Friendliest "Pet" Duck Species

[Zombified]

Okay, I voted 'other' then. I agree with another poster, I feel a lot of it is in the way they're raised and handled.

 

[waddles99]

bump

 

[melissamerry]

OMG YOURE THE ONE WITH THE WHITE MALLARDS!?!?!?!?!? You are the reason why i decided to keep ducks! Yours are sooooo cute!

Haha thanks! That's so sweet.

Could you go into depth in the day to day care on them? Also how is their sound? Are they really loud or soft or in the middle?

Of course I can. I picked them up at two weeks old intending to buy one and came home with three. We thought we had pekins, but then they stopped growing. For the first couple of months we had them diapered and living inside our apartment with my boyfriend and I. They would follow us around all day and night. We watched movies and jeopardy together. They took baths in our tub. I cut a Rubbermaid bin to make a holding cell for their food and water. That really was the only messy part. I hosed that out every day. After a few months of diapers they fell apart so we decided to modify our little patio into a duck playground.

We put a fence up, added a kiddie pool, and laid down some sod. I work 4am to noon everyday so they would sleep inside a large dog crate until I got home and then I would let them out. They would then stay outside for the most part, and I would do my homework and studying out there with them.

I rinse out their pool every day when I let them out I also hose off the patio when I put them to bed. I keep food out for them at all times. It's in a heavy dog dish so that they don't knock it over. I give em treats AFTER they've eaten their duck food.

They like romaine lettuce, tomatoes, green grapes only, bell peppers, and cat food. I should tried out more veggies when they were younger. We used the cat food to condition them to come. I keep their cat food in a bright blue plastic cup. They became familiar with the noise it makes when I shake it. So if they ever wonder off too far from me without noticing, I shake it and they come running back. They usually come back once they notice I'm not following them. Usually 15 feet is the limit.

They get fish, meal worms or crickets twice a week too. When they see the bag of fish they run straight to the pool and wait for me to dump it.

There is a large grassy park across the street from us and we go for walks there all the time. I lay out a blanket and read while they search for bugs around me. I bring a little dish of water and then some treats. One time at that park my girl TreeTrunks was sitting in my lap she laid an egg on me!

We also go to the beach a lot. We walk up and down when it's low tide looking for sand crabs and such. I always keep an eye out for dogs and stray children. If I see anything that looks dangerous I scoop up the ducks. I'm surprisingly good at carrying three ducks at the same time.

As for the noise, the girls can be loud if they want to be. But that means that they want something. Could be attention or to go for a walk. They do hush when I say hush though. We've had no complains about their noise though. They're quiet at night and give me a mellow goodbye quack when I leave for work.

They do get worked up when someone sneezes or coughs though. Airplanes used to make them go crazy, but we've fixed that. When wild ducks fly by they call to them. That's the loudest call, and they don't hush until i let them out to play with their friends.

I do clip their wings. Since I'm always there with them, I feel they don't need flight as a defense mechanism.

They girl started laying eggs around 6 months. I hear that mallards are seasonal layers, but mine haven't stopped yet, except during their molt. However, we hardly have winters here so that might be it.

I hope that answers some of your questions. Feel free to ask me anything else. I could talk all day about my babies!

I also have a blog about them. I haven't updated it in a while, but now that school is out I should be able to get caught up. The link should be in my sig.

 

[Deleted member 94844]

I'm surprisingly good at carrying three ducks at the same time.

And I thought I was a pro with the "double duck grab"

Your ducks sound so cute! Mine are OK with airplanes and helicopters, but when a blimp flies by, oh, man, do they freak out!! LOL.

 

[TheCrazyClucker]

I voted for Calls,they are the only duck breed I will ever have!

 

[waddles99]

Haha thanks! That's so sweet.
Of course I can. I picked them up at two weeks old intending to buy one and came home with three. We thought we had pekins, but then they stopped growing. For the first couple of months we had them diapered and living inside our apartment with my boyfriend and I. They would follow us around all day and night. We watched movies and jeopardy together. They took baths in our tub. I cut a Rubbermaid bin to make a holding cell for their food and water. That really was the only messy part. I hosed that out every day. After a few months of diapers they fell apart so we decided to modify our little patio into a duck playground.

We put a fence up, added a kiddie pool, and laid down some sod. I work 4am to noon everyday so they would sleep inside a large dog crate until I got home and then I would let them out. They would then stay outside for the most part, and I would do my homework and studying out there with them.

I rinse out their pool every day when I let them out I also hose off the patio when I put them to bed. I keep food out for them at all times. It's in a heavy dog dish so that they don't knock it over. I give em treats AFTER they've eaten their duck food.

They like romaine lettuce, tomatoes, green grapes only, bell peppers, and cat food. I should tried out more veggies when they were younger. We used the cat food to condition them to come. I keep their cat food in a bright blue plastic cup. They became familiar with the noise it makes when I shake it. So if they ever wonder off too far from me without noticing, I shake it and they come running back. They usually come back once they notice I'm not following them. Usually 15 feet is the limit.

They get fish, meal worms or crickets twice a week too. When they see the bag of fish they run straight to the pool and wait for me to dump it.

There is a large grassy park across the street from us and we go for walks there all the time. I lay out a blanket and read while they search for bugs around me. I bring a little dish of water and then some treats. One time at that park my girl TreeTrunks was sitting in my lap she laid an egg on me!

We also go to the beach a lot. We walk up and down when it's low tide looking for sand crabs and such. I always keep an eye out for dogs and stray children. If I see anything that looks dangerous I scoop up the ducks. I'm surprisingly good at carrying three ducks at the same time.

As for the noise, the girls can be loud if they want to be. But that means that they want something. Could be attention or to go for a walk. They do hush when I say hush though. We've had no complains about their noise though. They're quiet at night and give me a mellow goodbye quack when I leave for work.

They do get worked up when someone sneezes or coughs though. Airplanes used to make them go crazy, but we've fixed that. When wild ducks fly by they call to them. That's the loudest call, and they don't hush until i let them out to play with their friends.

I do clip their wings. Since I'm always there with them, I feel they don't need flight as a defense mechanism.

They girl started laying eggs around 6 months. I hear that mallards are seasonal layers, but mine haven't stopped yet, except during their molt. However, we hardly have winters here so that might be it.

I hope that answers some of your questions. Feel free to ask me anything else. I could talk all day about my babies!

I also have a blog about them. I haven't updated it in a while, but now that school is out I should be able to get caught up. The link should be in my sig.

thanks for all that info. i just have one last question-does all of that apply to rouens as well since they are closely related? The reson why i choose rouen over mallard is im to lazy to clip the wimgs lol

 

[melissamerry]

I see no reason why it wouldn't. I think I could have created the relationship I have with my ducks with any breed.

 

[Going Quackers]

I went with "other" simply because there are variables, if you have a small flock you can tame down most breeds pretty decently, that said, bantam breeds which are primarily kept as pets are the easiest to tame down, the compact size, smaller quantities that they are usually kept in and so forth gives them a slight edge.

HOwever, I have some buffs and scovies being raised by me, and they are friendly, eat out of my hand come towards me little ones. So again, i think all breeds are capable of being personable but i would always recommend reading general breed descriptions as some are more skittish by nature, more aggressive, laid back and so forth.

 

[PinkFlamingoFrm]

My friendliest duck is a khaki campbell. He was an orphan duck I got from a friend. He is alot sweeter than my swedish & cayugas

 

[ShayBaby]

I also think that, while breed can factor in slightly, it's more of a case-by-case thing. Also, how you raise them GREATLY affects their behavior. A house duck, for example, could be as friendly and loving as a puppy, while the same duck raised outside without a great deal of human contact will be skittish and unsocial. For those reasons, and my own personal experience, I can't vote. In MY experience, my friendliest ducks were my Indian Runners (and let me tell you, my favorite was THE sweetest duck you'd ever meet..she was such my baby before her mysterious passing), and generally they are "supposed" to be skittish and flighty. My mallards are the most skittish, unsociable things I've ever met.. I also have/had magpies, rouens, Swedish, silver appleyard, buff, khaki campbell, and mutts and even though they were all raised in the house, they're all skittish. *shrug*