Favorite duck breed and why?

[Soon2BChixMom]

Researching ducks to see which ones I want to get started with. So, what is your favorite breed of duck and why?

 

[Poetastic]

My favorite duck breed is definitely the Black Swedish duck! They're really mellow and friendly birds and lay a lot of eggs. I free range mine year round and they love to forage. I've owned many of them over the years and I've only lost three. My ducks are so hardy that they even love the snow. They lay in it rather frequently lol. They're alert and will warn my other poultry of any danger. I keep them with chickens and guineas and they get along just fine. I've hatched a lot of them and the babies are absolutely adorable, but sadly they grow super quickly! I don't think I'll ever stop owning Black Swedish ducks because they're hardy, calm, and beautiful.

 

[chickens really]

Well you know my first favourite is the Call Duck..
So adorable and sweet.
Then my second is the Standard Silver Appleyard Ducks. Beautiful all around fantastic Ducks.
It depends on your needs.

 

[Soon2BChixMom]

My favorite duck breed is definitely the Black Swedish duck! They're really mellow and friendly birds and lay a lot of eggs. I free range mine year round and they love to forage. I've owned many of them over the years and I've only lost three. My ducks are so hardy that they even love the snow. They lay in it rather frequently lol. They're alert and will warn my other poultry of any danger. I keep them with chickens and guineas and they get along just fine. I've hatched a lot of them and the babies are absolutely adorable, but sadly they grow super quickly! I don't think I'll ever stop owning Black Swedish ducks because they're hardy, calm, and beautiful. View attachment 1261746View attachment 1261741

Beautiful! Thanks for sharing!

 

[Soon2BChixMom]

Well you know my first favourite is the Call Duck..
So adorable and sweet.
Then my second is the Standard Silver Appleyard Ducks. Beautiful all around fantastic Ducks.
It depends on your needs.

Yep, I sure do know your favorite! As far as the appleyard, they look very similar to Welsh Harlequins. Do you know specific differences?
It also depends on what I can order or find locally so keeping my options open.

 

[HomesteaderWife]

@Soon2BChixMom - I am a huge HUGE fan of Khaki Campbells. We had them, and they were so sweet, calm, and always excited to see you. Handled easy, and got along with our chickens. My profile pic is one of the babies we hatched. Never a dull moment with these cuties!

 

[chickens really]

Yep, I sure do know your favorite! As far as the appleyard, they look very similar to Welsh Harlequins. Do you know specific differences?
It also depends on what I can order or find locally so keeping my options open.

Welsh harlequin can be sexed by Bill colour at Hatch. I can't say anything about temperament though.
I raised Appleyard so I really love them..Great layers and friendly.

 

[Kessel23]

My favorite is the Muscovy duck, they are very unusual acting and funny looking, they are also very friendly once you get them tame. My Pied muscovy is so friendly, he follows me around the barn yard and nibbles on my boot, he also runs to me when he gets scared. Unfortunately muscovies are not good egg layers, they only lay around 90 eggs a year in Wisconsin, also they very commonly get angle win, and they are not very cold hardy, they are about as cold hardy as a leghorn. They are good at free ranging though, they are really good bug catchers, they also can fly. Muscovies are the only domestic duck that was not domesticated from the mallard so they act completely different than any other domestic duck. Muscovies are also perching ducks, the hens will fly up and roost with your chickens. The drakes are usually less likely to fly due to there large size. Muscovies are the largest breed of duck and can outweigh most breeds of geese. Angle win can stop them from flying in some cases though. My pied drake can not fly.

 

[Soon2BChixMom]

@Soon2BChixMom - I am a huge HUGE fan of Khaki Campbells. We had them, and they were so sweet, calm, and always excited to see you. Handled easy, and got along with our chickens. My profile pic is one of the babies we hatched. Never a dull moment with these cuties!

View attachment 1261768

I have read that they are calm and sweet. Thanks for sharing!

 

[Soon2BChixMom]

My favorite is the Muscovy duck, they are very unusual acting and funny looking, they are also very friendly once you get them tame. My Pied muscovy is so friendly, he follows me around the barn yard and nibbles on my boot, he also runs to me when he gets scared. Unfortunately muscovies are not good egg layers, they only lay around 90 eggs a year in Wisconsin, also they very commonly get angle win, and they are not very cold hardy, they are about as cold hardy as a leghorn. They are good at free ranging though, they are really good bug catchers, they also can fly. Muscovies are the only domestic duck that was not domesticated from the mallard so they act completely different than any other domestic duck. Muscovies are also perching ducks, the hens will fly up and roost with your chickens. The drakes are usually less likely to fly due to there large size. Muscovies are the largest breed of duck and can outweigh most breeds of geese. Angle win can stop them from flying in some cases though. My pied drake can not fly.
View attachment 1261774

I have a neighbor about 2 miles down the road with muscovies. I don't know the neighbor, but might just go introduce myself to check out their ducks.
Thanks for sharing!