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Author Topic: The antics leading up to Whoppo playing with my mud shoe  (Read 5257 times)

Offline Cindi

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The antics leading up to Whoppo playing with my mud shoe
« on: April 15, 2008, 10:14:20 am »
This is a little story about Whoppo.  For those of you who don't know Whoppo, he is my Muscovy drake, he has had a battle with me for the past month or so, every since he came to maturity and decided that he was the controller of the chickenyards.  We have had a few talks and he has finally turned around and respects me.  He is a very interesting bird, a beautiful, beautiful drake and we have this beautiful understanding now.  He is boss and I am boss, we both share this duty of the chickenyards.  But we both do it in different ways.  He was pretty intimidating to me before, but now I just understand him and he understands me.  Let me tell you, Muscovy drakes certainly do like to talk alot, and he speaks to me almost constantly.  I am mindful of this character, he always has my attention when I am around him.  I think that he could have some pretty big mood swings. 

Every time I come to his chickenyards, when he sees me, he immediately comes to visit me, hissing all the way there, and then lets out that big mouthful of air that sounds like a windbag blowing off.  He makes me laugh, he is a funny dude and I am glad that we decided to weather out his aggressiveness, that I no longer feel is a threat.  Yeah!!!  He is very obviously a great protector of his flock of 5 ducks.  AND....he is big, he is about 3 times the size of the ducks, don't know how he doesn't crush them to pieces when he has his way with them.  Poor girls.....

So the antics that Whoppo now performs when he comes to say hi and physically greet me are identical all the time.  100% identical.  I spend alot of time in the chickenyards working, observing and sitting while I observe.  One of my favourite places is down near the ducks' pond, sitting on a piece of wood.  This is a perfect seat to watch, take pictures and enjoy the antics.  Richard (the tom turkey) is always so nosey he has to come and check out what I am up to too.  With both his girls gone broody, he is a little bit on the lonely side, so has taken me to be his friend.  Right, he also really likes to hang out with the Khaki Campbell ducks too, they are his pals and partners in crime. Where they are, you will find Richard.

Right, so back to Whoppo.  I will sit on the piece of wood and watch him.  Of course, when his eyes meet mine, he comes over.....hissing and waggling his tale.  That is something he really likes to do too, is waggle that tail (can you call that bunch of feathers on his bum a tail?, must be a certain name for it, enlighten me, someone).

First off he fluffs up the feathers on his head, he can make these feathers almost stick straight up.



And then when the hissing has stopped and the air blows out of his lungs his head feathers relax



The next motion is him when he puts his head on the ground and lifts his head back up and ruffles his head, neck and body feathers



Then after he has done these three antics, he comes over and begins to nibble on my shoe, sock, boot, or whatever he can nibble on, and then off he goes.

That is his typical greeting when I am sitting down.  I have watched this over and over, identical each time.



Whoppo and 3 ducks eating stuff in the muck



One of the older Muscovy ducks is sitting on 13 eggs right now.  She was a great mother last summer and she is going to be the same this year too.  She is so funny, in the morning when I let the critters out of the barns, she runs out as fast as she can, grabs some food (I always have a treat for them when I let them all out), she has a bath in the water, drinks a whole bunch and then runs back in to sit on her eggs.  She began sitting on them Easter Sunday, so they should be hatching out pretty soon, the little baby ducks are so ding dang cute!!!  Have the most beautiful day that you could ever think of.  Cindi
There are strange things done in the midnight sun by the men who moil for gold.  The Arctic trails have their secret tales that would make your blood run cold.  The Northern Lights have seen queer sights, but the queerest they ever did see, what the night on the marge of Lake Lebarge, I cremated Sam McGee.  Robert Service

Offline JP

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Re: The antics leading up to Whoppo playing with my mud shoe
« Reply #1 on: April 15, 2008, 10:39:51 am »
Yeah Cindi, you ain't kiddin', Whoppo is a big bird. When ya'll were in Vegas I stopped in, around 3am, roasting bags in hand, but was surprised at how big Whoppo was. I couldn't, try as I might, fit his fat arse in the roasting bag! Next time I drop by, in the middle of the night, I'll make sure and bring the turkey sized bags. Who knows, I just might bring an extra bag with Abegail's name on it! :shock: :shock: :shock:

Thanks for the pics, I always like to see my targets! :-*


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Offline Cindi

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Re: The antics leading up to Whoppo playing with my mud shoe
« Reply #2 on: April 15, 2008, 10:47:01 am »
JP, ha!!!!  Just try and get Whoppo in the middle of the night, I'm thinkin' that you would have the time of your life!!!  (either good or bad, couldn't tell ya).  He's one big strong dude and he has those ding dang hooks on the ends of his feet, they are wicked and nasty!!!  You are indeed a brat, you need to know that!!!  Great and awesomely wonderful day, Cindi
There are strange things done in the midnight sun by the men who moil for gold.  The Arctic trails have their secret tales that would make your blood run cold.  The Northern Lights have seen queer sights, but the queerest they ever did see, what the night on the marge of Lake Lebarge, I cremated Sam McGee.  Robert Service

Offline JP

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Re: The antics leading up to Whoppo playing with my mud shoe
« Reply #3 on: April 15, 2008, 02:09:24 pm »
Cindi, what you need to know is, Whoppo is slow!!! I had him in a headlock and was trying to fit that fat arse of his in the bag when your precious bodyguard Abegail decided to spur me in my back, I have the scar to prove it!!! She's in trouble next time. Abegail is now my #1 target!!! Them birds of yours are slick! Slick, I tell ya. :-D


...JP
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Offline annette

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Re: The antics leading up to Whoppo playing with my mud shoe
« Reply #4 on: April 15, 2008, 04:59:48 pm »
Somehow I just knew that JP would have something to say about your story. I believe he was hoping to get a piece of Whoppo when he was so bad you were thinking of cooking him. Now you and Whoppo are friends and poor JP can only dream about those birds.

Funny stories from both of you. You both make me laugh!!

Love
Annette
« Last Edit: April 16, 2008, 12:28:11 am by annette »

Offline Cindi

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Re: The antics leading up to Whoppo playing with my mud shoe
« Reply #5 on: April 16, 2008, 12:20:22 am »
Annette, ya, poor ol' JP, eh?  Too bad, he thinks that one day he is gonna catch both those birds and stick them in the oven.  What a dreamer, when Whoppo and Abigail gang up on him, he'll think twice about even thinking about this nasty deed.  He still hasn't given me back my green snips.  Last I heard they landed up over at Frantz's place, and he had painted them pink, oh that dude is the biggest brat!!!  We have fun with this kitbitzing around, makes for some good laughs to me and laughing is so good for the body and the soul.  Have the best of the best day you can!!!  Cindi
There are strange things done in the midnight sun by the men who moil for gold.  The Arctic trails have their secret tales that would make your blood run cold.  The Northern Lights have seen queer sights, but the queerest they ever did see, what the night on the marge of Lake Lebarge, I cremated Sam McGee.  Robert Service

Offline JP

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Re: The antics leading up to Whoppo playing with my mud shoe
« Reply #6 on: April 16, 2008, 12:40:40 am »
http://www.cajuncreations.com/SearchResult.aspx?CategoryID=40&Affiliate=2

Now I just need to nab one of your chickens Cindi, Whoppo and Abigail and my scrumptious meal will be complete! Mmmmmmmmmm!


...JP
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Offline Angi_H

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Re: The antics leading up to Whoppo playing with my mud shoe
« Reply #7 on: April 16, 2008, 01:09:40 am »
Cindi I had a muscovy hen go broody day before yesterday. She is funny she makes this little squeaky noises and let me pet her then she nibbles on my fingers and hand. Very calm like. She is sitting on about 15 eggs and there is 3 other nests with big clutches. There is a total of 5 hens  in that pen. I keep forgetting to take pictures of them. I have one turkey hen a Narrigansette hen that is laying the eggs in the muscovy clutches. And I have to go and dig it out every time. Which reminds me I need to clean out there pool and give them some fresh water.


Angi

Offline Cindi

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Re: The antics leading up to Whoppo playing with my mud shoe
« Reply #8 on: April 16, 2008, 09:36:29 am »
Angi, stop forgetting to take some pictures.  I love what you are up to at your place and I know that you could bring on some really cool pictures too!!!  Please, stop forgetting, hee, hee.

I would love to see a picture of the Nariganisette.  That is something like the Bronze Heritage, right?  When I spoke to the previous owner of Richard (my tom bronze heritage), he said that the owner of the father of Richard had said something about him being a Nariganisette.  Think they are similar to the bronze, I am right?

Angi, I know that peeping sound the Muscovy duck makes when she is sitting on the eggs.  It is so cool and neat sound.  But now when I go nearby to her, she peeps a bit and then makes this horrible sound, it freaks me right out.  It is almost like a, well, I am trying to describe it, and in my mind's eye, it is pretty hard.....it is kind of like a hoarse "haaaa", it makes me feel like she is making the sound like the horrible demon made in that show where the girl was possessed and she spit out that crap that looked like green pea soup.  Let me tell you, it is freaky, and yes, she makes me move right away from her.  I wonder if yours will start to make that different and scarey sound too?

You are going to have babies coming out of your ears over there.  That is just the coolest thing.

Now a question for you or anyone that can answer it.

My two turkey hens are brooding in the same house, it is one that my Husband built for them and it has room for both of them inside easily, and is full of nice soft straw for hem.  Richard was actually inside with them the other morning when I opened up their house to let them out.  Guess he was feeling lonely so he climbed inside it, I think it must have been pretty tight squeeze, but he was there.  (Oh, I get so excited when I think about the babies coming).  The previous owner of Richard told me that when Richard's clutch was born that the mother raised the brood for about a month and then pawned the babies off on the dad to continue to raise.  She went and sat on more eggs.  Have you had an experience like this before?  I think it would be so cute to see Richard looking after a whole whack of babies.

Right my question.  I haven't seen those two turkey hens come out of their house to eat, drink or anything and they are locked up at night.  Can these birds go days and days without food and drink?  Maybe they are sneaking out when I am not looking to feed, maybe they are just staying in?  Would they become so weak without food that they might not be able to walk or something when they come out after the babies hatch?  I need an answer to this because I am pretty worried about it.  They still have around 2 weeks to go and surely they would die if they don't eat until the babies hatch out.

I have 4 more Muscovy ducks that might yet go broody, I hope so, the more ducks the better.  Then I could actually share one with JP, if he wanted to drive up here and get it.  I don't think it could be shipped to his house, he lives too far away, ha, ha, JP, eat your heart out!!!  And leave my poor chickens alone now, you got that meal of duck, turkey and chicken that you think that you are gonna scoop from my place, you are a brat!!!  Have the best of the greatest and most wonderful day, Cindi

There are strange things done in the midnight sun by the men who moil for gold.  The Arctic trails have their secret tales that would make your blood run cold.  The Northern Lights have seen queer sights, but the queerest they ever did see, what the night on the marge of Lake Lebarge, I cremated Sam McGee.  Robert Service

Offline Brian D. Bray

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Re: The antics leading up to Whoppo playing with my mud shoe
« Reply #9 on: April 17, 2008, 01:00:59 am »
I don't know about turkey's but my bantum hens have gone a week on the nest without eating or drinking.  I got so I was putting a small bowl of food and water in the house where the 2 hens were setting on eggs.
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Offline Angi_H

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Re: The antics leading up to Whoppo playing with my mud shoe
« Reply #10 on: April 17, 2008, 04:06:24 am »
they get off usually once a day but you could help them out by putting a small waterer and a dish of food in there for them. when they are ready to hatch they wont get off the nest for 2 days prior to hatch and for 2 to 4 days after the hatch. Hey he can come get one out here in ca Or he can pay the 50.00 and have it shipped lol.

Angi

Offline Cindi

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Re: The antics leading up to Whoppo playing with my mud shoe
« Reply #11 on: April 17, 2008, 10:08:15 am »
Hey he can come get one out here in ca Or he can pay the 50.00 and have it shipped lol.
Angi

Hee, hee, Angi, I think you mean JP can get one shipped.  I wouldn't worry about that, it seems he is a great astro traveller and can get to places in the middle of the night.  I bet he would have a fight with your Muscovy drakes too!!!  Watch out for that dude and his night travels!!!!

In all seriousness and reality.  Brian I think that I am going to follow your advice and Angi's about putting some water and food inside the house.  I have food inside their coop, but no food right within the box that they are both in.  There is some room that something may fit.  I may try that.  We'll see what comes.  I imagine that they are smart enough to know that the food is about 5 feet away from them, as is the water, but maybe they could use that little bit of extra TLC, I'll attend to that today and see what comes.  They probably come out when I am not looking, hee, hee.

Thanks for the advice guys, I appreciate your words and experience, it gives me a better understanding of what is going on here with your experiences you tell.  Best of this great and awesome day.  Cindi
There are strange things done in the midnight sun by the men who moil for gold.  The Arctic trails have their secret tales that would make your blood run cold.  The Northern Lights have seen queer sights, but the queerest they ever did see, what the night on the marge of Lake Lebarge, I cremated Sam McGee.  Robert Service

 

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