I can get ducks!!

[casportpony]

I'm sure most of you don't remember me, but last year I got super excited and happy thinking I was going to get ducks, but my parents said I couldn't.

I remember you! Welcome back, it's nice to see you posting again.

Rouen?

I have a Rouen that I love!

They're beautiful! Ya I'm hoping I can find a place that has them sexed already, and also has good options for breeds... Oh ya, and I want them SOON!! : D

Have you looked at Metzer's website yet?

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

Understand all the excitement and the need to get the ducklings the day before yesterday, i hate to be the party buster but:

• You have made all you preparations?
  - Brooder is ready with a heat source, food and water?
  - Somebody can have an eye on them when you're not there?
  - They have a safe place outside once they have outgrown their brooder?
  - …
• That gender question: Even if you could perform vent sexing, the store personnel would (should!) not let you hold the duckling. As far as i know farm stores all sell straight run ducklings, so there's a good chance you will end up with too many drakes. - Not fun!
• Breeds: My first ducks were Fawn and White Indian Runners and i still like them best. Somewhat skiddish, but that has changed this spring. They are just fun to watch, bowling pins on legs with brown vests and white boxer-shorts.
  With this years Spring Ducklings i got Magpies, Buff Orpingtons and White Layers.
  The Buff's are really calm and friendly and my little drake "Erpelchen" is a cutie-pie, always around me and asking for some duck-crack (meal-worms). I can pet the Buffies while i feed treats to the ducks.
  The Magpies are wonderfully feathered, really deep black with blue/green shimmering stripes at their wing-tips. But they are a bit skiddish and don't like to be touched and they are a bit boring, not running around so much as the other ducks do.
  The White Layers look like "Honey i shrunk the Pekin ducks!" fluffy white slippers on legs. They are cheeky, loud and just funny. Always in competition with the grown-up Runners for food, water, the pool and exactly that particular spot in the sun.

I would never again buy ducklings from a farm store again, i bought my first ducks (the Runners) in the local Rural King last year. But at that time i did not had an eye for ducklings and their needs. In the mean-time i have seen too many sad things in many farm stores: Ducklings shivering and piling up in one corner of the stock tank because the heat lamp burned out, drowned ducklings, trampled ducklings, Ammonia ducklings and most of the store personnel has no clue about care and is not interested in the health of the little birds. They are just a commodity in the store that must be sold before the expiration date.

I can only recommend to mail-order ducklings at a large, established hatchery. My Buffs and Maggies came from IdealPoultry in Texas and the While Layers are from Metzer Farms in California. Shipping through USPS is relatively safe and fast and you can order exactly what you want, breed and gender. I was a bit unlucky with one White Layer, but the majority of mail-order chicks arrives unharmed.

Another possibility to obtain your ducklings would be a local breeder in your area - you can look out in the Colorado thread here on BYC. I am not sure if there are any poultry hatcheries in Colorado after "Larry's Poultry Hatchery" has closed. So far i've only found chicken hatcheries around Denver…

Ok, 'nuff serious thoughts, here are some ducklings.
A cheeky Magpie:

Three drunken ducklings at the bar:

And the king of the castle:

Have FUN with your ducklings!

 

[PirateGirl]

I recommend picking up a copy of the book, Storey's Guide to Raising Ducks. It's full of great information and you'll have it to reference for years to come!

 

[thumper650]

(They also got me an ice cream cake)

Ice cream cake and permission to have ducks? Sweet! Best day ever!

 

[Bridger Davis]

I remember you! Welcome back, it's nice to see you posting again.

this
I have a Rouen that I love!


Have you looked at Metzer's website yet?

Aww glad to hear! I have looked at Metzers website, but I am shying away from the mail order ducklings. I just talked to a lady at a local feed store and ordered four ducklings... 2 Cayuga, one Rouen, and one swedish. SO EXCITED!!! They arrive at the store next Friday!

i hate to be the party buster but:

Thanks for all your concerns! I can see you really care about ducks!! To answer your questions, most of the preparations have been made besides a last trip to TSC. I have talked to my friend and she agreed to watch and take care of them when I leave. And yes, they have a beautiful roomy area outside where they will be safe as soon as they outgrow their brooder. (BTW, in your experience, how many weeks until they outgrow their brooder?) I just now found a great place that has presexed the ducklings so I will guarantee that they are all 4 females. The breeds have been decided, as you'll notice in my response to casportpony. Thanks for the breed info though! I can understand your concerns about the ducklings in chain stores and everything, but I trust and personally know the employees at this local feed store that I just ordered from, and while that doesn't guarantee anything, I still know what to look for in ducklings health wise, and Ive seen how well they take care of their ducklings and chicks before. I LOVE the pictures, so thanks for sharing!! I will DEFINITELY have fun with my ducks! Thanks so much!!

Ice cream cake and permission to have ducks? Sweet! Best day ever!

IT REALLY WAS!!! I was freaking out lol I was overwhelmed

 

[casportpony]

Aww glad to hear! I have looked at Metzers website, but I am shying away from the mail order ducklings. I just talked to a lady at a local feed store and ordered four ducklings... 2 Cayuga, one Rouen, and one swedish. SO EXCITED!!! They arrive at the store next Friday!

Oh goodie, hope you can find something you like!

 

[Bridger Davis]

Oh goodie, hope you can find something you like!

Thanks! Just to double check, those breeds would get along fine together and coexist, right? Lol thanks

 

[casportpony]

Thanks! Just to double check, those breeds would get along fine together and coexist, right? Lol thanks

I think all Mallard derived ducks will be fine together. Basically, all ducks except Muscovy.

 

[TheAmundsons]

These are our ducks! The brown one is our KC hen, and I’m not really sure what the other 2 are. The black one is female and the other one is male. Any breed suggestions? Best of luck with your new flock, whatever you decide to get!

 

[Bridger Davis]

These are our ducks! The brown one is our KC hen, and I’m not really sure what the other 2 are. The black one is female and the other one is male. Any breed suggestions? Best of luck with your new flock, whatever you decide to get!


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Aww looks like you've got a female black swedish and a male Rouen...? I might be off on the male, because I don't see a white ring around the neck...