Does anyone here have Cayuga ducks?

[Rosecomb-Ryan]

I raise and show Cayugas. They are very loud ducks LOL. Atleast my 9 females are. I really love the cayugas they are such cool birds. Mine dont lay very good at all. Maybe 50-60 eggs per duck at the most.

Heres a pic of my flock. You can see the old ladies in the flock

They are the start!

 

[sianara]

I knew only a few of the "first" eggs were going to be so dark so I was prepared to save them (which I did

).

Keyt1969, I notice your black girl has a few white spots on her. I just saw a few white spots on one of mine the other day too which is interesting. So far I've been telling them apart by the color of their feet (brown vs black) but now the white spots make it even easier (unless of course the other girl gets white spots too

)

They were all extremely loud when they were 3-4 months old and I was wondering if I was going to have to get rid of them because of neighbor complaints. We all have 2-3 acres so they aren't "right on top of us neighbors" but these girls were so loud I was SURE someone would complain, but they didn't. I've found that as they age and I assume have become more comfortable in their surroundings I don't hear them as often or as loudly. I used to liken their behavior to an old Don Knotts movie when he was in the haunted house (name?) and he'd be shaking and shivering "what was THAT?", "Is it gonna get me?" and so on

 

[spinn]

This is "Rio", our Cayuga Hen. She is very calm and sweet. She doesn't get all worked up about some of the stuff the other ducks are always running around and "chatting" about.

She can quack VERY loudly. But, she very rarely does it, and only for a good reason....

*wants out of the night pen, because you've taken too long to get out there and do it
*wants treats, since foraging the yard isn't satisfying her
*when she hears hubby's car pull into the driveway after work (she knows it's feed and fresh water time)

As far as just moving around the yard, foraging...and being a duck goes, she is very quiet. We can pick her up, and she's relaxed about that too. She hasn't started laying yet. She is one week from being 6 months old.

spinn

 

[quiltbea]

Thank you everyone for your replies. You are making it almost easy to choose the Cayuga over other breeds that lay more eggs.
My brain is absorbing the info for later release. I've even added the info to my gardening blog:

http://quiltbeagardens.blogspot.com

where I keep up the news about my square foot gardening and so forth.

I won't be getting any ducks til spring, but I can dream about them and read about them here.
Thank you so much.

If anyone else has pics or info related to this breed, please post more. I need to learn all I can before spring.
Thanks again,

 

[sianara]

You're welcome and good luck with deciding. I usually spend the winter months dreaming of what new breed of "something" I'm going to get in the spring!

spinn, love, love that picture. What a great duck that she lets you hold her! I wish I could do that with mine but I guess I just don't spend enough time out there with them for them to allow that!

 

[duckfeet79]

We have 3 pair of cayugas, and they are awesome. I have a few questions about what we have been told. Does the fact that they get white spots mean that they are not pure breds? We have one really beutiful drake that we used to show. He is all black, with a black bill and black legs and feet. We were told that if they have any lightness to thier feet or bill , they are mixed. Anyone here set the record straight. Our goal is to get really good stock for the kids to show, but not sure if we are overlooking certain birds because of the coler differences. Hope someone can help!

 

[sianara]

I got mine from Metzer Farms so I'm pretty confident that they are NOT mixed breeds. I'm not a breeder but I understand there are often specific traits that are unwanted even in pure breeds. I'm assuming the white spots are one of those traits

ETA Ooops they came from Metzer Farms NOT Holderreads

 

[Boggy Bottom Bantams]

Quote:
No, like the above post says, they are just undesired traits in show birds. They shouldnt be used for breeding.
The lighter billed drake I have pictured is the first one we ever got, but he by far isnt used for breeding. During that time, he's separated from the girls.
Yes dark everything is prefered in the breed.
As for the white spots, that's a cayuga thing 100%. Males should NOT have any white on them at all at any age. Yearling hens, very little to none, few speckles are fine.
But with most all cayuga hens, as they mature, they get more and more white spots on them, this is perfectly fine, and just part of the breed. Again, only for the hens though, drakes should always be black or blue or whatever color the main body is.
Will try to get up a few pics of mu splash ans silver this weekend and post here too.

 

[duckfeet79]

Thanks for all the help! we really needed it.

 

[fordgirl47]

Hello fellow Cayuga fans! I am in The Youngstown, ohio area and I am search of two female Cayuge ducklings! im willing to drive about two hours in either direction to pick up the babies, please let me know if anyone can help me!