Tag Archives: duck chronicles

Duck Chronicles Episode Eighteen – Full Pools Make for a Happy Scene

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Today it is time for morning bath time for the ducks. The over night low was 27 and the temp at time of filming was about 34 degrees. This really shows how little ducks care about what humans call cold. They have a blast taking their morning baths. We can also see some of the pattern on the two flock drakes just barely starting to come in. They have a long way to go and we have a few months to wait before we once again have daily duck eggs. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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Duck Chronicles Episode Seventeen – Another Look at the Sprouts Routine

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Today I figured we would take a second look at my smaller sunflower sprouting system for our small homestead duck flock.  You can build this for about 12 bucks, far less if you use salvaged containers (then basically free).  Above all make the following the guiding command on your homestead…. Thou shall not make the simple complicated! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~    

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Duck Chronicles Episode Sixteen – Lucy Chases a “Bad Bird” off the Scene

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So I wanted to give an overview of my scaled down sprouting system today for the new flock of only 10 Rouen Ducks.  The old system was based on 5 gallon buckets but they would not work well for a much smaller quantity.  The key is to keep the mat of seeds nice and thick so they don’t dry out and can fully sprout well. This is not the best over view of the system due to shooting one handed and due to a few disruptions.  One disruption was great though.  I often discuss how Charlie (our pit-pointer mix) defends … Continue reading →

Duck Chronicles Episode Fifteen – Ducks Explore and Dogs Intervene

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The 10 little rouen ducks still seem to be getting used to freedom, they feel the world is a very big place now. We have to kick them out of the holding area most mornings and sometimes even well meaning dogs are just no help. Still the interaction is good, the ducks are erratic, running back and forth and we have no prey drive response in Lucy. It was a good morning on the homestead. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  

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The Duck Chronicles Season Four – Episode 14

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Two episodes really in one today.  Did a quick addendum once I got the little guys comfortable with things enough to have a swim. Big day, time to get out of the holding area and experience the scary reality of freedom. Big lesson today for both the ducks and you guys watching. Freedom is indeed scary but you must experience it to value it and you must value it to make the most of it and be willing to defend it. See all of Season 4 Here http://bit.ly/ducks4 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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Duck Chronicles Episode Seven – Swimming is Duck Heaven

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The little ducks are now 15 days old and it is time for their fist full on swim.  We hang out and enjoy a bit of 30 year old port.  We talk about how to condition dogs that have prey drive issues to not harm ducks and how to condition the ducks to not run from and there by key up the dog. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  

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Duck Chronicles Episode Four – Massive Q&A In Store

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Today we answer questions from the following folks… Toni – How to they get stuck and die in an brooder? What exactly do yo mean Walt lars – How is processing a duck different than a chicken? v – Will your ducks attract other water fowl? Tea Tina – What about brooding ducks and chicks together? If not can they ever go together? Inarainyplace – How do you protect them from avian predators? Alyssa Mennillo – What about cold climates like CT? Lor Farr – Is “excessive quacking” normal behavior? Why might one duck quack a lot more than all … Continue reading →

Duck Chronicles Has Returned

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After a long break Nine Mile Farm again has ducks.  This time around we are going with “homestead ducks”.  Just a small flock for our personal use.  The new flock will be 8 ducks and 2 drakes (assuming everyone makes it out of the brooder alive). They are all Rouens so if we hatch any ducklings eventually we know exactly what we are going to get.  I picked them up today, got them into the brooder and made three videos.  From this point forward we will likely put out 3-5 videos a week as they grow and have their first … Continue reading →

S3 – Duck Chronicles 24 – 12 Turkeys Out The Door

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Well it has been long enough in the chicken tractor for the turkey polts so today they have freedom. Unlike chickens and ducks they really bond with people and have no real fear, so the biggest danger right now is accidentally stepping on one of them. P.S. – Product I mentioned for cracked heals, I love this stuff http://amzn.to/2sXk3mF

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Episode 23 of the Duck Chronicles – Full Swales and Happy Ducks

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A rainy day in June especially late June is a gift in North Central Texas, especially when it comes without baseball sized hail, deadly lightning and swirling clouds of death and destruction. Now when that rain totals over two inches and takes 5-6 hours in the very early morning to come down, and then it keeps steadily slowing raining for 5 more hours, man, heaven.  You can keep your clear blue skys and sunny days this time of year, give me a few days a moth like this and I and the farm are set. The results are full swales, … Continue reading →