now that my older DD has her flock of hens (and of course her pet roos) my younger daughter wants some ducks. We've told her we will get her some ducks this spring. I've read that some breeds don't need a whole pond of water to be happy, they only need a small pool/puddle/splash area. This is what I need. I'd also like a breed that stays small, good forager and good for pets. We may use them for eggs, but that's all, I don't picture us eating pet ducks. From what I've read, it seems like Welsh Harlequins would be a good fit, except I can't find info about their water preferences. Finally, how do I house the ducks? our hens are free roaming during the day and come to their coop at night where they are counted and tucked in. What kind of coop do ducks like? do ducks and chickens give each other diseases? any other concerns? thanks so much. we love our chickens so much, I can't wait to give ducks a try too.
WH should work for your situation but I wouldn't consider them "small". Ducks can be housed in coops similar to chickens but they will probably need a larger space because they are quite messy. Many people keep ducks and chickens together without any issues. However if you get males then they must be separated if they try to mate your chickens.
how small a number of ducks can I keep and keep them happy? I know they are flock animals, so I wouldn't try to keep only 1, but would 3 or 4 be ok? I'm looking at this handy chart from Metzer farms and while they are slightly heavier than the runner ducks, they are lighter than many others... do they actually grow bigger than this? http://www.metzerfarms.com/DuckBreedComparison.cfm?CustID=1334800
You will LOVE your ducks no matter what the breed. I have had WH and they are WONDERFUL! birds, but I have a pond and one of their favorite things was to go swimming. I'm sure they could survive without it as any ducks will though. When I first read what you were looking for before you mentioned WH's I immediately thought of Indian Runners. They are good foragers, lay eggs, supposedly don't need water to swim in (once again I don't have that problem so don't know by experience) and can be superbly friendly and a hoot to watch. Of course they are different looking then most ducks and might take a little getting used to, but anyway, that's my two cents!! Have fun on your duck journey!!
The Metzer chart is the standard for each breed. Some could get bigger but it wouldn't be by much at all. 3 or 4 would be fine, I'd probably go with 4 or 5 just in case something bad happens during shipping or over the first few days. Hopefully it wouldn't but you don't want to be in the position where you are left with only 1 should tragedy strike. I'd probably just go with females if I were you that way you don't need to deal with any drake drama. Runners are a little smaller but they are a very nervous breed. I started with runners and while very entertaining, you need to spend a ton of time with them to get them used to people. Even then, they may not be what most consider "friendly". I would probably go with WH, they seem to fit in with what you want. A kiddie pool is fine. For housing, they don't need anything as elaborate as chickens since they don't roost. Basically, a secure, predator proof house. Depending on where you are and your temps it can be anything from open air to an insulate house. 3' tall will work but it will be harder for you to clean if that low. 2.5-4 sq ft per duck inside if they will only ever be in their at night. 6-8 sq ft each if they may need to stay locked up for a long time due to weather or your schedule. I would recommend getting a book, buy it or from the library, I like Storey's Guide to Raising Ducks, it is my duck bible. Metzer Farms is also a great place to get ducklings, I got my runners from them.
For sure, drakes bring drama and babies lol Kiddy pools are great because you can control the cleanliness and no risk of predators(snappers for instance)
Aren't call ducks the smallest? I've heard they make good pets etc and they look so small they probably wouldn't need a whole lot of water imho.
I looked at call ducks and they seem adorable, but the price is problematic. I also thought of runners, but they get mixed reviews on whether they make good pets, and they just don't look very duck-ish. Apparently to a 7 year old who is wild about ducks, the ducky look is important
Calls can be pricey. They also don't ship well as ducklings, too fragile. Very true about runners, they don't look very ducky.
