Future Duck breeder

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HosDucks said:
Hello all. I've been obsessed with the thought of raising ducks for about a year now. I spend most of my free time researching and planning on starting to raise a flock. So I have spent a lot of lurking on this site during that time, but now it's time for me to start asking some specific questions.

I hope to be moving up to a rural property in Montana by next spring, and then start working the land and laying out the property to get it ready for a decent sized vegetable garden and a safe habitat for a small flock. By the time I'm done with all that infrastructure-type stuff, have built a coup, a small enclosed run, and a large free range run, It will likely be the spring of 2024 when I get my first flock members...seems so far away, but at least I should be pretty well set-up and have TONS of research done.

My starting flock will likely be 5 ducks with 1 Drake. I'm leaning towards an Ancona drake, with various breeds of ducks: an Ancona, a Cayuga, a Silver Apple wood, and haven't decided on the other ducks. My main goal for this first flock is just to learn how to raise healthy and happy ducks. My secondary goal will be for eggs, which will be more focused towards color variation vs the shear number of eggs (one reason why Anconas will be my first breeding pair, and of course why I want at least one Cayuga). This will be while working a full-time job.

After I feel confident in my abilities to raise a healthy flock, then I want to grow the flock and expand to breeding ducks for meat, and hopefully can turn raising my ducks into my full time job...selling/trading eggs (both fertile and infertile), ducklings, and meat. I'm also a career cook and trained as a Chef; therefore I would like to occasionally be able to do Chef exhibitions where I use ingredients (herbs, vegetables, eggs, duck meat, etc) from my own property.

Anyways, thanks for all of the help that this forum has already given me in my initial research, and thanks in advance for any help in the future.
-Randy
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Welcome to the right website.
you mentioned you had some questions but I read it twice and there was no question asked.
Never had a duck in my life but like you I have been studying poultry for a while to be ready for my future homestead.

I love Cayuga and their dark egg but they are more like dirty eggs than colorful. More like a novelty for their first few eggs then turn to dirty gray for the rest of their lives.

A mixed flock looks great but be aware of integrating a peaceful Appleyard duck with some more adventures duck breeds. In theory we all love to have a colorful flock for our first flock but their temperament in a flock should be considered.

Good luck
 
Thanks for all of the welcomes everyone.

Feathers of Eden said:
you mentioned you had some questions but I read it twice and there was no question asked.
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I'm going to have hundreds of questions, I am sure; however I'll post them in their respective forums. I tried to keep this strictly to an introduction. Don't worry, I'm sure I'll have the Ducks forum flooded with my questions by the end of the year. Haha.
Feathers of Eden said:
A mixed flock looks great but be aware of integrating a peaceful Appleyard duck with some more adventures duck breeds. In theory we all love to have a colorful flock for our first flock but their temperament in a flock should be considered.
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And yeah, i was thinking about this this morning. I think I'll be much better off just starting off with a batch of Anconas, then expand the flock gradually as I gain more knowledge AND first hand experience. With Anconas alone, I should be pretty happy with diversity and great multi-purpose use.
 
Welcome to BYC from Hot and STEAMY St. Louis! I'm a fellow duck addict! I don't have Anconas but I have a good number of breeds: Emory Penciled Indian Runners, White Indian Runners, Call Ducks, Australian Spotted Ducks, Snowy Mallards, Cayugas, and a pair of Pekins. My favorites are the Indian Runners, especially my Emory Penciled ones. They are super friendly and hilariously funny, especially in a group of a dozen. They also forage better than most others.

Welcome to BYC and make sure to go to your state in, "Where an I, Where are You?" and intro there too. You might meet friends near you! https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/montana.99679/
 

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