I have had outstanding success rehoming ducks, even single males, but it does require patience if you want them to go to good homes.
As for purchasing sexed, I COMPLETELY agree that is an excellent way for the pet duck owner to go if you're too squeamish or not patient enough to deal with excess birds. But for me, I would just as soon deal with the males myself even if it means putting them in the freezer, for two reasons. One, the birds I want are from Holderread--I don't bother with anyone else any more--and he doesn't sell sexed ducklings. And two, I am fully aware that facilities that sell sexed ducklings end up with excess males to "dispose" of and they are not necessarily handled humanely. I won't go into details because it makes me gag.
Back to rehoming. Here is what I do.
First, I figure out a "marketing package" for what I have. That sounds complicated, but mostly it means answering two questions: "in what groups will they sell best?" and "on what qualities will people want them?"
In what groups will they sell best: In the case of a single male, this is already answered. In groups of males, the answer is generally either alone or in small groups. When I have a few females to sell as well, I will generally offer them ONLY in packages with a male--trios or quads or pairs--whatever combination allows me to rehome the largest number of drakes with at least one female (but with attention paid to appropriate gender ratios based on circumstance). I will generally get lots of requests for the females only, but I turn them down because I know that a single male will be harder to rehome than a breeding flock. This "packaging" of the birds together attracts more attention than a simple list of what is available, because people want simple answers to their desires, not lists to sort through and see if it will fit their needs.
On what qualities will people want them: I only allow single males to go to homes with existing flocks and an appropriate male to female ratio, so in this case the answer is that they will want him as a flock sire, so then I figure out what qualities this particular male has to offer--genetics from Holderread, interesting color genetics background, non-aggressive, gentle with the ladies, high fertility rates, etc. In groups of males, the answer may be that they make quiet pets, good pest exterminators, pretty to look at but no eggs to clean up, etc. Flocks, of course, I sell as starter flocks or good additions to an existing flock, and again I look for specific traits that are appealing about my birds--they'll throw interesting color combinations, they have Holderread genetics, they're gentle and quiet, etc.
Second, I advertise here and on craigslist, including both my "marketing pitch" (which is based on the answers to the two questions above), pricing, AND a careful description of the type of home they must go to, any restrictions (such as single males going to existing flock), and a specific request for information from anyone who responds (for instance, "please tell me a little about the home the ducks will go to").
Third, I wait, and I screen. I answer only polite and well-written responses (I have found decent grammar and etiquette to be a fairly good initial indicator of quality), and I spend time going back and forth with the responder at least twice before setting up a time with them. This allows me to judge whether they are thoughtful and considerate, respond in an appropriate timeframe (a good indicator of whether they will show up or not when they say they will), and so on. The wait can sometimes be months, so I am careful never to have so many birds that I can't handle keeping them, and when I have problem birds (doesn't happen often with Holderread stock...) I have quarantine options. Plus, I am not opposed to sticking them in the freezer if it comes down to it--I just don't like to because it's hard emotionally and I'd rather avoid it if possible.
It sounds laborious, but I have never ended up with birds I couldn't rehome and many of the people I've met this way have become friends and we now exchange birds and eggs and other things, and I get updates on how the birds I've rehomed are doing, and have a high level of confidence that they are being treated very well--sometimes much more spoiled even than they are here (where they are treated well, but as livestock rather than pets).
You may have different results based on your market, but this works for me. If you don't have the patience or space for it, then purchasing sexed ducklings is a great idea. But if you do have the time, patience, and space (or the willingness to make meat), then go ahead and hatch. It's a great experience, fun and educational, and you'll never forget it. In fact, you'll probably get addicted and end up with way too many birds and have to take an entire season off from hatching to get caught up on rehoming efforts... like me... lol! But it's so worth it.
As for purchasing sexed, I COMPLETELY agree that is an excellent way for the pet duck owner to go if you're too squeamish or not patient enough to deal with excess birds. But for me, I would just as soon deal with the males myself even if it means putting them in the freezer, for two reasons. One, the birds I want are from Holderread--I don't bother with anyone else any more--and he doesn't sell sexed ducklings. And two, I am fully aware that facilities that sell sexed ducklings end up with excess males to "dispose" of and they are not necessarily handled humanely. I won't go into details because it makes me gag.
Back to rehoming. Here is what I do.
First, I figure out a "marketing package" for what I have. That sounds complicated, but mostly it means answering two questions: "in what groups will they sell best?" and "on what qualities will people want them?"
In what groups will they sell best: In the case of a single male, this is already answered. In groups of males, the answer is generally either alone or in small groups. When I have a few females to sell as well, I will generally offer them ONLY in packages with a male--trios or quads or pairs--whatever combination allows me to rehome the largest number of drakes with at least one female (but with attention paid to appropriate gender ratios based on circumstance). I will generally get lots of requests for the females only, but I turn them down because I know that a single male will be harder to rehome than a breeding flock. This "packaging" of the birds together attracts more attention than a simple list of what is available, because people want simple answers to their desires, not lists to sort through and see if it will fit their needs.
On what qualities will people want them: I only allow single males to go to homes with existing flocks and an appropriate male to female ratio, so in this case the answer is that they will want him as a flock sire, so then I figure out what qualities this particular male has to offer--genetics from Holderread, interesting color genetics background, non-aggressive, gentle with the ladies, high fertility rates, etc. In groups of males, the answer may be that they make quiet pets, good pest exterminators, pretty to look at but no eggs to clean up, etc. Flocks, of course, I sell as starter flocks or good additions to an existing flock, and again I look for specific traits that are appealing about my birds--they'll throw interesting color combinations, they have Holderread genetics, they're gentle and quiet, etc.
Second, I advertise here and on craigslist, including both my "marketing pitch" (which is based on the answers to the two questions above), pricing, AND a careful description of the type of home they must go to, any restrictions (such as single males going to existing flock), and a specific request for information from anyone who responds (for instance, "please tell me a little about the home the ducks will go to").
Third, I wait, and I screen. I answer only polite and well-written responses (I have found decent grammar and etiquette to be a fairly good initial indicator of quality), and I spend time going back and forth with the responder at least twice before setting up a time with them. This allows me to judge whether they are thoughtful and considerate, respond in an appropriate timeframe (a good indicator of whether they will show up or not when they say they will), and so on. The wait can sometimes be months, so I am careful never to have so many birds that I can't handle keeping them, and when I have problem birds (doesn't happen often with Holderread stock...) I have quarantine options. Plus, I am not opposed to sticking them in the freezer if it comes down to it--I just don't like to because it's hard emotionally and I'd rather avoid it if possible.
It sounds laborious, but I have never ended up with birds I couldn't rehome and many of the people I've met this way have become friends and we now exchange birds and eggs and other things, and I get updates on how the birds I've rehomed are doing, and have a high level of confidence that they are being treated very well--sometimes much more spoiled even than they are here (where they are treated well, but as livestock rather than pets).
You may have different results based on your market, but this works for me. If you don't have the patience or space for it, then purchasing sexed ducklings is a great idea. But if you do have the time, patience, and space (or the willingness to make meat), then go ahead and hatch. It's a great experience, fun and educational, and you'll never forget it. In fact, you'll probably get addicted and end up with way too many birds and have to take an entire season off from hatching to get caught up on rehoming efforts... like me... lol! But it's so worth it.
