Best pet breeds?

[kikidee]

Most of you know of what happened to my gorgeous drakes Daffy and Drake

I really want new ones, though I am still greatly mourning their loss

I cried a lot today and probably will whenever I look outside. I feel the best way to ask my parents to get me ducks is to ask for my birthday which is already next month. (Which is why I feel the urgency to already try to get some). I had cayugas which I loved, but I'm afraid I'll be somehow expecting them to be like Daffy and Drake. Also, metzer farms won't be hatching any cayugas till around summer I believe

What other quiet and VERY friendly, social breeds are there. I would only be getting two drakes. Also, where are the cheapest (but still good) outside enclosers to connect to a duck coop? It looks more like a bunny hutch though... I really hope my parents let me, I am planning this because they usually are better responders when I have a good plan laid out for them.
(also, this actually gets my mind off the loss of my drakes whom I miss so much)

 

[kikidee]

Wow I already feel really guilty for posting this already. Maybe I should take this off

My brain is so scrambled

 

[duckluck]

The best way to find out is to ask and see how people respond.

 

[aoxa]

I'm so sorry for your loss

I have bought new chickens after losing ones. It helps me recover. Does not mean you are replacing them in any way.

Muscovies are wonderful pets.

Check this out. This is a user on Youtube who runs a pet sanctuary and has a pet Muscovy. This is the sole reason I decided on them. If you can get over their caruncles, they are so cute!

Here is my girl, Macy

 

[veronicasmom]

Is there an animal shelter near you that has fowl? Maybe adopting a pair of drakes might make you feel a bit less guilty and getting new ones. And many times in shelters (out of the 10 ducks I have ever owned only one was not adopted from a shelter. I got her from a friend that was raising meat ducks), drakes are harder place. So, if you got them there you would be helping the ducks, the shelter and yourself!!!
Start goggling around your area and see what places might have ducks. You might have to drive a bit, but maybe you could make it a fun day with your parents and they just might enjoy helping out too!

 

[Miss Lydia]

Quote:
That is a wonderful idea. When we had to have our 161/2 year old dachshund put to sleep I said I couldn't do it again I was so heartbroken, and I'm sure many have said the same thing. But 3 weeks later I was so needing a little dog to fill my life, so we went and got another lil dachshund, she helped to heal the heartbreak and has been such a blessing to me. I think it would be wonderful if your parents go along with it to go ahead and get your ducks, you'll know just what has to be done to protect them and you'll be ready when you bring them home.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Quote:
I loved the videos, thanks for sharing, my Opie comes in the house all the time and my one dachshund would love to play with him, but he just wants to hang out with me. He's such a mamas boy.

 

[m.kitchengirl]

I think the runs are easier to build & much more sturdy than buying one of the pre-fab contraptions.
I bought a pre-fab chicken coop (I am not at all handy) but couldn't find a duck house to fit my needs/budget, etc. I built my duck house & it has held up really well this fall & winter. I plan to add it to my expanded duck/chicken duplex in the Spring because it is still going strong.
(It is not the prettiest thing in the world, and I really had my doubts about it's "design", but the darn thing is doing WAY better than my prefab chicken coop, which will wind up on the bottom of the big burn pile in the spring.)

The hardware cloth is the only part that is expensive, but it is worth it. If you only do the bottom apron & 6"-8" in it you can do the rest in something easier to work with and a little less expensive. I used a ton of 1/4" hardware cloth though, and next time would definitely just get some old pallets & build the rest out of those. Even buying my wood at Home Depot when i bought the hardware cloth I only spent $180 on the enclosure. Just about what I spent on my prefab chicken coop. (That is WAY too small. I'll be able to use the enclosure I built as a breeding/brooding/infirmary pen for years.) I have also seen some great runs built using PVC & hardware cloth. Those look very portable compared with other types, if that is a consideration for you.

You should not feel guilty about wanting to continue to love these wonderful animals. What you should do is try to learn as much as you can from their loss & apply that knowledge to the next ducks you get. Which it sounds like you are doing - getting a safe run area set up for them before they go outside. You honor your love for them by learning from the experience. It shows they are still in your heart.

ETA: I love my Anconas. I am terribly tempted by Welsh Harlequins, but am going to wait until I feel like I really understand and am serving the breed the best I can before I move on to add other breeds.

 

[duckdad]

kikidee,

are you certain that you want 2 drakes?

You understand that as ducklings they will be cute and funny but as they grow and mature they will become more aggressive and harder to handle? About 5 to 6 mts old they will start to act like Big Drakes...not always fun.
Even without the presence of females they will do what drakes do....try to dominate and fight for who's the boss.

Perhaps a pair M/F that could bond and become mates for life as mine have. They are so attached to each other that I cannot take one out of the sight of the other without a bunch of screaming and crying. Buddy looks out for Squeek, and I can hold Squeek and walk around as long as Buddy can see us...and if Buddy rides on my shoulder and I walk into the house for a min or sit down at the computer (yes, he likes to sit up there and watch the monitor with his beak in my pocket) his girl will start getting louder and louder until she can either come in or I bring him back. They are a couple and entertain each other and are truely inseparable.

2 hens might also be ok. They are friendly to each other and keep each other company when you are away. As far as breed...I think alot of the typical characteristics are over-ridden by hand raising birds. As they become imprinted on their human they tend to forget some of those traits such as constant quacking or chattering. Mine will do these things sometimes, then quiet as a mouse other times. I work with some power tools on their patio and they sleep thru the noise I make. I think thier behvaior comes directly from the attention they receive from you and how much time you spend with them each day. Mine do not care if I'm firing a cannon...as long as I'm there with them.



Try to see this for what it is...

when you loose something/someone important in your life, they leave a void where they were part of your life. An emotional open wound of sorts. The only way to recover from that is to fill the void with something else and let it heal. Its not replacing those that are missing, they can never be replaced. Its about filling that void because if you don;t the wound won't properly heal and it'll leave a scar...a deep scar.
There IS something to be said for "moving on"... As cold as that might seem, its actually about self preservation, and its necessary for wounds to heal and long term mental health. Its perfectly alright to be soft inside as long as you develope a thicker skin to protect yourself. This is what loss teaches us. The fewer the lessons the better.

Get a couple more ducks. heck, who says its GOTTA be ducks? Find a local feed store thats got a variety of birds...you might be interested in something else as well. There are lots of fun, entertaining birds available that would make good pets.

Just remember, you get back what you put into it...

I'm sure you;ll find something that you will enjoy sharing your love with.

Best Wishes
DD

 

[destinduck]

Sorry for your loss.

Hope you find some new ducklings that make ya happy