Loads of duck questions!

[noodledog]

I'm not an expert at all, so I'm just answering these the best I can

What ducks are good pets? I have Calls and they're very friendly.
What ducks are good for eggs? I've heard Khaki campbells, white layers, Pekins, and Indian runners are good layers.
Can you mix the larger breeds of duck with the smaller ones? Yes, but you can't keep larger drakes with smaller hens.
How many ducks do I need to get consistent eggs? 3-5
Do I want a drake? No, unless you want to hatch ducklings. Otherwise they're more trouble and it's much easier to just keep hens.
How many ducks (is there a better name for female ducks?) per drake? Females are called hens or ducks! I'd say 5 is good for most drakes, sometimes 3 might work but it always depends on the drake.
Can ducks and chickens be allowed to free range together? They can, but you cannot keep drakes around chicken hens.
How much space do ducks need? A minimum of 5 sq. feet in the coop and 10 in the run
Do ducks need access to water for swimming? How much/how deep? They don't NEED to swim but they'll be much happier if they can. A kiddie pool works fine. They do need to be able to dunk their heads in water to clean their eyes/nares though, I use a livestock feed pan to give mine water but a bucket will work too.
What are the housing requirements for ducks? (Like how chickens need nesting boxes and roosts in their coops, what do ducks need?) Usually ducks won't lay in nesting boxes, and they don't roost (unless you have muscovies). Just some bedding such as pine shavings on the ground will be fine, and lots of ventilation

 

[RShayne]

What ducks are good pets?

I was raised with Pekings and found them easy to work with, the Khaki Campbell were just mean and had to be bribed with food to get them to do anything. That being said Pekings are horrible mothers so I am trying Silver Appleyard and Saxony.

What ducks are good for eggs?

Pekings will lay about 200 eggs a year (nice big white that make great pancakes). Just do not let them go foraging before 10 am or you will have an Easter Egg hunt ever morning.

Can you mix the larger breeds of duck with the smaller ones?

Our Pekings and Khaki Campbells never had an issue, it is more about drake to hen ratio. I was taught 9 Hens to 1 drakes and 7 / 1 was the lowest my mother would go. This is very old school so it might be different now.

How many ducks do I need to get consistent eggs?

Depends on the breed.

Do I want a drake?

If you have room for 8 to 10 ducks a drake is easy to take care and less noising than the hens.

How many ducks (is there a better name for female ducks?) per drake?

Hen is what we always called them, might be a southern thing. 9/1 happy, 7/1 pushing, never go less.

Can ducks and chickens be allowed to free range together?

Ducks are so easy going unless you have a drake and not enough girls, he may start to try to breed the chicken hens (or roosters) either way it is very bad, unlike roosters drakes have a penis.

How much space do ducks need?

3 to 4 sq ft but the duck box can be smaller - they are just sleeping in it and laying.

Do ducks need access to water for swimming? How much/how deep?

Yes and no, they NEED enough water to dunk their heads fully. For mites and creepy things a full body swim is the ducks version of a chicken dust bath.

What are the housing requirements for ducks? (Like how chickens need nesting boxes and roosts in their coops, what do ducks need?)

I will post pictures of an old duck box that my dad built (it basically is like a dog box but with a lid) it is really old - like 20 years.

Thanks for any help with any of these questions!

 

[Weeg]

See, like in the first video, thats how you know you are supplying your duck with enough water, in my opinion! I know its not nessasary, but if you are gonna take care of ducks, they will be the MOST HAPPY with swimming water. So in my opinion, happy ducks, nee swimming water.

 

[RShayne]

Floor rotted away and I tore the insides out, going to have to replace them, think of chicken nesting box 1' x 1' . Not going to replace the floor just let it sit on concrete because I hated bending over and pulling the old hay out when I was a kid, just pick it up and use a shovel and a pressure washer. Yes I have gotten lazy in my old age or wiser.

Something my mother always told me, don't know if it was just an old wise tell or truth but she wanted everything two ducks wide so they would not fight to get out or down a ramp.

 

[black_cat]

Floor rotted away and I tore the insides out, going to have to replace them, think of chicken nesting box 1' x 1' . Not going to replace the floor just let it sit on concrete because I hated bending over and pulling the old hay out when I was a kid, just pick it up and use a shovel and a pressure washer. Yes I have gotten lazy in my old age or wiser.

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Something my mother always told me, don't know if it was just an old wise tell or truth but she wanted everything two ducks wide so they would not fight to get out or down a ramp.

That's smart with the two ducks wide idea. I am going to be building a new chicken coop soon and I think I would like to adopt that with my chickens. Thank you for the pictures and for the help!

 

[black_cat]

What are everyone's thoughts on runners? My only current reason that I'm interested in them is because they are cute. The same with blue swedish.

 

[black_cat]

What are everyone's thoughts on runners? My only current reason that I'm interested in them is because they are cute. The same with blue swedish.

I'm thinking that I like the idea of getting 2 silver appleyards, one pekin, one blue swedish (they're really cute!) and 2 runners for a backyard setup. Thoughts?

 

[Weeg]

I love Swedish blues! I have a Swedish blue buff mix that our broody raised herself! I love pekin too, but if your gonna get pekin, I would suggest getting a white crested, because they are so cute and sweet and have the same personality as pekin, they just have a beautiful plume on top of the heads! I have never owned appleyards but I think runners are adorable! Good luck, here is a pic of our Swedish blue and white crested!

 

[U_Stormcrow]

I have Pekins. Think I mentioned earlier in this thread. They are white. That's all I can say about them. They aren't particularly smart, they aren't stupid enough to be amusing, they aren't real energetic, and while in no way aggressive, they aren't particularly loving/friendly either. Generic. Very generic.

Much prefer my chickens for entertainment, general friendliness, and activity.

5 girls, 2 drakes. Lost one to predation.

If you are considering getting a mixed flock as pets with one Pekin, I'd ask "WHY?"

Mine are justified by moderate egg production and meat, which Pekin are good for - I like duck on the table. (Which may be why they aren't eager to cuddle up, right???)

 

[Weeg]

i agree with U-stormcrow about th perkins, But white crested day at the cutest thing in the whole world, I love them! Ohhh, and MALARDS, if you are gonna get ducks, definitely get mallards, they will fly for you and make amazing broody's if thats what you want, plus, the blue eggs!