layers NOW, and 5 of the new ones are girls. This morning I had 3 eggs from them plus 2 from my dependable runners.
Got QA to ride along with me, and since we were in the vicinity, we checked out the Danville swap. Don't know if it is always like this, but it was basically dead. Way too hot. There were a handful of vendors. Most had either poultry or rabbits. I should have gotten the white muscovy ducklings for $2.50 each. Might have gotten a Flemish rabbit doe, but the little Amish boy didn't know his breeds and that made me nervous. Instead, my steal of the day was $3 Amish pies. I got a raisin crumb and a grape. 
Plus a raspberry hand pie and a plate of monster cookies. The lady was so nice that she gave QA's son a free plate of sugar cookies. I guess the swap had been so dead that she was having to really mark things down so she had less to take home with no freezer to put them in.
Got QA to ride along with me, and since we were in the vicinity, we checked out the Danville swap. Don't know if it is always like this, but it was basically dead. Way too hot. There were a handful of vendors. Most had either poultry or rabbits. I should have gotten the white muscovy ducklings for $2.50 each.
Might have gotten a Flemish rabbit doe, but the little Amish boy didn't know his breeds and that made me nervous. Instead, my steal of the day was $3 Amish pies. I got a raisin crumb and a grape. Plus a raspberry hand pie and a plate of monster cookies. The lady was so nice that she gave QA's son a free plate of sugar cookies. I guess the swap had been so dead that she was having to really mark things down so she had less to take home with no freezer to put them in.
emilosevich
Lovin' The Homestead
Becca think a friend of mine picked up your ducks at the auction. Did you happen to bring the hookbills down? He called and said he had some hookbills and needed me to come out and help sex them. LOL. Told him they were probably all males after I saw your post.
- Thread starter
- #598
BeccaOH
Almost Self-Reliant
Uh, yep. Probably mine. I sent 4 to Rogers with QA. She sold one outright at the flea market and 3 went into the auction. All males. I'm sorry. I only have one female and can't find anyone who has extra females. Even Holderread doesn't promise to send only adult females if I put in an order this fall.emilosevich said:
Even my Rex bunnies were all 3 males.
keljonma
Epicurean Goddess
How are you doing, Becca? TR and I were talking about taking a run down your way the first week-end of October.... nothing definite yet, but he is off work that week-end. We have a church thing Saturday morning (Oct 2) and so I would think it would be Sunday after church...... I posted this on QA's journal too.
- Thread starter
- #600
BeccaOH
Almost Self-Reliant
Been busy here. Was out of town last weekend. Got a new metal roof put on the house and garage, and now they need new trim paint and gutters. My to-do list for winter preps is long. I don't know of anything much going on the 3rd.
You might consider October 9-10. We have a wonderful festival at the Algonquin Mill. I love going there. It has the full fall experience for me.
Can not keep eggs in stock. Took my roadside sign down a couple weeks ago and still the customers call for eggs. I have plenty of hens, but I only get a dozen eggs a day and 1-2 duck eggs. If I had more hens I could sell the eggs. I was considering placing a pullet chick order but 1) I'm sick of brooding chicks, and 2) my space for adults is limited so I'd need to make hard decisions and sell off some.
Got a call yesterday. Two ladies are looking for hens to buy. One would like 10-12 and the other wants 30. I recently told my neighbor I'd sell her 2, but I can't part with any more. CRAZY!
Thinking about getting out of rabbits and call ducks completely. What I make off them pretty much pays for their feed, and I just can't see myself butchering a rabbit. :/
Our dog in a run nearest the chickens has turned into a killer. 3 hens down, and I rescued my favorite girl from him last night during free range time. He is a wonderful dog otherwise. Hard to know what to do with him as we like having an outside dog for alerts to people driving in and such. Right now I'll be moving him every evening to the other side of the house so the hens can still get in some free range time.
You might consider October 9-10. We have a wonderful festival at the Algonquin Mill. I love going there. It has the full fall experience for me.
Can not keep eggs in stock. Took my roadside sign down a couple weeks ago and still the customers call for eggs. I have plenty of hens, but I only get a dozen eggs a day and 1-2 duck eggs. If I had more hens I could sell the eggs. I was considering placing a pullet chick order but 1) I'm sick of brooding chicks, and 2) my space for adults is limited so I'd need to make hard decisions and sell off some.
Got a call yesterday. Two ladies are looking for hens to buy. One would like 10-12 and the other wants 30.
I recently told my neighbor I'd sell her 2, but I can't part with any more. CRAZY!Thinking about getting out of rabbits and call ducks completely. What I make off them pretty much pays for their feed, and I just can't see myself butchering a rabbit. :/
Our dog in a run nearest the chickens has turned into a killer. 3 hens down, and I rescued my favorite girl from him last night during free range time. He is a wonderful dog otherwise. Hard to know what to do with him as we like having an outside dog for alerts to people driving in and such. Right now I'll be moving him every evening to the other side of the house so the hens can still get in some free range time.
