cayuga duck thread

[sweetcaroline]

Here's our whole gang! Token (the drake) is all the way on the left,
Freya is in the tub, Daphne with the white speckles, Lexy in the back, and Roxy on the right @peepquack

They are all beautiful!!
I love their names

 

[FlapFlaps]

Thanks! They are our black beauties

 

[jessicaagross]

Hi just subscribed to this thread. Does anyone in the South East South Dakota/North West Iowa etc. area have any Cayugas? I bought 5 "top show" ducklings from Holderreads last spring, I lost 2 and ended up with 3 drakes. He's getting out of cayugas, so I don't know where to buy more nice quality cayugas at now? I'd like adult hens or few ducklings.

 

[chickendreams24]

Hi everyone we're adding ducks this year but having trouble deciding between Cayugas and Welsh Harlequins. Does anyone have experience with both breeds? If so pm me. They're straight run so I'm not really sure how many we should order of each breed. Also how many people have Cayugas that lay slate or black eggs? How are they as layers? And mothers? Do they go broody?

Other than pools or ponds do they need special care? I have heard they can live with chickens, is this correct? Sorry lots of questions I just want to do right by them and make a good choice of breed. We can always add another breed next year.

 

[holm25]

Hi. What are u looking for in ducks?? Pets? Eggs?? Meat??

 

[chickendreams24]

Hi we're looking for some of everything I think. Pets absolutely with good egg laying abilities but also being able to use them for meat if we have too many drakes etc. We're still thinking but we might be waiting until next year to add them to our flock because we want to be sure we can give them a wonderful life. I'm not sure, but I would still love some help and advice if you all don't mind. Thanks

 

[Small Farm]

I have 2 Cayugas coming in mid-April, is it true that they lay grey/black eggs?

 

[cayugaducklady]

Yes it's true the eggs have a dark gray/black bloom on them. The first eggs are the darkest and it gets progressively lighter.

Here's an example of a first laid egg from my recently-started laying 10 month old hen.

The white scrape marks in the bloom are due to my having to use a garden mulcher/rake thing to reach the eggs in the nesting box.

The darker bloom doesn't entirely go away. My hen that started laying in December still has a faint gray bloom on her eggs.

I think it makes the eggs prettier.

 

[cayugaducklady]

Hi we're looking for some of everything I think. Pets absolutely with good egg laying abilities but also being able to use them for meat if we have too many drakes etc. We're still thinking but we might be waiting until next year to add them to our flock because we want to be sure we can give them a wonderful life. I'm not sure, but I would still love some help and advice if you all don't mind. Thanks

They're awesome pets and layers . I have 3 hens now and I get between 3 and 6 eggs daily now. My girls are pets/ layers only.

I've never tried their meat. There's a pasture raised heritage breed farm in NY called Arcadian Pastures that raises Cayugas and they ship processed meat. I haven't purchased duck from them yet but I am going to as soon as they have processed duck.

I'm getting 3 more ducklings next week.

 

[BarrerasDucks]

Just for kicks!Love my girl and she lays a ton of eggs like my others!7 a week 8 months a year 5 eggs a week during the slow months