Future duck owner with LOTS of questions.

[Jryxx]

Hello. I found this website while doing research on ducks. My family would like to own a duck, as you could probably tell by now. We already have two dogs. One who may need to take time to adjust to a new duck and one who will be eager to socialize and will enjoy the company. Originally when I started to have an interest in ducks, I was only planning on adopting one duck. Now I see that they are very social animals and need a companion. So I believe I can make enough room for two ducks. We are not at all "farm people" or live in the countryside by any means, we live in a subdivision in a suburban environment where the houses are fairly close together and backyards are of limited size. This being said, our yard would have plenty of space to occupy a coup/pen, and a kitty pool. I'm sure if need be, we could dig a little pond or something of that nature. Keep in mind we live in a housing development. Our neighbors will be aware of the ducks and will see them while sitting outside or something. My first general question is, are they loud? Will the ducks be too noisy to keep in a neighborhood? We have neighbors on all sides of us. The neighbors behind us have a cockatoo, who is of a good size and is extremely LOUD. As of now I am planning on keeping these ducks as mainly outdoor pets, who may come inside with a diaper from time to time. I have many questions, but here are only a few
1. We travel to Kentucky to see family a lot. I do not plan on taking two ducks. My family thinks I'm crazy enough already. Can I just leave a decent amount of food in their pen for a weekend while we're gone?

2. Our neighborhood is full of raccoons, who normally don't venture into our fenced in backyard, and never have before to my knowledge. Will this be a concern?

3. The eggs. I hear about 100 per year..? What on earth do I do with all those eggs?!

4. The dogs. One may attack the ducks if she feels threatened. This is unlikely but possible. How can I gradually introduce the ducks to my dog so that she at least tolerates them?
The other dog is a 3 year old golden retriever whos dream is to have a playmate and some company. How will the ducks react to a playful, good sized dog like her? (She would in no way intend to hurt the ducks)

5. I would like Swedish Black Ducks. Thoughts on my choice breed?

Thanks for any help. It is greatly appreciated. I would really love to own a duck or two and would be a very loving owner who has lots of free time to spend with the duck(s).

 

[WhiteLightning]

A very good back yard duck breed is Muscovies. They dont quack but instead do a very quiet hissing and/or huffing noise. They also have very great personalities.

Regaurds to racoons Id suggest making a coop you can lock them into at night or put a flight night or something of similiar standards to cover the top of the pen so nothing can get in or out. I personally dont have issues with coons but I do with little possums as strange as that sounds lol.

I myself have a 200lb dog who is by far the most energentic beast ive seen. Hes very playful as well. I had to introduce him to my ducklings (my muscovies) through a pen so he couldnt nip at them, if he had decided. Thankfully he didnt and my ducks were free range for quite some time before my drake decided he didnt like my dog and attack him. Which of course stimulated my dog to return the attack. Thankfully no wounds (phew.) Though the both are now mortal enemies lol. It really just depends on the dog and sometimes even the ducks ahha. But my two smaller dogs do avoid my ducks and vice versa naturally so you never know.

The eggs you can eat of course! They are actually fairly rich and I prefer them to chicken eggs. Of course you can always sell them or hatch them if you wish.

Ducks are forage naturally so if the are in a place where they can eat grass and bugs as well as feed they should be fine for a weekend. Also make sure they have water of course.

I myself have four ducks and two chickens and can honestly say I dont regret getting them.

 

[Going Quackers]

Hello. I found this website while doing research on ducks. My family would like to own a duck, as you could probably tell by now. We already have two dogs. One who may need to take time to adjust to a new duck and one who will be eager to socialize and will enjoy the company. Originally when I started to have an interest in ducks, I was only planning on adopting one duck. Now I see that they are very social animals and need a companion. So I believe I can make enough room for two ducks. We are not at all "farm people" or live in the countryside by any means, we live in a subdivision in a suburban environment where the houses are fairly close together and backyards are of limited size. This being said, our yard would have plenty of space to occupy a coup/pen, and a kitty pool. I'm sure if need be, we could dig a little pond or something of that nature. Keep in mind we live in a housing development. Our neighbors will be aware of the ducks and will see them while sitting outside or something. My first general question is, are they loud? Will the ducks be too noisy to keep in a neighborhood? We have neighbors on all sides of us. The neighbors behind us have a cockatoo, who is of a good size and is extremely LOUD. As of now I am planning on keeping these ducks as mainly outdoor pets, who may come inside with a diaper from time to time. I have many questions, but here are only a few
1. We travel to Kentucky to see family a lot. I do not plan on taking two ducks. My family thinks I'm crazy enough already. Can I just leave a decent amount of food in their pen for a weekend while we're gone?

2. Our neighborhood is full of raccoons, who normally don't venture into our fenced in backyard, and never have before to my knowledge. Will this be a concern?

3. The eggs. I hear about 100 per year..? What on earth do I do with all those eggs?!

4. The dogs. One may attack the ducks if she feels threatened. This is unlikely but possible. How can I gradually introduce the ducks to my dog so that she at least tolerates them?
The other dog is a 3 year old golden retriever whos dream is to have a playmate and some company. How will the ducks react to a playful, good sized dog like her? (She would in no way intend to hurt the ducks)

5. I would like Swedish Black Ducks. Thoughts on my choice breed?

Thanks for any help. It is greatly appreciated. I would really love to own a duck or two and would be a very loving owner who has lots of free time to spend with the duck(s).

well before i even begin to answer any of those questions, are they even legal to own in your area? They are livestock NOT pets, so this will vary upon your area, where i am at unless your zoned Rural you get nothing, no chickens, no ducks and so forth.

This is best found out through the local zoning office, and should be your first step, if they are not legal and your back to back housing and easily seen you'll find yourself with some problems.

Now onto the questions...

1.

With no one to check in? i wouldn't, at least someone should check in and see they have enough water/feed.. yes, large containers exist for feed but ducks are water hogs, days i wouldn't trust plus worse case something could attempt to get your ducks and if your not checking in to see if there has been an attempt you could loose them entirely.

2.

you bet, you had nothing they wanted before now your offering up a duck dinner, so you'll need secure housing, as well keep in mind air predators(there around more than one notices) cats and dogs... ducks are prey animals so you gotta start thinking like that to avoid loses.

3.

Eat 'em? duck eggs are good, really good for baking too. You could sell/give them to friends, family, neighbours

4.

Got to watch dogs, whether you can ever train down a dogs prey drive, hard to say, mine are all okay with our Muscovy(i free range them) BUT here is the kicker, my lab has problems with my calls, i think it's her naturally hunting fetch mallard instinct so i have to watch her with those!

Always look at your dog as a predator, they actually are one of the top killers of poultry.

5.

Can't help you on that breed, don't have it BUT keep in mind noise, ducks can be, drakes usually not as much. Can you get ahold of a copy of Storey's guide to ducks? that would be a good resource, info on feed, housing and breeds.

 

[Deleted member 94844]

Congratulations! You have made an awesome decision!! Adopting a pair of Pekin ducks has been one of the best things our family has ever done... ducks can be amazing pets and we couldn't imagine our lives without them! That said, you must be prepared as ducks are a fairly high-maintenance pet, especially in a suburban environment. We currently have two ducks, father and son (lost our original female, but hatched her last egg), and have a fairly good system to keep them happy and healthy without too much work.

First, the ducks MUST be protected at night. This is not an option as they will be killed or seriously injured by predators. I've seen a Pekin with the top of her head ripped off by a raccoon at our vet and it was not a pretty sight (she miraculously survived). You don't want to be responsible for that. We keep our ducks in a large dog kennel in our mud room, lined with a bath towel that is changed daily. We shake the towels out in the morning and keep them in a basket outside until wash day. I also have a dedicated vacuum to suck up the feathers inside. At the end of the day, our ducks walk up the back steps and go straight into their pen. They love it.

Next, you must be prepared for how much they poop. We give our ducks free access to the entire backyard, which has been meticulously fenced and landscaped with non-toxic plants and trees for their safety. They poop all over. Fortunately, the plants and trees surrounding the patios LOVE the duck poop! When it starts looking a mess we just pull out the hose and wash it into the planting beds. One queen palm has tripled in size since we got the ducks! It is amazing fertilizer. We tried the diapers so the ducks could spend more time inside, but they hated them. We just put a towel down if they want to watch TV

As I mentioned above, domestic ducks are easily poisoned as they have lost their wild instincts so you must be aware of what plants are harmful... some plants are toxic to birds/ducks that are not on the ASPCA cat/dog/horse lists, so be prepared to do some research. We lost our female this way (ate berries from a tree we didn't know was poisonous) and it was totally devastating. Very common landscape plants that are very dangerous are iris, foxglove, lilies, delphinium, lantana, trumpet flower... the list is extremely long. They are also easily poisoned by metals, so you must be sure their environment is free of any coins, hardware, etc. that can be ingested.

Ducks need regular access to water to be healthy and soft ground... otherwise they can get bumblefoot. We built a 3000 gallon pond for our ducks, which they absolutely love. They are in it most of the day. Pooping. There are three filters on our pond... one in the skimmer, biological media in the waterfall and a canna bog that flows back in to the main pond. You can make due with a baby pool, but the water should be changed out every other day or so or it gets disgusting. The dirty water is great for irrigating plants! When they are young you can let them use a bathtub in the house, but having a beautiful pond that you can sit by and enjoy watching the ducks play and preen is well worth the effort and expense.

In terms of dogs, we have a chihuahua mix and he has gotten a mouthful of feathers on many occasions... he would no doubt kill the younger duck if we ever let him get his teeth around him. That duck taunts him mercilessly! A big dog could take one out in a heartbeat. Dogs and cats must be supervised at all times.

The ducks are very affectionate and will literally crawl into our lap for attention. They love to be held and petted and require some focused attention every day or they start acting out. That means biting, which can hurt pretty bad. They rarely break the skin, it is usually just a bill-shaped bruise. I have gotten so many hickeys from our ducks that I'm used to it. They can be trained to not bite (we hold their bill and say "no biting!") but this is one of the only ways they can get your attention or defend themselves and they will use it. The drakes are much more aggressive in this way than females. They will also try to hump your foot, but that is a different subject entirely!

In terms of travel, we have people housesit who are familiar with the ducks and their routine. Some avian vets can board, but that might be stressful. Unless you have a very secure outdoor pen and run with consistent water/food supply I would not recommend leaving ducks for an extended vacation.

In terms of noise, drakes are much quieter than females... the opposite of chickens. We have two drakes and noise is a non-issue. Our female, however, would quack like crazy in the morning! It was her duty to wake us up!!

In terms of breed, I am only familiar with Pekins... but get what you love! I'd get some Indian Runners if I had more space. Aside from Muscovys I think the temperament is fairly similar across breeds.

I hope this info doesn't deter you from duck ownership... they are fantastic pets!

 

[Jryxx]

Congratulations! You have made an awesome decision!! Adopting a pair of Pekin ducks has been one of the best things our family has ever done... ducks can be amazing pets and we couldn't imagine our lives without them! That said, you must be prepared as ducks are a fairly high-maintenance pet, especially in a suburban environment. We currently have two ducks, father and son (lost our original female, but hatched her last egg), and have a fairly good system to keep them happy and healthy without too much work.

First, the ducks MUST be protected at night. This is not an option as they will be killed or seriously injured by predators. I've seen a Pekin with the top of her head ripped off by a raccoon at our vet and it was not a pretty sight (she miraculously survived). You don't want to be responsible for that. We keep our ducks in a large dog kennel in our mud room, lined with a bath towel that is changed daily. We shake the towels out in the morning and keep them in a basket outside until wash day. I also have a dedicated vacuum to suck up the feathers inside. At the end of the day, our ducks walk up the back steps and go straight into their pen. They love it.

Next, you must be prepared for how much they poop. We give our ducks free access to the entire backyard, which has been meticulously fenced and landscaped with non-toxic plants and trees for their safety. They poop all over. Fortunately, the plants and trees surrounding the patios LOVE the duck poop! When it starts looking a mess we just pull out the hose and wash it into the planting beds. One queen palm has tripled in size since we got the ducks! It is amazing fertilizer. We tried the diapers so the ducks could spend more time inside, but they hated them. We just put a towel down if they want to watch TV

As I mentioned above, domestic ducks are easily poisoned as they have lost their wild instincts so you must be aware of what plants are harmful... some plants are toxic to birds/ducks that are not on the ASPCA cat/dog/horse lists, so be prepared to do some research. We lost our female this way (ate berries from a tree we didn't know was poisonous) and it was totally devastating. Very common landscape plants that are very dangerous are iris, foxglove, lilies, delphinium, lantana, trumpet flower... the list is extremely long. They are also easily poisoned by metals, so you must be sure their environment is free of any coins, hardware, etc. that can be ingested.

Ducks need regular access to water to be healthy and soft ground... otherwise they can get bumblefoot. We built a 3000 gallon pond for our ducks, which they absolutely love. They are in it most of the day. Pooping. There are three filters on our pond... one in the skimmer, biological media in the waterfall and a canna bog that flows back in to the main pond. You can make due with a baby pool, but the water should be changed out every other day or so or it gets disgusting. The dirty water is great for irrigating plants! When they are young you can let them use a bathtub in the house, but having a beautiful pond that you can sit by and enjoy watching the ducks play and preen is well worth the effort and expense.

In terms of dogs, we have a chihuahua mix and he has gotten a mouthful of feathers on many occasions... he would no doubt kill the younger duck if we ever let him get his teeth around him. That duck taunts him mercilessly! A big dog could take one out in a heartbeat. Dogs and cats must be supervised at all times.

The ducks are very affectionate and will literally crawl into our lap for attention. They love to be held and petted and require some focused attention every day or they start acting out. That means biting, which can hurt pretty bad. They rarely break the skin, it is usually just a bill-shaped bruise. I have gotten so many hickeys from our ducks that I'm used to it. They can be trained to not bite (we hold their bill and say "no biting!") but this is one of the only ways they can get your attention or defend themselves and they will use it. The drakes are much more aggressive in this way than females. They will also try to hump your foot, but that is a different subject entirely!

In terms of travel, we have people housesit who are familiar with the ducks and their routine. Some avian vets can board, but that might be stressful. Unless you have a very secure outdoor pen and run with consistent water/food supply I would not recommend leaving ducks for an extended vacation.

In terms of noise, drakes are much quieter than females... the opposite of chickens. We have two drakes and noise is a non-issue. Our female, however, would quack like crazy in the morning! It was her duty to wake us up!!

In terms of breed, I am only familiar with Pekins... but get what you love! I'd get some Indian Runners if I had more space. Aside from Muscovys I think the temperament is fairly similar across breeds.

I hope this info doesn't deter you from duck ownership... they are fantastic pets!

Thank you for the advice! This definitely didn't deter me from still wanting to own ducks. I'm up for the challenge, haha. I doubt I'll be getting ducks any time soon, because we have so much to prepare for. We have to build a pen, possibly a pond too, and do much more research. I've decided on Black/Blue Swedish Ducks. Pekins are second on the list. Would you recommend getting two eggs and hatching them, getting them as ducklings, or getting them as adults? And where would I find a domestic duck/egg?

 

[Deleted member 94844]

Hatching them yourself is very rewarding, but the chances of survival/success for 2-3 eggs is pretty slim your first try... you might lose one or two and have a lonely duckling. We were lucky hatching our baby Nemo who had to be helped out of his shell owing to a bacterial infection and required oxygen and a shot of Baytril the first day... he made it (even though the vet wasn't optimistic), but I'm convinced he is developmentally disabled! What a lunatic. LOL. You could try another hatch, but bonding the ducks could be more difficult -- we had to wait for Nemo to reach full size before letting him alone with his dad, who attacked him as a duckling. There are tons of ducks in need of adoption, but it would be difficult to get the swedes you want. Best bet is to get day-olds shipped to you from one of the better hatcheries... there are lots. Just look online and/or check the forums. You can order fertilized eggs this way, too. Alternately, there might be members here offering Swedish ducklings or eggs. Good luck!

 

[Going Quackers]

I would recommend you buy ducklings for your first time hatching is complicated not to deter just being realistic, there is a lot involved and success varies. I use my own ducks often to increase/change the Muscovy flock and even that does not go without it's challenges.