Newbie to Ducks...Looking for advice...

[UrbanMama]

I never thought I'd want ducks...they're loud and messy right? At least that's what I'd always thought... Seeing them at the Northeast Poultry Congress show a couple weeks ago...well, let's just say I've been bitten by the duck bug.

The ones at the show that really caught my eye were the call ducks. The smaller size, housing and feed needs are really appealing...and what comes in, must go out right? So if they eat less...maybe they poop less? Or at least not as much volume

The only downfall I can see to the calls, is that they are loud. But how loud is loud? Could it be an annoyance like a rooster crowing?

The other breed I'm considering are the Muscovy's because they are supposed to be so quiet and docile.

And I may have crested pekin eggs available to me....

So here are my questions to all of you waterfowl guru's out there...

1. How loud is loud when it comes to the calls.

2. What would you recommend for a duck newb for their first breed? (I have 4 children so the more docile the better)

3. Are any breeds easier to hatch than others?

4. Any tips or recommendations for a duck newbie?

 

[Fudgie]

1. How loud is loud when it comes to the calls. It really depends on what you consider loud. Ours quack when something is disturbing to them near their pen. I enjoy the sound of the ducks so it is not a nuisance to me. To others that like quiet and scerene, well call ducks are not for you. They are no louder than pekin ducks or geese.

2. What would you recommend for a duck newb for their first breed? (I have 4 children so the more docile the better) We love our embden geese. They are very quiet and docile not agressive at all. Muscovies are very docile but like you said the more they eat the more they poo! and they do eat a lot.

3. Are any breeds easier to hatch than others? If you have a good broodie they are easy, if not they are more difficult than chickens to hatch out. Pekins are not good broodies, I have heard that Muscovies are. A good silkie chicken is a good broodie for duck hatchers. But you need to be prepared to take over after they hatch, the ducks won't listen to the chickens.

4. Any tips or recommendations for a duck newbie? READ READ READ! Ask questions and if they are not answered ask it a different way. There are a lot of threads on here with good information.

Good luck!

 

[Mojo Chick'n]

I have one pair of Call Ducks that I got a couple weeks ago.

They are adorable, BTW - the pure white ones are very pretty, mine are a blue splash color.

The male hardly makes any sound at all - the female can get going, but she is usually just doing her own thing, and not making much noise. She makes noise in the morning, when it is time to get out and eat, and at night when it is time to go in (and she doesn't feel like it

) and whenever something disturbs her - which out here isn't often. I live way out in the country, and she loves hanging out with the chickens, so she is usually pretty happy (and quiet).

The female is definately the boss (her name is Bossy, the little boy duck is Chew Toy - that's another story, though

) Chew Toy follows her everywhere, and she even tries to boss the chickens - which usually works pretty well

. My chickens are pretty easy going, even my rooster - she will want him to go somewhere, and come at him with her head down (she is less than half his size) and he will jump out of her way.

I had the ducks sleeping in their own "duckhouse" at night, but they decided to move into the chicken coop, and it was so cold and nasty that I let them.

Now, I had guineas - and they are loud, and stupid, and they go off for no apparent reason at all hours of the day and night. The call ducks are way better than guineas, if you have any experience with those ignorant birds then you'll understand the difference.

If you get call ducks, and treat them like they are royalty and give them everything they could want - they'll be happy and quiet enough. Not totally quiet, but tolerable.

I'm getting three more to go into my little flock - I love the call ducks.

meri

 

[ChickenToes]

I don't have call ducks, but I can give you some duck advice.

Males have quiet, hoarse sounding voices. The females can be pretty loud, but I don't think they're as loud as most roosters.

When it comes to picking a breed, I usually think about what I want - am I going for looks, egg production, or meat? All of my ducks are pets, and I bought some of them for egg production (Khaki Campbells) and the others for looks (Mallards and Cayugas).

While some breeds have a reputation for being flighty, any duck can be friendly as long as it's socialized and handled from day one. Play with them, let them eat out of your hands, and give them lots and lots of treats and they will be more friendly to you.

The only other advice I have is that while yes, ducks are much messier than chickens, I think they're easier to raise. They are naturally more disease resistant, and can tolerate wetness and the cold much better than chickens.

 

[Omniskies]

1. How loud is loud when it comes to the calls.

I personally think Calls are really loud. I think Pekins are really loud. I want to eat loud geese.

2. What would you recommend for a duck newb for their first breed? (I have 4 children so the more docile the better)

Muscovy. Muscovy, muscovy, muscovy. They are laid back, easy to sex, tasty, friendly and crazy-wild looking. They are slightly louder than a feather.

3. Are any breeds easier to hatch than others?

Pekins are supposed to be really easy to hatch. Muscovies are insanely broody and are excellent parents. They can hatch up to three clutches of ducklings per year.

4. Any tips or recommendations for a duck newbie?

Browse this forum for anything about raising ducks. There's a ton of things to learn and that's going to be easier than getting a list of information here.

Good luck

 

[Wifezilla]

My khaki's are pretty low maintenance. Along with a runner and a buff, they are my starter ducks.

The buff has more personality, but she is LOUD!!!! The runner is a afraid of her own shadow. The khaki's are quieter and the hen is giving me eggs already.

 

[Katy]

My call duck hens are very loud.

They're messy, but any duck is messy to a certain degree.

They're hard to hatch unless you let the mamas do it.

They can fly really well.

I love my call ducks....even tho they're messy and loud.