Khaki Campbell Duckling Question

[chickhopeful12]

Hi,

I am considering getting a duckling and have a couple of questions. I already have a small plastic pond and would just need to figure out how to keep it clean. Is it possible to have one duck? What would I need for a shelter? Are the Khaki campbells quiet? I would appreciate any and all feedback. Just unsure if I want to try this venture or not. Was dead set against chickens, and now I can't get enough! Thanks a bunch everyone.

 

[eenie114]

It is better to have at least 2 ducks, as they would get loney. As for the plastic pond, is what you have just a hard, plastic kiddie pool? If that is what you have just wash it out twice a week or so. They are relativly quiet, but then again I havn't ever had any others to compare to. And shelter... hmm... pretty much the same as chickens need; fresh bedding, nice and cozy with good ventilation. I have all my poultry in one coop right now. Also, they are great egg layers, I will usually get an egg a day. (I only have on girl and one boy)
Hope I helped!

 

[evergrowing]

I got 2 ducklings a few weeks ago and lost one. The poor one that was left cried for 3 days until I could find him another duck friend. I have 10 older ducklings but this one was too little to join them, and I couldn't bear to hear him cry so much. I would get 3 just in case anything happened to one of them. Ducks are a lot of work, but ohhh so cute.

 

[chickhopeful12]

Thanks so much! It isn't a plastic kiddie pool, it is plastic but a koi pond. Just without the koi. It is easy enough where I could just use a plastic bucket and empty it out to clean it. Do you recommend draining and refilling it daily? Thanks again for your help.

 

[Pet Duck Boy]

Keeping just one duck is possible, I infact do just that. I saved some eggs from a pekin nest that had been abandoned (Broody pekins usually don't sit past 16 days) but had no incubator at the time...so I stuck with a bucket, lid, and heat pad. 2 hatched, but one hatched somewhat deformed and died 2 weeks later after being seemingly healthy. To make a long story short, Sunny, the younger one who hatched grew up just dandy. She got sick a few times, but has recovered. I spend a lot of time with her, so she's never really lonely. Being human imprinted, she doesn't take to other animals very well....and usually charges at my chickens and dogs. Not knowing other ducks she barely quacks, she also flattens out infront of me, which is a duck's way of saying I can mount her....blech, lol. So she pretty much views me as her mate. So keeping just one duck is fine, infact they probably imprint better alone. I take Sunny to the lake often, and she doesn't need a leash. She follows me!

 

[chickboss]

I clean my small kiddie pool once or twice a day. I don't think my four Kahkis are overly noisey, but I live in the country, and so I don't think about it. So maybe they would be too loud for in town. They don't quack constantly, but get on a little jag now and again, mostly when they are excited about something. I really do like them. I think like the previous poster said, you could keep one duck, but only if you are going to spend a lot of time with it. If not, get two. Two aren't that much harder to keep than one, or 29 for that matter, LOL, at least that was the idea.........hmmm.........might need to rethink that.

 

[columbiacritter]

A plastic kiddie pool works way way better than a plastic pond. Trust me on a hot summer day the last thing you'll want to be doing is bucketing out hot duck poop soup which is what thier pond becomes FAST! My kiddie pool for 5 ducks gets dumped and hosed daily.

I have Khakis and they are noisy when they want something, to be let out, to be let in, to be fed the snack they think you're bringing whether you have anyting or not. Mine know the sound of my garage door opener which means I'm home and need to let them out to range the yard. The neighbor laughs because as sound as the door starts up , "QUACK! QUACK! QUAAAACCCCCKKKK!!!!"

The chickens just run to the gate but the ducks jump and shout.