can anybody help me choose a breed?

[688peterl]

I know i said i had already picked the breed i wanted but the incubator i ordered online doesnt arrive until friday so i think i should open my options a bit.

I dont really need help with incubating or brooding the eggs because i already know what i need and how im going to do it.

Im going to have a duck run with an area of 32 square feet and a duck house that will fit inside the run... is this big enough for 2 ducks? they wont be in it all the time, probably just at night time, they will be in the house and garden during the day. And they wont even be outside until they are like 3 months old.

My garden does not have pond, im planning to buy an extra large paddling pool for the ducks to swim in, will this be OK?

i have narrowed it down to 6 breeds:

- Pekin
- White Campbell
- Khaki Campbell
- Indian Runner
- Aylesbury
- Cayuga

Which breed do you think would suit me best? I would like my ducks to be friendly, are any of the breeds listed above unfriendly? Flying isnt a problem because i can get their wings clipped.

So which one is best? also, are there any other breeds that are good to have as pets that i havent listed?

Thanks!

 

[Guitartists]

Well, I have hatchery quality Runners...... funny pretty little ducks and we enjoy them, but they are not friendly to us. Though they will mill around near us... they just don;t like being touched.

We gave a pair of Pekins to my friends and they adore them. They eat out of their hands and are your classic big roly poly white farm duck

I myself want some Cayugas just because their color is so lovely!

Best of luck! Do let us know what you decide to do

 

[chickensducks&agoose]

32 square feet doesn't sound really big, especially if you put a pool inside... that's only 8x4, the size of a sheet of plywood... so if you're getting a pair of ducks, you should get little ones, pekins are really fat, and need more room... maybe calls? or mallards? my KC's are pretty big, as is my pekin. I don't know, if they are only Sleeping in it, they should be fine, but if they are going to be spending any amount of time in the run, it will be super gross, super fast, which can lead to illnesses and infection... is there anyway you can butt the run up to a fenced in garden? so they can just range in the garden all day, and then be shut in the run at night? I'm voting runners from your list, since they stand more upright, they probably take up less horizontal space.

 

[rainplace]

I agree, 32 square feet that includes their run, house, and pool, seems pretty small. I would look into the bantam and call ducks.

 

[688peterl]

chickensducks&agoose :

32 square feet doesn't sound really big, especially if you put a pool inside... that's only 8x4, the size of a sheet of plywood... so if you're getting a pair of ducks, you should get little ones, pekins are really fat, and need more room... maybe calls? or mallards? my KC's are pretty big, as is my pekin. I don't know, if they are only Sleeping in it, they should be fine, but if they are going to be spending any amount of time in the run, it will be super gross, super fast, which can lead to illnesses and infection... is there anyway you can butt the run up to a fenced in garden? so they can just range in the garden all day, and then be shut in the run at night? I'm voting runners from your list, since they stand more upright, they probably take up less horizontal space.

Yeah they will only be going in the run at night​

 

[rainplace]

Quote:
Yeah they will only be going in the run at night

Well then! Get one of each

 

[Goat_Walker]

i have one cayuga hen. quiet and sweet. doesnt fly. Currently broody w/ my magpie

 

[688peterl]

chickensducks&agoose :

32 square feet doesn't sound really big, especially if you put a pool inside... that's only 8x4, the size of a sheet of plywood... so if you're getting a pair of ducks, you should get little ones, pekins are really fat, and need more room... maybe calls? or mallards? my KC's are pretty big, as is my pekin. I don't know, if they are only Sleeping in it, they should be fine, but if they are going to be spending any amount of time in the run, it will be super gross, super fast, which can lead to illnesses and infection... is there anyway you can butt the run up to a fenced in garden? so they can just range in the garden all day, and then be shut in the run at night? I'm voting runners from your list, since they stand more upright, they probably take up less horizontal space.

oh i forgot to mention, the pool wont be going inside the run, the pool will be in the garden, and the duck house that im gonna buy slots right into the back of the run, ive measured it all out and the ducks will have about 24 square feet of free space in the run not including the duck house or the pool as it wont be in the run​

 

[688peterl]

Quote:
Yeah they will only be going in the run at night

Well then! Get one of each

I would love to! i will probably get more later on but i cant start with more than 2, if i could i would just get 1 but its cruel to have duck on its own which is why i need 2

 

[rainplace]

I haven't followed all your posts. Are you getting males? Or females? Or one of both?