Farm and fleet ducks??

[Sublime69]

I am going to farm and fleet this week to pick up 4 ducks. They couldnt tell me what kind of ducks they will be getting in. I want to know you think would be the best ducks for me to get being a first time duck owner. Anyone have any advice? Thanks!

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

What reason(s) do you have for getting the ducks - knowing what you want to get from having them (ie pets, egg production, breeding, meat, etc) will be helpful in suggesting breeds that will best suit what you want.

 

[TLWR]

Most won't know as they get shipped a mixed variety of ducklings.

Link to some info about different breeds:
http://www.metzerfarms.com/DuckBreedComparison.cfm?CustID=2437385


If you know what you are looking for, it is easier to pick out of there are options. But telling a pekin from a fawn and white runner from a buff while they are all running around can be difficult

 

[Sublime69]

Getting them for pets mostly. Eggs are just a perk. What breeds are the most friendly?

 

[TLWR]

How many are you getting?
If just a couple and you can spend a good bit of time with them each day, anything should be friendly.

Pekins (fuzzy all yellow duckling) are very friendly.

There was a random pekin drake at a mini golf place a few years ago. You could walk right up to him and he'd hang out with anybody.

 

[Sublime69]

I am getting 4 of them. We like the look of the mallard and Rouen breed. Is the only difference between the two just size? Because we like the smaller size of the mallards but like how rouens don't fly.

 

[Duck Drover]

You would probably like the size and look of the Australian Spotted ducks but they do fly. We have lilac bushes on two sides of our yard while our shop and our house are at opposite ends of the yard so tend to stay in our yard even when they are capable of flying nhigh enough to get over the fence. I clip wings twice a year to keep them grounded and it is easy to do. I have raised alot of duck breeds and this rare breed is my favorite.

 

[Sublime69]

I do like those too. The problem is, is I'm impatient... And cheap ha. If I order them I have to wait a while to get them and the shipping is pricey. So farm and fleet seems the way I'm going but they don't have a huge selection.

 

[Duck Drover]

I have ducklings available for local pick-up but I am not NPIP certified yet in order to be able to ship live birds. I have read about many shipping successes but I have also read about shipping failures and I am not sure I would want to take that chance. I would rather ship a breeding pair that will make lots of ducklings than to ship ducklings. I have sold ducklings that were just hatched because I had a wait list last year but this year I want to give them more time before they go to a new home since not everyone has experience raising hatchlings. In order to ship without food and water, they have to be a day old and that is just too small to put in a box and trust the post office with keeping them safe and warm.