Duck breeds

[Hazelbunny]

We are thinking of getting some ducks for the first time and I have no idea what duck breed to get. What breed of duck is not too loud and is friendly?
I found two duck breeds that might be good but I'm not sure(cayuga and muscovy). If you have ducks that you think would be good if would love to know, thanks!

 

[Zolamarie]

We are thinking of getting some ducks for the first time and I have no idea what duck breed to get. What breed of duck is not too loud and is friendly?
I found two duck breeds that might be good but I'm not sure(cayuga and muscovy). If you have ducks that you think would be good if would love to know, thanks!

I have Pekins and I love them so much! I can’t say anything about any other breeds, but I know Pekins are very friendly, and mine never made much noise( unless it was mealtime)
My duck Peggy loves snuggling with me and follows me around when i’m outside. If you get any ducks, you should post a pic! I’d love to see them.

 

[Meg-in-MT]

Personally, I love Muscovy ducks. They are friendly, quiet (no quack that I ever heard, just a hissing sound), and far more gentle during mating season than the rest of our ducks. None of our ducks are all that noisy, but maybe because they are completely drowned out by our geese!

 

[Miss Lydia]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/duck-breed-focus-project.1024526/

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/ducks-sticky-topics-index.256233/

 

[Runnerducks1]

I have only had Pekins or Call ducks, and both were good ducks that would let me pet them, and hold them. However I liked the Pekins more, and they lay more eggs as well.

 

[Soon2BChixMom]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/duck-breed-focus-project.1024526/

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/ducks-sticky-topics-index.256233/

Love the link with the duck breed focus! I could spend hours there!

 

[Timothy Menezes]

I wouldn't stress about breed to much, especially since it sounds like they are going to be pets. How a duck (or any pet) is treated or socialized will matter more than anything else.

With that said, Metzer Farms has a few charts on their website that I found helpful when buying my first ducks. One of their charts lists the ducks temperament on a scale that goes from nervous to very calm. Another chart lists egg production and heritage status. I was looking for a calm duck that laid plenty of eggs and preferred heritage breed. Welsh Harlequins ended up being exactly what I was looking for. Plus they are very pretty which doesn't hurt. They were actually way prettier in person than most of the pictures posted by most hatcheries for some reason.

 

[Firegal1056]

I agree with Timothy above. I ordered mine from Metzer Farms. I have 1 Welsh Harlequin, 1 Cayuga, 1 buff, 1 Hybrid 300, and 1 Blue Swedish. Off all of them the Welsh Harlequin is the sweetest and most quiet. They all follow me and quack and get excited when I am outside with them. All friendly, but the Welsh gets held everyday and she seems to mind the least. Good luck, and be prepared to fall in love!

 

[MagpieDucks]

I agree with Timothy above. I ordered mine from Metzer Farms. I have 1 Welsh Harlequin, 1 Cayuga, 1 buff, 1 Hybrid 300, and 1 Blue Swedish. Off all of them the Welsh Harlequin is the sweetest and most quiet. They all follow me and quack and get excited when I am outside with them. All friendly, but the Welsh gets held everyday and she seems to mind the least. Good luck, and be prepared to fall in love!

. Their colors are beautiful!

 

[FunkyFarmFlocks]

As of right now, I have 17 ducks consisting of 16 different breeds. Like a previous poster had mentioned, how they are raised and treated when they're ducklings matters the most. With that said, I have noticed that a couple of the ducks seemed much more affectionate towards humans and our dog. Our male blue runner is incredibly friendly and is by far the most affectionate duck that we have ever owned. He will actually walk onto your palm and lay down, completely fearless, and is the only duck that will approach anyone that walks up to the pen every time. He was raised with 5 other ducks in a brooder before being introduced to the others. My other breeds that have shown more affection are my white layer, Cayuga, chocolate runner, and the silver Appleyard; all of which are female. Unfortunately I don't have experience with multiple ducks of any breed except rouens and pekins and each one had their own personality.