Breed choices

[Broodmaster]

Hello all, I am new to this site and was wondering if I could get some help with choosing some ducks. I'm looking for a quite, friendly, and hardy duck that can handle cold weather, but is easy for beginners such as myself a drake and a female maybe. I already have Orrington hens so the ducks would need to fit well with them. Thanks.

 

[sourland]

Hello, and welcome to BYC. Are you looking for egg production, meat birds, or lawn ornaments ?

 

[Broodmaster]

Eventually meat but for right now a pair of drakes or females for pets as a learning experience.

 

[chickens really]

Appleyard are nice Ducks.

 

[Knighstar679]

Cayuga are a good hardy bird are meat birds can be friendly when raised right. And are quite attractive to look at. They do very good with the cold and can handle heat pretty good. They also lay interesting eggs and aren’t bad layers either.

 

[Dougdilman]

Appleyard are nice Ducks.

They have very nice personalities too!

 

[SkyeT]

I am partial to Muscovy. They are raised for meat and a large, hardy birds. They also have wonderful personalities and can be quite beautiful. They are very quiet.

You should consider at least one more female (3 girls would be ideal), no matter what breed you get. Male ducks are quite amorous and can mate a single female to death.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Best to just get female ducks then because your drake would most likely want to mate with your hens an that usually ends up in death for a chicken. You’d need at least 4 an up female ducks to keep your drake busy enough he might not want your hens

 

[Isaac 0]

 

[Isaac 0]

Does anyone know if buffs are quiet and good natured. I heard they are good meat birds as well.

Mine were quite calm/docile, its been a while though. @Miss Lydia has Buffs.