Battle of the Breeds - Cayuga vs. Pekin

[DuckyBabies]

Personally, i would go with Magpies or Buff-Orpingtons - My Buff ducklings are sooo laid back. Yes they don't like to be picked up at the moment, but when they realize i won't eat them they relax and start looking around.
Given the choice between just Cayugas or Pekins and the condition that you have Indian Runners, i would choose the Cayugas. Pekins are a heavy breed and that could cause conflicts in the future: A full grown Pekin duck is easily able to keep the Runners away from the feeder and empty it all by herself. But a Pekin wouldn't be able to keep up with a gang of Runners, running in circles around her/him. You could end up with two distinct groups of ducks, the Pekins and the Runners…

Do runners not do well with different breeds? I have a pekin and Cayuga, and was looking at my next duck being a runner. Would I be better off finding a different breed to hang with my boys?

 

[Miss Lydia]

Your talking another drake right you sure wouldn’t want to add a Runner female to your drakes.

 

[DuckyBabies]

Your talking another drake right you sure wouldn’t want to add a Runner female to your drakes.

Yes another drake. Do you think that would work or am I pushing my luck haha

 

[Miss Lydia]

Some have all drake flocks let’s get @thumper650 here since she has an all drake flock.

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

Do runners not do well with different breeds? I have a pekin and Cayuga, and was looking at my next duck being a runner. Would I be better off finding a different breed to hang with my boys?

I will find that out soon! - The Spring Ducklings will move into their new outside home pretty soon and in 1-2 months from now i will have to set them loose with my Runner Ducks…
So far i've never had a flock of mixed breeds, but when i ordered the ducklings this year, i made sure that all breeds are medium-size. I think it is not a good idea to combine a heavy breed like the Pekin - really at the top end of the scale - with a light to medium weight Runner. There might not be any problems at all, maybe i'm just over-concerned, but a Peking can easily weigh twice as much as a Runner. If they have a disagreement…

 

[DuckyBabies]

I will find that out soon! - The Spring Ducklings will move into their new outside home pretty soon and in 1-2 months from now i will have to set them loose with my Runner Ducks…
So far i've never had a flock of mixed breeds, but when i ordered the ducklings this year, i made sure that all breeds are medium-size. I think it is not a good idea to combine a heavy breed like the Pekin - really at the top end of the scale - with a light to medium weight Runner. There might not be any problems at all, maybe i'm just over-concerned, but a Peking can easily weigh twice as much as a Runner. If they have a disagreement…

Thank you! I was so surprised when I got my cayuga because he is so much smaller than my pekin. My Bingo is a big ole boy. I never realized how big pekins actually are because until that point all I had was two pekins

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

Thank you! I was so surprised when I got my cayuga because he is so much smaller than my pekin. My Bingo is a big ole boy. I never realized how big pekins actually are because until that point all I had was two pekins

Pekins can grow up to the size of a small goose. But it all depends on the individual birds how and if they live together. Usually Pekins are somewhat laid back and patient, but i doubt that for example my Donald would get along with a pekin drake. Don is charging me from time to time (and i am very patient with him too!) but when it is enough he would draw the short straw for sure.

 

[BornToQuack]

Thanks for the feedback, everyone! Since the safety and well-being of our current Indian Runner hens is important to us, guess Pekins are out.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Ever thought about another Runner. I tell ya Runners stick together like glue. I know you know that, but I only think the reason my Buffs have been accepted into their flock is because they were hatched with them and think they are Runners.

 

[BornToQuack]

Ever thought about another Runner. I tell ya Runners stick together like glue. I know you know that, but I only think the reason my Buffs have been accepted into their flock is because they were hatched with them and think they are Runners.

I wouldn't object to another Runner hen, especially if I could get a black, silver, or apricot trout. Guess we'll see what the local feed stores are getting when we're ready to expand our flock.