Ducks for a Change

We ordered Ducks this year for eggs and for sale. We are hoping to keep four Runner Duck Hens for ourselves, and selling the other four. They are adorable. I had never held newly hatched ducklings and didn't realize that their down is more like holding a brush. Duck down is stiffer than the chick down. Also, they are a lot messier than chicks. Who Knew?

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Where We Started

We started like many backyard farmers with a small flock of four chickens. We chose the Russian Orloff. They are a beautiful bird that will lay about 100 to 150 medium-sized light brown eggs in the first year. They are quite hearty for cold regions which I can attest to that when we had many weeks of subfreezing weather that first year we started the flock. However, they do not do so well in the very hot summers which we have started experiencing year after year the past few years. 3-week Russian Orloff Pullet Because we live in an area that is renowned for predatory animals, we built an A-framed coop and run with a footprint that was just big enough for four hens. It was so sturdy, that we couldn't move it without a tractor! First Chicken Coop The first coop had all the fancy bells and whistles, like an auto feeder and watering cups, electricity to it for lighting, and insulated. Like I said, all the bells and whistles....

Summer 2022 Batch

This summer, we pre-ordered 20 chicks with 15 of those chicks being a "mystery" from the hatchery. We think we have the mystery chicks all identified. Rhode Island Reds, Barred Plymouth Rock, and Golden Comets. The hope is to sell most of these before needing to merge them into the flock. However, if we need to merge in order to winter over until they start laying in January, we can do that. We have done it before and have plenty of room in the main coop.

Coccidiosis in Chicks

A common intestinal disease in chicks is Cocci (coxy) or Coccidiosis. As explained in the Merck Veterinarian Manual , it is a "protozoa of the phylum Apicomplexa, family Eimeriidae," and "Coccidia are almost universally present in poultry-raising operations." Even in healthy environments, the chicks may have some Cocci within their digestive system, but when it overloads their digestive tract, then chicks may fail to thrive and stop eating altogether. Unfortunately, if chicks develop Cocci, the use of medicated starter feed is less than helpful, nor useful in these situations, especially when it involves chicks, because they will usually stop eating. Most chicks and mature chickens can build resistance to Cocci parasites in their digestive system over time if they are raised and kept in a healthy environment. Unfortunately, brooding environments can be difficult to keep clean and "Cocci" free, as the birds are typically eating feed that falls on the flo...

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