Do Indian Runners and Cayugas make good backyard pets?

[rebecca10782]

Are the females noisy? Do they wander? How often do they lay eggs? Do they fly fare? Would they make friends with chickens?

 

[cayuga mommy]

Dont know about Runners. But, Cayugas can make great pets.
I have 4. The females are very loud. Mine make the biggest fuss everytime I let them out of their pen in the morning. The females are very very very very very vocal! And will greet you everytime they see you with a loud QUACK! They poop a heck of a lot. But, are easy going and very hardy.
They lay usually an egg every other day. Except one of my females ( not sure which one it is ) lays an egg a day.
They dont go broody too often ( infact, mine haven't gone broody even once yet ) and I know that its rare for Runners to go broody at all.
Hope that helps.

 

[Wifezilla]

I certainly hope so because I want Runners and plan on getting some this Spring

 

[jacyjones]

I have had cayugas and loved them - very vocal and happy girls. I have had a runner cross that was quite flighty and was told by my duck lady not to get pure runners as I had young children at the time and she said the runners would be very nervous around them.

 

[snowydiamonds]

I love my Cayugas, the females do the head bob dance/walk to me every time I go outside or come home and quack every time they hear my truck engine. The boys whisper their little hearts out They can fly just fine but stay home...once they know where home is. For friendliness when you get ducklings, if you have too many like 10 at once like I did, they imprint on each other the first few months and will get friendlier later, even if you try forcing a relationship, they will avoid you and want each other. But too friendly a duck has caused many people distress so everything in moderation LOL

 

[nettie]

I have two runners. They don't quack often but if a female needs something, they will quack loud. I live in a townhouse with a small backyard (and my ducks get to come inside often) and i've never had any complaints (my nieghbors live right next door). They can be skittish and fearful, so i suggest you handle them alot when they are babies, and if possible, have them imprint on you (thats when you're the first person they see out of the eggs) I had one of my runners imprint on me and i noticed a big difference in approachability and lovey-ness. Runners are not too big (they're tall but not heavy.) and they lay lot of eggs.

 

[Webbigail]

Cayuga's are awesome. They are so friendly but the females ARE loud. I was under the impression they weren't when I first got them. Although compared to the Pekin's I had first the Cayuga's are nothing. Mine haven't started laying yet since they just turned 5 months.

Since I live in the Bay Area as well, what I did was... I drove down to Metzer Hatchery and they were able to sell me a pair of day old ducklings instead of a full run. It's a bit of a drive about 6 hours there and back but I love my babies and would do it again in a heartbeat.

 

[cayuga mommy]

Snowydiamonds, your Cays fly?!?!
How in the world..........?
The highest my ducks ( even the females ) can get off the ground is just a lil bit more then a foot. And for only around 3 seconds ( yes, we have timed it before ). Even with a running start ( they think they are geese sometimes ) they dont get high or far enough to even get up the stairs.
WOW, thats amazing! My Mallard has always been my only duck that can fly ( and loves to sun bathe on the roof ) and the others have always been a lil jealous.

 

[rebecca10782]

When you guys say vocal, do you mean loud? Because if it were up to me, I would have all the roosters and ducks and peacocks in the world. I love them, but we are in a surburb with a neighbor that told the cops he was going to kill our birds if we didn't get rid of our rooster. Of course the cops refuse to tell us who it is

It's probably better off, or I would probably be in jail

Anyway, I guess a better way of asking is, are the much louder than hens? I absolutely love runners! It's like having your own little penguin

 

[nettie]

my fawn and white runner can be very loud. I can hear the duck quacking downstairs when i'm upstairs. It's like a loud like a dog bark... like: Wuah-wuah-wuah over and over until you tend to them. If they have enough food, water, kiddie pool water, things to play with, and you stick to your schedule they don't quack loudly often. Ducks seem to be able to tell time and notice when their schedule is off... I give mine food at 6am everyday and will quack until i get up to feed them.

If it makes you feel better, My ducks live in my backyard and in my house. they never bother me more than a loud tv when inside. my nieghbor's have never complained (but they don't quack outside often). I did once have to take them on a trip with me to atlanta for two nights. they stayed in the bathroom and got baths, and had feed all the time. I put the tv and do not disturb sign up when i left the hotel room and i had no complaints... no one even knew we had the ducks with us...

All ducks quack (minus the muscovy) and if your neighbors are hellbent on being jerks about it, consider your duck being in the garage/house if you can't be outside with it... or be okay with possibly giving up your ducks to the authorities...