My Love Affair With Ducks...

[Mimi13]

Hahaha well I guess it just makes it that much more fun trying to find the eggs and guess who they belong to! what breeds do you have again? I only researched the breeds I have so I’m not so sure about white layers or your runners...

Yes, I am now trying to figure out the best time to let them out of their “house” part into their run, and then when to let them out into the yard. The “ducks’ way of life” is all wonky to me, but hopefully I figure it out someday.

I wish I did know more about what color egg each breed lays, but the hatchery websites don’t offer much on that.
These are just my two cents worth on the breed characteristics of the ones I purchased. Now bear in mind I wanted ducks that would be PETS.

White Layer (Petey) — Loud, very personable and very gregarious and very head strong. I‘m not sure I’d call her “sweet,” necessarily. She is a clumsy duckdozier.​

Buff Orpington (Peaches) — Sweet, but not personable at all. Stays way off to the side when the others come to get hand treats.​

Welsh Harlequin (Quinny) — Loud, gorgeous feathering, seems a bit aloof, although not as much as the Buff Duck.​

Runners (Ralphie and Hershey) — Loud, funny, sweet, personable, somewhat clumsy.​

I chose the Buff Orpington Duck because I thought she would be like my Buff Orpington hens. They are the BEST large fowl for a PET chicken. (Don’t know anything about Silkies. They are probably good pets, too.) They are nothing alike, so far anyway.

The Runners I almost didn’t choose because of some of the write ups I had read.They’ve been the best so far and get my Favorite .

The White Layer I chose because my grandson wanted a duck like his daddy had had briefly, named Petey, of course. His was a Pekin though.

Your ducks are just one week behind mine. I purchased mine from Metzer Farms. Where did you get yours and what breeds again?

 

[Magnolia Ducks]

I’m pretty sure I won’t try then.

ok I've been gone for a while but hatching is great. You just have to find a home for drakes before you start or be willing to send them to freezer camp. If you talk to the eggs the little guys are so glad to see you when they get out of calcium prision.

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

Thank you!!! 18 weeks on Monday!

There will be eggs soon… ☺

 

[Mimi13]

ok I've been gone for a while but hatching is great. You just have to find a home for drakes before you start or be willing to send them to freezer camp. If you talk to the eggs the little guys are so glad to see you when they get out of calcium prision.

Well it’s good to have you back @Magnolia Ducks. Just a bunch of duck talk going on! Some people might call it nonsense.

My luck in hatching chicks, with both incubator and broody, is less than desirable. My cockerel to pullet ratio is completely lop-sided, unfortunately. There is no doubt if I hatched ducks my luck wouldn’t differ. Even though I do slaughter my excess cockerels, #1 - I’m not familiar enough yet with how to dispatch ducks (from what I have read, there’s a lot more that goes into plucking them too), #2 - I’m not sure my family will even eat duck (my DH would though. He’s been to China many times and that’s mostly what he eats when there.), and #3 - I cannot get past the precious faces. I think I’d have a hard time actually dispatching them.

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

Yes, I am now trying to figure out the best time to let them out of their “house” part into their run, and then when to let them out into the yard. The “ducks’ way of life” is all wonky to me, but hopefully I figure it out someday.

I wish I did know more about what color egg each breed lays, but the hatchery websites don’t offer much on that.
These are just my two cents worth on the breed characteristics of the ones I purchased. Now bear in mind I wanted ducks that would be PETS.

​

White Layer (Petey) — Loud, very personable and very gregarious and very head strong. I‘m not sure I’d call her “sweet,” necessarily. She is a clumsy duckdozier.​

​

Buff Orpington (Peaches) — Sweet, but not personable at all. Stays way off to the side when the others come to get hand treats.​

​

Welsh Harlequin (Quinny) — Loud, gorgeous feathering, seems a bit aloof, although not as much as the Buff Duck.​

​

Runners (Ralphie and Hershey) — Loud, funny, sweet, personable, somewhat clumsy.​

I chose the Buff Orpington Duck because I thought she would be like my Buff Orpington hens. They are the BEST large fowl for a PET chicken. (Don’t know anything about Silkies. They are probably good pets, too.) They are nothing alike, so far anyway.

The Runners I almost didn’t choose because of some of the write ups I had read.They’ve been the best so far and get my Favorite .

The White Layer I chose because my grandson wanted a duck like his daddy had had briefly, named Petey, of course. His was a Pekin though.

Your ducks are just one week behind mine. I purchased mine from Metzer Farms. Where did you get yours and what breeds again?

Very interesting observations! - All your ducks have already developed their own distinct personalities. As expected, Petey has turned out to be the typical White Layer, a loud duckdozer! Understand now why i call them the »White Panzer squadron«? However with all their gluttony and cheekiness they are the ducks that most remind me to little pet-dogs. Always around you, waiting for some treats to emerge.
I can't say too much about my Buff Orpingtons other than they are here. Except for Erpelchen, the drake. The girls are skiddish to say the least, after more than one year still too afraid to take treats out of my hands, except for Smaug the foster mom for this year's ducklings. - She is eating the hand, not the treats.
The Runners were my first ducks, are tiny in comparison of all the others but have the largest egos! When Katharina get's dressed in her »broody duck« costume, everybody get out of her way (including me!). Nona is still a very quiet Lady, curiously following everything i do and leaving her quackerly comments. Curiosity is curious but a typical,skiddish Runner Duck. Everything that is twice her size makes her run away, yelling "Axe Murderer". And Limpy Drake, he is just a sweet old drake, hanging out with his favorite duck Nona, rasping at the crows to "duck off" - they ignore him most of the time…

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

ok I've been gone for a while but hatching is great. You just have to find a home for drakes before you start or be willing to send them to freezer camp. If you talk to the eggs the little guys are so glad to see you when they get out of calcium prision.

Good one: Calcium Prison! - Good to have you back! What's going on in Magnolia?

 

[Magnolia Ducks]

It's hot. But the ducks are happy. My WH Saxony that I hatched are beauuuuutiful. As usual, I have too many drakes. Luckily all but Quatro are under six months so corkscrew application is at a minimum. I do have to yell don't rape the babies a couple times a day.

 

[Magnolia Ducks]

The eye stripes are my WH Saxonys

 

[Texag87]

@Mimi13 Sometimes you can get lucky with hatching. Last hatch my wife picked out 7 eggs. Runner dad with moms being Pekin, Rouen, and K/C. 2 Pekin eggs, 3 Rouen eggs, 2 K/C eggs. The result was 4ducks and 1 drake. one K/C passed during lockdown. The other got its bill out but did not make it. Pekins and Rouens did and now I owe her 80 $.

 

[Mimi13]

The eye stripes are my WH Saxonys View attachment 2282023

OMG! They are gorgeous.