Love them!
Pros: Friendly, forage well, stay close to house, easy to tame
Cons: Eat a lot, poop a lot
Only had mine a year now, but love them like crazy. They are way tame, but spent some time doing that. They stick together, one male, 6 females, like a cloud, and move as one unit. Lay eggs like crazy, all winter long, some two a day, big healthy eggs with huge yolks, great for baking and egg dishes, any baker or cook would give their right arm to have a daily supply of these eggs. Easy, easy to keep, give them fresh bedding, water supply and feed once a day, they're perfectly happy. Will nest in cardboard boxes on the outside porch and come home every evening unasked. Guess it's all in how you raise them. Can see if you don't pay attention, they might not be the breed for you, but as pets, a little time goes a long way. Of course they are fatty, that's the duck you buy in the grocery store, i.e., Long Island, but those are Jumbo Pekins. The smaller breed is best to keep around for eggs and to round out your smaller farm. They don't demand a pond, are perfectly happy with a little pool, and do forage well. Just my experience, guess I got a good batch. Can't complain about them being messy, they are, but they're ducks for goodness sake. What do you want? Can't potty train a duck, chicken or any other fowl, they'll poop when and where they want to. And duck poop is great fertilizer, use their soiled bedding right in your garden between rows, not like chicken poop, it is ready to be used right away. Watch your garden explode! Tamed enough to eat from hand, and will come when called. It's all in how they're raised, like any other.
