Valley Poultry

13/08/2024

All hardware cloth is not created equal!!
I had quite a scare this year when I went out in the morning to clean pools and discovered the bottom of one of my pens had been ripped open. 😱 Thankfully none of the ducks inside were injured.
I never order anything thinner than 16 gauge but it would seem depending upon the manufacturer 16 gauge coated is not actually 16 gauge wire.
Thank goodness for Amazon order history I was able to find the same brand that I had ordered two years ago that is much thicker.
I know everybody wants a deal and I love getting a good deal but this is one thing I will never compromise again!
Link to the good hardware cloth. I think I might panic buy another roll! 😂
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B079M4KWJF?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

12/08/2024

Nice little silver Drake waiting patiently for the pool to fill up.

12/08/2024

Thanks again to Gentry well drilling for getting our well back up and running. Our pressure tank was leaking and the water pressure was awful.
They are based in Leoma TN and will travel within a 100 mi radius. 931-852-4745

11/08/2024

SORT DAY!!
Today was the day I've been dreading... Sorting all of the youngsters by color. First you empty a pen, and then put all of the birds of the same color in that pen.
This is where my new drop pens came in very handy!!
Gave me a safe place for them to hang out until it was their turn.
Now I can finally see how many of what I actually have. It's very difficult when they're spread out all over the place in bunches of little pens.
I'm hot and tired and probably need a nap 😂

09/08/2024

This is my first year raising pastel and I am happy with these 2 young drakelets. 😍
It will take a while for their chest color to get solid but looking forward to the younger ones coloring out.
Thanks to Cindy Rusk for giving me such a solid start!

06/08/2024

I have been wanting some of these drop pens for a while I found a great deal on them in an unlikely place.
They are lightweight and very portable which will be great for sorting birds or all sorts of other uses.
On sale! And surprisingly shipping was very affordable!
https://www.statelinetack.com/item/animal-supplies-internat-pyramid-poultry-wire-cage/E039505/
I thought I would pass along a good deal

03/08/2024

Back off my nest you!!
Hottentot teal in her log nest box ♥

03/08/2024

What is type?
I am sure you have seen folks say that bird has poor type or that birds is typey. What does that mean actually?
This is my definition and I am sure there will be folks who will disagree.
I am bringing to the table my 10+ years of showing dogs. How do you define type?

Stop for a minute and visualize a basset hound. What would you tell someone who has never seen one before?
I see a thick, short, long dog with big velvety ears, a long muzzle and a happy waggy long tail. Yes that's highly generalized but that's type for a basset. Oh for sure there are a thousand minute details that breeders/judges etc may or may not be aware of that makes them a show quality basset.

Visualize a pug. I see a small, thick short backed dog with a push face, big googly eyes and a curly Q tail that rests on top of their backs.
To me-type is what makes them instantly recognizable from another breed/species.

Now visualize a mallard. Long back, long neck, flat head, long bill, long legs. Can call ducks look like this? Absolutely but that's what makes them pet quality.

If I were describing call ducks to someone who has never seen one, I would tell them they look a bit like the stereotypical rubber ducky. Round head, big eye, short back, no neck and very short legs. Oh sure there are many other factors (Like width, bill width, color etc) that makes up a nice quality call but these are the big ones.

NOT EVERY CALL DUCK LOOKS LIKE THIS!!!! Most do not. Most are a combination of good and not so good and some look like mallards. Don't expect to find that perfect little call duck gem for $30 lol That's not a realistic expectation.
I hope this helps explain something that is difficult to put your finger on.

02/08/2024

As summer grinds on and we're all struggling with heat issues, it's time to start planning for shipping weather. I'm going to get my boxes ordered. This is the box that I have had for years and continue to use.
Shipping weather in my area generally isn't until end of September 1st of October. All temperatures along the entire route must be less than 80° for me to feel comfortable shipping waterfowl. Even cooler temperatures for the wild species is preferred.

There have been times that I have delayed shipping at the last minute due to unpredictable weather changes. While this doesn't happen often it can happen. Just be aware that it's for the best interest of the birds if this happens.

Anyone living in hot climates like Florida, Texas, Arizona etc can anticipate shipping being delayed until November.

Once I have birds of a particular color videoed I will contact the folks on my wait list and provide them with information. Some colors don't make it to my page, They are sold out with my wait list.

I am never going to ask you for a deposit in advance. I just think it's unfair to tie folks monies up and too many things can happen that would cancel a sale. Once I contact you and birds are selected payment is expected at that time with shipping the following Monday weather permitting.

In previous years I have offered pet quality pairs available for shipping and I intend to do that again this year. Not every bird needs to be expensive to be a well-loved member of a household.

I have hatched more calls this year than ever before so the filming process will take a while. I know it's difficult to wait but it's a huge job getting them all sorted in videoed so please be patient.

Crested will be among the last to be offered and there will be quite a few available this year. I do not offer them in pairs They are listed individually.

Thanks so much to everyone who have supported me along the way I really appreciate you!

31/07/2024

Normally I identify birds with ABA seamless bands. This year I decided to order some snap-on bands since I wasn't real consistent with the other ones. These are 12mm for call ducks
I really like these and they can be customized with whatever you want on them and the turnaround time was pretty quick about 3 weeks.
I ordered them from Li Gen and he was great to work with
https://www.facebook.com/laogen14?mibextid=ZbWKwL

25/07/2024

I spotted this guy today while I am cleaning pens. He is gray dusky but potentially carries the gene for crested. It would be a unique opportunity for someone working with dusky.
I am going to offer him as a standalone this fall if anyone is interested in dusky. I have a couple more like him that may also be available as well.

25/07/2024

---CALL DUCKS---LONG
As we approach the hectic and exciting shipping season I wanted to make a few comments on grading quality of call ducks.
This is only MY opinion on this and you are free to disagree.
Birds are graded into one of 3 categories.
1. Pet quality
2. Breeder quality
3. Show quality
All of these are compared against the standard of perfection as written by the breed club and published in the APA and ABA SOP books available from the clubs. This includes color, shape, width etc and a variety of other details.

What makes a bird show quality? These are the creme de la creme. Birds that are near perfect when compared to the breed standard. The quantity of TRUE show quality birds produced each year varies from breeder to breeder BUT when I ask many of the top breeders they tell me they "May" get lucky and 1 of 10 are truly able to be shown and win. There are birds that can be shown yes but are they winners? That's what separates show quality V breeder quality (to me) So you bought a bird that was sold as breeder quality and won in a few small shows. Cool! Good for you but put those birds up against those rare few exceptional birds in a huge show and see what happens. I don't think there is anything wrong with showing a breeder bird and having fun, but don't let the "winning record" fool you when viewing breeders pages.
I don't' represent my birds as "show quality" Personally I think that to truly be able to evaluate a bird you need to have experience in the show ring and win big shows to truly be qualified to accurately judge what is show quality. I have shown but it's not really my jam so to speak. When I have shown, I prefer to take the non-recognized varieties with no hope whatsoever that they can advance. If they aren't an approved color they can not win best of breed. I just enjoy showcasing the many different varieties of calls that many folks likely have never seen before.
All that you have to do is go to a BIG show and look at the birds presented. It will make your jaw drop and your eyes bug out LOL It did me at my first show!
I deeply appreciate it when folks ASK me how much I have shown when considering my birds because it shows me they are doing their homework. It's very very difficult to find a proven breeder willing to sell you a real excellent bird. Obviously they are going to keep it to show or breed themselves. Make sense?
4-H and juniors. A good breeding quality bird will be great for you to get started. A TRUE show stopper i$ going to break the bank LOL
There aren't that many approved colors for show. By far the ones that are the most excellent are whites and gray. It's unfair to try and compare the quality of say appleyard or silver to a white. They may be good FOR THAT VARIETY but nowhere near the quality of the 2 most popular colors.

What makes a bird breeding quality? They may be nearly perfect but have some issue that makes them not be big winners. Size, bill length, color anomoly, head shape etc. Show birds tend to be pretty small. This means they might not be a good breeding bird. Hens may or may not lay many eggs, Drakes may or may not be able to successfully mount and breed a hen so keep that in mind when you are looking for birds. You can take a nice pair of breeder birds and produce your own show quality. As long as you are dedicated and plan for a couple of years of careful line breeding you will be good to go.

What makes a bird pet quality? A number of things (in no specific order). Size, color, bill length, overall body shape, head shape as well as many other details. They can still be beautiful birds and much loved pets. They can be bred carefully to produce outstanding offspring after a few years. Some varieties of calls just have not been worked with much. These are going to be larger, with longer bills but don't let that fool you. ALL of that can be worked on with a little effort.

BUYER BEWARE when you are shopping for birds this fall. I see "show quality" eggs, and ducklings being offered and that's just wrong. You cannot tell the quality of the bird until they feather out and mature a bit. I also see what I would consider pet quality being offered as breeders. Just because it's a desirable color it does not mean the bird is not a pet. Butterscotch comes to mind as for whatever reason this color seems difficult to obtain. They are out there but you may need to find someone who breeds them-get on their wait list- and wait for them to be available. Many colors are spoken for well in advance and rarely offered in groups or online.

Remember the quality of some colors is not going to be as good as white or gray, PERIOD. Take what you can get and work with it--if those are your hearts desire.
Don't overpay for something that seems misgraded just because you really really want that color. Prices vary all over the place.
Lastly. I look at my birds and I ask myself "What would I pay for this bird" I do not label them but ask what I feel is a fair price based on their quality.
Thanks for reading and I hope this gives you some guidance while shopping this year. :)

12/07/2024

"If there's a hole in the net they will find it"
We had a juvenile white mandarin escape from the aviary via a small hole in the net. She spent the entire day perched on top of the aviary much to my frustration.
I know all the tricks and tips to try to catch one but there's no way to leave a door open in that aviary without losing 30 more.
Amazingly my husband managed to catch her last night!! Whoohoo!
He used stealth mode sneak attack to work his way up behind her and net her while she was distracted eating bugs. 😂
He often uses this tactic walking outside and scaring the crap out of me because I don't hear him coming 😂
Needless to say she's happy to be back in the aviary with her friends and the food and the holes have been repaired
Whew!

10/07/2024

Snoozing and floating.
Same girl same

10/07/2024

CALL DUCKS:
Did you know that many of the different varieties can be bred together with predictable results?
I have produced a few charts to assist you
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1425073797892021&type=3

There is also a wonderful online resource to predict pairings. It's not always 100% accurate with calls but it can help you get started
https://kippenjungle.nl/kruisingEend.html

Charts that I have made with color combinations in call ducks

07/07/2024

I am starting to see more and more posts from folks who ordered ducklings online and now find themselves in the situation where they have too many Drakes. The newest hatchery on the scene to sell ducklings seems to have quite a few customers overloaded with drakes. (Not naming names but you know who I'm talking about)
I saw a post recently where a lady ordered three and has two boys and a girl and she's asking for five extra hens. No I'm not going to be the one to tell her 🤦🏼‍♀️😂 Bless her heart
This is the breeders dilemma every year as there always seems to be an abundance of drakes and this is why we always encourage you to wait until fall and buy a pair. At least then you know exactly what you are getting and not scrambling to even find one extra hen.
Oh yeah I get it ducklings are cute and we want to raise them so they will be more friendly. Yeah well that doesn't always work lol There is no guarantee that just because you raised them they're going to be any calmer than any other birds.
Most breeders rarely have extra hens and if we do we are going to wait until every single drake is sold before we let them go. I don't want to be stuck with 20 extra boys any more than you do.
Also be advised if there are any They are not going to be cheap. Folks have this perception that they can just pick up a hen as easily as they can an extra chicken hen but even chickens sold as pullets don't always end up being girls. Just ask anybody who's bought pullets at tractor supply 😂
So for all of those looking for extra girls be patient. They may be out there but most likely it will be fall before any are available

02/07/2024

I am offering pet quality pairs from my crested pens that do not show a visible crest FOR PICK UP ONLY. There is no guarantee they carry the crested gene--but there is a 50-50 chance they do. So if you are a gambler and want to take a road trip and NOT spend a LOT on a pair these are for you. These are priced less than one single crested for a PAIR.
Colors available week of 7-2
Pencilled
Silver
Ancona
White
I am not going to hold these for shipping weather--first come first served. I will be offering these colors also in the fall.
These are all 2024 hatch birds.
I will NOT be taking individual photos of each bird and sending them. As you can see there are a LOT in this pen to chase around and attempt to photograph much less remember who is who LOL I will take videos in the fall as usual for breeder quality birds.
You will receive a pair (M+F) of your chosen color. PM for info
We do not allow farm visits due to bio security. Although it would be highly amusing turning you loose with a net in there and watch you try and catch the ones you want--unfortunately I cannot. LOL 😂
The colors photographed are representative of that variety and are the colors I have available for sure now.
Located near Ardmore, TN

27/06/2024

Does anyone else have one of those subjects that frequently comes up in the groups that makes your eye twitch?
For me it's the never-ending war in the chicken groups of putting eggs on the counter or in the refrigerator.
I don't know why people get so enraged and highly critical of either method. I mean who honestly cares what anybody does with their eggs? 😂
What subject rubs you the wrong way?

23/06/2024

A little white 2024 pullet that caught my eye this morning.
She is of crested breeding but does not have a visible crest. NFS
I want to thank Cindy Rusk for sharing her beautiful birds with me. This pullet is the result of a couple of years of working with her lines and a crested outcross. Fortunately I also have some of her sisters with a crest that I will be working with next year.

22/06/2024

21/06/2024

Looks like some scammer has stolen my photos and my business name and tried to join a group I moderate. HA I have reported them to facebook but unfortunately I doubt they will do anything. Do not be fooled by this fake profile--I am NOT in Jacksonville NC
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100083559242802

21/06/2024

Sometimes when a duckling first starts getting wing feathers the tips will stick out a bit. Don't panic. This typically resolves itself on it's own. (random pic from the web)

20/06/2024

Drake 1. Me 0
Yesterday I combined several breeding pens into boys and girls to make way for ducklings. While I do this I trim everybody's toenails

This is all from one little boy who thought he could get me to stop if he bit me 😂

Ouch! I still got the job done
but he put up quite a fight!
Duck hickies 😂