Can I keep Cayuga and Khaki Campbells together?

[christytrav]

Maybe a real dumb question but...My family wants to raise ducks this year and I am wondering if I can raise 2 breeds together. I can't decide between the Cayuga and the Campbell. Would I be able to get 2 of each and keep them together happily?

 

[sheila3935]

I'd like to know that myself. I have a khaki campbell duck and a runner drake and their 2 babies that are 2 months old. My DD wants some cayugas if the feed store gets some in. Please someone answer us.

 

[Lamar Estate]

The minute Bunsen saw Beaker, he was all over her. She's his girl.

Bunsen, Cayuga drake:

Beaker, Khaki Campbell x Cayuga mix (in this picture, she has feather boogers coming out of her nose!):

One of Bunsen and Beaker's brand new babies:

 

[HamandLily]

I think they can be kept together - I don't really see why not! From my experience and two breeds can live together peacefully

 

[WestKnollAmy]

I have Runners, Cayugas, KC, Rouens, Magpies, Pekins and Muscovy all together. Of the 24, 3 are drakes. They live in harmony but I do not hatch eggs from them like this. I have breeding pens going up now and will separate out for pure breeding crosses.

 

[christytrav]

Thanks everybody, I keep a mix of chicken breeds and I keep bantams and standards all together and they do fine but we are new to the duck world. We are very excited! I'm sure we will have many more questions for you guys. Thanks

 

[Lamar Estate]

According to Holderread, if you cross a drake from a high producing egg laying strain of Khaki Campbells with a Cayuga duck, the offspring ducks will lay very well (almost as well as the ducks from the Khaki Campbell strain).

Also, mixing a drake Khaki Campbell with a duck Cayuga gives you black drakelets and chocolate ducklets (which is my girl Beaker). Mixing in the reverse produces all the same color ducklings (blackish color).

 

[The Duck ABC's]

They will cross breed, so you may have to pen them up into their breeds if you are breeding them. Another issue is the drake to hen ratio. You may be cruising for drake fights and over mating of the hens. You should have at least 3 hens per drake.

 

[christytrav]

Awesome, Lamar Estate, so you are saying I can get sex links if I keep a Khaki drake and several cayuga girls? My husband wants to do this for meat and I want the eggs, so we can harvest extra drakes and I will probably keep a Khaki drake then and any Cayuga ducks I get. Thanks for all the great info
and your ducks are awesome and we loved the names you chose

 

[Lamar Estate]

Quote:
Yes. It's in Dave Holderread's Storey's Guide to Raising Ducks book. There's a good reason this book (and Holderread himself) is often considered the duck Bible!

Pages 95 to 97: http://books.google.com/books?id=DD...&resnum=1&ved=0CBQQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q&f=false