Best duck for pets?

[awesomefowl]

Hello! I would like to maybe get 2-3 ducks for my little sister as pets.
What are good breeds for kids? I know most ducks are gentle, but which one is also the calmest, and won't flip out if it is held 90% of the time by a little first grader?

We want a drake with a green head, so i was thinking mallards because they're cute, or rouens, but I think they're ugly.
Thanks!

Also, how many sq ft do ducks require in housing? I have read Storey's Guide to raising ducks twice, but can't remember.

 

[cat1994]

I love my call ducks

here are my call ducks

call ducks come in lots of colors you can find some that have green heads
4 feet per duck more is better

 

[duckluv]

Cayugas are quiet, calm, and the males have mostly green bodies.

 

[pirtykitty]

cayugas and Welsh harlequins are good..

 

[easttxchick]

Quote:
Absolutely agree-I have 7 Calls and they are fantastic, friendly little things.

 

[arabianequine]

I have one peking and kinda funny, cute, and annoying.....follows are little weiner dog around if you can't find the dog look for the duck....and if the dog isn't out there guess who it follows around....uggh lol. It bites at the cat, roosters are scared of it cause its mouth is bigger I guess pretty funny though.

 

[Sweetfolly]

Well, Calls are cute, and they're generally bold and unafraid of people, but they are NOT calm...I don't think they're the greatest for kids, and they fly, so you'd need to keep their wings clipped or keep them in an enclosed pen to keep them from flying away. That being said, they're awesome little birds. I have 11 of them myself.

Cayugas are supposed to be friendly and relatively quiet...and that green sheen they have...they're just stunning.

Dutch Hookbills are the friendliest breed I have. They free-range my yard, and they like to follow people around and nibble on their shoelaces and tug on their pant legs!

The males have lovely green heads and eye-catching pale blue bills...this is my Bibbed Hookbill drake, Zipper, but they come in Dusky without the white bib too:

Welsh Harlequins are another breed that's supposed to be friendly...the drakes look a LOT like Mallards, but they're a little more...silvery, I guess. They're very pretty - and, the females are great layers of big, white eggs!

You may already know this, but this is a great website to browse all the duck breeds (lots of information and pictures!): http://www.feathersite.com/Poultry/Ducks/BRKDucks.html

 

[duckluck]

Well, you know my vote has to be for Calls! Though my second favorite would be Black East Indies.

Among the Calls, we do have a Silver Appleyard variety, and the males have green heads. Of all the Calls I have to say that I think this variety is the most laid back, though my blacks (which have a green sheen) have proven themselves as pets for the family as well. I know of at least two local families who have purchased from me for their grandchildren and have been very happy with them; they start out feisty but settle in well.

 

[Kansaseq]

I like my Welsh Harlequins; pretty, nice size, and lay lots of eggs!

This pic was taken a few months ago; the drake now has a solid, dark green head.

 

[awesomefowl]

Thank you everybody! I like Calls but they are very small, what about mallards? Are they calm? THANK YOU you all rock!