Inchworm's cocoon - busy spinning away

[big brown horse]

Excuse me for asking, but what happens when your duckling comes? Will she raise it? I am just curious.

I know what you mean about other people's children. My 12 year old has a best friend who comes from "the wrong side of the tracks" and has some pretty bad parents as role models. She is here every weekend because we have one child (and she has a small loud bustling household), a big old house (she comes from a matchbox) and 5 acres bulging with critters large and small..it is practically a kid magnet. We love having her and WE hope we can rub off on HER, rather than the other way around. It is a challange though sometimes.

Thanks for sharing with us!

 

[inchworm]

I understand that they will, except for the swimming thing. I was planning on giving the duck back to the person I got the egg from. She keeps chickens and ducks in the same barn. They get along just fine.

If I thought I could keep my cats from killing the duckling, I would keep it. I guess I could keep it in the pen until it was big enough to defend itslef. Hmmmm.

 

[FarmerChick]

hey inchy

anything free ranging is subject to any demise.......especially chickens. honestly, everything wants to eat a chicken, or just kill it. the way they move etc. must makes them a prey critter

best to lock up everything if you don't want loss from "who knows what"
LOL

I let nothing free range. I got all protected and honestly, that is not a great help either...cause the coons and skunks etc. dig and wittle their way in somehow

so I guess, we have chickens we are bound to lose some..LOL


sorry for losing a hen. they are a great asset to a farm and we never want to lose any earlier than need be!!!!

 

[Aidenbaby]

I've been letting my girls "free range" in our backyard. So far, our most vicious predator has been the wild and ravenous kids that are around. Oh, wait, those are my kids. Today is the first day that they've wandered further than 10 feet away from the run. We're only letting them out when we're out there with them.

 

[big brown horse]

I love a mom with a sense of humor!

 

[inchworm]

It's a calculated risk. I will keep them penned for a few days to make sure something doesn't develop a habit of coming here for a game of catch-the-chicken. This particular hen also had a habit of going off by itself.

If I'm going to be out for more than an hour or two, I keep them penned. But the difference in them is pretty striking. They are much calmer and happier free-ranging. I will change my tune if we lose another....

The duckling hatched yesterday. At first, I thought mom was rejecting it as she left it alone in the middle of the floor all afternoon. Last night, the temperature cooled off and I decided I needed to bring the duckling into the house. Luckily, Momma hen had finally tucked it under her and it was happily chirping away. It's a khaki campbell duckling. I don't know much about them.

I will probably hang onto it for a week, join it with a new hatchling next week, and then let my friend introduce them to her flock. Now maybe my hen will get off the nest and back to laying eggs!

It's a cute little thing. I must be strong and rehome it!!

Inchworm

 

[keljonma]

Our SLW broke her neck flying down from a barn crossbeam (where she was roosting) into a door beam.

Our flock forages our acreage daily sunup to sundown spring-summer-autumn; also in winter depending on weather conditions and snow amounts. We are completely fenced, though, and our Great Pyr is out with the flock, so we haven't had any predator issues.

Sorry to hear about your hen. It isn't easy losing one.

 

[inchworm]

Keljonma,

That's interesting. The hen's body was lying under the kid's jungle gym. No blood, no feathers missing. It's possible our cat scared away an intruder. But the chickens do get on the jungle gym from time to time. Maybe she made a bad landing or got tangled in the swings or jungle gym. Never thought of that.

 

[inchworm]

Here's a pic of baby duckling and her Momma hen. It took some time for them to bond, but they are quite the pair now!

 

[big brown horse]

Isn't that the cutest???