Ducklings! Coming soon!!

[Chicksduckgoose]

Hello duck lovers! I thought it might be helpful to start a new thread this spring. Hopefully we all will have adorable babies hatching or arriving in the mail soon! I have an assortment coming from ideal the first week in April. I am thinking about getting a drake this year. I have 3 ducks right now and have 2 more coming, all hens. What is your experience with having drakes? I've never had a male bird at all, so I'm a little nervous, but I love the thought of my own ducklings!!

 

[Table4Six]

Male ducks are complete problems if you don't have enough females, but since you're only getting one you most likely won't have any problems. I am getting an order from metzer farms on March thirteen with a variety of breeds, which are all females.

Congrats on your ducklings!

 

[Chicksduckgoose]

So does a drake just run around trying to mate with all the females all the time, or is it only during mating season? My girls are a pretty happy bunch and I wouldn't want to make their life stressful. Thanks! Congratulations on your new babies coming soon!

 

[The Duck Ladie]

I have 2 drakes (was 3) and they will mate during winter and late fall, but they mostly mate during spring and summer, If you have enought girls at least 3 for every boy It's not a problem unless all they drakes have a favorite one, then that one kinda gets beat up. I love my drakes though!

 

[Chicksduckgoose]

Thanks for the information! My hens get a little noisy. Maybe having a drake will quiet them a little? Sometimes it seems like they are calling out for something!!

 

[QuackSpeak]

@Table4Six , I'm also getting ducklings from Metzer's on March 13 (Unless we change the date for some reason)! A Welsh Harlequin, Cayuga, and Blue Swedish, all girls.

 

[Chicksduckgoose]

I'm getting two Cayugas and maybe a Khaki Campbell drake! I have a Rouen and 2 Khaki's now. I'm very excited about getting Cayugas. They are beautiful! I hope you all will post pics of your ducklings! I have chickens too. I love all my girls, but ducks are so stinkin' sweet!! I'm going to try geese this spring too!

 

[TeeMom]

After 2 years of chickens we've decided to jump on the duck bandwagon this spring. Expecting Welsh Harlequins from the Holderreads this spring and we're so excited!

 

[pomnovice]

I already have all of my ducklings!! Blue Swedish, magpies, runners, a snow mallard, and etc. I have one drake and seven females, and haven't had any issues so far.

 

[Table4Six]

@Table4Six , I'm also getting ducklings from Metzer's on March 13 (Unless we change the date for some reason)! A Welsh Harlequin, Cayuga, and Blue Swedish, all girls.

I'm getting 16, all females: blue swedish, black swedish, buff, welsh harlequin, pekin, blue runner, chocolate runner, black runner, fawn and white runner, cayuga, saxony, dutch hookbill, silver appleyard, golden 300, white layer, and white crested

It sounds like a lot but it's really not.