Ducks beginner

[Camilla Chicken]

My little brother wants 2-4 mallard ducklings for hist b-day on march 24. Right now we have 15 7 week old pullets of red sex link, Americana, and Plymouth rock. i was wondering what are the best breeds of duck that come in mallard duck coloring or if a few mallard ducky's are good beginner ducks, What books are good and what we will need for the ducklings that are different than what we will need for chicks/ pullets. any help or advice or comments welcome

 

[Kevin565]

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Are you planning on keeping them with the chickens?

Ducklings need more Niacin than chicks.

 

[Camilla Chicken]

well when they are older they we be together but next week around Monday we will put them on the farm since they will be 8 weeks old so the first day or so yes

 

[ohiofarmboy]

How would you get them extra niacin? Would that be in vitamins you get at WAL*MART?

 

[Camilla Chicken]

Yes i was wondering that too where would you get that and can you use chick starter/grower it said it was okay for ducks or do i buy duck only feed should it be medicataed or not and can you show ducks at a fam show or fair?

 

[LuckyDucky4]

You can either get brewers yeast from a health food store and sprinkle it on their food to up the niacin intake, or you can buy pills, or capsules and break them up and put them in their drinking water. You would be looking for Vitamin B3 (Nicotinic Acid) if you go the capsule route, and again you can find those in a health food store.

I have a couple of Rouen ducks and they are the same colours as mallards, the biggest difference between the two breeds are that Rouens are bigger and can't fly where the mallards can.

Good luck with the ducklings

 

[missnu01]

Mallards can fly away if they so choose and are inclined..try rouens perhaps they are like a big mallard. They get too heavy to fly though...So, they won't take off come season changes.
You can also get super cheap brewer's yeast from grocery stores in a convenient shaker canister as well.

 

[Amiga]

Another vote for Rouens, here.

And have you read the stickies at the top of the Duck Forum?

Two books I like are Storey's Guide to Raising Ducks and The Ultimate Pet Duck Guidebook.

 

[Camilla Chicken]

where we will be putting the ducks we have 2 ponds 1 15-20 ft and 1 40-60 foot pond (these are just guesses) we didnt really like the looks of a rouen because they are so BIG we are fine if they are seasonal but as long as they come back. we like it if they are veary good parents.

 

[missnu01]

There is absolutely no guarantee that they will come back, and if they are leaving to go be wild ducks they aren't going to come back and be pet ducks anyway...They will be wild ducks that stop for a visit. You won't get to really enjoy the babies or handle the ducks.