Silver Appleyard questions

[duckdog]

I am close to ordering Silver Appleyards, but before doing so there are some questions I couldn't find any info for. Hopefully someone who is more knowledgeable than me can give there insight:

1. I had khakis last year, but moved them on. They were waaay too skiddish. I am getting a less skiddish duck this year, still I want to socialize these as best as possible. Since I have learned that hatching the ducklings yourself is the most optimum conditions to socialize ducks, yet I can't find eggs to hatch, nor if there is a way to sex them before hatching. Am I just wasting my time with my egg hunt or is it possible to get sexed eggs?
2. Last year I had all females, and the foxes did get one of them. I have gone back to the drawing board and I believe have made a better coop, but I would like an extra layer of protection. I am not expecting the drake to actually fight off a predator, but I am interested if the drake would be protective enough to buy some time for me to get outside to help. Even if he is just getting in the way. How protective are the drakes of their ladies? If they are very protective, my next question is probably on the fantastical, but I figure I'd ask just in case. I am getting the ducks for egg production, is there a way to keep the drake without getting my ladies pregnant and keeping his drive to protect them?

 

[KathiQuacks]

I’m not sure about sexed eggs, maybe someone else can speak on that. I’d imagine getting sexed ducklings wouldn’t be too different from incubating yourself. You’d lose some imprinting, maybe, but I’ve also had ducks I never raised love me more than ducks I incubated and raised personally

No drake is going to be able to protect his hens from a fox, even if he really wanted to. A real protector would be something like a live-stock guardian dog.

Ducks don’t “get pregnant.” When hens want to have ducklings, they’ll build a nest, lay an egg in it around once a day, and when she has all her eggs laid, that’s when she’ll sit on the nest 23 hours a day to incubate them. As long as you or a hen doesn’t incubate the eggs, you can eat fertilized eggs just the same as non-fertilized eggs.

 

[Jenbirdee]

Ditto to what @KathiQuacks said, plus, silve apple yards are not one of the highest volume egg layers, and all ducks are somewhat skittish , including my silver apple yard .. but over the years, every now and then I get a friendly duck, and it’s usually a Runner Duck ! runner ducks also lay more eggs and come in a variety of colors. and they sooo cute and funny

 

[duckdog]

Hey thanks. I was looking at the drake more as a sacrificial speedbump, to buy time until I can get there.

 

[duckdog]

Ditto to what @KathiQuacks said, plus, silve apple yards are not one of the highest volume egg layers, and all ducks are somewhat skittish , including my silver apple yard .. but over the years, every now and then I get a friendly duck, and it’s usually a Runner Duck ! runner ducks also lay more eggs and come in a variety of colors. and they sooo cute and funny

Thanks, I am aware they are not the best egg layers, yet for my purposes they are a good fit. I have read repeatedly that they are not that skittish, especially in comparison to Khakis. I'll look into that more, from my experiences, sources contradicting each other is nothing new. Thanks again.

 

[KathiQuacks]

Hey thanks. I was looking at the drake more as a sacrificial speedbump, to buy time until I can get there.

Erm.. maybe don’t get ducks now, if you’re okay with ‘sacrificing’ them to predators

 

[cheezenkwackers]

You cannot sex eggs. If you order ducklings from someone like Metzer the ducklings will be just as tame if you tame them. I have found using a brooder with clear sides helps get them used to movement. You also need to spend lots of time with them handling them and handing them treats.
I love having one drake with my girls and I would be devastated to lose him. The drakes are more personable especially as ducklings. I do think my drake might try to help his girls, but not as much as I hear roosters do.
We eat our fertile and infertile eggs. The only difference (which can be hard to see), is the amount of DNA in that one cell which makes a white dot on the yolk. Fertile eggs have a slightly larger white dot. As long as the fertile eggs are collected everyday the girls will not set on them and no baby develops. They taste amazing either way!

 

[duckdog]

You cannot sex eggs. If you order ducklings from someone like Metzer the ducklings will be just as tame if you tame them. I have found using a brooder with clear sides helps get them used to movement. You also need to spend lots of time with them handling them and handing them treats.
I love having one drake with my girls and I would be devastated to lose him. The drakes are more personable especially as ducklings. I do think my drake might try to help his girls, but not as much as I hear roosters do.
We eat our fertile and infertile eggs. The only difference (which can be hard to see), is the amount of DNA in that one cell which makes a white dot on the yolk. Fertile eggs have a slightly larger white dot. As long as the fertile eggs are collected everyday the girls will not set on them and no baby develops. They taste amazing either way!

Hey thank you, this was really helpful. I didn't know that about their personality.

 

[duckdog]

Erm.. maybe don’t get ducks now, if you’re okay with ‘sacrificing’ them to pr

Erm.. maybe don’t get ducks now, if you’re okay with ‘sacrificing’ them to predators

That is an absolutely ridiculous statement. Predators are always something to worry about, even with a strong coop. I am not in the position to use a rifle as I live in the suburbs, or have a livestock guardian, therefore I need to run out to the coop with a shovel to try to stop the predator if they do somehow figure out a way to get in it. Anything that would slow that predator down would help. Ideally the drake is protective and could buy that extra minute or two without any harm to it. Thanks for you help, and most of all thanks for your self righteousness.

 

[cheezenkwackers]

Hey thank you, this was really helpful. I didn't know that about their personality.

If you do go this route, and you know which duckling is your drake, work on taming him the most. The girls will follow his lead. I had a very wary drake a few years ago (my fault for not spending enough time with him). When I went out of town, he would drive my duck sitter crazy by keeping the girls from going in the coop at night. On the Fourth of July, with neighbor’s shooting off fireworks, my poor duck sitter chased them around in circles for hours trying to get them in their coop. She claimed the drake was sticking his tongue out at her and laughing as he ran. I now have a new, sweet drake, a new coop they can’t run around, and I pay the duck sitter double.