Pekin ducks mating for the first time

[ducklucky]

Too bad you are so far away, I have extra females for you, they are just coming on laying at 18 weeks. Have a half a dozen or so that will need homes. Healthy, happy and horny! Two are laying so far, and caught my favorite BillieJo (she's got a HUGE orange bill LOL and she loves me like I'm her momma) trying to build a nest this AM, in the box primping the hay and so forth. Maybe she has mated with the drake or just following instinct. Don't know, there ae 12 girls, so it's hard to see who's doing what, but was pleased to see it, maybe she'll be a good mom. Anyway, still 2 eggs a day, some huge, some medium, different every day. Interesting creatures. It POURED here all day yesterday, wind blew, they were so happy to be out in it, down at the bottom of the hill where the rain creates a little streamlet, spent hours there, were exhausted, fat and happy when they came home, it's a beautiful thing

 

[Kathbmcclure]

Oooh, welsh harlequins for sure! I currently have a welshie drake, and he's such a sweetheart. I got him when he was already three weeks old, but he would still climb into my lap and let me pet him. Now that he's grown, he's still the sweetest duck I have - even sweeter than the pekin duck that I raised from less than a week old. He'll come over and sit next to me whenever I'm in the yard, and he brings my mallard drake and the girls with him, so even though they're more skittish, I still get to interact with them. And, he's such a gentleman with the ladies. I've never seen him be rough. Really a great bird. Plus, welsh harlequins are known for their calm disposition - metzer says that theirs are even calmer than their pekins, and I'd have to agree. Females also lay just as well as khaki campbells, because the breed was actually developed from off-colored khaki campbells, but they have better mothering instincts and are less nervous. Also they can be much prettier. That's my opinion, but I might be just a tad biased I have some hatching eggs on the way so I can get a few more myself!

I love hearing this! I've read up on them a good bit, and they sounded like the sweetest ducks. You are the first person I've heard from though, so I'm very apply to hear it confirmed. What a great duck!

 

[Scott Barr]

Thanks so much ... quacks are very similar but who knows ... not really into them for mating but will take what we get as they are soooo very great to have as pets.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Have ya'll seen this? https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/699312/pekin-duck-club

 

[Kathbmcclure]

Sounds like the pekin group didn't really take off! Thanks for mentioning that though. I am going to have 3 buffs to add to the group soon. V excited!

 

[Scott Barr]

First egg today ... did not know that duck eggs were so heavy as compared to chicken eggs. The first one had a small hole in the shell but the shell otherwise seemed very strong. I hear that they are great to eat but have not tried one yet .... Turner and Tucker are both females (we think) because no Drake feather yet ...

 

[voodoozombie]

Absolutely! I've been wanting to let them hatch a few, but didn't want to get overrun...I needed to make sure they had a place to go!

 

[hfchristy]

When do Pekins normally get their drake feathers? My bantams just did this past week, but I have no idea whether they mature faster since they're small. I think they're around 13 or 14 weeks.

Hoping the Pekin DOESN'T get drake feathers - we can't keep any more boys!

 

[ducklucky]

A jumbo chicken egg is 2.5 oz. Our first duck eggs were 2.9 and were double yolkers. We always feed the first eggs to the dogs, and if there was a hole in it, don't eat it yourself, but dogs and even cats will love it. They get better as time goes along. Yes, the shell is surpirisingly strong, it is nature's way of the egg surviving the ducks big clumsy feet and heavy weight. Hope you get lots more, ours at 19 weeks are giving us 2 a day, one huge, one medium. Enough for us right now, but we have customers waiting, so I give them a little squeeze each night and a pep talk...It's fun isn't it? They do taste different, but the nutritional value is higher in cholesterol, but much, much higher in vitamins and minerals than chickens. Great for baking as they are so rich, one duck egg =two chicken. Hope I helped.