- Thread starter
- #11
- Aug 27, 2014
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I love my Australian Spotted ducks and out of all the ducks I have raised they have the most personality. Any hen will make some noise but the Pekin hen noise is driving me crazy! I have someone coming for my last 8 hens and I will not raise Pekins again. I remember why I did not like them years ago but I ended up with a sweet hen so I gave them another try. I found a nice drake for the hen but I decided to sell them too because the Pekins eat leaves off my trees, which the Australian Spotted ducks leave alone. Having one Pekin hen might not be so bad but a group of them honk at each other too much for me.
I also have Calls and when they are quiet they are nice to look at but they do get loud if something upsets them. I am still debating whether or not to keep them. I have had Indian Runner ducks in the past and the breed seems hyper to me. I thought it was just mine but I have seen other flocks running around like crazy everywhere in one big group so I suspect it is the breed. I actually love Muscovy ducks but they are large for a backyard. I had mine on 40 acres and they survived when I had coyotes close by that came into my yard at times. Because I also raised wolves at the time, the coyotes kept their distance from the house and the ducks hung out under the trampoline.
There are many nice breeds of duck so you could even try a mixed flock if you are just eating the eggs and not hatching them. The best way to know what you like is to try different things and see what is best for you and your living situation.
We original were going to get pekin, but everything I read, is about them being more vocal than other ducks, so defo a rethink on those. We were thinking that we could try out different ducks, and if some are not working, we can always eat it, and try another, but saying it, and doing it are two different things! lol