Thoms Birds!

Start your own thread and let us follow you through the year
Post Reply
User avatar
Phoenix82
Lively Laner
Posts: 49
Joined: 09 Feb 2014, 10:21
Gender: Female
Location: North Warwickshire

Re: Thoms Birds!

Post by Phoenix82 »

You have a Purple Coop-I'm so jealous!

I have 3 Hybrids.My White star is a prolific egg layer of variable sized White eggs,even when she was moulting. She is very friendly. My Bluebell is very Docile,easy to handle and lays large Brown eggs. My Black Rock is very timid and scatty,not friendly in the least and has the look of a Velociraptor about her,when she lays they are average sized brown eggs.

Your Ducks look fantastic,I'm desperate for some Indian Runners. Do you live in a built up area? I've heard they are very noisy and that's the only thing that's putting me off as I'm surrounded on all sides even though we do in fact live in the country.

I'm looking forward to reading your Diary )t'
Wife of one,Mum of two.
5 assorted Pekin Bantams,1 White star,1 Bluebell,1 Black Rock Hybrid
1 Lurcher,1 old Tom,1 Tabby Cat
Desperate for some Indian Runners!

Thomassio
Lively Laner
Posts: 263
Joined: 08 Feb 2014, 19:01
Gender: Male
Location: Deepest Devon

Re: Thoms Birds!

Post by Thomassio »

Thanks guys. Phoenix and chookaholic;

They are brilliant, really funny and entertaining. If given the chance, they will spend all day eating. Anything. Flapping there wings, preening or swimming. The runners are not noisy at all until they get excited. If they have been in their pen for the day and I let them out when I get home then they make almighty racket for around 5 minutes. Whilst making the noise they sprint around in circles, follow me and often jump straight up in the air, up to two feet and they flap their wings at the same time desperately pretending they can fly! It really is funny and I could quite happily - and given the time - sometimes do wath them all day.
I find the noise not to a problem and quite like it. The girls and the 'quackers' and drakes make a low and quiet raspy noise. Thats one of the most obvious ways of sexing them. Im in a semi detached house and my neighbours rarely hear them but they often comment on how nice and funny they are to look at and hear. Not all neighbours are as understanding but for the most part, they shouldn't cause any issues. They certainly wont escape from the garden. In fact a while back I went out and somehow left the garden gate open for nearly an hour. I came home and they hadnt even approached the gate.
In terms of water, a fresh bucket deep enough to wet their eyes is plenty each day although a kids paddling pool or some sort of easily emptiable tray full of water will give them and you hours of entertainment! I will try to post some of my videos if I can figure out how.
Mess......yep they are messy. They only thing they do as much as eat, is poop! Any rain and they will find the lowest point in an area and turn grass to swamp pretty quickly. Personally I dont mind what state my lawn is in so it doesn't matter so much to me. A couple will be fine but six are a formidable team! Imo its worth it though.

Runner ducks adore slugs and snails. When the weather started to cool in October and the dew attracted slugs to the grass, they ducks would go WILD for them. No pests left in the garden, thats for sure. They will chase bees, flies, wasps and even small birds around the garden and if you have a fish pond then it will need fencing off. Completely!

All ours take themselves to bed when it gets dark and red mite is very rare with ducks unless kept with chickens.

As a passing note...... its very very hard to be miserable about the rain when you keep ducks, they love it so much. (apologies if anyone suffering badly from the recent flooding is reading as I cant even imagine that sort of devastation to my home)

They will also spot a plane at 10, 000 ft and simply stare at it while they decide if its a bird of prey! Also very funny!

I hope this has helped and I apologise if it seems like im trying to persuade people to get them......but I guess I am as tgey are brilliant aside from the mess. I am still to figure out the best thing for the floor of a run.

Anyway, another 4 eggs from 5 girls today. Not sure if all 5 are laying or not yet.
User avatar
Chookaholic
Longlasting Laner
Posts: 742
Joined: 06 Aug 2013, 12:27
Gender: Female
Location: Warrington , Cheshire

Re: Thoms Birds!

Post by Chookaholic »

dont apologise for being enthusiastic about your little gang: DTL is the place to rave about them )t'

I was thinking of making an area with a picket fence for ducks..... still tossing around ideas (and trying to convince Mr Chookaholic)

They are fabulous to watch arent they? Always something new to see them do or react to . My neighbour has ducks and I love hearing them quack...it sounds like someone has told them a really funny joke {rofwl}
Thomassio
Lively Laner
Posts: 263
Joined: 08 Feb 2014, 19:01
Gender: Male
Location: Deepest Devon

Re: Thoms Birds!

Post by Thomassio »

Haha, that's exactly what they sound like sometimes!

Here's a picture from back in the summer, cracked me up though. {rofwl}
Sally is a real water baby, always first in when their bath is cleaned and the only one to still get in when it's dirty (the others are fussy little snobs!). One day when we had no water in the paddling pool, we gave them a fresh bucket of water to drink from but she had other ideas and staged this little protest!

Image

And this is a quick video from this afternoon. I had just let them out of the pen, this is them at their loudest unless they are scared or cornered and usually last 4 or 5 minutes maximum. The rest of the time they just quietly yap to themselves mostly. Also, I panned to the right to show the lowest part of our garden where the water tends to sit so you can see what they do to grass. Be warned, they can and do do a lot more damage to grass given enough time if you let them.

Image
User avatar
Phoenix82
Lively Laner
Posts: 49
Joined: 09 Feb 2014, 10:21
Gender: Female
Location: North Warwickshire

Re: Thoms Birds!

Post by Phoenix82 »

Thomassio wrote:I hope this has helped and I apologise if it seems like im trying to persuade people to get them......but I guess I am as tgey are brilliant aside from the mess.


On the contrary Thomassio you've made me even more determined to get some

Chookaholic wrote: I love hearing them quack...it sounds like someone has told them a really funny joke {rofwl}


Chookaholic I think exactly the same thing!
Wife of one,Mum of two.
5 assorted Pekin Bantams,1 White star,1 Bluebell,1 Black Rock Hybrid
1 Lurcher,1 old Tom,1 Tabby Cat
Desperate for some Indian Runners!
Thomassio
Lively Laner
Posts: 263
Joined: 08 Feb 2014, 19:01
Gender: Male
Location: Deepest Devon

Re: Thoms Birds!

Post by Thomassio »

Had to catch Rosie, the blue today. They aren't fans of being picked up and I felt a little guilty using food to trick her! Anyway, this was all because she seems to lie down a lot, no lee ping, but she lies down to eat and whenever the others stop running around. She seems quite happy to me but my other half was worried. Her feet seemed fine, legs too. I'm not worried yet but will keep an eye on her. After I put her down she cautiously came back to eat from my hand again, albeit a little more nervously!

That's the second I have had to pick up today. This morning we let them out into the garden and they adventured up into the raised beds where the compost bin is and when they climbed back out Sally wedged her leg between the logs and was trapped, flapping on her belly half in and half out of the flower bed! Silly girl.

Another 4 eggs each day for the last couple of days. Far more than we need but not enough to really sell either so I guess the family will be lucky for a few weeks!
Thomassio
Lively Laner
Posts: 263
Joined: 08 Feb 2014, 19:01
Gender: Male
Location: Deepest Devon

Re: Thoms Birds!

Post by Thomassio »

Only 3 eggs for today and yesterday. Its hard to know if all 5 are laying and I guess I won't until I get 5 in a morning.
Other news;
On sunday, Maggie moo had a bath. This is the first time she has ever been in it. Usually she washes from a bucket or muddy puddle and she will often stand in front of the bath and preen the others while they flap around, splashing her, but sunday she actually swam.

Today I went to see what Lex was making a racket for and found that my shed door had swung shut in the wind and Cindy Lauper was inside. This is the first time any of them have ventured into the shed as far as l know. Cindy didnt seem too bothered but Lex wasn't best pleased! Anyway, I proped the door wide open and got out my camera! Far safer tgan trying to chase her round the shed.

Image
Thomassio
Lively Laner
Posts: 263
Joined: 08 Feb 2014, 19:01
Gender: Male
Location: Deepest Devon

Re: Thoms Birds!

Post by Thomassio »

Hope the video works. It looks like a photo but click on tge image and it should play.
User avatar
sandy
Legendary Laner
Posts: 9915
Joined: 13 Oct 2008, 21:59
Gender: Female
Location: Bristol

Re: Thoms Birds!

Post by sandy »

Video works fine )t' Forgot how comical they are when they run. Loving this diary {hug}
The Pink Ladies..Audrey,Ingrid-Bergman,Madeleline,Norma-Jean,Dora,Janice,Jo,Robyn,Chrissy and Joyce
The Peds…Mork,Mindy,Bell,Saphire &
Vorky ,Blueped,Ginger,Ninger &Linky

Sunny Clucker was ere July 12-21 2012
Sunny Clucker was ere July 6 2016 to Sept 9th 2017
Sunny Clucker is here , rehomed Aug 18th 2018/
User avatar
Chookaholic
Longlasting Laner
Posts: 742
Joined: 06 Aug 2013, 12:27
Gender: Female
Location: Warrington , Cheshire

Re: Thoms Birds!

Post by Chookaholic »

haha the video of them running is so funny! {rofwl}

Always cheers me up this diary )t'
Thomassio
Lively Laner
Posts: 263
Joined: 08 Feb 2014, 19:01
Gender: Male
Location: Deepest Devon

Re: Thoms Birds!

Post by Thomassio »

Haha, I'm glad chookaholic! I found a pair of them in the shed again today and yesterday, all 6 came into my front room as I left the patio door open! Photos to follow tonight possibly!
User avatar
HenPen
Longlasting Laner
Posts: 903
Joined: 27 Jul 2013, 13:38

Re: Thoms Birds!

Post by HenPen »

Lovely diary. I keep scanning back to the "duck in a bucket" photo! {rofwl}
Thomassio
Lively Laner
Posts: 263
Joined: 08 Feb 2014, 19:01
Gender: Male
Location: Deepest Devon

Re: Thoms Birds!

Post by Thomassio »

So the egg tally for February is in. We had our first egg on the first day of February, we had one each day for a week, then 2 per day and at the moment we are getting four a day. I'm fairly sure that all 5 are laying but until I have a bumper 5 egg day, I can't be positive.
We had 68 eggs last month which considering they were only just started and it was a 28 day month, I am really pleased with.
User avatar
sandy
Legendary Laner
Posts: 9915
Joined: 13 Oct 2008, 21:59
Gender: Female
Location: Bristol

Re: Thoms Birds!

Post by sandy »

Eggs are just that little extra bonus arent they )t'
The Pink Ladies..Audrey,Ingrid-Bergman,Madeleline,Norma-Jean,Dora,Janice,Jo,Robyn,Chrissy and Joyce
The Peds…Mork,Mindy,Bell,Saphire &
Vorky ,Blueped,Ginger,Ninger &Linky

Sunny Clucker was ere July 12-21 2012
Sunny Clucker was ere July 6 2016 to Sept 9th 2017
Sunny Clucker is here , rehomed Aug 18th 2018/
Thomassio
Lively Laner
Posts: 263
Joined: 08 Feb 2014, 19:01
Gender: Male
Location: Deepest Devon

Re: Thoms Birds!

Post by Thomassio »

Almost as if they knew I was writing about them yesterday, I woke to 5 eggs today. Good girls!

Post Reply