Duck Breed Focus - Pekin

[N F C]

How beautiful! Thanks for bringing this breed focus thread to us Sumi!

 

[holm25]

Looks great!!

 

[Miss Lydia]

Wonderful breed always look like they are smiling.

 

[Ren2014]

Great Huge eggs!

Social


Outspoken

LOVE my Pekins. Definitely vocal, they are the more aggressive birds in my flock. JEALOUS of the 'social'

 

[Ren2014]

I had a pair of Pekins that were really in love with each other. The female laid fertilized eggs all the time, but always abandoned them. Had no interest at all. Just wanted to go play around with her man. I also have Sophie, a 21 year old African goose who had no males (and no interest in them), but laid eggs all the time. Once a year, she would lay a bunch and refuse to come off them. I would eventually have to intervene and get her off the nest and get rid of the eggs. Anyway, a few years ago, when she was sitting on her eggs and the Pekins were producing and abandoning, I started putting their eggs under Sophie and taking hers away. Sure enough, she hatched two of them. After all those years of no babies, she was finally a mom and so happy! She took great care of them. Here they are.





Their bio parents came to take a look, but she doesn't want them anywhere near her babies!

AWWWH so sweet!

 

[ShrekDawg]

That is so cute!! Glad you finally gave her some babies.

If they're not gonna care for them, may as well give them to someone who actually WANTS them

Must have made her day.

Did you ever let her hatch any more?

And I'd imagine having another waterfowl species raise them would be easier than having land fowl like chickens raise them. Both would dp great but chickens couldn't teach them to swim and all the water stuff.

Anyway, I didn't realize the.layed eggs too. Thought they were mostly a meat breed

 

[N F C]

@Teri313 thanks for sharing the story of Sophie and her ducklings!

I was wondering, is it the average for geese to live so long or is Sophie a special case? I had no idea they could live 21 years.

 

[Miss Lydia]

@Teri313 thanks for sharing the story of Sophie and her ducklings!

I was wondering, is it the average for geese to live so long or is Sophie a special case? I had no idea they could live 21 years.

@NorthFLChick geese can live 40 yrs or more. Read about one living till 80.


@Teri313 precious story and pics..Welcome to BYC.

 

[Teri313]

Quote:
Thanks for your reply KDOGG331. That was actually the last year she laid. After she had those babies, she was done. At the same time, the mother Peking was also done. The dad loved her a little too much and ended up crippling her. The males are very hard on the females (mine were anyway). Plus they're big, heavy ducks. I started out with three females and one male, and one by one we lost them basically to him. The last one, the mom, and he were truly in love though. Kind of sad! My birds have always been free range, but when she became crippled, I had to keep them separated so he wouldn't hurt her more. I made a mobile pen out of wire fencing and would set her up in different parts of the yard, and he would stay right there with her. After these ducks go, we're switching to chickens. No more waterfowl. Except for Sophie, of course, my girl!

 

[Teri313]

Quote: Thank you Miss Lydia! I'm still finding my way here, but I'm figuring it out. I'm gearing up for my next challenge after the ducks, which is chickens, so I was glad to find this forum. It's hugely informative and everyone is really friendly.