Recent content by Fernleaf

I had to separate my gander from the rest of the flock this spring when his mate started laying. He particularly attacks one of my poor brahma hens, pulling out feathers left and right and ripping the skin if he gets a big mouthful. He'll grab a mouthful of feathers and start yanking and she'll...

I have a bit of a pickle here, and hoping perhaps for some more experienced goose-people to see what they think. I have a pair of American Buff geese that are nesting, and everything is going perfectly well except the timing. We're in the middle of moving to a new house and need to be out...

It was my understanding the while the "Migratory Bird Treaty Act" was so-named because when first enacted it protected migratory species primarily for the conservation of hunting availability (waterfowl in particular.) Whereas it is now expanded to cover ALL native species regardless of whether...

All this talk of genetics and breeding qualities is fascinating for someone who aspires to do the same, thanks everyone so much for sharing your insights and reasoning. I do have a question, prompted by ChickenCrazy's comment about the eye color.. Another trait mentioned in Holderread's...

Celtic those babies are sooo adorable, I'm sure jealous! Looks like some beautiful colors in there too. Wish I lived a little closer!

Thank you so much for the offer, I do have a drake in mind, there's a picture of him a few pages back and he's much lighter than she is. Hoping for some beautiful babies! I have the same thoughts regarding the breed in general, whether they are a saved older breed or a new developing breed I...

I'm so excited I finally got my hands on a female Ancona today!! I know she's a little heavily marked but you have to start somewhere no? She's just about old enough to lay, although being as gloomy as it is here I wouldn't be surprised if she waits until spring to start. I can't wait!

As to whether they could already be flying I'm guessing that you would be able to judge better than I. The only scovie I have was adopted as an adult so I'm not familiar with how they progress as young birds. I knew in theory that scovies could fly but man did she fly! I made the mistake of...

The one thing you want to watch out for is if the feathers are still 'in blood' which means they are actively growing. Trimming the feathers in this stage will not only be less effective (the feathers will still get longer, thus you might not end up with a grounded duck) but also can be...

My pair of Buffs put all kinds of strange things in their pool too, rocks, sticks, apples...They sit in the pool and reach out to the ground and just grab anything within reach and "plop" in it goes! They also nibble on everything in sight. Anything they can reach if it stands still they will...

My husband and I are very lucky to have some great neighbors where our little rental farmstead is located. Our closer neighbor walks his elderly dog by our place all the time and is always asking how the 'ranch' is doing. He enjoys the sounds of our geese, rooster, and goats and is first on...

The hen's don't actually 'choose' which eggs to lay, the ovary releases the next ripening ovum which then travels down the oviduct to become a fully-shelled egg, but there is a roughly 50/50 chance that the egg could be a 'boy' or a 'girl' duck. There is a nugget of truth to the statement...

I couldn't find a better picture of our 'goose compartment' but you can see it on the right side of the picture. My husband made it out of pallets that he brought home from work, 2 solid pallets to create a good floor, with 5 regular pallets around the sides to keep larger predators out but...

This is 'Zorro' one of the four Ancona ducklings that I found at a local feed store this spring (unsure which hatchery they came from.) Despite having no markings on his beak and very lightly marked feet I'm thinking he's the best candidate for keeping with his good facial and breast marks. All...

That's the first time I've ever seen/heard anyone criticize the origins of the breed for sure. Holderread's Ancona bulletin (right in front of me) states "Little is known about the history of Ancona ducks. The only reference we have been able to locate is one photograph and a few sentences in a...