Golden Hybrid 300

Yes my female were darker, and beak sexing was spot on.

DUCKOBSESSED said:

Not a great shot but she is in the middle.

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what breed is the one in the front back towards camera?

The drake is a Rouen and the two next to him also are Rouens.

My girl has a total of 15 eggs and is laying on them all day and night. Ducklings are on the way, I am excited!

Hi,

Have not been here on the board for awhile, but the bug reason is that on April 2 I received form Metzer 270 of these guys and have been raising them. Was much more labor intensive than expected. I opted to get 130 female and 130 male (that were free). My boss thinks there is a market for little 3 pound male ducks as meat. Well anyway, I am in the mountains east of San Diego and though we had unusually great weather, the day they arrived it was actually 38 and snow. I have my own brooder building that is rated for 200 and things were a bit tight. Lost 8 the first day but things calmed down and it was OK for awhile.

Now, originally I planned to get them in around 1 May, but moved up my plans due to the flood of calls for duck eggs from Hollywood back in February. There has always been some kind of snowstorm here at the end of April and I wanted this all past me before arrival. Luckily I got them early, we had all kinds of cold weather and storm in the May 10-20 period and I think if I went with my original date the losses would have been substantial.

As it is, I did keep count of my losses and I think it was a good 40 or so. This batch seemed very hyper and up until 3 weeks ago would stampede at anything and they would trample each other. Plus, I went through a period where I would lose 1 every other day just due to choking on food, even though it was gamebird grower mash.

I am behind in creating their permanent separate habitat. When I last posted here I was getting a decent amount of $$ for the eggs from my Muscovy flock. Well we had 5 days of bad storms in early March and they stopped laying, leaving me with no $$ to build their laying building. I had enough $$ just to feed the 300's for 6 weeks, expected the eggs to cover the laying building and right about the time the baby food ran out, I expected the Muscovy eggs to cover everyone's feed until the 300's started laying and then I'd be back to profitable. Now, the Muscovies did resume laying around 15 April, and are laying enough to feed everyone at break even.

I have the new yard set up for the 300's and a makeshift shelter/shade building. And I have been slowly moving them there. Three weeks ago I would have given these guys a bad review just due to them being so hyper, spaztic and fragile and a real heartbreaker for a hobby farm, but they have really settled down and gotten good and durable.

Now, I do have a question: How concerned do I need about these guys flying away? I extended the enclosure walls around the Muscovies to 10 feet high, but do not have the $$ to extend the existing 5 foot fence around the 300's.

I guess that depends on how heavy they will be. Of course lighter birds are more inclined to fly but with as many as you have o would say you are safe- they will likely stick together. My girls don't fly but they are also my backyard hobby- just two of them. They may pick up a couple feet off the ground but I would say they won't make it over your fence.

pony28 said:

the golden hybrid 300 is only found at metzer's farm as far as I know. They also have other types of ducks and are free range. Just look up metzer's farm and you should find it.

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Hoover Hatchery has some also. I like mine but I am so spoiled to the alesbury and cayugas that it's hard to compare the breeds, but assuredly, the Goldens hold their own! Love their personalities also, bit the cayugas lay black eggs and just so easy and quiet I think they are less likely to fall prey. Again, did I say black eggs? Yes, absolutely gorgeous contrast to open topped golden yolk , cream my white and the mysterious black shells. I tried harlequins and I have developed a lavender strain of khaki cambells BUT, I keep ducks instead of chickens for our eggs and meat.I have lavender chickens of some breeds, and probably the only person breeding a proven closed flock of lavender khaki cambells so there is a list for any offspring I might sell, but no matter the duck color. .they all are excellently foragers, fly eaters and a wonderfull egg supplier.