Dispatch Course in Wales

I spent the afternoon at writers from Country Smallholding magazine, Helpless Homestead near Machynlleth, showing them how to Dispatch & Dress Aylesbury ducks and then they'll do their Ross Cobb meat birds.
They have a great set up in the little strip of land they have - a flock of laying hens, a pen of growing meat birds, a couple of tamworth pigs for meat and a big polytunnel for growing all their fruit and veg!
Cleverly, as they're in a valley, they have diverted a stream that runs through their land to run into a pond for the ducks and I think the plan is to do the same for drinking water for the other animals!

First we dispatched and plucked then dispatched and skinned the next duck, which was a lot quicker + easier with the ducks two layers of waterproof feathers!

Adam skinning an Aylesbury Drake:

They have a batch of 5 week old Ross Cobbs which will be ready for the table in a few weeks time - they grow so fast and were struggling with the heat! I suggested they try Ixworths next time, the ideal Smallholder dual purpose bird; cockerels are great meat birds, growing fast and putting on a lot of muscle and the hens can be reared as laying birds.

Was a bit too hot in 30 degree sunshine but was great weather and scenery for it!

Next on to the gutting, we gutted the ducks ready for a roast but with the skinned bird it can be just as easy to joint it so you have the meat from legs, breasts which is a lot quicker and less mess if you're doing a large batch of birds!
You can use the rest of the carcass for stock or give it to the dog!

Gutting one of the plucked ducks:

Cutting the wings and legs off a plucked and drawn meat bird

One Aylesbury duck, ready for roasting!

Looking forward to going back to Wales in August for my next Dispatch & Dress course near Aberystwyth - www.DrChickenCourses.co.uk 

Jemimas 1st egg!!

Jemima laid her 1st egg today! xD

I found her in the garage yesterday, in the old brooder, so knew it wouldn't be long ... then she laid one in the side passage today :)

They were all FRing in the garden today, Gerald was chasing Nugget, so separated them. The ducks are in the Go in the WIR tonight - still need to get the roof sorted. We went to B&Q earlier but got there too late and they were just shutting :P

Settling in + Ducks :)

Cilla's settling in well :)
Had a look in the eglu nest box earlier not expecting it, and found .......


Gerald + Jemima have been running around the garden all day. They've been in and out the tub trugs and ... a few other antics too ;) Could be expecting some ducklings in a few weeks time :P
Jemima showing off her wings:

In the sun:

Ducks and chickens again

Did the same today just to get them all used to each other as they'll eventually all be living together, and still no pecks or signs of aggression from either side :D
I did wander wether Gerald(ine) being a drake could have anything to do with it?

Purkinje came down to the patio today to see what was going on but stayed out of the way of the chickens ... there's more of a problem with integrating the chicks and the big chickens even though they've been free-ranging together for 2 months!
I think its because the banties + Purkinje stay at the top of the garden and keep themselves to themselves :)

Jemima on the step by the door:

The pond doesn't have time to freeze properly because they just jump in + crack the ice so it gets slushy on the top

"Ooh, I'll have me some of that slushy duck water"

Chickens meet the ducks

The chickens met the ducks properly for the first time this morning
I let them all out, the chicken's ran down to the patio but the banties stayed at the top; so I bought them all days but they all legged it back up.
There was a bit of "Whats that white thing?"

"Whats that black thing?"

... but once the food came out everyone forgot :)

The ducks stayed at the back (and tried to eat a shoe) but were ok with the chickens :D

Splashing about

Jemima + Geraldine have been out in the garden again and actually went in the paddling pool today and had a good splash!
They're really loud when they have something to shout about! They make the chickens look quiet.

I think they look like campbells, but they're meant to be aylesbury crosses. Apparently both females, but one has a quieter quack so could be a boy? :/

Ducks

I think the ducks now have names ... Jemima + Geraldine.

They were out in the garden earlier while I sorted out their hutch and then clipped their wings. We got a little paddling pool out for them and they wouldn't go near it, but then they saw the hose and couldn't get enough of it!

Not sure what they'll live in long-term, either in the wooden coop with the chickens in the new walk in run, I could move the little chickens in with the big ones and the ducks have the eglu, or I could get a new eglu 'Go' without a run and do some swap arounds.
I wouldn't normally keep them together but they've always been kept with chickens at the farm they came from and we can't have 2 WIR's ... I think they'd be better in a WIR rather than an eglu run.

Surprise! ...

Surprise!
My friends bought me 2 white ducks for my birthday :D
A few people mentioned it and one person said she needed to "phone the duck lady ...... for her friend", so I kind of guessed, but they're still good!
Not sure what breed they are, I think maybe campbells, they said they're just 'generic ducks' and because I didn't know before, I didn't speak to the breeder.

They're in a rabbit run overnight until I can sort them out with the hutch :)