- Aug 10, 2014
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Hello!
I plan on getting 3 ducks from Metzer Farms soon. I plan on getting a female Cayuga, a female Mallard, and a male Pekin but first I have some questions. I've never had ducks before, so I'm a newbie here and have some newbie questions. I have been doing research for several months now and have purchased the book "Duck! There's a goose in the house!" by Nancy Townsend (from Metzer Farms). My reasoning for buying 3 ducks is so they have company when I'm gone. I know 2 is generally the minimum, but I think 3 would be optimal for them (and hopefully not too noisy..!)
1. I've heard it's a good idea to raise house ducks isolated from eachother (except bath time) so they don't bond to eachother, but rather bond to you instead so they think you are mother. Is this true? If so, how long should I keep them in their own pens before putting them together? And will they get along well after that?
2. I know Mallards are pretty small, but how large are Cayugas and Pekins in comparison to a Mallard?
3. If the male Pekin is larger/heavier than the other ducks, could he possibly injure them during mating?
4. Would the male pekin prefer to mate with one over the other, or would he mate with both?
5. I understand ducklings need a constant supply of food and water for growth. At what age can I begin limiting when/how much they eat, and how slowly should I decrease their food?
6. I've read that ducks love routine and doing things at the same time every day. How many times per day should I feed the ducks? Breakfast and dinner time (ie. 6 am, 6 pm)? Lunch time too?
7. Are there any designs on this site for a fairly small indoor duck pen? I intend to let the ducks roam the apartment freely during the day, but I think I should keep them in the pen at night so they don't have to wear diapers all night.
edit- oh also, if you could recommend any other useful books, that would be great!
These are all the newbie questions I can think of off the top of my head right now. According to Metzer Farms Hatching Dates & Availability page, all 3 of these breeds wont be available until November 10th, so I have some time to get things prepared. I know that some of these questions are probably silly, but I'm not the greatest when it comes to searching things on the internet (which is why I ordered a book) so please bear with me.
Any input and advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
I plan on getting 3 ducks from Metzer Farms soon. I plan on getting a female Cayuga, a female Mallard, and a male Pekin but first I have some questions. I've never had ducks before, so I'm a newbie here and have some newbie questions. I have been doing research for several months now and have purchased the book "Duck! There's a goose in the house!" by Nancy Townsend (from Metzer Farms). My reasoning for buying 3 ducks is so they have company when I'm gone. I know 2 is generally the minimum, but I think 3 would be optimal for them (and hopefully not too noisy..!)
1. I've heard it's a good idea to raise house ducks isolated from eachother (except bath time) so they don't bond to eachother, but rather bond to you instead so they think you are mother. Is this true? If so, how long should I keep them in their own pens before putting them together? And will they get along well after that?
2. I know Mallards are pretty small, but how large are Cayugas and Pekins in comparison to a Mallard?
3. If the male Pekin is larger/heavier than the other ducks, could he possibly injure them during mating?
4. Would the male pekin prefer to mate with one over the other, or would he mate with both?
5. I understand ducklings need a constant supply of food and water for growth. At what age can I begin limiting when/how much they eat, and how slowly should I decrease their food?
6. I've read that ducks love routine and doing things at the same time every day. How many times per day should I feed the ducks? Breakfast and dinner time (ie. 6 am, 6 pm)? Lunch time too?
7. Are there any designs on this site for a fairly small indoor duck pen? I intend to let the ducks roam the apartment freely during the day, but I think I should keep them in the pen at night so they don't have to wear diapers all night.
edit- oh also, if you could recommend any other useful books, that would be great!
These are all the newbie questions I can think of off the top of my head right now. According to Metzer Farms Hatching Dates & Availability page, all 3 of these breeds wont be available until November 10th, so I have some time to get things prepared. I know that some of these questions are probably silly, but I'm not the greatest when it comes to searching things on the internet (which is why I ordered a book) so please bear with me.
Any input and advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
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