New and need advice

[BunnyBelle]

Hi there,
Forgive me if I sound like a moron but I'm completely new to raising ducks and looking for help and advice. I don't have any ducks yet but trying to determine what breed and how many is a good starting point. I love the Pekin as my great-grandparents used to have these on their farm so that breed brings fond memories. Would they be a good starting point? I am looking for friendly and happy ducks. I know part of that is raising and socializing them properly though. I was considering getting 2 females and a male. If anyone has any suggestions for me though I will so greatly appreciate the imput.

Btw, a little about our home: We live on 4 acres in Vermont. The majority of the land is fenced. There is also about a 1/4 acre with very secure fencing which houses a chicken coop and chicken run. We are building a duck house as well for nights in this 1/4 acre area. Hopefully we will be able to expand the security fence by midsummer. The ducks will be able to roam the rest of the yard when I'm out there which is all of the time. We have a lot of predators in the area as you can imagine.

Any advice is welcome and appreciated!!

Jennifer

 

[fowlmood]

Three ducks is a good number to start with. I have a pekin, mallards, runners and mutts. The pekins are nice, so are the mallards. The runners are very funny but kind of high strung. They are not for someone who's looking for a friendly duck. At least not mine. I guess it depends on what you are looking for. You will find all sorts of people who have all different kind of ducks for different reasons. Are you wanting some that are good layers? Keep in mind that females can be noisey. Will you have neighbors nearby who may have a problem with that? Also keep in mind that no matter how many you start out with, you'll end up getting more!!!

 

[headred]

HAHA, I like the comment above, that no matter the number, you will probably get more! That is SO true!

I started out with 5 khaki campbells. They are a little skiddish, but they will still eat out of my hand and they are not too loud. I "took in" a pekin and a rouen. The female pekin is extremely loud, but she is comical so I overlook the noise level (and I think my neighbors do too!). The rouen is mellow and he is a beauty.

It is very much a personal decision. I had pekins when I was young, but wanted the khakis for their egg laying. I am getting 3 eggs per day and love every minute of my egg hunt in the mornings.

I have kept a pretty good website since getting the ducks, so if you have time and want to see what its all about, see my website. Click on the duck tab and that will give you my personal take on it all! Good luck and mostly have fun! I know I am addicted and probably will never live without ducks.

 

[ChickenToes]

The best thing to do is to think about what you want from your ducks. If you just want companionship, go with Pekins. If you want eggs, get Welsh Harlequins, Khaki Campbells, or Runners. If you want meat, Pekins, Cayugas, and Muscovies are a good choice.

2 females and 1 male is a nice ratio. 3 females and 1 drake might be even better.

 

[kawonu]

A trio is good to start with. Runners are high strung and we've not had any yet that would calm down. I hatched some Pekins for a friend and they let him pet them daily. Some of my calls will sit in your lap and let you pet them. And like the other post says....you'll end up with more.

 

[BunnyBelle]

Thank you everyone for your comments. One more question: Do I need a drake? When I placed my order this morning for some reason I changed my mind to 3 girls. However, the woman told me I could call back anytime this week if I decide I would like more. I've been doing so much research on the subject and different things I read say it's fine to only have the ladies but other things say I should have a boy as well. I figured that your opinions would be important since you have direct experience.

Also, I definitely don't mind the noise from the girls. We are on 4 acres and can only see one house which is not close to us and the people are pretty laid back. They are quite loud themselves

Again, thanks so much for all of the info. I'm so happy I found this site!

 

[ibpboo]

I do not have much experience with ducks. My dad had them when I was a kid, and one other time I had a couple ducks when my boys were small. But with chickens it is not necessary to have a rooster, so maybe that is true of ducks, also.
Unless you want fertilized eggs.

 

[Cetawin]

You only need a drake if you want baby ducks in future. Just like a rooster, he is a companion, protector in most cases and makes babies. So it is really up to you.