A DECADE OF DUCK TALK 2017- 2027

[Miss Lydia]

No prob does anyone have runner ducks

I do!! love them.

 

[DancingWthDucks]

No prob does anyone have runner ducks

I hatched some Fawn and Whites a few months ago, but sold them as ducklings. They were very cute and friendly though...

 

[BBCHICKS123]

I love hatching duck we gave a 2,000 egg incubator but my ducks never hatcked when they are supposed to we once had a duck hatch her own and they did not hatch till the 53 day

 

[DancingWthDucks]

I love hatching duck we gave a 2,000 egg incubator but my ducks never hatcked when they are supposed to we once had a duck hatch her own and they did not hatch till the 53 day

Day 53

What temp did you have them on? Did any survive???

 

[BBCHICKS123]

Ya all of them survived the mom duck hatched them but she was in an enclosed area and we marked all the egg so they were all the same eggs

 

[dheltzel]

We have 7 Welsh Harlequins (3 drakes). I spent a lot of time with them when they were young (hatched in my incubator with chicks) and still they grew up to be quite wild. I expected "turkey style" bonding and am frankly disappointed with them. It is my first experience keeping any waterfowl, but I have had (and still have) lots of chickens, turkeys, guineas, etc.

Are other breeds more inclined to be people friendly? I got these because a friend offered the eggs to me. I was considering a bantam duck breed to start with, but now I wonder if they will be wild too. Is there a trick to getting ducklings to bond with people?

 

[DancingWthDucks]

We have 7 Welsh Harlequins (3 drakes). I spent a lot of time with them when they were young (hatched in my incubator with chicks) and still they grew up to be quite wild. I expected "turkey style" bonding and am frankly disappointed with them. It is my first experience keeping any waterfowl, but I have had (and still have) lots of chickens, turkeys, guineas, etc.

Are other breeds more inclined to be people friendly? I got these because a friend offered the eggs to me. I was considering a bantam duck breed to start with, but now I wonder if they will be wild too. Is there a trick to getting ducklings to bond with people?

First off, when handling them (especially as babies) don't pick them up from above- this makes your out stretched hand look like a hawk coming down for them. There natural instinct is to see you as a predator if you do this. Also, I try to make them associate being interacted with and handled with positive things (so if I pick them up, I give them a handful of mealworms or a few grains). Getting down to their level is a lot less threatening to them.

I have actually found Welsh Harlequins VERY tame and friendly, but I guess it varies from the way the bird has been raised to the individual duck its self.

 

[DancingWthDucks]

Has anyone had any experience with Hookbills? I'm planning on selling my Khaki Campbells in the spring and replace them with Hookbills or maybe Buff Orpingtons (I think you call them 'Buffs' in the USA?)

 

[Miss Lydia]

Has anyone had any experience with Hookbills? I'm planning on selling my Khaki Campbells in the spring and replace them with Hookbills or maybe Buff Orpingtons (I think you call them 'Buffs' in the USA?)

I love the look of the Hook bills. I have 2 Buffs both females I really like them.

 

[dheltzel]

First off, when handling them (especially as babies) don't pick them up from above- this makes your out stretched hand look like a hawk coming down for them. There natural instinct is to see you as a predator if you do this. Also, I try to make them associate being interacted with and handled with positive things (so if I pick them up, I give them a handful of mealworms or a few grains). Getting down to their level is a lot less threatening to them.

I have actually found Welsh Harlequins VERY tame and friendly, but I guess it varies from the way the bird has been raised to the individual duck its self.

I plan to hatch some from their eggs, so I will try again with a duckling. Is it a good or bad idea to keep them with chicks? I separated them at about a week to keep their mess away from the chicks, but I wonder if they would be calmer with some calm chicks with them to reassure them.

Are the bantam breeds generally spookier or friendlier than the large breeds? Are any of the bantam breeds especially calm and friendly? I love the look of the BEI and was considering Australian Spotteds because they are scarce. In chickens some of the bantam breeds are the most docile and friendly of all chickens (silkies, cochins, ameraucanas), while others are (in my experience) just problem birds (sebrights).