How many should a beginner start with?

[Amiga]

My ducks are only loud when they know I am nearby and they want my attention. Seriously - the neighbors have told me so.

 

[Jdc361]

My ducks are only loud when they know I am nearby and they want my attention.  Seriously - the neighbors have told me so.  

Ok so is there a favorite Breed of yours that you strongly recommend

 

[Amiga]

I only know I love my Runners and my Buffs

 

[Jdc361]

I only know I love my Runners and my Buffs 

Have you had any other breeds?

 

[Going Quackers]

Do you want eggs?

If not, you can get all drakes they will be the most quiet of any breed.

If you do want eggs, get sexed birds, it is much easier to add a drake(if you choose too) than sell extras or deal with bad ratios. Start small, adding is always possible ducks are NOT like chickens and have this i want to kill newcomers lol way.

I started with 4 ducks not sexed got 50/50 took YEARS to get proper ratios i wish i had started with sexed females. Would have saved loads of aggravation, plus females will be easier to rehome if you find ducks just are not your float to your boat.

I have 3 mallard derived breeds(Pekin, buff and call) and one not Muscovy. They all have pros/cons can massively varies on what your desired purpose is. Best pet? the calls, super cute, easy to house and hold massive character BUT loud the females and i mean LOUD.

Pekin best farm comic.. they adore the hose, very personable so easily trained,i can call to mine.. Pekin come in... but they are chatty and very big, fantastic layers though.

Buffs, cute duck good foragers but loud and mine are skittish despite being hand raised.

Muscovy hands down best dual purpose going, the most quiet breed of any sex you can get, documented for fly catching abilities(yes they are that good) but they fly and roost plus many dislike their look they can be a bit goose like in attitude but i have no trouble with mine and have a good sized mixed sex flock. They are also broody monsters and i mean like rabbits, i have lost ducks because of it too...

Their is no perfect duck, you have to find what suits your purpose best! good luck.

 

[Amiga]

Have you had any other breeds?

I had Pekins and mallards for a short while when I was a teenager. I enjoyed them. We were in the city and had no complaints from the neighbors. They were pretty chatty, I remember.

 

[Jdc361]

Do you want eggs?

If not, you can get all drakes they will be the most quiet of any breed.

If you do want eggs, get sexed birds, it is much easier to add a drake(if you choose too) than sell extras or deal with bad ratios. Start small, adding is always possible ducks are NOT like chickens and have this i want to kill newcomers lol way.

I started with 4 ducks not sexed got 50/50 took YEARS to get proper ratios i wish i had started with sexed females. Would have saved loads of aggravation, plus females will be easier to rehome if you find ducks just are not your float to your boat.

I have 3 mallard derived breeds(Pekin, buff and call) and one not Muscovy. They all have pros/cons can massively varies on what your desired purpose is. Best pet? the calls, super cute, easy to house and hold massive character BUT loud the females and i mean LOUD.

Pekin best farm comic.. they adore the hose, very personable so easily trained,i can call to mine.. Pekin come in... but they are chatty and very big, fantastic layers though.

Buffs, cute duck good foragers but loud and mine are skittish despite being hand raised.

Muscovy hands down best dual purpose going, the most quiet breed of any sex you can get, documented for fly catching abilities(yes they are that good) but they fly and roost plus many dislike their look they can be a bit goose like in attitude but i have no trouble with mine and have a good sized mixed sex flock. They are also broody monsters and i mean like rabbits, i have lost ducks because of it too...

Their is no perfect duck, you have to find what suits your purpose best! good luck.

thanks so much! im still not sure what to get tho now im between rouen, pekin, welsh, khaki, and cayuga

 

[DucksAndGardens]

I have a mixed bunch. Welsh Harlequins, Cayugas, Pekins, Blue and Black swedish, and the Metzer farms Golden 300 which is a khaki campbell breed. I used to have runners and khakis but I found runners and khakis to be too high strung. I have herding dogs and that's what we use to herd because they are quick but for mild mannered ducks I like the breeds I have. I have one Jumbo Pekin because I wanted a duck buddy and Jack Jack is my sweet lap duck. She's a cutie and loves cuddles. The Cayugas, one likes to be held, the other doesn't. The Welshies not much for holding but they are friendly and will eat out of my hand. Black Swedish is mild mannered and friendly. Blue Swedish is a nut. She panicks at the slightest thing and when I pick her up she acts like I'm killing her. The Golden 300s are indifferent. They don't love to be held but they don't freak out if I pick them up. As for loudness, they aren't loud in general but when I have treats or it's dinner time they definitely talk to me. I rarely hear them seriously sound off for no reason but they are just now hitting their 5th week so I suppose that could change. I had Cayugas before and one of my females was a talker but the other 2 were quiet as mice so I think it really depends on the duck. Now my non stop talker is my Embden goose. Lordie I hope she grows out of her peeping. She will peep nonstop all day long.


Half my flock is getting their quack and I notice that the Blue Swedish quacks a lot but only when she's freaking out. But she freaks out a lot. She got freaked out by a mayfly the other day until one of my goldens ate it.

 

[Jdc361]

I have a mixed bunch. Welsh Harlequins, Cayugas, Pekins, Blue and Black swedish, and the Metzer farms Golden 300 which is a khaki campbell breed. I used to have runners and khakis but I found runners and khakis to be too high strung. I have herding dogs and that's what we use to herd because they are quick but for mild mannered ducks I like the breeds I have. I have one Jumbo Pekin because I wanted a duck buddy and Jack Jack is my sweet lap duck. She's a cutie and loves cuddles. The Cayugas, one likes to be held, the other doesn't. The Welshies not much for holding but they are friendly and will eat out of my hand. Black Swedish is mild mannered and friendly. Blue Swedish is a nut. She panicks at the slightest thing and when I pick her up she acts like I'm killing her. The Golden 300s are indifferent. They don't love to be held but they don't freak out if I pick them up. As for loudness, they aren't loud in general but when I have treats or it's dinner time they definitely talk to me. I rarely hear them seriously sound off for no reason but they are just now hitting their 5th week so I suppose that could change. I had Cayugas before and one of my females was a talker but the other 2 were quiet as mice so I think it really depends on the duck.  Now my non stop talker is my Embden  goose. Lordie I hope she grows out of her peeping. She will peep nonstop all day long.


Half my flock is getting their quack and I notice that the Blue Swedish quacks a lot but only when she's freaking out. But she freaks out a lot. She got freaked out by a mayfly the other day until one of my goldens ate it.

Do you know if cayugas get white spots as they age and if so do they go away after molt?!

 

[Ducky07]

Starting ducks is a very exciting but be cautious! I started with 9 ducks however I wished I would have started smaller. I hatched them myself. If the flock were smaller I might be able to enjoy their individual personalities more. They are all VERY unique and fun to watch! I would say 4-6 is an ideal number. Also being inexperienced it took me awhile to find the best routine/set-up for the ducks and myself. Three things ducks love: Routines, Frozen Peas, and Water (lots and lots of it).

I have 3 jumbo Pekins, 1 crested Pekin, 3 Cayugas, 1 Buff Orpington, 1 Swedish. The Cayugas are defiantly the least sociable. The Buff has an interesting personality but is a tad skiddish. The Pekins seem to be the most sociable in general but it really depends on the individual duck. Luna and Willow are both Pekin hens, however one is shy and the other friendly.

Having an all hen (female) or all drake (male) flock is ideal. However then you deprive them of mating. If you do get a mixed flock keep in mind that over-breeding is a huge problem that can injure/kill the hens. Keeping a 1 drake - 4 hen ratio has worked well for me.

I recommend reading The Ultimate Pet Duck Guidebook by Kimberly Link. An overall guide, its great!