Ducklings or Eggs??

[hendrix25]

I am starting new with this whole "Duck" thing. I can't seem to find the ducklings that I want at a reasonable price, so I'm now considering getting eggs and trying to hatch them...any suggestions?

I can't seem to find any local breeders and I really don't want to order over 3 ducklings right now. I was really excited

about getting Ducklings, but the difficulty of finding some has become a real downer...

Need advice or direction

 

[NewHopePoultry]

When I first thought about getting ducks, I didnt want to wait for the eggs to hatch, so I looked on craigslist and found some.

 

[Wifezilla]

My first 3 ducks were craigslist freebees. Then I found a buff duck for $6. After that I tried hatching my own in a homemade incubator. I set 6 eggs the first time and got 1 duck. I bought this duck a buddy from Big R. I set 4 eggs the second time and got 2 ducks, but one died after a couple of days. I think my Big R duck and my latest hatch are boys.

There is so much that can go wrong during hatching. In my case, it was kids and cats that led to unplugging, lid lifting and unstable humidity.

Now I am just going to break down and order ducklings. I can get them sexed so I don't have to worry about having a drake overload. Any excess I will just sell on craigslist, but there are people in my area who are thinking of splitting an order with me.

 

[hendrix25]

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Yeah I looked there too, but didn't have the breeds i am looking for.

 

[hendrix25]

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good idea, i will see if anyone is interested in splitting an order. thanks for the suggestion. i wasn't to thrilled about the eggs idea anyways.

 

[Sweetfolly]

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My first 3 ducks were craigslist freebies too! (They're the 3 in my avatar pic - 1 Pekin and 2 Khaki Campbell girls)

If you're new at ducks, hendrix25, then I think you should probably start with a few adults - hatching and brooding are both difficult, and there's a good chance of losing some of them

I'm sure you could find something locally - what breed are you interested in? I found some rare breeds in my area by contacting my local 4-H group - the kids order and raise them for the fair, but are usually happy to sell them to a good home after they get their ribbons.

 

[conny63malies]

What kind of ducks do you want?

 

[hendrix25]

Quote:
My first 3 ducks were craigslist freebies too! (They're the 3 in my avatar pic - 1 Pekin and 2 Khaki Campbell girls)

If you're new at ducks, hendrix25, then I think you should probably start with a few adults - hatching and brooding are both difficult, and there's a good chance of losing some of them

I'm sure you could find something locally - what breed are you interested in? I found some rare breeds in my area by contacting my local 4-H group - the kids order and raise them for the fair, but are usually happy to sell them to a good home after they get their ribbons.

Thanks, I'm looking for Khaki Campbell, Cayuga, Welsh Harlequin, or Muscovy. Ones that aren't too loud... I really really want a Cayuga that will turn out to be more on the green side (I love that look).

 

[hendrix25]

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I'm looking for Khaki Campbell, Cayuga, Welsh Harlequin, or Muscovy. Ones that aren't too loud... I really really want a Cayuga that will turn out to be more on the green side (I love that look).

 

[Wifezilla]

Ones that aren't too loud

Avoid buffs like the plague then! LOL​