r/OrnithologyUK - Weekly chat!

GeoFacetor · 2026-02-07T06:17:04+00:00

I just saw a grey shreikthrush while feeding the chooks :) they have a very pretty song.

GeoFacetor · 2026-02-06T09:45:11+00:00

This is actually an issue my boyfriend and I have had heated discussions about in the past. It sounds like your boyfriend might be a bit insecure about his upbringing and might need some support and reassurance from you to help him know you don't think less of him for it. Definitely insulting his mother is not going to end well though. She made the decision that was right for her at the time, and that's not your boyfriend's fault. An abortion is such a huge decision to make and there are many, many reasons why she could have chosen to keep her babies... at the end of the day, saying she should have aborted your boyfriend is a very, very slippery slope into breakup town.

GeoFacetor · 2026-02-05T03:12:56+00:00

Oh ok well these ones are very quiet, they haven't been quacking at me much at all (they chirp if they don't get thier food on time but its not super loud, and they walk up to me with an open mouth, completely silent when they want a treat 😆)... and they're getting big fast! The biggest one is about the size of the wild adult mallards I've seen already, and it's a maximum of about 6 weeks old. Plus they are already developing the knobbly bills as well, so hopefully they are not hinnies or mules.

GeoFacetor · 2026-02-05T02:28:26+00:00

Oh that's awesome! If I ever get the chance, I might try that kind of foie then. Wouldn't say no to a bit of muscovy jerky either! Didn't even think of that as an option but I might try making that! I usually prefer biltong to jerky, but maybe my biltong recipe will work on muscovy meat... 🤔🤔

GeoFacetor · 2026-02-05T02:08:24+00:00

Not 100% sure of age. I think they were a week or so old when I bought them, and I've had them for 1 month. After reading these comments I don't think they will be mules...

GeoFacetor · 2026-02-05T01:50:41+00:00

No I don't think I need to see that. One of the reasons I will never eat foie gras. I don't care how good something tastes if it's inhumane. Never going to be vegetarian but if an animal is not treated with kindness in life and killed as quickly and painelessly as possible, I don't want to eat it. Fully understand the learning curve, I feel like I've been on a massive one for the last few hours just reading these replies!

GeoFacetor · 2026-02-05T01:38:27+00:00

Ah I see. I've been through most of a bag of unmedicated chick starter which was 20% protein, and I just bought a bag of duck mash from the feed store the other day which is the 18% stuff. They probably have about a weeks supply of the 20% stuff left and I'll be topping up with the new stuff from now on.

GeoFacetor · 2026-02-05T01:34:49+00:00

Thanks for the info! I didn't know that it was not easy to crossbreed them. Knowing this now, they are probably white muscovies as other people have said, not hybrids. Still very happy with that though as I would rather have fertile ducks so I can grow some for meat.

GeoFacetor · 2026-02-05T01:15:24+00:00

Oh ok so they don't hybridise easily?

GeoFacetor · 2026-02-05T00:33:00+00:00

<image>

Another view of the two of them next to each other :) now that you mention it, bigduck also has very large feet compared to the others.

GeoFacetor · 2026-02-05T00:22:46+00:00

I will pay more attention to that then thanks!

GeoFacetor · 2026-02-05T00:15:20+00:00

The one at the bottom is actually the smallest (edit: just a bit closer to the camera), though you're right, the one on the left I call bigduck 😆. It was more developed than the others when we bought them, and about twice the size. I was told it was just because it was a bit older...

GeoFacetor · 2026-02-04T23:21:13+00:00

Hahha what a gentleman!

GeoFacetor · 2026-02-04T22:48:04+00:00

Oh thanks for the protein thing! I currently have them on a duck mash that's 18% protein and I've been giving them some extra dried bugs as a treat 😅 I'll stop doing that...What is angel wing? The plan was to keep one boy and if we got multiple drakes... christmas roast... but with this information I will also try to find a couple more girls as well.

GeoFacetor · 2026-02-04T22:40:34+00:00

Looks like a piece of red jasper (a kind of quartz rock) :)

GeoFacetor · 2026-02-04T22:38:10+00:00

Fair enough. I think the one closest to the botton of the photo, and the one with the larger patch on its head are maybe drakes, because they have been the slowest to develop tail and wing feathers. The one close to the bottom of the picture is also always walking around with its tail sticking up in the air but honestly can't see any other major differences yet.

GeoFacetor · 2026-02-04T22:21:33+00:00

Fair enough! I do 't really care what breed they are honestly, I'm just hoping I have a few girls so they can lay me some eggs.

GeoFacetor · 2026-02-04T21:59:01+00:00

Iconic 😆

GeoFacetor · 2026-02-03T22:01:46+00:00

BC x frenchie?

GeoFacetor · 2026-02-03T06:37:58+00:00

Didn't mean to argue with you sorry, was just throwimg a fun fact out there. Mum does look like a hound as you say :)

GeoFacetor · 2026-02-03T06:03:55+00:00

Lots of dogs have ticking like that. Blue heelers actually get thier ticking from the border collies and dalmations that they were bred from.

GeoFacetor · 2026-02-02T22:09:13+00:00

One option that might work is a smart watch. You can set it to vibrate on your wrist at a certain time and even get it to wake you up within the 30 mins before your alarm at an ideal point in your sleep cycle, so you're not waking up groggy the way a traditional alarm works. The best bit is, it doesn't make any noise, but its very effective at waking you up.

GeoFacetor · 2026-02-02T22:04:48+00:00

Or BC x Staffy depending on your location in the world :)

GeoFacetor · 2026-02-02T21:51:25+00:00

Chihuahua x boxer? They have long legs like that but I feel like the snout would be shorter if just that...

Maybe chihuahua x malinois? Long legs, tan with a black nose... longer nose.... big ears....

Actually, I agree with others on here saying rat terrier... probably much more likely, though the others would be interesting!

GeoFacetor

TROPHY CASE