Best type of medium duck to get?

[themadbackpacker]

Hello everyone!

I'm looking at replacing all my chickens with ducks (tired of chickens) and we already have a ton of call ducks, as well as a few runner crosses.

I was looking at getting a mix of buffs, cayugas, and swedish. I would LOVE Appleyards, but they seem nearly impossible to find.

What does everyone think of the choices? Opinions! Opinions!!

Side note: They will be penned in a large area rather than free range, if that helps at all.

 

[CelticOaksFarm]

Khakis and Silver Appleyards here and love them. Nothing out lays a Khaki and will keep in eggs and out f bugs. SA's are large slow and fun, bred for meat, so the best of both worlds.

 

[Iain Utah]

oops... wrong thread.

 

[Iain Utah]

I have cayugas and anconas. My cayugas are calmer than my anconas. The anconas lay 250+ pretty colored eggs per year and I love the variety in their markings.

I have a silver appleyard egg about to go into lockdown that I got from Celtic Oaks... I have a feeling I will be ordering more if they are are docile as I'm told.

 

[DUCKGIRL89]

I have rouens, welsh hrlequins, and anconas. The welsh are better layers then my khaki campbells were. Their eggs are much larger! I havnt had the welsh laying very long though... and they are prettier, and not nearly as skidish! My hens will come up, and let me touch their bills, the khakis were always insane....

My rouens (from a hatchery) are also very good layers!!! They lay very nice, olive eggs to! I use my rouen eggs for art though...

 

[m.kitchengirl]

I have 2 Anconas & a Buff.
The Anconas are VERY active foragers. They came into lay last week & are laying daily.
The Buff is lovely, mellow, a good forager, and has a calming influence on the flock.
I adore the new Buff & would definitely keep them on your list. She has layed daily since arrival & I was told she was reliable all winter. She is SO quiet, too. We all really like her.

 

[DUCKGIRL89]

I have 2 Anconas & a Buff.
The Anconas are VERY active foragers. They came into lay last week & are laying daily.
The Buff is lovely, mellow, a good forager, and has a calming influence on the flock.
I adore the new Buff & would definitely keep them on your list. She has layed daily since arrival & I was told she was reliable all winter. She is SO quiet, too. We all really like her.

Ok, kinda off topic, but are you gonna be breeding anconas, or gonna have a mixed flock for eggs? I'm soooo curious of what everyone does with their ducks!

So glad your anconas are FINALLY laying... how old?

 

[My Henny Hens]

I'm also looking into getting ducks. I want bug control, but while I'm at it we may as well have eggs too, right? SO, I am now trying to figure out what kind of ducks to get. Hubby says no white ducks and he does not like Muscovy's. We have 3 small children, a flock of 25 chickens, 1 dog, 1 cat. Any suggestions? Looking for a docile, egg laying/dual purpose breed (extra drakes on the dinner table). Pointers? Suggestions? Thank you all in advance. I'm a total duck rookie!

 

[m.kitchengirl]

Quote: My drake became too hostile with my chickens & keeping the whole flock separate in our yard was too rough on everyone.
He went to live on a happy duck farm nearby, and I got the Buff in trade.
My girls started to lay the day after my drake left, so I think they were stressed by the change in their routine - if not by his treatment of the flock.

I bake - for work & for pleasure - and I prefer duck eggs. I wanted ducks for eggs but fell for my drake & decided to try to make it work.
He was SO happy to be in a huge flock of ducks. In a huge pen of Anconas. So, I think I made the right decision for us. Even though it was hard to do. (Though, after watching him FLY down the hill after my SL Wyandotte & landing on top of her only to wrestle her until I could pull him off made it a whole lot easier.)

My Anconas are 8 months old. I am THRILLED they are finally laying!

Everyone seems much happier now. My gals are all friendlier, and enjoying spring.

I am so sorry to hijack the thread.

 

[BirdyMe]

I've done Khakis, Cayugas, Pekins, Welsh Harlequins, Swedish, Calls, and Mallards. The Cayugas, Pekins, and Khakis have always been my favorites. The Khakis can lay like the dickens, and the Pekins and Cayugas are very social. My Pekins have always been total clowns.