Ducks- breeding/inbreeding?

[Justhatched]

I don't have ducks yet but hopefully soon. I'm thinking about getting some ducks from my sil. She has two ducks and one drake. One duck and the drake are Cayuga and the other duck is a Pekin. I was wondering about breeding/inbreeding. Would it be okay to get two Cayuga (male and female) or would it be better to get one Cayuga and one Cayuga/Pekin mix (male and female)? Or just two females? I want to avoid any problems that might happen with ducklings and deformity.

 

[Tahai]

Hi JustHatched.

How often are you planning to hatch? Your SIL's ducks, how many generations are they removed from the original purchased ducks? How big is her flock?

I am a proponent of pure-blood breeding, especially of the endangered breeds, which Cayugas are. Having said that, there is no reason to not to take all 3 animals (and in fact, would be the healthiest choice, as drakes are randy little birds who can damage a single hen from over-breeding). You will know that the blackish eggs come from the Cayuga duck and are pure bred; and the white eggs come from the Pekin, are not pure bred, so are best used for cooking.

If your SIL's flock is already pretty closely bred, you might consider looking around in the next year or so for another Cayuga hen to add to the flock.

If you plan to hatch frequently, and not add new bloodlines (recommended for bio-security), there is a type of flock/herd genetic management called spiral breeding. http://www.pathfindersfarm.com/Spiral.html It's a bit complicated, and is more for the long-term breeder/hobbyist.

Good luck,

Tahai

 

[Justhatched]

It would probably be better to get two girls or a different breed that aren't closely related. I actually wanted Welsh Harlequins or Blue/Black Swedish. I am feeling impatient and thought I'd get Cayugas.