I've had chickens, before......but, not ducks........2Q - about ducks.

[country freedom]

Are ducks a positive /negative for a pond?

If different breeds of Auto-sexed ducks crossbred each other, would we still be able to tell male hatchlings from female hatchlings?

I don't want ducklings that I can't tell apart.

 

[katharinad]

Are ducks a positive /negative for a pond?
Both. They do eat algae, at the same time they fertilize the water making more grow. They do eat small frogs and fish. Ducks are good divers. Pond turtles can be deadly or cause serious injury to ducks.

If different breeds of Auto-sexed ducks crossbred each other, would we still be able to tell male hatchlings from female hatchlings?
Not always. You may need to wait until they quark to distinguish. You can also sex vent or just wait until the drake feather appears.

I don't want ducklings that I can't tell apart.
Depends on how many you get. Many have their own personality you can tell them apart by that besides their looks. My suggestion is to get a breed that suits you and don't mix and match breeds. Perhaps you can get some rescue ducks. Remember to get at least 2 ducks.

 

[country freedom]

Quote:
HAHAHAHAHAHA - it took me about a minute to understand that quark meant quack!

Thank you for the info you've given me.

Now to choose - not quite ready to get ducks (haven't moved, yet).

 

[katharinad]

Quote:
LOL There you've got my German side. In Germany we say quark so my fingers went on autopilot when I typed it and I did not notice. Yes, I did mean quack.

BTW Quark is also a soft cheese, kind of like Greek yogurt.

 

[Amiga]

My cat's name is Charm Quark.

I agree, katharinad, that ducks and ponds are mixed positives and negatives. When I think of pond ducks, I am most comfortable with attracting wild ducks with nest boxes and feed plots. Ponds can be dangerous places, especially for non-flying domestic ducks.

Ducks also really enrich ponds with their droppings, so small ponds might be better off without ducks.