Champion ducks !

[snoozy]

Nobody says so except us, but we picked up a trio of ducks free off of Craigslist back in June or sometime (who knows in Covidtime?) All females. I was disappointed they weren't laying, but then they started in Sept or so (see paren above...) The Pekin layed massive double-yolkers almost daily. The Cayuga and the blue Swede started a-laying, and they hhaven't stopped. The Pekin got killed by an owl, unfortunately. But the remaining two each give us an egg a day. Reason I bring this up is, I never had any duck or chicken lay in Dec, and the fact that even though yesterday was the shortest day of the year, they still popped out an egg each. Champions!

[mogal]

I usually start my chicks in May or June so they are coming into lay in late fall, early winter so we have plenty of eggs then. It seems that these late started chicks will lay through their first winter and continue through the second, molting in late summer of their second year. They usually start laying again in late winter approaching their third year. I don't supply any supplemental light. I like Buff Orpingtons and Black Australorps.

Regardless, you lucked out with your ducks but sorry about the Pekin.

[oldone]

Congrats on duck eggs. Some ducks do much better laying than chickens. We had had some years ago that were black with white chest. She laid pretty good. Everyone liked the eggs when they thought it was chicken but always said duck eggs were too strong but my chickens laid great eggs. Always had to laugh cause they were eating duck eggs. Merry Christmas

[thumper]

Your lucky there laying without extra light. I know my ducks would not lay with out extra light during the winter.

[mogal]

Dec 22, 2020 22:41:36 GMT oldone said:

Congrats on duck eggs. Some ducks do much better laying than chickens. We had had some years ago that were black with white chest. She laid pretty good. Everyone liked the eggs when they thought it was chicken but always said duck eggs were too strong but my chickens laid great eggs. Always had to laugh cause they were eating duck eggs. Merry Christmas

 Oldone, your people liking duck eggs until they learned what they were reminds me of a potluck where I took some homemade goat milk ice cream.  During dessert, our hostess asked if it were goat milk.  The man sitting across the table from me was digging into his SECOND bowl with his spoon in midair when she asked.  His eyes were fixed on me.  When I answered in the affirmative, the spoon, still full of the goat milk ice cream he'd only seconds before been enjoying, went back into the bowl and he pushed the bowl away.  I thought the hostess would fall to the floor from laughing at the man.  Oh, well.  More for the rest of us, huh?

[comfortablynumb]

Our gaggle of muscovy roof penguins poop oout an egg now and then still. The old mother hen I found sitting on a half dozen under the house but a possum got the nest.

Stupid ducks... its cold, stop wasting your fat stores on eggs.

[manygoatsnmore]

I have to supply supplemental light in winter in the henhouse to get more than the occasional egg in winter. I do remember having ducks that laid through the winter, but they just dropped an egg any old place, usually in the MUD!

I had to laugh at the stories about people who liked what they were eating before they found out what was in it. I used to take chocolate pudding to Grange potlucks (made with goat's milk), and everyone loved it. I had one lady, though, who wouldn't eat it again after she found out I used goat's milk.

My older daughter loved my chicken pot pie and always had seconds. I finally broke the news to her that she was eating rabbit, or as we called it, 4 legged chicken. I thought since she'd be okay since she'd enjoyed it so many times. Nope! She wouldn't eat chicken pot pie unless she saw a label from the grocery store stating it was chicken. 🙄 We lived on a chicken farm! I didn't often buy chicken at the store, lol. I kept a carefully washed package from a store bought chicken just for her! We laugh about it now, but she still won't eat rabbit if she knows what it is. 😄

[thumper]

We mostly eat rabbit and pork both are raised on our farm. This year we did get 3 lambs and raised them so we have half a freezer of mutton.

We did buy our first store bought meat this year. Every year we make a standing rib roast for New Years Eve. I only like to buy meat that's cryovac.

My neighbor dose not know we raise rabbits. My wife cooked them dinner for 12 nights as the wife was recovering from surgery. They told us our chicken different than the grocery store, but much better. My wife has not cooked chicken in 5 years and we refuse to tell them that.

[Woodpecker]

thumper, what they don't know, won't hurt them. My SIL years ago made venison...I am not a meat eater to begin with, very picky here. She told us it was veal and I had enough trouble eating that. Then while eating she told us all the truth. Her husband had gone hunting and shot the deer and we were eating poor Bambi:)

I have eaten rabbit that my brother shot when little, never could get it all the way down..but that's just me and maybe your neighbors if they were to find out!!!

[susannah]

Dec 24, 2020 1:24:54 GMT manygoatsnmore said:

I had to laugh at the stories about people who liked what they were eating before they found out what was in it. I used to take chocolate pudding to Grange potlucks (made with goat's milk), and everyone loved it. I had one lady, though, who wouldn't eat it again after she found out I used goat's milk.

My older daughter loved my chicken pot pie and always had seconds. I finally broke the news to her that she was eating rabbit, or as we called it, 4 legged chicken. I thought since she'd be okay since she'd enjoyed it so many times. Nope! She wouldn't eat chicken pot pie unless she saw a label from the grocery store stating it was chicken. 🙄 We lived on a chicken farm! I didn't often buy chicken at the store, lol. I kept a carefully washed package from a store bought chicken just for her! We laugh about it now, but she still won't eat rabbit if she knows what it is. 😄

Years ago, after staying at our house for several days one of our nieces warned her brothers and sister "Be careful when you eat meat at Auntie and Uncle's house, because it might be deer meat." Her sister replied "Then I'm eating there every chance I get - I love venison." One niece couldn't stomach (sorry) the idea of venison while the other couldn't get enough. 

I'll admit to having my own meat issues, but they're the opposite of those of the first niece I mentioned: I grew up eating all kinds of wild game; for the most part it's still my preference. I'm very thankful to my relatives that still hunt and share some of the bounty, now that dh no longer hunts. But there are a number of domestic meats that I would be happy to never have cross my plate again. While I do like WILD turkey (and other game bird meat), grocery store turkey leaves me cold. I really don't like it (although I'm okay with chicken, so go figure). But I'll cook it up if people want it. Just don't expect me to eat it more than a day or two before the rest of it goes in the freezer to be...enjoyed?...in small amounts at later dates.

Now, to drift back to the original topic - way to go, Champion Ducks! Congrats on the eggs!

[thumper]

Woodpecker The deal was they would have an 8 by 11 hot casserole every night between 4:30 and 5. We did ask what they were allergic to. I feel it's on them for not setting more rules. It was all eaten by breakfast the next day so they must of liked it.

I feel that anything that was raised humanely and harvested correctly is fine to eat. I understand that everyone thinks differently and as long as they eat health I'm all for it.

[mogal]

My college roommate/maid of honor would never drink goat milk when she came to our house but she loved oysters on the half shell. I never understood that one!