Ducks?

[matthewschickens]

I am interested in getting some ducks and woundered what everyone else thought os them?
Are they friendly?
Are they loud?
Will they eat bugs and weeds?
Will they eat my Berries and Grapes?
Are Runner Ducks a good breed?
Pics of them?

Thanks!

Matthew

 

[nettie]

Quote:
They Can be friendly if they are raised in a particular way. to obtaine the most friendly ducks, you should get them as day olds, or hatch them yourself. You can use an incubator or a broody chicken (but if you use a broody, you'll have to take the ducklings away from the chicken asap and raise them in a brooder). As babies, you'll need to handle them A LOT! Everyday you'll need to pick them up, talk to them, hold them, etc. Do this until they are ready to go outside. You can also entice friendliness out of ducks by giving them treats they love, like peas and corn (you can see a huge list of treats by clicking on the first post "Ducks sticky topic index".)

Females of almost any breed are loud. the loudest include call ducks and Pekins. Many say Cayuga's a the least loud. All female ducks can get really loud if they are threatened or angry or just in a bad mood. Male ducks do not quack like the girls, but rather have a raspy donald duck kind of voice. I have runners, they don't get too loud most of the time, but they will yell when they are grumpy or offended. lol

Ducks love to free range and forage. the best foragers are usually Runners. The can cover a lot of area fast. All ducks will forage, but heavier breeds like rouens, pekins, aylesbury's, etc are bigger and don't cover as much ground as quickly.

They will eat your current vegetation if they can get to it. Ducks have voracious appetites! They also have a fondness for tender young plants as well. you'll have to keep them from your plants by means of fencing if you do not want them eating your garden.

Any owner of any breed will tell you that their breed is the best, lol. Being a runner owner i'd have to say RUNNERS ARE THE BEST! lol. If you are looking for specific traits, (like for meat, eggs, bug eaten, broodiness, etc) we can tell you what breeds you should investigate. If you are simply looking for some pets who'll lay some eggs for you, you can basically go with any breed you particularly like.

YOu're best bet for pics is to google in a breed of duck you want to see and check out the image search. If you are looking for a specific color, etc, it's best to ask for specific photos. Many of us here have soooooo many photos, it's hard to pick which ones to post! Also, if you are thinking of getting ducks, i recommend you investigate which breeds are available to you in your area... There are many hatcheries across the US that sell them... But, you should investigate only breeds you can actually get ahold of. I once fell in love with mini appleyards but could not find a hatchery that would sell me just one or two, and was a bit disappointed...

but here's my two runners (who are pampered indoor house pets)-

 

[matthewschickens]

Thanks!

Anyone else?

Matthew

 

[rainplace]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=245376