Consolidated Kansas

[chicken danz]

I haven't been getting notifications of postings here. Not sure why. Welcome to the new people. @CayugaJana , I raised several different kinds of domestic ducks and then this year decided to go to strictly Cayuga ducks. They're eggs are much nicer and they are usually green. The meat is a lighter meat and doesn't have that dark meat wild taste. They are also easier to butcher with less pin feathers. I have a few extra boys I need to butcher that were too young the last time I did. My poor girls are getting worn! Later I will start hatching only the green eggs so I will have all colored eggs at some point. I have some Asian customers that love the eggs but they are moving so I won't need as many ducks. I really do nothing with my ducks except provide them feed and water. They free range and put themselves up. I dread the end of warm weather because that means more feed to buy.
Ralph I have three broody mamas that hatched their own babies recently. I wish I could let them out to free range but I have a couple of young cats that would chase them. They leave them alone when they get a little older. I just don't want to take the chance. But with it getting colder I hate maintaining extra pens.

 

[venymae]

Hey does anyone know of a local person with Marans or maran hatching eggs? French or black copper would be nice but Cuckoo is ok too

 

[CayugaJana]

Chicken danz -My cayugas are really a pleasure. They are so mild mannered and tame. I let mine free range during the day and put them up at night. They’ve got the hang of it now. Sometimes I think it’s cold outside but I forget their ducks lol. I still need to set up a light bulb under some cinder blocks to make a freeze proof waterer for them. But life is so busy. I hope mine are green eggs too. Are the others white? I was also wondering how often you have to change breeding “pairs” as far as genetics and generations go. Have any of yours hatched their young?

 

[Trish44]

Hey does anyone know of a local person with Marans or maran hatching eggs? French or black copper would be nice but Cuckoo is ok too

I forget where you're at. I know a couple of people who raise them, it just depends on your location & how far you're willing to drive.

 

[chicken danz]

Chicken danz -My cayugas are really a pleasure. They are so mild mannered and tame. I let mine free range during the day and put them up at night. They’ve got the hang of it now. Sometimes I think it’s cold outside but I forget their ducks lol. I still need to set up a light bulb under some cinder blocks to make a freeze proof waterer for them. But life is so busy. I hope mine are green eggs too. Are the others white? I was also wondering how often you have to change breeding “pairs” as far as genetics and generations go. Have any of yours hatched their young?

I've had cayugas for close to 10 years now. I sold a lot and replenished some and last year got a whole lot of different babies for diversity and to choose which ones I wanted to keep for breeders. Domestic Ducks don't really have genetics that get mixed up bad by inbreeding and often that is used to breed for perfection. Every few years I like to add at least one new drake though. I got 4 new drakes and saved a couple of older ones accidentally last year. One of my ducks had hatched a dozen babies and they were still too young to butcher when I butchered last time. I don't need anywhere near that many boys for sure. I also don't breed in pairs. They all intermingle. Of all the domestic ducks I've owned the Cayuga are the most likely to go broody and hatch their own babies. I had Anconas and Pekin and they would go broody but their hatch rate was awful. I don't usually let the girls hatch but this year if they wanted to sit they were allowed to. The problem with them raising their own ducklings is that the babies would get lost in taller grass and often many ducks would claim the babies cause they often sit a few hens to one nest. The ducks would fight over who was the Mom and then some of the babies would end up getting lost while they chases after one of two ducklings. If you have broody ducks try to keep the ones who are broody completely separate so that kind of thing doesn't happen. I normally just hatch my ducklings by order myself. One nice thing about raising ducklings is that they only need heat for about 3 weeks. It's a good thing too cause they are SOOOOO messy when they are confined.
As far as I'm concerned Ducks are the best little bug killers in the world. We just don't have the insect problems so many people do with ducks free ranging all the time.

I got a shelter put back together that I dismantled and moved. My baby peafowl were just too crowded in the small coop they had. I hung a heat lamp in there last night to get them to go in there. There were at least a half dozen or so that decided to try out the new digs. They really don't need the heat but until they learn to use the roosts all the time instead of the ground it's a lot safer for them. At least that is that much more North and west wind they don't have to deal with. I hate to overwinter these guys cause they are going to cost me a mint to feed. But some are just still too young to sex and know for sure their colors. I hope to make some money on them in the spring for sure.
I'm also trying to decide what to do about turkeys. I really have too many. They are laying again really well right now. And even though I tried to sell about half of my breeders earlier this year for a prayer with no takers, now all of a sudden people are wanting to buy hens. I've got eggs in the incubator but I know it's sure not as cost effective to keep younger birds as opposed to older birds. If I do sell more hens. I have already sold a couple, the price is NOT going to be nearly as cheap. I need to downsize but I don't like being taken advantage of either.

 

[CayugaJana]

I've had cayugas for close to 10 years now. I sold a lot and replenished some and last year got a whole lot of different babies for diversity and to choose which ones I wanted to keep for breeders. Domestic Ducks don't really have genetics that get mixed up bad by inbreeding and often that is used to breed for perfection. Every few years I like to add at least one new drake though. I got 4 new drakes and saved a couple of older ones accidentally last year. One of my ducks had hatched a dozen babies and they were still too young to butcher when I butchered last time. I don't need anywhere near that many boys for sure. I also don't breed in pairs. They all intermingle. Of all the domestic ducks I've owned the Cayuga are the most likely to go broody and hatch their own babies. I had Anconas and Pekin and they would go broody but their hatch rate was awful. I don't usually let the girls hatch but this year if they wanted to sit they were allowed to. The problem with them raising their own ducklings is that the babies would get lost in taller grass and often many ducks would claim the babies cause they often sit a few hens to one nest. The ducks would fight over who was the Mom and then some of the babies would end up getting lost while they chases after one of two ducklings. If you have broody ducks try to keep the ones who are broody completely separate so that kind of thing doesn't happen. I normally just hatch my ducklings by order myself. One nice thing about raising ducklings is that they only need heat for about 3 weeks. It's a good thing too cause they are SOOOOO messy when they are confined.
As far as I'm concerned Ducks are the best little bug killers in the world. We just don't have the insect problems so many people do with ducks free ranging all the time.

I got a shelter put back together that I dismantled and moved. My baby peafowl were just too crowded in the small coop they had. I hung a heat lamp in there last night to get them to go in there. There were at least a half dozen or so that decided to try out the new digs. They really don't need the heat but until they learn to use the roosts all the time instead of the ground it's a lot safer for them. At least that is that much more North and west wind they don't have to deal with. I hate to overwinter these guys cause they are going to cost me a mint to feed. But some are just still too young to sex and know for sure their colors. I hope to make some money on them in the spring for sure.
I'm also trying to decide what to do about turkeys. I really have too many. They are laying again really well right now. And even though I tried to sell about half of my breeders earlier this year for a prayer with no takers, now all of a sudden people are wanting to buy hens. I've got eggs in the incubator but I know it's sure not as cost effective to keep younger birds as opposed to older birds. If I do sell more hens. I have already sold a couple, the price is NOT going to be nearly as cheap. I need to downsize but I don't like being taken advantage of either.

Thank you for all of that information! I’m glad others love them as much as I do. Do they quit laying in the winter? Mine will be of age in the dead of winter so I’m expecting them to wait until spring. I was also going to get some portable nesting boxes made so I don’t have to hunt for eggs. I have a male black swedish that is pretty laid back but is a little more skittish than the cayugas. I also have a pekin, but she’s a little bit mean. She wasn’t mean until I introduced the cayugas. She they all pretty much shun her. I’m sure they would be nice if she wasn’t such a hag. Lol. I also never see them be mean to each other which I like. Them being the most likely to be broody makes me happy. I don’t have high grass. Keeping them separate if there are several broody hens is a good idea. Having the dog share the same shed this winter should be interesting. They get all hot and bothered when he’s around but he could care less when they are around. He just wants to stay warm. Plus I like the dog sleeping with them because I know he will kill any raccoon or predator that comes around.

 

[chicken danz]

@CayugaJana I had to send these pictures. I raise pyrenees as well every couple of years. This spring a broody duck hatched her babies and as soon as they were done hatching she moved them to the puppy pen. My ducks are so used to my dogs being protectors she knew it was a safe place for her babies. This duck is really old. As Cayugas get older they get white spots and I've seen some almost completely white.

As far as laying goes Cayuga usually take a break late fall in laying and then start again normally after New Years. If they don't lay green eggs, they are usually white but sometimes look charcoal colored which is pretty cool as well.

 

[CayugaJana]

@CayugaJana I had to send these pictures. I raise pyrenees as well every couple of years. This spring a broody duck hatched her babies and as soon as they were done hatching she moved them to the puppy pen. My ducks are so used to my dogs being protectors she knew it was a safe place for her babies. This duck is really old. As Cayugas get older they get white spots and I've seen some almost completely white.View attachment 1171200 View attachment 1171204
As far as laying goes Cayuga usually take a break late fall in laying and then start again normally after New Years. If they don't lay green eggs, they are usually white but sometimes look charcoal colored which is pretty cool as well.

Oh my. Those are such sweet pictures. Mommas do know what’s best. I love seeing ducklings follow their Moms. I will have to look at who is making what color of eggs. I think the green and grey/black ones are really neat. I’m excited for them to start laying.

 

[venymae]

I forget where you're at. I know a couple of people who raise them, it just depends on your location & how far you're willing to drive.

I'm in Manhattan KS

 

[Trish44]

I'm in Manhattan KS

Sending you a PM.