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Posted: 5/20/2014 7:53:45 PM EDT
[#1]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
We had little luck w/ our Muscovies laying. We had them for three years and probably never got more than a two or three dozen eggs from them. I'm thinking something was obviously wrong - no clue what, though. As already stated muscovies should be raised as meat birds. They are big , meaty, mother well, and will lay and sit on 2-3 clutches a year. But that's only 50 eggs. If you want duck eggs get Campbell's. They lay 350 a year. If you want dual purpose there are a few 200-250 egg a year ducks that mother decent (or just incubate) I'd like to get a couple dual purpose meat duck breeds when I have land. I like eating duck and they all taste a bit different |
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Posted: 5/20/2014 7:55:31 PM EDT
[#2]
I only got muscovies because they are quite. Of course since then I got geese so that was a waste ;-)
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Posted: 5/29/2014 1:23:59 AM EDT
[#3]
Nothing happening with the incubators. Another week and hopefully we will have some birds, but I'm not convinced. All my thermometers read different so I don't have much confidence.
We put another 20 plants into the bales and pulled out another 30 to harden. I planted some near a fence the geese could get to through and they decided they really liked a couple :-(. I out some 1" chicken wire up to prevent that in the future. We are having a tent caterpillar invasion. Unfortunately they are coming from over the cliff so I can't attack the source. I bought a sprayer and gave them a borax treatment, if that doesn't work I'll try diatomaceous earth. I don't want to much borax going into the garden, but I assume a little will be fine. The six baby rabbits have their eyes open and are looking strong. I breed the other two females so here in two weeks we should have more litters. I watched the boy closer this time, he seems to be learning how to do his job. The nine Cornish crosses are looking good too. I'll give them 1-2 more weeks and then slaughter. We picked up seven more Cornish chicks and five Red Ranger chicks. We will probably have eaten half or more of the ones I'm going to slaughter before these are ready, plus the RR take until 12 weeks so I probably won't ever have more than 6 in the freezer. I'm ordering Saxony duck hatchlings tomorrow which should arrive the 10th of June. Since I'm not so worried about noise anymore I may replace the Muscovies with them. My Muscovy drake is just too much of a problem to the geese. I'll get ten straight run ducklings and I'll decide what to do with them and the muscovies as they grow up. I may keep the female muscovies as the crossbreed ducks are supposed to taste good, but honestly they will probably become dinner. We will raise the new ducklings by hand so they like us, like our chickens do, as opposed to what we have going on now. The greenhouse is out of control, well over a hundred new sprouts. I'll use maybe half that at best so I'm giving some to friends. |
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Posted: 5/29/2014 7:26:56 PM EDT
[#4]
Really interesting thread. Thanks for the updates.
Curious if you have priced out how much each duck/chicken/egg/rabbit etc cost to bring to slaughter and compared with store bought. I know you are doing this for different reasons than to save money but I would be interested in the cost involved. |
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Posted: 5/29/2014 9:57:55 PM EDT
[#5]
I really have no idea. :-(
Ten chicks for $2 each, one died, probably $50-60 feed into them before slaughter minimum. So $8-10 per bird. Start up costs are a bit for hard goods, like waterers and such . Craigslist is your friend if you can wait. I REALLY need to get my sprouting down better. No soy/no corn feed is over $20 for 50#, whole grains I can get for $10 per 50#, (wheat and barley, oats are $14) sprouted they are supposed to have 5% more protien and be about double in bioavailability of calories (40% changing to 80%) those might be exaggeration but even if it's half that it's way cheaper. Rabbit feed is cheap, $14 for 50# of 21% protien. But sprouting would again be cheaper. Plus I feed them the lawn ;-) so it can't imagine a rabbit even comes in at $10 by slaughter time, probably a lot less. I do need to start over with all my feeds and see what my monthly costs are, just so I can know. My plan this month or next is to convert everyone to 75% rations of sprouted whole grains. One tray a day to the birds of 3 day old sprouts and one tray a day to rabbits of 7 day old sprouts. My rabbit guy convinced me that once I'm running one doe of babies sold on the market at $20-25 each for meat will pay for feed for the other two does litters for me. Makes sense as one 6-8 rabbit litter equals $150 or so, which is TEN BAGS of feed. I need to get my system down though as I need a surplus, I want one rabbit a week available to eat. If I can figure out incubating and hatching I can do the same with duck and goose eggs by selling the hatchlings. Same as rabbit though I need to get it figured out so I have 20+ ducks to eat every year, plus some geese. Once this gosling is grown I plan to slaughter him and his mom and only keep the pair at most. |
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Posted: 5/30/2014 12:12:39 PM EDT
[#6]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
As already stated muscovies should be raised as meat birds. They are big , meaty, mother well, and will lay and sit on 2-3 clutches a year. But that's only 50 eggs. If you want duck eggs get Campbell's. They lay 350 a year. If you want dual purpose there are a few 200-250 egg a year ducks that mother decent (or just incubate) I'd like to get a couple dual purpose meat duck breeds when I have land. I like eating duck and they all taste a bit different Quote HistoryQuoted:
Quoted:
We had little luck w/ our Muscovies laying. We had them for three years and probably never got more than a two or three dozen eggs from them. I'm thinking something was obviously wrong - no clue what, though. As already stated muscovies should be raised as meat birds. They are big , meaty, mother well, and will lay and sit on 2-3 clutches a year. But that's only 50 eggs. If you want duck eggs get Campbell's. They lay 350 a year. If you want dual purpose there are a few 200-250 egg a year ducks that mother decent (or just incubate) I'd like to get a couple dual purpose meat duck breeds when I have land. I like eating duck and they all taste a bit different Good to know thanks. The ducks were just thrown in when we bought other animals, so we hadn't really planned or researched. |
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Posted: 5/30/2014 9:05:30 PM EDT
[#7]
I'd just let them do there thing and hope for the best
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Posted: 6/2/2014 11:06:50 PM EDT
[#8]
Slaughtered our nine Cornish crosses today. Smallest 5#10oz. Largest 8# 8oz
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Posted: 6/3/2014 1:01:22 PM EDT
[#9]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Slaughtered our nine Cornish crosses today. Smallest 5#10oz. Largest 8# 8oz How many weeks to get to those weights? |
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Posted: 6/3/2014 1:16:33 PM EDT
[#10]
Two days short of eight weeks from the time I bought them, and they were obviously a couple days old when I got them.
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Posted: 6/3/2014 5:47:05 PM EDT
[#11]
Wow, great growth. Noting that breed down.
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Posted: 6/3/2014 7:57:43 PM EDT
[#12]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
I really have no idea. :-( Ten chicks for $2 each, one died, probably $50-60 feed into them before slaughter minimum. So $8-10 per bird. Start up costs are a bit for hard goods, like waterers and such . Craigslist is your friend if you can wait. I REALLY need to get my sprouting down better. No soy/no corn feed is over $20 for 50#, whole grains I can get for $10 per 50#, (wheat and barley, oats are $14) sprouted they are supposed to have 5% more protien and be about double in bioavailability of calories (40% changing to 80%) those might be exaggeration but even if it's half that it's way cheaper. Rabbit feed is cheap, $14 for 50# of 21% protien. But sprouting would again be cheaper. Plus I feed them the lawn ;-) so it can't imagine a rabbit even comes in at $10 by slaughter time, probably a lot less. I do need to start over with all my feeds and see what my monthly costs are, just so I can know. My plan this month or next is to convert everyone to 75% rations of sprouted whole grains. One tray a day to the birds of 3 day old sprouts and one tray a day to rabbits of 7 day old sprouts. My rabbit guy convinced me that once I'm running one doe of babies sold on the market at $20-25 each for meat will pay for feed for the other two does litters for me. Makes sense as one 6-8 rabbit litter equals $150 or so, which is TEN BAGS of feed. I need to get my system down though as I need a surplus, I want one rabbit a week available to eat. If I can figure out incubating and hatching I can do the same with duck and goose eggs by selling the hatchlings. Same as rabbit though I need to get it figured out so I have 20+ ducks to eat every year, plus some geese. Once this gosling is grown I plan to slaughter him and his mom and only keep the pair at most. Thanks for the analysis.  If you start over and do something more detailed I would be interested to hear in an update what something like the monthly cost or per egg/duck whatever is.
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Posted: 6/4/2014 9:08:03 PM EDT
[#13]
I'll try, I just went and bought feed and grains. I have a grand total of $150 worth on hand. I'm going to try to finally really organize my fodder sprouting and see how long I can feed my animals on this and how many animals I can feed. Doing precise calculations won't be easy as I will have baby rabbits coming and going, same with chickens and ducks; but I should get a more solid handle on costs.
I'll be trying to do a tray of fodder (I need to weigh how much grain I put in a tray) a day for rabbits and a tray a day for birds. I'll try to get everyone on 50% fodder in the next two weeks and then work towards 100% by a month or so. |
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Posted: 6/5/2014 11:16:13 PM EDT
[#14]
I have no idea why my iPad double taps so much
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Posted: 6/5/2014 11:20:19 PM EDT
[#16]
Way too many sprouts :-). I'm giving some away
Garden shots 
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Posted: 6/6/2014 12:25:21 AM EDT
[#17]
New project :-)
It's going on the roof, I might add a second one for some redundancy since I don't know anything, and I could see losing a hive. I'm trying to attract a swarm but I also might buy a full hive. |
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Posted: 6/6/2014 1:14:07 AM EDT
[#18]
And one of the big bastard right before we eat it :-)
These are huge , we've been joking they are like little turkeys. Of course they aren't that big but they are some big chickens. We could for sure slaughter at 7 weeks next time and do fine. 
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Posted: 6/6/2014 11:42:59 AM EDT
[#19]
Man you are busy! Lookin good
And damn that's a big chicken. |
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Posted: 6/6/2014 6:15:59 PM EDT
[#20]
Yeah I'm pretty sure I'll only take the next ones to seven weeks. These are a little big for some things.
And I swear they almost ate as much in the last week as the previous seven. After removing the necks and aging them for two days the weights were down a minimum of 8oz so some of the weight was just water from the ice bath they had after eviseration. |
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Posted: 6/8/2014 9:29:25 PM EDT
[#22]
You said that two female rabbits could reproduce enough for you to have a rabbit a weak. How many rabbits would you have on hand at one time and how much space would the cages for these rabbits take up. I have been wanting to try this but I am afraid it will get out of control very quickly.
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Posted: 6/9/2014 1:16:02 AM EDT
[#23]
One doe can produce 6-8 rabbits every 16 weeks on a reasonable breeding schedule
You could do it as small as six cages stacked two wide , three high. One buck, 2-3 does, with extra cages for the young as they get old enough to be crowded. They are truly the simplest thing possible. |
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Posted: 6/9/2014 1:43:03 AM EDT
[#24]
It can't really "get out of control" if you have too many don't breed another doe for a month.
You'll have your buck, 2-3 does, a litter approaching 12 weeks, one approaching 6 weeks , and a litter being born. A litter will probably be 4-8 rabbits. That gives you a about one rabbit dressed out at 3-3.5# each week to eat with probably a few extra you could sell to friends every 3-4 months. A small litter can stay in it's moms cage at least until 8 weeks if not longer a big litter may need more room the last 4 weeks. That why the two extra cages. |
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Posted: 6/9/2014 10:06:03 AM EDT
[#25]
Hive looks great... but rooftop?!?
Supers full of honey can be #60+ each - not something I'd would want to be playing with on a pitched roof. Also, how is the wind and temps? Too windy will play havoc with their flight patterns - too hot and the comb will collapse. |
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Posted: 6/9/2014 4:15:43 PM EDT
[#26]
It's the only place for it I can think of.
I talked to a few people in the NW and they didn't thnk the roof would be an issue heat wise, and I looked up the wind issue and same hopefully. It doesn't get that windy outside of a few winter storms, and sometimes a little windy at night . I guess people raise them on roofs in NYC etc, which is WAY hotter than the PNW. I was also thinking of adding a top box like a warre hive that would act as a attic and regulate temperture. I'm not planning on carrying the whole supper, I was going to empty the combs out up on the stand into a big tub with handles , but also I got medium suppers so they will be lighter. The roof isn't steep. If it doesn't work I'll have to figure something else out. |
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Posted: 6/10/2014 1:22:31 AM EDT
[#28]
Are the rabbit pelts of any value, or enough to bother with anyway?
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Posted: 6/10/2014 3:21:28 AM EDT
[#29]
I really don't know. We are going to do some crafts stuff with them but will need to figure out something after that.
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Posted: 6/10/2014 6:14:56 AM EDT
[#30]
I'd be more concerned with smoking the bees with the wood stove chimney all winter.
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Posted: 6/10/2014 3:48:51 PM EDT
[#31]
The chimney you see in the picture is not in use, it used to go to a propane fireplace.
Our chimney is about thirty feet away and ten feet higher on another roof. I don't think it will be an issue. |
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Posted: 6/11/2014 4:36:14 PM EDT
[#32]
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Posted: 6/11/2014 5:12:51 PM EDT
[#33]
I finally may be figuring out sprouts. The geese are really digging them at about day 4-5 when put in water.
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Posted: 6/12/2014 11:33:06 AM EDT
[#34]
Fricken awesome pics man. We're stuck in a rental home for a little bit longer, but can't wait to get back to having livestock. Great job.
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Posted: 6/12/2014 2:23:52 PM EDT
[#35]
Fiancee and I have 4 chickens we're raising right now that are about 3 weeks old. Testing her on these before we dive into a hobby farm and I find out she doesn't like barn work.
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Posted: 6/12/2014 3:18:25 PM EDT
[#36]
If I do it again I'll do my coop with hardware wire floor so most the poop just falls to the ground
Done right there can be almost no chores. |
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Posted: 6/12/2014 3:20:03 PM EDT
[#37]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
If I do it again I'll do my coop with hardware wire floor so most the poop just falls to the ground Done right there can be almost no chores. The coop is my biggest question regarding getting birds. I'd love to see what design you're working with. |
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Posted: 6/12/2014 4:09:39 PM EDT
[#38]
Depends on if you want them running around the yard or in a tractor ?
I'd troll Craigslist for a super cheap one and same for waterers, feeders etc. If you take a month you'll get them for free or almost free. I spent too much time and money building my stuff. |
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Posted: 6/13/2014 2:28:40 PM EDT
[#39]
We were going the tractor route but have gone to a stand alone coop and then a PVC run so we can move it around the yard and give them fresh grass and bugs during the day, and then have a sturdy coop for them to be in at night.
Have a lot if hawks, falcons, and coons and possums. |
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Posted: 6/13/2014 4:26:46 PM EDT
[#40]
Well, I suppose I should specify I'm thinking more of ducks than chickens.
That being said, I was thinking of laying down a thick layer of gravel and then putting a coop on one side and a little water trough on the other. So they can get out of the elements, splash their heads without turning things into a huge mudpit, and be confined away from the yard in a way that is easy to clean. A little duck run that we let them out of to free range and eat bugs during the day then lock them down in the evening. |
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Posted: 6/13/2014 6:07:32 PM EDT
[#41]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Well, I suppose I should specify I'm thinking more of ducks than chickens. That being said, I was thinking of laying down a thick layer of gravel and then putting a coop on one side and a little water trough on the other. So they can get out of the elements, splash their heads without turning things into a huge mudpit, and be confined away from the yard in a way that is easy to clean. A little duck run that we let them out of to free range and eat bugs during the day then lock them down in the evening. That sounds good. Just use a really small kids pool so you can dump it easy. You'll need to change water once a week minimum. I just used wood chips and it seems to be good. Ducks are great. Do you want to eat duck, have eggs, or both? |
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Posted: 6/13/2014 8:16:25 PM EDT
[#42]
For ducks just get some free or cheap igloo dog houses off of CL for housing. And some straw.
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Posted: 6/14/2014 2:34:43 AM EDT
[#43]
Primarily in it for the eggs. I'm thinking of a dual purpose breed like the Ancona. Enough production for our family with a good surplus to barter/sell, and eventually hatch out the ducklings. Keep some for meat, some to replace the layers as they get old, some to barter for different bloodlines to avoid excessive in breeding, and some to sell to off set the costs. And since Anconas are a pretty rare breed I figure there'd be a good demand.
I was reading an article by that Holderread guy, and he says they don't need a large enough pool to swim in just enough to get their whole head underwater. I'm thinking of trying an old water heater tank cut in half as a trough. Our heater is dying so when I replace that I'll try cutting it up and see. The thing I wonder about with the igloo style is how do I clean the straw and waste out, and get the eggs? I guess if the top came off I could rake it out easily enough. I don't want to have to kneel down and reach in through a narrow opening. I had been thinking of making it as a shed style so I could walk in standing up right. But if the top was hinged or detachable the igloo style might work as well. |
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Posted: 6/14/2014 12:32:14 PM EDT
[#44]
I was going to mention don't get a doghouse w a floor. Just have straw down and you can just lift it up and check or collect eggs.
Then it's just math on how many eggs you want to figure out how many ducks to get. |
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Posted: 6/17/2014 9:42:52 PM EDT
[#45]
Well the 12 meat chickens are growing fast , they've been living in a rabbit tractor with a heat lamp and a windbreak.
One isn't doing well , has some foot infections and had a big sack of liquid on her chest. I drained most the liquid and tried to clean up her feet. She's been doing better this week. We are looking forward to tasting the difference between the Cornish crosses and the red rangers. One laying hen has been trying to go broody. We just have locked her out of the coop. Bees are on the roof as of last night. I'm giving them a few days to settle down before I visit them The vegtables are trying to flower too early. I think my nutrients were off. I'm adding more nitrogen and I'm going to feed them a lot more often. I should know if I've made a good choice within two weeks. So far we are getting all the lettuce we want, some peas, and some strawberries. |
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Posted: 6/17/2014 10:18:38 PM EDT
[#47]
At <$15 per 50# for 21% protein rabbit feed it's hard to justify sprouting for them, but I'm still going to try to get them on 50% sprouts anyways. That and eating the lawn for the babies the second half of their lives.
I did get everything to set up a nice sprouting station in the laundry room. Unfortunately everything cost as much as probably 3-4 months if feed ! But it will be nice and should make everyone very healthy. The ducks and geese seem to like it now that I figured out to put it in water. It looks like about day 4 is best for them and day 7 or so for the rabbits. Once it's downstairs in a more climate controlled environment I can get better data. |
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Posted: 7/6/2014 12:10:59 PM EDT
[#50]
The younger Muscovy mother hatched two ducklings, a few more eggs almost made it. I think I need to take eggs and not let them sit on so many.
The older female is sitting. I'll see what happens with her. I'm planning on selling the muscovies as soon as she's done hatching. The saxony ducks are doing great. We let the range during the day with the chickens and geese. The younger gosling has tried to pick on them. I've discovered that airsoft is pretty good behavior modification for geese. New baby rabbits are doing great. All eight are still alive. Then older six are in the tractor with mom. Then crossbreed mom didn't give birth again so I breed her again. One Cornish cross got it's head stuck in the fence and died. Too bad it's just a week or two from slaughter and it was a big one. The one that was sick is alive but small. I've been feeding everyone lots of sprouted grains. With 11 meat birds at 7 weeks, and 10 ducklings at 4 weeks it's a lot of food. I think to maintain my normal breeding flock I'm at $30 or less of grain a month , but it's at least $50 right now. We are going to try to build a plucker here in the next week or two. Garden is doing better. I was overwatering the bales. I'm right now just putting rabbit "tea" on them 1-2 times a week and no other watering. The bales hold serious moisture. The stuff in the ground and containers gets watered every day. |
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