Chortle Chook Posted September 26, 2012 Share Posted September 26, 2012 By the way Chubby and Cheeky Chook, are you related? Or is it just by name?? No, not related, but friends I started my Omlet life (just over 2 years ago now) as Cheaky Chook, without realising the spelling error. By the time the error had been gently pointed out to me and corrected Cheeky Chooky had joined the forum and so we agreed that I'd become Chubby Chook so we were not completely confused. I've been wondering recently about another name change .. . to Shabby Chic Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cheeky Chooky Posted September 26, 2012 Author Share Posted September 26, 2012 People do still confuse the two of us sometimes don't they Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cheeky Chooky Posted September 27, 2012 Author Share Posted September 27, 2012 We haven't named him yet but we're working on it After consulting some friends on another Forum, he has now been named Dennis Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chortle Chook Posted September 27, 2012 Share Posted September 27, 2012 Brilliant . . . wondering if you'll be adding the 'Mennace' bit. Perhaps come spring Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coppers Posted September 29, 2012 Share Posted September 29, 2012 Just caught up with this thread. I love Dennis! He is gorgeous, just like an Appleyard drake called Merlin that I once had. I agree, their head colour is lovely. I am just wondering whether Daisy and Lily would like a new friend once their new accommodation is finished? I think they might... Merlin had a wife called Maisie. She made a nest in the garden and began to lay a clutch of eggs. I had to move the nest and eggs into their house ( because I couldn't let her sit on the eggs without protection from predators). I worried that she might abandon it but she didn't, she carried on adding eggs until she had 11 in the nest!! It was fascinating how she arranged them in a definite pattern every time she added a new egg. She had one on its own (obviously) and when she laid the second it was placed very neatly alogside the first. The third egg was laid next to the first two, in a row, but when she laid the fourth egg she put them in two rows of two. It continued like that with her arranging them very carefully. Presumably this was to enable maximum coverage of the clutch when she incubated them? Anyway, she sat on them for 26 days, just leaving the nest twice a day to eat, drink and have a swim. She strutted around in a very 'busy' and important way when she was off of the eggs. It was hilarious! In the books I read it said the eggs would hatch after 28 days but it only took 26 days. We heard 'peeping' from under Maisie so we knew the ducklings were arriving. Every egg hatched and they were the most adorable creatures .I was told to separate Merlin until the ducklings had grown so my DH had to quickly make a pen to put him in. The ducklings were fine, ate chick crumbs and had water in a very shallow dish. Maisie managed to keep them warm by brooding them despite being a small duck. By 6 weeks old (if I remember rightly) they were fully feathered and looked like proper ducks! It was a lovely experience and our children loved it (they were young then). Sorry to hijack the thread, I just wanted to share the story. You may have noticed I find it quite impossible to post a short message xxxxx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cheeky Chooky Posted September 29, 2012 Author Share Posted September 29, 2012 Thanks for the lovely comment about Dennis and it was lovely to read your little tale Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mollyripkim Posted September 29, 2012 Share Posted September 29, 2012 What a lovely lovely story, it must have been brilliant to watch, did you keep any of the ducklings? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coppers Posted September 29, 2012 Share Posted September 29, 2012 Yes, we kept the females, 6 of them, and sold the 5 males. I also once hatched 14 ducklings under a broody hen (a warren) . It was a bit of an experiment but it worked. I splashed a little water on the eggs when she got off of the nest as the eggs have to be damp, other than that she did it all herself. The eggs all hatched and I gave them to a chap I knew who had just moved to a smallholding. He was thrilled with them. I have never hatched chicks because of the problem with rehoming any cockerels but I hatched duck eggs twice and had no problem finding homes for the drakes. Perhaps I was just lucky? xx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cheeky Chooky Posted September 29, 2012 Author Share Posted September 29, 2012 I think the fact that drakes are nowhere near as noisy as cockerels could have something to do with it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mollyripkim Posted September 29, 2012 Share Posted September 29, 2012 Mmm now that has me thinking, I have always wanted to hatch but don't do it because of the cockeral issue but my little drake is so quiet, especially compared to Daisy bless her! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cheeky Chooky Posted September 29, 2012 Author Share Posted September 29, 2012 Mmm now that has me thinking Uh oh! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mollyripkim Posted September 29, 2012 Share Posted September 29, 2012 Yes I know, little call ducks are not very good mums but thinking I always have a broody silkie . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miller30 Posted September 30, 2012 Share Posted September 30, 2012 Ive hatched chicks and ducklings under my girls and drakes are as hard to rehome as cockerals it must just be pot luck now i just hatch chicks as its easier for me to cull a cockbird than a drake leanne Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chortle Chook Posted October 3, 2012 Share Posted October 3, 2012 Well done to Maisie Cheeky Chooky I can now almost hear the patter of little webbed feet in your duck WIR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
