Merry Christmas and I hope you have a fantastic New Year tonight.
My ducks are characters and great entertainment. I'm not sure I would want to be without them now. The problem is they destroy the back garden in a short space of time, especially the grass. They do not scratch like chickens, but they have an amazing ability to dig over a period of time with their beak, especially around drinkers or water for bathing.
This recent spell of rain (monsoon type conditions at times here in Wales) has destroyed what was left of the grass. The Chickens, ducks and quail all look very fed up, proof in the pudding is the lack of eggs, even the hybrids have shut up shop. I knew when hatching ducks under broody hen Treacle, that I would have to move some on. I am fortunate that there are only two males and three females, meaning I have the choice of keeping a pair or a trio. But I am surprised at the noise the females can make, and the mud that they create. On top of that, they seem to eat for two constantly. They are also still very timid and nervous of any human approaching them. They are 15 weeks old today so I am interested to see if this changes when they get older and are less dependant on Treacle, who still insists on staking in the run with them.
Needless to say these ducks need space, and I am constantly looking for some land closer to home, not easy when 3.5 acres of grazing land is being sold locally for over £60,000.
I'm off to the Welsh National Poultry Show in Haverford west on 12th January 2014. I'm taking my 1st and 3rd place Wyandottes to see how they look on a larger scale (some 1700 entries in previous years).
I will of course update the blog with results and the experience. In the mean time, if I go a little quiet its probably because I am concentrating on some contributions for Home Farmer Magazine www.homefarmer.co.uk
In 2012 I visited the Winterfair at the Royal Welsh Agricultural Society show ground in Builth Wells as an excited and intrigued fist time visitor, keen to investigate the poultry, pigs and sheep sections. I returned this year as a poultry exhibitor but just as excited. My day started with a rather smelly one and a half hour drive from north Cardiff to Builth Wells with three Silverlace Wyandotte Bantams safely stowed away in the boot of the car. I mention smelly, as the hens seem to have decided to hold off exercising their bowels all night, only to release them when placed in the transport cage in the rear of the car. I spent the first 20 minutes driving with the windows open with the temperature at 4 degrees on a pitch back early morning.
Smell to one side, I made it to the show ground at 8.45am. Latest pen time was 9am, so I had to work fast, giving the feet and legs a final clean, the comb and wattles a little oil and Vaseline. Fortunately for me judging did not start until 9.30am.
There were 9 birds in my class including chocolate and barred wyandottes. The white wyandotte were separated into their own group which is fortunate as I have found they tend to be preferred over other colours. With the hens safely in their pens I left the hall and set off to explore the food hall. First stop was the welsh Venison centre for a bacon roll, then over to the food hall for a coffee. There was plenty of welsh food and produce on sale in the food hall and at the farmers market, but it didn't take long before I was drawn to the pig and sheep buildings.
Time did fly and by 11:30am majority of judging was finished in the poultry building. A first and third place out of three entries was not a bad result. Speaking to other entrants I managed to get a little feed back as I unfortunately missed the judges. The legs seem to have been a significant factor, not mine but the hens yellow legs.
I have put this down to a combination of things. Firstly, the leg colour of the parents (obvious I know). Secondly the fact that they have not quite started laying eggs yet and a reasonably amount of maze and corn is being fed. I will watch closely to see if the leg colour changes significantly when they do start laying, most likely in the new year around March time.
As you can see the reindeer were visiting again this year.
Finally I could not finish this entry without including a photo of the First Place Welsh Harlequin duck.
A month, a whole month! What on earth have I been doing to have left the blog alone for so long? Well going back several weeks I spent a day in Oswestry at the show ground learning about poultry genetics, a day seminar by Grant Brereton. It was a great day and to meet up with fellow twitterers and chicken hour contributors made it extra special.
I was fascinated by the subject, and still find it amazing that all chickens are red and black underneath. Whether they be lavender or white, the basis is built on red and black.
The Royal Welsh Winter Fair is upon us, I have three of my silver lace wyandottes entered into the poultry show on the Tuesday 3rd December. My first show since the theft of majority of my birds. I am looking forward to the day, I am not expecting any success, but the day spent chatting about poultry and wandering aimlessly around the stalls and other animal pens will be superb.
