DUCK QUESTIONS!!!!!!!!! for 4h!

[4hducklover]

first year in 4h with ducks! thought it would be fun! but i dont know what breed to get to show showmanship! i would also like to mayb e do a meat pen but then again i dont know what breed to get. and also is it a goo idea to do a meat pen and showmanship but not with same ducks? and how many should i get? thanks i really appreciate it!

 

[AdamD77]

Hmm, well being in England I'm not completely sure how this whole 4H thing works

, but for general duck stuff I would say get two or three to start off with so that you can get used to looking after them

Also, from what I've read I think Pekins/Aylesburys/Rouens/Muscovies are good for meat but I'm not sure - I have Runners which are good for egg production

 

[Ms~Silkie~Girl]

Pekins are good for meat. And Rouens are good for showing. I would get maybe 4 or 5 to start off with. Also you should do lots of research about ducks before you get them. Its not good to just jump into something like this without any knowledge.

 

[4hducklover]

yeah! well i have REALLY been researching them and learning ALOT about them! i also am going to contact my 4h group leaders and expeirenced 4h duck showers so i should be good! and also are you going to sell those pekin ducklings that you have on your website? just a wondering thanks!

 

[Javamama]

Are you already in 4-H? I don't know where you are located, but 4-H deadlines have come and gone for this year for alot of people. We are at the fair with ours this week. It's a great idea to contact 4-H leaders now and prepare for next year. I think you can use any duck for showmanship, as that part is mostly about what you know and how you handle the animal.

 

[Ms~Silkie~Girl]

Quote:
I am not selling the ones on my website right now. I probably will have ducklings available in the spring (march-may). Same with the silkies, i don't think i will have any available until then. But i do highly recomend Pekins. I love mine. They are fun to have and really friendly. And you can definetly show them.

 

[scarter]

For showmanship the judge will be judging how well you know your bird. This year we were told at our fun show that you not only need to know about caring for chickens (which we know more about) but also waterfowl, and gamebirds! Yikes! I'm not sure how much my daughter knows about gamebirds. My daughter usually picks her favorite bird to bring out for showmanship not an extra bird just one she's shown during the fair.

When showing your birds you need to pick based on the Standard Breed of Perfection. So, it won't really matter what bird you pick as long as it meets standard better than all the other kids. Sometimes you just don't know until they grow out.

 

[4hducklover]

Quote:
yeah! but for next year!

 

[dumb_cluck]

Try this: http://4-h.org/

Rouens are LARGE. All ducks are messy. Ducks are smarter than chickens.

I would suggest going to a regional 4H event (like at a county fair) and see what goes on first hand. Ask questions. Get educated.

Good Luck!