Saturday, 1 March 2014

Its hatching time in the Homer household

Just when you think the bottom has fallen out of the market for Welsh Harlequin ducks......quack!
Three were taken off to a good home last week.  It's always a relief when you meet someone genuinely passionate about poultry and waterfowl.  It makes letting the birds go a lot easier, and boy did I need the space.
I have two left, one male, one female and whilst the initial plan was to move all of the ducks on, I can see myself keeping these two now, certainly until they have been through the spring show at the Royal Welsh Showground. Plus, there seems to be a battle brewing over the dinner table between the eldest boys for the soft boiled duck eggs.  I would not be popular with them if the duck egg supply stopped.

So for now they are staying.  It does mean they need names.  All other named birds have been food based, Rhubard, Crumble (no longer with us), custard, apple, blackberry, pudding and not forgetting Treacle.
So where do I go from here?  Any suggestions would be gratefully received.

With a whole pig, jointed in the fridge, I will be busy curing bacon and ham over the next day or so.  However, with March just round the corner my mind has turned to hatching again.  I will be hatching my own quail eggs this year using some lighter coloured japanese quail.  Apart from that, I do need, or should I say want, a male Silverlace Wyandotte to run with my 1st place winning hen from the Royal Welsh winter fair and the Welsh National Poultry Show.
I'm having difficulty sourcing one locally, so next option is hatching one.  This way I will hopefully have a choice of males and it gives me a little more time to find the best place to keep them.

As it happens I have just this second ordered some hatching eggs from Cheshire Poultry. They have some great looking birds.  Poultry genetics, Fancy Fowl editor, and genuine nice guy, Grant Brereton recommended I contact Steve Dace. I can't wait.
Hopefully by the wyandottes have hatched, the quail will have started laying and I can put my pair/trios together ready for hatching, in a month or so.

Thanks for reading.

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