Thursday, March 28, 2024
If you own 2 ducks and you lose one duck to a predator or illness, you most likely will find yoursel...
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Tuesday, February 27, 2024
DUCKS AS PETS - QUACKTASTIC ADVENTURES: LIFE IS RICHER WITH PET DUCKSBY GUEST BLOGGER - MELANIE FROM...
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Wednesday, August 30, 2023
No matter how diligent you are, it still seems to happen from time to time, nature inevitably wins a...
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Monday, July 31, 2023
Ducks can thrive in very cold temperatures – as low as 20 degrees. In addition to being extremely co...
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Tuesday, May 23, 2023
How to Break Up Your Broody Ducks & GeeseDucks become broody when their hormones tell them it is tim...
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Thursday, February 2, 2023
Written on October 3, 2022Dear Customers and Friends of Metzer Farms,This past weekend was a tough o...
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Monday, January 30, 2023
Some items are just not good for your ducks to ingest. We are sending out this PSA so that you can b...
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Tuesday, January 3, 2023
“What are guard geese, and do you carry them?” We get this question quite a lot from customers and w...
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Tuesday, November 29, 2022
Metzer Farms advocates responsible waterfowl care. Domesticated ducks should never be released into ...
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Thursday, July 21, 2022
Everyone knows ducks love water, but water + dirt…. That creates a big mess! For ducks & geese, wate...
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Wednesday, March 24, 2021
We grow more than ducklings at Metzer Farms. We grow families.
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Friday, August 28, 2020
Guineas are a wonderful addition to any flock or farm. They have some unique characteristics that a...
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Friday, March 20, 2020
If you find yourself wondering about Coronavirus and poultry, you are not alone. You may be asking y...
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Saturday, May 4, 2019
Geese can make great adoptive parents for orphaned goslings or ducklings. While we have no scientifi...
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Friday, March 29, 2019
Ducks are your typical omnivores. You will find that your yard will have less of a problem with pest...
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Friday, March 22, 2019
Other characteristics of the Sebastopol include orange feet and bill and the eyes are commonly b...
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Friday, March 8, 2019
We sadly no longer carry the Tufted Buff, but we thought this information would be good to share jus...
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Friday, March 1, 2019
A question that a lot of people have, including those that have been in the waterfowl community for ...
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Friday, February 1, 2019
When getting new ducks or geese to add to your flock, always take into consideration the introductio...
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Monday, December 24, 2018
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from Metzer Farms! We hope that 2018 has treated you well and tha...
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Friday, December 21, 2018
Merry Christmas everyone!!
We are in the business of ducks. As with all things, however, it’s g...
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Monday, December 17, 2018
Happy Holidays everyone! This time of the year is all about the food (and the presents, but a lot ...
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Friday, November 30, 2018
The Rouen has gone by a few contested names. Initially it was named after “Rhone”, an area in France...
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Friday, November 23, 2018
Ever wonder how fast your duckling grows? Ask us and we’ll say that at about 8 weeks they are 90% gr...
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Friday, November 16, 2018
Happy Thanksgiving from Metzer Farms!
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Friday, November 9, 2018
As the wind cools and the pumpkins start to smile, you know that winter is coming. Time to prep for ...
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Friday, October 26, 2018
Next week is Halloween! That means lots of trick-or-treating, dressing up, and having fun. Not a lot...
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Friday, October 12, 2018
Bigger is always better when it comes to duck enclosures. This holds true at all stages of a duck’s ...
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Wednesday, October 10, 2018
Any experienced waterfowl owner has seen the signs of their females going broody. To new owners, h...
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Friday, October 5, 2018
Every now and again we receive orders for one male and one female of just about everything. Then 5-6...
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Friday, September 28, 2018
Hatching your own eggs is a wonderful experience. Caring for the eggs, making sure the temperature ...
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Friday, September 21, 2018
One of the most common question we get from customers is if their ducks are going to fly off when th...
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Monday, August 20, 2018
A very good multipurpose duck would have to be the Duclair. It was first developed in France and was...
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Friday, August 3, 2018
Shipping poultry across the US is a very big industry. All across the nation, people are ordering b...
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Friday, July 27, 2018
A customer contacted us about how she improved the mobility of her older goose, Oliver, with Cosequ...
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Friday, July 20, 2018
Indian Runner ducks are named as such as it was believed they had originated from India. They first ...
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Friday, July 13, 2018
The Khaki Campbell was first bred in the late 1800s by Adele Campbell in Gloucestershire, England. S...
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Friday, July 6, 2018
Ducks and geese are omnivores. If they think it looks interesting, they will try to eat it. This esp...
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Friday, May 25, 2018
A common question we get is if a duck is a male or female. This can be determined using a few differ...
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Friday, March 23, 2018
Golden 300 Hybrid ducks
The Golden 300 Hybrid was developed by us in 1996 in order to meet customer...
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Friday, March 16, 2018
For both commercial farms and backyard hobbyists, feed mills are a necessity of life. Feed mills are...
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Friday, March 9, 2018
The most popular and well-known duck is probably the Mallard. They can be found just about anywhere ...
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Friday, March 2, 2018
The word ‘runt’ has a lot of negative connotation to it. Runts are thought of as weak and sickly. I...
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Friday, February 23, 2018
Pekin Ducklings
The Pekin duck has a long history with records in China going as far back as the 13...
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Friday, February 16, 2018
A common question that we get is if the eggs, whether they are the eggs they receive from us, eggs t...
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Friday, February 9, 2018
Records of the Swedish duck begin in 1835 in Pomerania which comprised parts of the current Germany...
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Friday, February 2, 2018
There are four easy ways to supplement your bird or flock’s diet with niacin (vitamin B3) if you fee...
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Friday, January 26, 2018
William Cook is the father of the Buff duck. Born in 1849, he specialized in Orpington chickens and ...
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Friday, January 19, 2018
Niacin is also known as Vitamin B3and is vital for good health and growth in waterfowl. Compared to ...
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Friday, January 12, 2018
NPIP stands for the National Poultry Improvement Plan and is a cooperative agreement between the fed...
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Friday, January 5, 2018
Dear Waterfowl Enthusiasts!
I first want to thank you as a very valuable customer. It is only wit...
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Friday, December 29, 2017
We all want good clean feed for our birds, but sometimes mold has a tendency of appearing. Knowing ...
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Friday, December 22, 2017
Around mid Autumn we get a lot of questions on egg laying. Many duck owners do not know why their du...
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Friday, December 15, 2017
Blown duck and goose eggs can be used to make beautifully decorated egg art. To see examples, see ou...
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Thursday, December 7, 2017
A blown eggs is an egg that has a hole drilled in it and the white and yolk are removed from the egg...
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Friday, December 1, 2017
Where there are ducks, geese, and other poultry, ammonia gas will be produced and can be harmful to ...
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Friday, November 24, 2017
For first-time duckling and gosling owners, going down the feed aisle can be a frustrating experienc...
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Friday, November 17, 2017
Whether they are farm animals or pets, treats are enjoyed by all. Ducks are no different. Want to ...
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Friday, November 10, 2017
Welcome back to our series of posts to help you get ready BEFORE your ducklings and goslings arrive!...
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Friday, November 3, 2017
Welcome back to our series of posts to help you get ready BEFORE your ducklings and goslings arriv...
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Friday, October 27, 2017
Welcome back to our series of posts to help you get ready BEFORE your ducklings and goslings arrive!...
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Friday, October 20, 2017
Welcome back to our series of posts to help you get ready BEFORE your ducklings and goslings arrive!...
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Friday, October 13, 2017
BEFORE your ducklings and goslings arrive, there is a lot to do and we understand that prep can be...
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Monday, March 2, 2015
Less than one year ago, a company from the Netherlands, Hatchtech, introduced a new type of hatcher....
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Monday, January 12, 2015
Funding was included in the 2014 Farm Bill to determine the feasibility of insuring poultry producer...
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Thursday, January 1, 2015
The following story was written by Susan Valdina and is about her pair of Sebastopol geese that succ...
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Monday, December 15, 2014
People often ask how duck eggs compare nutritionally to chicken eggs. Basically, duck eggs are pack...
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Friday, November 28, 2014
As explained in our prior post, we emailed a survey on fresh duck eggs to 93 of our customers that h...
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Thursday, May 23, 2013
The following blog was written when the USPS was considering increasing the postage drastically for ...
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Thursday, March 8, 2012
The following is a guest blog from Cheryl Walter with her recommendations on raising geese with chil...
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Sunday, February 5, 2012
Waterfowl have a tendency to put on extra fat if given the opportunity. A reasonable amount of fat ...
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Tuesday, January 24, 2012
I have always wanted a picture drawn of our farm as I am sure many of you would like to see our layo...
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Monday, January 16, 2012
We have a camera set up in our hatcher so you can watch our birds hatch each weekend. Just go to ou...
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Friday, January 6, 2012
Juan is cleaning where most of the nests are - opposite the waterers - notice the drier litter.Keep ...
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Friday, January 6, 2012
Every year in November and December we have several buildings that have to be emptied, cleaned, disi...
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Wednesday, December 28, 2011
The following blog was written for us by James Konecny, who is the president of the International Wa...
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Friday, December 16, 2011
We blood test annually for pullorum for our NPIP membership, quarterly for Avian Influenza and for o...
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Tuesday, December 6, 2011
The Livestock Conservancy is a nonprofit membership organization working to protect over 180 breeds ...
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Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Can medicated feed be given to ducks and geese? Many people say No. I will explain why I feel the ...
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Friday, November 25, 2011
If you move ducks that are laying eggs into a different pen, will it adversely affect their egg prod...
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Friday, November 4, 2011
I attended my first large poultry show this past weekend - the Crossroads Poultry Show in the Indian...
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Friday, October 21, 2011
I was recently intrigued by an advertisement in Practical Poultry, a poultry hobbyist magazine publi...
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Thursday, September 29, 2011
I am sure you have read that many incandescent lamps have been banned. But I am also sure many of ...
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Thursday, September 22, 2011
We are extremely dependent on the US Postal Service (USPS) to ship our ducklings and goslings throug...
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Thursday, September 8, 2011
In my last blog I wrote how much easier your life will be if you use plastic or wire flooring around...
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Friday, September 2, 2011
For ducks, water is more than a nutrient. It is a source of entertainment, a way to keep clean, a m...
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Saturday, August 27, 2011
I didn't know about this book until a customer told me about it. I am happy he did as we are
changi...
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Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Ducks and geese use more bedding (or litter) than chickens as their droppings are wetter and they ma...
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Wednesday, August 10, 2011
We all know the ideal temperature for incubators range from about 98 to 100.3 depending on the stage...
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Thursday, July 21, 2011
We have read that all domestic ducks (with the exception of Muscovy) originate from wild Mallards. ...
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Friday, July 15, 2011
For two weeks every year we hatch Silver Runners and Silver Swedish. For 2011 it is July 18 and Jul...
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Thursday, July 7, 2011
I am going to the Crossroads Poultry Show in Indianapolis in late October. This is one of the large...
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Friday, June 24, 2011
Our catalog has been to five continents - we are only missing Australia and Antarctica! I am bumpin...
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Friday, June 3, 2011
Most of you have incubators that have several different ages of eggs in them. And you have your inc...
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Tuesday, May 17, 2011
All our ducks are in buildings that are 40' wide. Along one side we have a 5' wide concrete pit tha...
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Sunday, March 13, 2011
Oftentimes there is confusion on how to mix commercial sized packages of medicine or vitamin supplem...
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Sunday, March 13, 2011
Some poultry develop a habit of eating freshly laid eggs. We have never seen it in geese but have wi...
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Sunday, March 13, 2011
Now that spring is approaching, it is time to prepare your nests! Whether you have 2 ducks or 1000, ...
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Sunday, March 13, 2011
Clipping the wings of your birds is really very simple. Some things to keep in mind:
1) Clip onl...
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Friday, March 11, 2011
Modern hatcheries are now adopting the ways of Mother Nature. Only one age of eggs are put in an i...
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Tuesday, March 1, 2011
We have started a new contest on our website that we hope you enjoy. We have hidden a black duck so...
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Monday, February 21, 2011
All my Pekin breeding stock comes from Grimaud Freres, a French poultry breeding company. I have man...
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Thursday, February 10, 2011
Can you buy feed that is made specifically for waterfowl? Probably not. Most of our customers cann...
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Friday, February 4, 2011
Our county has three Farm Days each year. These enable all third graders in the county to have a fi...
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Saturday, January 15, 2011
I was given an opportunity the other day that I couldn't pass up.
Most people are familiar with Rom...
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Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Niacin is a critical vitamin required for the correct development of ducklings and goslings. In fac...
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Friday, December 24, 2010
Most people in the US do not eat goose at Christmas. In England, however, fresh goose is a very popu...
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Saturday, December 18, 2010
In the United States, few duck eggs are eaten. In other parts of the world, however, duck eggs are a...
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Thursday, December 9, 2010
Research was conducted in England on the best way to provide cleansing water for ducks being grown...
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Friday, December 3, 2010
The logistics involved in getting our ducklings and goslings to you are fascinating. But first I wa...
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Wednesday, November 24, 2010
One of the proudest moments of a father is when his beautiful daughter marries a wonderful young man...
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Thursday, November 18, 2010
In last week's blog, we talked about how long the day length should be to maximize duck egg producti...
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Thursday, November 11, 2010
The use of artificial lights is very important in extending the egg production of ducks. An increas...
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Friday, November 5, 2010
On March 1st of this year the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) published a final ruling that inc...
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Thursday, November 4, 2010
The USDA is producing a webinar on Backyard Poultry Health on Friday, November 5th at 12:00 noon Eas...
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Friday, October 22, 2010
Normally people would like to use a local veterinarian if their birds are sick. We do have a list on...
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Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Hawaii has only one native wild duck, the Koloa and it looks much like the North American Mallard du...
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Friday, October 1, 2010
Spring and early summer are extremely busy times for all hatcheries. We work overtime to get everyth...
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Wednesday, September 22, 2010
The color of a duck's egg yolk is strictly dependent on their diet. Xanthophylls (pronounced zantho...
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Friday, September 10, 2010
Many of you produce your own eggs and may be wondering how the current chicken egg recall might affe...
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Wednesday, September 1, 2010
What more can you ask for than endorsements from articles in Time and Sunset magazines? Metzer Farms...
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Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Dave and Millie Holderread own a waterfowl hatchery and preservation center and have over 60 breeds ...
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Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Finding the appropriate feed is one of the biggest problems for a hobbyist or small flock owner. As...
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Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Last week we went through our Rouen, Cayuga, White Crested and Fawn and White Runner breeder flocks....
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Thursday, August 5, 2010
There are several ways to determine which of your ducks are laying eggs. No one indication is proof...
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Thursday, June 10, 2010
Oftentimes we are asked how to differentiate Toulouse and African goslings because their appearance ...
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Saturday, May 29, 2010
This week I spoke in front of the US Postal Regulatory Commission. As you may have heard, they are ...
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Recent Blog Articles
- Where to Find Adult Ducks to Replace the One I Lost?
- Ducks as Pets
- Tips on Keeping Your Coop Safe from Predators
- Keeping Your Ducks Cool During A Heat Wave
- Breaking Broody
- Metzer Farms Statement on HPAI Oct 3, 2022
- Foods Ducks Should Never Eat
- Guard Geese
- Responsible Duck Ownership
- DIY Waterer Solutions for Keeping Your Pen Clean & Dry