GRIMAUD HYBRID PEKIN Questions!

[atucker]

GRIMAUD HYBRID PEKIN, can you breed and hatch your own or is this similar to the Cornish cross where they need to be purchased every time?
I asked the hatchery and they told me to ask a duck breeder ...

When I purchase my ducks I was hoping to get a few different breeds, some being good moms and then putting the Pekin eggs under her...
I plan to get an incubator but prefer the set it and forget it method with life, when possible lol.

I like the idea of being able to produce my own and not buying from the hatchery every time.

thinking of getting,
Silver Apple Yard
Buff
Roven
Blue Swedish
Duclair
and either Jumbo Pekin or Grimaud Hybrid Pekin

and I wanted to get a mallard as they are great moms, but they are so little that I think the Pekin eggs will be too big for her...

 

[addctd2plnts]

This depends on what you want from them. Metzer Farms has an explanation of why they are saying "hybrid" but the duck is really a purebred duck, from two strains of Pekins bread for different purposes. Not sure where you got yours from? With Pekins, it looks like they are requesting chicks from a mix of two strains of Pekins, so they get a bird with both strong laying characteristics and strong meat characteristics. As long as you select birds for whatever purpose you want, I'm guessing you'll be ok for your purposes.

If you want to have a steady stream of replacements, if you're thinking of meat, you are going to need an incubator and to get good with it. If you only want a few birds for meals a year, you might get a bird to sit on a clutch, but sometimes they can sit a month, then they are bad parents and lose the ducklings. If you just want them for enjoyment, and don't really need ducklings, then you can take the risk. We'd need more info on your goals to make suggestions....

 

[atucker]

The goal I had in mind was to buy some to start but then produce them on my own. For meat purpose. I have some others in mind for egg collection and enjoyment lol. I have not began the process yet, I am in the finish the coop phase and will probably wait until early next spring to get ducklings. I wasn't sure if the Hybrid or the Jumbo Pekin was better for being able to produce desirable meat offspring.. the hybrid reached slaughter age at 7 weeks and the jumbo at 18 weeks, according to Meyers Hatchery... I suppose at some point you have to mix up the rooster too or if they are pure breed I suppose this is not the case? I am a newbie and I am making sure to do alllll the research ahead of time so I can go into it with as much knowledge as possible. I am also, wanting to make sure I get the right breeds for my goals as to not waste money.

Long term goal is to be able to feed my family with eggs and meat (both chicken and ducks) to start and growing from there... I've just about mastered the chickens, slaughtering on my own next year will be the height there and would like to move to ducks as well...

 

[addctd2plnts]

You may find slaughtering ducks is much harder than chickens emotionally. Have friends that started with this idea and he's killed many a chicken. He said after killing his first duck, he'd never do it again. They are much too sweet and fun. He's designated the ducks pets LOL

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Personally, I would just do the regular pekins. They can breed naturally and are still decent size for the freezer.

 

[Parront]

I really like the taste of duck. They are more work to process. The problem here is my husband ate one duck, and declared that he doesn't like duck. He eats seconds of noisy little crowing cockerels, but he really likes taking care of the ducks, and they are his pets now.
Those Pekins will breed just fine. But they are bred to get big fast, and a big fat drake doesn't mate as well, you will need to keep them on a limited feed diet to get good fertility. I have a big Rouen, lots of infertile eggs. The Rouen duck hatched only 2 from her clutch. But she was a good mom.

 

[atucker]

I had a feeling slaughtering them would be a bit more emotional lol. But, I also hoped to have a variety of meat in the freezer.. I suppose ill try my hand at a few pekins and if it doesnt work out, then eggs and cuteness is still a win! lol.

 

[Parront]

I had a feeling slaughtering them would be a bit more emotional lol. But, I also hoped to have a variety of meat in the freezer.. I suppose ill try my hand at a few pekins and if it doesnt work out, then eggs and cuteness is still a win! lol.

Some photos of ducks for you:

 

[atucker]

such cuties! its the personalities I would get attached too so they would deff have their own run so that I would designate them meat... but I wont know until the day comes lol.