The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Community => Marketplace => Topic started by: jameslindsay on February 18, 2009, 01:32:01 pm
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Hi, last year for the first time I sucessfully hatched ducks eggs in my incubator. I really enjoyed this and want to start hatching again. However, the only problem is I kept all that I hatched last year and cannot possibly keep any more. So, before I buy any heggs and try to hatch them I thought I would ask you good people of any of you are looking for ducklings and what type you would like - and I could enjoy the hobby but for someone else!! Please letme know if interested. I am on the outskirts of St Andrews, Fife.
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I am really interested in aquiring some ducks and am not really very fussy what breed - something that suits the Argyll coast! That's the only problem - we are on the west coast and you are over there on the east. (Funnily enough I used to live in Tayport and did my first year of secondary school at Kilrymont!!)
Cheers
Lisa
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Lisa that is just typical. I would be more than happy to hatch for you if you can arrange pick up?
Just took this video of my goats, hope you enjoy
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f5ujkPkA05c
James
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Hi would you want the eggs supplied I,m thinking about some call ducks what would you charge
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Hi, if you supply the eggs I am more than happy to hatch them for you, free of charge. Ofcourse I can't guarantee they will all hatch but I would certainly try me best. If I have to buy the eggs myself then as long as you cover the cost of these, I'm happy.
James
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Thanks I know a couple of people who I could get eggs of so will see them first and let you know later how I get on and I think you should at lease charge a amount to cover your costs Electricity etc,Thanks for now.
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Not a problem Bigchickem, you can let me know
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Hi James!
Lisa from Argyll here again. After a chat with the hubby we thought it would make for a nice trip out to come over to Fife sometime, have a look around St.Andrews again and tie the trip in with maybe collecting some ducklings from yourself!! So, I wonder if we can arrange for you to go ahead and have a go at hatching some ducklings for us!
Cheers :&>
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Hi Lisa
That is not a problem. How many ducks would you like and what breed would you want? Just drop me an e mail and I can get "cracking" :&>
[email protected]
James
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hi James,
That's great to know! Please have a look at our flock
http://video.google.co.uk/videosearch?q=ducks+in+snow+fife&hl=en&emb=0&aq=f#
I am quite sad that we only have one of the wee black ones, whatever breed she is...Does her looks ring a bell? Where she came from there were 2 others which flew away, she is not a cross! If you know of anyone locally where I can get this breeds' eggs (they're blueish), I'd be ever so grateful, as all "we" can produce is a funny cross - our boys are Campbells lol :&>
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Thanks for the video, very nice. The black one look like 2 of mine, but can't be sure from the picture. Last year I incubated 6 Aylesbury eggs, 1 turned out not to be fertile but the other 4 hatched. Unfortunately I only got 1 pure Aylesbury and the others look some what like your one - crossed with something else????? Perhaps Kakhi Campbells, I don't know. I would love to let my ducks out to roam the large garden as their enclosure is often left as mud with all the grass destroyed. However, we live on the banks of the rive Eden so they would more than get on teh water and never come back!
This is the goats - taken earlier. Rosie ( the fence jumper) could barely walk when we got her about 6 months ago as she had been neglected, now look at her.
ttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zGLXfwDTzBY
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www.youtube.com/watch?v=zGLXfwDTzBY
She does it so ladylike too ;D
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Annie - she is such a superstar. I rescued both her and Toggi about 6 months ago. When they arrived - I had not saw them before this time - I thought oh my god. Both of them could barely walk but Rosie was by far the worst, her ribs were sticking out, her coat was falling out and when she lay down she held her head so low you thought she only had a short time to live. The vet was called immediately, I doubt they had ever seen a vet before. After a lot of "TLC", food, shelter and money spent on the vet both of them made incredible recoveries. The vet was amazed at the change in them in such a short time.
Rosie is so cheeky and full of mischief now. She goes off exploring on her own, climbs on top of the goose hut so she can get up a tree and generally just loves her life now and adores attention and cuddles. She would eat all day every day if she could and often goes and tries to steal the ponies food - and sometimes even wins! Toggi is much more of a gentleman, he just takes life very easy and is very relaxed. Rosie is 12 and Toggi now 11 and I am just amazed at how affectionate this pair are. For once its a story with a happy ending.
James
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Hi James, I just watched all your videos, they're georgeous! I mentioned goats to my OH and he said I can't go on "holiday" anymore if I get goats...My mother lives abroad, so that's off for the moment (I'll work on it!).
You must put some videos up with your ducks. We used to have them in an enclosure but they were so unhappy. I actually expected the garden to look worse than it does. As we also had some problems with flooding they turned some areas into mudpools, but I'll fence it off and start afresh there with new grass seeds. The lawn was taken over by couch grass a lot anyway...:&>
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Ahh but you have goats if you can find someone to look after them while you are away. And I'm SURE there are plenty of people near you who could goat sit.
Beth
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My dog sitter comes and stays in the house, looks after my 4 dogs, 2 cats, 4 ducks and 10 chickens all fro £30 a day and only charges half that for the day at each end of my trip away - plus she left me a half bottle of pink bubbly and red roses and carnations her hubby had brought her for Valentines day. She might well do goats too - http://www.pet-royale.co.uk/
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I'm very lucky, we go away for 3 weeks every January and my sister has to look after;
3 cocker spaniels
7 Pygmy goats
2 Dairy goats
4 Miniature Shetlands
4 Rabbits
17 Ducks
3 Geese
1 Parrot
3 Goldfish
and oh almost forgot our business too - a busy small hotel!! Where would we be without her????
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Hi James, We drove past your place a few times now, it looks like a really lovely little hotel! We saw the geese and a pony from the road. When it's a bit warmer we'll stop by for your beer garden and a chat about goats and ducks. :&>
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Thanks, you are welcome any time. My 2 Geese bring a new definition to the word "free range". They have the best of both worlds I suppose you could say. They are my geese and patrol my land and get very upset if any of the water fowl from the river decide to visit. However, they spend much of their time out on the river Eden like the wild birds.They have made friends with a bunch of Swans and often go off with them for the day. They have a brilliant time on the water and it is great to watch them. Some nights they refuse to come in so do not get locked up for safety, instead they stay out on the river but always come back early morning for their bread. We did have 3 but the Fox managed to get one a few months ago. I think they have a brilliant life this way though. Often if they are out of sight while on the river when I call on them they make such a racket to let me know they are ok.
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A week ago I set 12 eggs in the incubator. 6 are Indian Runner and 6 are mixed and I am hatching them for a friend. All eggs bought off e bay and when I "candled" them lastnight all 12 were showing signs of developing, so I am well chuffed. Good old e bay!
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If you need any more "funny mix" fertilised eggs for friends, you can have a box of mine. I won't charge any more than if you eat them, lol! Our girls show no signs of broodiness, so I might come back to you in a few weeks time for ourselves - once we've built the new duckling accommodation. Time is so rare with getting the garden ready to plant at the same time....:&>
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I have only ever had 1 broody duck, she sat on the eggs for the full 28 days but nothing ever hatched, which is why I bought the incubator. To be honest she was far too young, I think, to have hatched anything. No signs of broodiness last year at all, who knows what will happen this year.
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We had one (of 5) in the nesting box! she sat on over 12 eggs, hatched 5 but failed miserably as a mother. We didn't have the experience either and failed as foster parents too...One of the lot survived and it hasn't decided yet if it's a boy or a girl lol. Another 2 ducks tried it in the garden, which was unsuccessful because we shut them in at night, stupid things! I think all of our ducks are over 1 year old. When it happens next we want to be better prepared or help mother nature a bit...:&>
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Hatching them yourself is enormous fun. Last year was my first attempt and I made mistakes but learnt by them. I keep the ducklings in doors and under a hot lamp for a week or so. On day 2 I normally introduce them to water and swimming. It doesnt matter how much I handle them becasue as soon as they get outside with the other ducks you are forgotton!!!
I then move them and the heat lamp out into a shed as the mess is too much for indoors, they are eating and shitting machines from day 1. Depending on the weather at a few weeks old I put them outside in the enclosure with the adult ducks for a few minutes each day, gradually making it a bit longer day after day. While out here I have them in a wee run which keeps them safe from predators and escaping through any fence as they are still so small. It is good because the adult ducks come up and explore and after a few weeks they are friendly enough that when I eventually let them out of their run there is no trouble.
I love the whole experience with them and they just love lettuce from a very young age.