Liquorice Allsort chick

Along with the group of OEGb and Wyandotte chicks that have hatched out over the past few days, this little critter popped up from under Penny today. At first I was a bit puzzled - this colour down shouldn't come out from my OEG bantams and it definitely pure Wyandotte. Plus it has smutty legs and no single comb. Ahh... sneaky little broodies have gotten one of their eggs into a nestbox - so this little puffball is most likely from a Silkie x Pekin x Jap mum and a Wyandotte Partridge dad.

Meanwhile the older OEGb and Wyandotte chickens are doing well, the first batch of ducklings is almost all feathered out and the younger batch are growing like weeds and eatting like pigs. LOL I'll get photos on the weekend if it's not pouring rain!

My little ducklings are not so little now, growing like weeds in fact!

This gut is "Lucky" the tiny little duckling from the start of the month. Look at that fat crop, to big to easily walk - what a porker! (And yes, still sporting a swish blue mohawk to ID from the others)

One of the other three little duckies with Lucky. They're only about a day apart.

The whole lot together, lucky at the back.

One of the partridge girls. Not the best photo but very pleased with her.

One of last years handsome boys... this one is probably the nicest of the older lot who leans towards the CB. (Note the solid black breast, black in hackle, slightly more bright hackle etc.)

And leaning more toward PB. Quite goldy in the breast, darker overall in the hackle, where the other fellow is black this fellow is just a shade of darker hackle colour.

Matilda says...

"...FLOWERS?!?"

"Why are you taking pictures of FLOWERS???"

"When you COULD be taking pictures of ME!"

Lucky the lone duckling is still doing well, joined the other day by 3 Aylesbury buddies her age.

Tonight was the night for candling the clutches I've got set currently. Tiger's lot are a mix of Wyandotte eggs and OEGb eggs. A few of the 'dotte eggs fertile, a few clear, shell quality on 2 was not pleasing especially considering they do have free access to calc/shellgrit.

Penny's were mostly Wyandotte eggs - her own and her daughters. Same thing with them, a number look promising, 3 were clear, excellent shell quality. Penny is also sitting on a duck egg - Aylesbury, which is looking like it's chugging along quite well. Less than halfway through incubation but nice blood vessel formation and activity visible on candling.

The new wyandotte hen was very, very disappointing. Shell quality was dreadful, half of them clear, one showed bacterial ring on the inside so it'd probably developed about 10-12 days before dying. She's currently sitting on four, so I'll pop some more under her shortly.

The older pair of Chinese geese have laid a single egg for a second clutch. Mind you it's the only one in several days so if she doesn't lay more I'll put it under one of the hens and hopefully get her laying again better. And two more of my 'dotte girls have gone broody on me - geeze, where were they a month ago when I was putting eggs in the fridge for lack of broodies!!! Argh! So may look at buying in settings for them.

Interesting...

World Poultry says
Commercial birds miss half the genetic diversity native to the species
Scientists have discovered that, on average, super-productive modern chickens have lost more than half the genes present in ancestral populations.
Commercial birds miss half the genetic diversity native to the species

The consequence of this is that the birds are more vulnerable to diseases such as avian influenza.

Purdue University's Bill Muir and colleagues used the recently sequenced chicken genome to measure genetic diversity across these lines, and compared it with 19th century breeds and wild chickens. They found that chickens had lost a lot of genetic diversity before modern breeders got started. Some have even lost 90%.

"Just what is missing is hard to determine," Muir said. "But recent concerns over avian flu point to the need to ensure that even rare traits, such as those associated with disease resistance, are not totally missing in commercial flocks."

He said it's also important to preserve non-commercial breeds and wild birds for the purpose of safeguarding genetic diversity and that interbreeding additional species with commercial lines might help protect the industry.

Small genetic differences exist

In the19th century, breeders turned the common European chicken into breeds such as the White Leghorn - white birds with identical combs that laid a single white egg daily, reports New Scientist.

"The basic level of inbreeding was already 10% when modern poultry companies came into being," said Muir. This means 10% of the genes of any 2 birds from the 4 classic breeds that were adopted by modern producers are already identical.

Commercial breeding has pushed this commonality to 15% over the whole industry. That makes any two chickens more closely related than aunts and nieces in a typical human population, who on average share 12.5% of their genes.

Most of the remaining genetic differences are between different companies' breeding lines, which never cross. Within lines, though, much more has been lost.

Lines of chickens bred for eating share at least 30% of their genes. Some lines of laying hens share a staggering 90% of genes – meaning they have also lost 90% of their potential diversity.

Breed DNA back

Scientists want to breed DNA for traits such as disease resistance or "animal well-being" back into commercial birds without introducing undesirable traits. However, in-breeding is a concern with chickens, as the industry is dominated by a few big corporations that produce billions of birds from a handful of private breeding lines.

Source: New Scientist.

* These findings have been published in The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

In the middle of the week we had a little surprise the only egg from a clutch that had candled clear/non-developing I thought MIGHT be fertile and developing well ended up hatching. Cute little beggar and getting well spoilt being an only-chick. Over the weekend we had the Australian Shepherd Club of Victoria's specialty show, trials and versatility awards. When I got back I pretty much collapsed but found we'd gotten a second little surprise arrival late last night. Apparently telling the birds I'm focusing back on the dogs was the way to motivate them to hatch things out! Who knew! LOL

RIP Little peep

Unfortunately after looking like he'd made it around the bend yesterday morning and afternoon, I left yesterday to pick DH up and get a bit of shopping in and when I came back we found the poor little one had passed away.

Not really sure what specifically caused it though my suspicion is that the mum nipping him and having him on the edge of the nest instead of under her and warm, coupled with possibly having nipped him in the shell causing earlier hatch and bloodloss as the navel cord was so long.

Even more disappointing beyond the sadness of the loss of such an adorable little one is that the savy people of BYP had said he was definitely purebred Chinese - which means he was from my older pair most likely.

The new Wyandotte trio

Pic quality is not very good because we got back after dark, the lights in my quarantine shed give everything a funny tinge and I didn't want to stress them out too much after a long trip. So they are a bit lighter in natural light than the pics etc. But as I keep them in the q-pens for 2 weeks (gives them a chance to settle in stress free environment from the move, lets me observe them closely and ensure they have a preventative dose of sulphaquin, moxi etc) and am too impatient to wait to till I can take 'ideal' pics. LOL

So here they are - the new roo, quite pleased with him - no black in hackles or saddle, good broken gold on the breast, nice comb/workings/leader, no white in ears, even the black in the tail is brownish black, nice eye colour.The first hen, still have a ways to go compared to the bantams which are quite well developed in most plc*g* but they are quite nice little girls and very pleased with them. And the second little girl, who'd been broody when I picked her up and hasn't realized her eggies didn't make the trip with her. She's broke brood but will take a few days before she decides to resume laying.

Well... after last time's disappointment things have been both a bit down and a bit up.

The downside is that two of my young ducks have been lost, apparently to a snake at the dam biting them and the rest are temporarily banned from the dam. It's been suggested the most likely is a Tiger Snake, which doesn't thrill me given the highly venomous and pugnacious reputation they have - especially the idea of not only the ducks being possible victims but dogs and child as well. Unfortunately not having seen any snake but a copperhead (venomous but unlikely and generally not easily provoked) confirming it let alone locating it for removal is not proving easy. Besides being friendly little pets after hand-raising, they were also gorgeous youngsters I had high hopes for the next season.

On the upside, after being quite upset about not being able to get the Wyandotte trio I'd had my heart set on I had a good hard think about priorities and decided to sell off the Silkies and most of the OEGb (kept the pretty roo, cuz you know I need a rooster just to look at...) in order to buy these ones as it felt like an opportunity I'd regret for a long time if I passed it up. So tomorrow I will be going to pick them up! As well as this Tiger (SilkieX) is starting to act broody, so fingers crossed we might actually have some hatching sometime this year!

One of Jarrah and Penny's oldest boys, a year old on the 21st

A funny shot of Matilda... I was trying to just take a nice one when she spotted some yellowed tailed black cockatoos and did the crest raising and tilted her head up to watch them.

My younger pair of Chinese... well, in theory they are a pair... in reality she likes the Embden goose as well! ~_~;

Reason for lack of news is how sucky this season has been. I've been feeling really disappointed with it - laying is so scatty, fertility is non-existant, no one is going broody except the Embden who is partnered HERSELF with a female chinese and so nothing is going to hatch unless someone else is sneaking eggs in to her nest (don't think so).

Mou.

Razzafraggin WIND!

After we finally got the geese laying (and determined the Embden IS indeed a girl goose, having caught her actually laying a few times) mum was just starting to look like she'd go broody when BANG... the wind rips the door open and off it's hinges (welded mind you!), which startles the geese and results in a stampede which results in goose-egg omlette.

Crappity crappity crappity CRAP! The joys of living in a very windy valley!

After watching at the agility nationals on Friday and Saturday, Sunday was straight off to Euroa. Supposed to be some large partridge wyandottes and I was quite hyped to hear it.

When I got there, I finally found them. All three were sold as one lot. One was nice, one decent and not as nice with a lot of wild markings, all smaller than mine but with decent type. However, one was constantly head-flicking and the other slightly fluffed and I wasn't sure if it was something or nothing, so ummed and ahhed a bit.

Last time we had a good bit of fun (not) as the trio of OEGb I brought home had a nasty case of flesh mites, northern fowl mites. Now all new birds here go STRAIGHT into quarantine pens for 2 weeks, are immediately treated for lice and given moxidectin, followed by wormer and preventative doses of sulphaquin before release. This is on the premise that sometimes birds will have an issue that is not at a detectible state on purchase and the stress of moving can bring it out as well as the fact they may not have immunity built up to local strains of cocci. Generally you try to examine the birds but when the cages are zip tied to prevent theft and over head height you have to eyeball it. To top it off, these guys had a VERY well established case as the mites must have been there for some weeks already to exist in such numbers so the fact that the seller brought them just rankles... either they knew and didn't care or didn't know through sheer lazyness and bad husbandry. The rotten mites ended up killing several as while I'd seen the bugs upon getting home and promptly dosed them and redosed them appropriately, apparently they aren't killed by moxidectin. (Which quite generally is effective for everything else, just not the rather rarer stuff.)

At any rate, since to the best of my ability to examine I couldn't see anything other than head flicking and stress I decided I'd put in a lower bid and take a chance. So I put in my bid but pulled when it hit the bid hit $140. So instead I came home with a lovely bunch of daffodils courtesy of Tim (whose family owns a gorgeous daffodil and bulb farm) and spent the day chatting with everyone inbetween cuddling Cami to keep warm when it started raining and getting into discussions with everyone in their brother about how I was really, truely, honest to godly sure she WAS an Australian Shepherd and NOT a Koolie. Can I also say I really, really, really wish we could change the name to AMERICAN Shepherd... honestly, I think there are a number of people convinced the Yank is crazy or trying to have one over on them! ^_^;

*happy dance*

Why? Well if you've been following this blog you know I've been looking for more Std Partridge Wyandottes for about a year or so. I thought a few months back the fellow I'd got my original rooster from had more stock but it'd turned out he thought I was a different previous buyer and wanted Australorps when he said that. As it happened he'd sold his partridge breeders to parts and persons unknown ages ago.

So imagine my delight when first a week ago I hear of a breeder who is moving and selling it all, including a trio of std partridge dottes (waiting for pictures of them) and second the next Euroa auction this month has a clearing out by a well known Std Wyandotte breeder which includes a trio of females between 1-2 years old. FINGERS CROSSED!!!

The Picture of Pride

More Matilda

We went down to the dam today for a good splash about...

Enjoying the sunshine after a splash.Bizzaro-world Grooming Rituals

Chinese Grooming Session

Waterside Contemplation

"I is not a liddle duck! See? I is BIG DUCK!"
and last but not least...

VERY NAUGHTY BIRDS!
(Ye gads... Embden-Chinese-Aylesbury Duc-oslings anyone?)

Miss Matilda Muscovy arrived last night, picked up from the RSPCA and quite happy to be around other poultry again! She's been very calm and slipped into the routines quite easily although sometimes a bit unsure of where everyone is rushing in a big hurry. (LOL They heard the food bag crinkle.)Here is a nice full profile shot of her, standing in front of the Wyandottes near the house.

And together with the Aylesbury near their little clamshell. We'll save the dam for another day when she's more sure of where home-base is and I'm sure she'll come back out. The red on her face is natural colouring, Muscovy's have bumpy red skin there called caruncles.

A better photo of her close up, so you can see her caruncles. They get more pronounced as she gets older.

And the other unusual thing about these guys is they've got a tiny crest of sorts that they can raise and flatten depending on how they feel. You can see she's got hers slightly raised here and can see she's not pure white - she has two tiny black feathers as beauty spots.

And one near Ambrose Aylesbury, to give an idea of size difference. She is very young still, but looks so petite next to them and even smaller next to the geese!

Matilda the Muzzie

This little girl was found lost and taken to the RSPCA. Unfortunately the RSPCA seldom gets owners claiming the birds and most end up euthanized unless a shelter worker adopts them. One of the shelter workers has adopted several but couldn't keep adopting dozens of ducks, so she put up a notice looking for someone to take in this little girl before her date with the green dream.

I'd been looking for a few muzzie girls for broodies (muscovy as a breed are generally a favorite breed for hatching out eggs from breeds that don't naturally sit) and this was perfect timing... so I wrote to see if she still needed a home. As it happens, she did, so she's been named "Matilda" since she was found a waltzing (I know, I'm awful aren't I?) and I wanted to keep a M theme to go with my Aylesbury all having A names. LOL

Euroa breeders invite auction

I had an absolutely fabulous day today at the Euroa's breeders invite auction. I've been waiting for this one since before the start of the year and it didn't disappoint. Very nice birds and a lot of BYPers, so it made for a fabulous get together!

I'd gone specifically looking for another pair of brown chinese and with my eye on the birds Hamish Russell had up, as he is retiring from geese and they would be representing decades of work and a fabulous bloodline. I was very, very pleased to secure a pair, a lovely big fellow and a pretty young lady even if I spent a bit more than anticipated. (My DH officially gets the Best DH Ever Award for putting up with my poultry obsession with such tollerant indulgence... LOL)



I'd also e-mailed Kirribindi, to request when she had more ducklings if I could get a pair of baby girls. I was lucky enough to catch her in time to pick these two up today - meet Amelia and Anabella. They are disgustingly adorable and have imprinted VERY quickly - they are MOST unhappy when I'm out of sight... LOL

A trip to the dam... happy geese, joyous ducks, curious sheep.

Ambrose has his curly tail back. ;-)

Beautiful, beautiful Wyandottes

Few things please the eye so much as a lovely large partridge wyandotte.

This is probably one of the nicer pictures I've got of her showing type as she's usually busy MOVING or looking for food.

Had a nice day at Warrigul Bird Day today - took the 6 OEGb and 3 Wyandotte - Penny, her son Twobands and an unrelated pullet. Penny took 1st. Twobands wasn't shown of course being PB line but I'd brought him just to get opinions on and pleased with what I was told. OEGb - my first blue-goldenduckwing male placed and the honey-dun girls got a 2nd. I also brought the new trio to get opinoins on as I wasn't sure if I'd keep/onsell.

More geese pictures...

I'm having way too much fun photographing them. Unlike the chooks, they actually hold still.

Even in the rain, geese are happy!

A better one of the Embden. Beautiful blue eyes!

And positively catlike in grooming

And grooming.

And grooming. (Yes, this is right side up.)

Picture it - a sunny but windy day, Mr. Ambrose Aylesbury has had his morning meal and his crop is bulging to the point it's nearly dragging, the great gut! Content at last (read: unable to stuff a single pellet more down his gullet) he waddles over to the clamshell pool, clambers in and begins splashing about with much joy. So great is his joy in the act of bathing he fails to notice he's near the edge of the pool and his head, chest and crop are standing right over the edge. With another joyous splash his great full crop of food overbalances him and he comes forward, over the edge and out of the pool still rapturousy shaking his wings, tail and body in the bathing dance - unrealizing he's actually fallen out due to his fat gut. A few more flaps and he notices (finally...) the "pool" is distinctly short of water and full of grass. He stops, looks down and looked a bit puzzled... "Hm, fancy that... I could have sworn the pool was full of water when I entered! Ah, no matter, mustn't interrupt my bath!" and continues flapping and shaking as if he were in the pool.

Silly duck. Lucky he's cute...

One Year

Only one year and I'm well on my way to being a "crazy bird lady". ;-)

Would you believe on 30 May last year I got my first three baby chooks in Australia and it's sprawled into this in only a year??? LOL To be fair, I was warned how addictive poultry is! To celebrate I spam you all with more goose photos! ;-p

Some of my mob come up for a chat.

Young fellow enjoying the sunshine after a good meal.

Look ma, I'm in colour!

Having a stickybeak.

Pretty as a picture... *snap*

Who needs a rubber duckie? Real ones make bath time more fun!

A place for every feather and every feather in it's place.

Everything must be "just so".

Duck, duck, GOOSE! (I just can't help myself.)