Milk Maid Ranch

Elsa’s 9th calf is a bull that’s been named Tuffy. I will be milk sharing with him.

Now that the Cornish crossed chickens are in the freezer, it’s time to get the ducks in the works. Jumbo Pekin ducks are not known to set on their eggs like other breeds do so I have an incubator to do the job. This time I put 13 eggs in & in about 28 days they will be beeping(they actually talk before they hatch). But there is room for more eggs so there are 5 more eggs that will go in today but they are marked with letters so I know they have a day or 2 more before hatching. The 13 are marked with numbers. I would not put more eggs in after a week cause the last few days for the first ones that are put in need more humidity & the temp to be a few degrees higher.
My incubator will turn the eggs automatically for me so that cuts down on taking the lid off during gestation. These ducklings to be, are due July 3-4th. Being they are Jumbo Pekins they grow very fast & in the first week or two of September they can be processed. Ducks are all dark meat so they are moist.
As they hatch I will update.

The young Silver Appleyard ducks are maturing nicely & like following me around the garden. They are managing the bugs & weeds already. The February drakes are showing some interest in the hens but the girls won’t start laying till Aug-Sept.

It’s processing time. Doing 2 every morning before the heat hits. It’s Texas so we heat up faster.
This morning had a bird that was heavier than the others.
I skin my birds to have a leaner meal. Bought a Sealer & I don’t know why I’ve gone this long without one. Did 2 yesterday as well. Had 30 Cornish crosses, 26 to go.

These are only 3 of the Silver Appleyard hens. There are 10 of them but most are only a month old & still fuzzy. When their feathers come in I will get pics of them. By the looks of some, they will be dark.