I understand not wanting to raise chicks. I like them for their first week and then I hate bothering with them. :)
I did cage my broodies with babies. I don't have to worry about heat lamps, but I still have the food and water issues. Still broodies are better than not.
My runners are confined in a fenced yard. They do enjoy free ranging, though. They do not come inside the chicken coop much, though some of them lay their eggs in there and one did go broody in the coop. They tend to stay outside in the rain and snow. This was the first year I lost a duck (a...
As soon as they can handle it, I get the ducklings on Purina duck grower or a game bird pellet. I do try to remember to give babies some Brewers Yeast. :(
I do not want to see or smell a mink. :(
I had not heard of that meat cross. I'm not opposed to using my birds for meat, but so far I've just been in breeding and eating egg mode.
Same here on the storms. Had the look and feel of tornado potential on the forefront of the storm. Wind was wicked and then torrents of rain came. We lost Internet for a while. Still some thunder.
Do you coat in cornmeal before frying? My mother did try coating with cornmeal before freezing and it worked okay, but there was a lot of ice in there that splattered in the frying pan.
Well, you may be talking me into keeping the ROs at least until spring or so. ;) I have the adult pair, then I hatched 3 from a BYCer in MI. I have one chick hatched from this pair with 6 more eggs in the incubator due on the 20th. I wonder when I'll know roo from pullet?
So sorry to hear about about possibility of the electric lines coming through. I would hate to be forced to move like that even if I did end up getting a bit better place to live. :/ But I also would NOT want to live under or near that kind of electric voltage either. :barnie
Around here I typically plant around Memorial Day and the okra will sprout and stall. It usually doesn't jump up until July. Hmm. I may clear a spot and try. If I can find time! That's why it never got done before now. :/