Opinions needed please! What kind of duck?

[Miss Lydia]

Quote:
Yes, they can be housed with chickens, although you might want to consider a separate water source. They filthify the water.

(I don't care if that is not a word. It becomes one when you have ducks.)

Technically, ducks don't need any sort of water to swim in, but they are a bit happier with something. On a side note, if you start with babies, you want to make sure that they do not get into their waterer. If they get into their water before they have waterproof feathers, they can get sick from exposure. Make sure you dry them off if you see them wet.

They start laying at about 14-17 weeks of age

They lay about as often as chickens do. It really depends on the individual. If a duck is a good layer, one a day. If a not so good layer, then you can expect maybe once every other day or once every two days.

We have had 3 ducks before, and although the ducks themselves were no smellier than chickens, their poop and bedding are a lot worse

As for species, the ones we had were Cayuga ducks. Really pretty and friendly. Sort of aloof, but nice, not mean.

filthify is a word too, it's in the duck dictionary along with mudify and messify.

 

[hayleyasaurus]

Ducklings are smelly but once they are ducks and theyre outside in the pen I never had an issue with smells or anything like that. For egg layers and good companions I would suggest Pekings. I've had mallards cayugas as well but my peking was always the most loving and quite duck. They will lay an egg a day usually very very large too! All my ducks started laying at about 8 months. I got one of the bigger plastic kiddie pools for my ducks and they love it

 

[veronicasmom]

Filthify, love it.

I would feel bad for a duck that had no swimming water. I am sure they would be fine, but they are water fowl. So I can't imagine not providing a place to swim year round for mine. Summer is easy. A big kiddie pool works great, with some rocks and ramps in it for safety. Winter they are downsized to a smaller pool with a bird bath heater.

 

[3Kids&2Ducks]

I highly recommend Swedish Blues. They are medium sized, dont fly, quiet and good with my 3 yr old. Lol. They dont let us pet them, but honestly we didnt handle them a lot when they were babies. They usually maintain a distance of 3 ft from us when we are in the pen. Mine do just fine with a small wading pool, i only have 2 males. They do tend to smell some, but usually it is just the swimming water that needs changed. The floor of their pen is sand, they have a home-made doghouse for night-time. Like i said, they do not run from my 3 yr old or us, have never even attempted to bite anyone. And they love kitchen scraps. They are my feathered garbage disposales! Lol. Strawberries, lettuce, watermelon, broccoli, corn, eggs, tomatoes, peas, green beans, dandelions, etc. They love it. Even chicken and fish. I love that they are sooooo quiet too. They quack hello when we first come outside or when we get back home from somewhere and i dont hear anything else from them.

 

[TLWR]

I have 2 runners. They are friendly. They hang out around my feet when I'm around, on my feet if I have food, even if it isn't for them. They hang out around the dogs too.
I get eggs from them about daily. Probably daily, but I can't always find where they put them.

If you are only getting a few ducks, anything you get should be pretty friendly as long as you are able to spend lots of time with them in the first few weeks.

 

[Hangin Wit My Peeps]

wow, thanks everyone! This has really helped. I may just fill my meat coop up with straw and let them make their own nests. Cover the windows with plexiglass and they should be good to go. I may insulate the coop a bit too.

Another question...do they stick around the yard like chickens do and go back into their coop when the sun goes down? That would be a BIG plus...they would not be penned but free rangers. And do male ducks mate with chickens? would have my BLRW out with them so wouldn't want my eggs to be 'mutts' lol Not sure if that works with different bird types lol

 

[Hangin Wit My Peeps]

I have a feeling I'm going to want that in my OMG thread for stupid questions!!!

 

[Hangin Wit My Peeps]

OH and can anyone show me some pics of different birds.. The harlequins sound like something I would like. Does anyone have pictures

Possibly Blue Swedish?

 

[lovin my birds]

They will stick around the yard like chickens. I kept mine in a pen for about a week before letting them out and took them out when they where babies to let them get familiar with the surroundings they would stay in. By the time I opened the gate after a week of being in the pen they didnt wander far at all. The only time they go very far is when they make there way out to the pond. Also as long as you lock them up for quite a while at night they willlearn that they need to go in at night. I dont have much experience with that since at night mine are just in their pen and my dogs guard the place. So they sleep outside in their pen.

Male duck will mate with chickens whether roosters or hens. And no they cannot interbreed. But I would advise if you get ducks get a trio or a quad so your male has females of his own. He can hurt chickens when mating with them. Ducks have acctual "parts" chickens do not. Chicken mate by "but kisssing" so nothing accutally insterts the hens. Ducks are the other way. Sometimes it can be as severe that the hen wont ever lay again, or it can even kill them if done enough. But as long as you have ladies for your man he will be happy.

I dont have any pictures of Welsh Harlequins cause I dont have any. YET!

But if you could handle a bigger duck I would definatley suggest Muscovies! Omgoodness they are amazing, wonderful, lovable, "little" ducks. Lol! My females give me an egg a day and hardly ever miss. Though in the winter they dont like laying hardly at all.

But they are quiet, they dont quack like normal ducks they chirp and chatter. I lovemuscovies if you couldnt tell. I will show you some pics of my two females. They have faces only a mother could love!

And just for the heck of it I will show you the rest. They are Rouen, Ancona, and one lonely Khaki Campbell.

Hope you find the right duck for you! BTW Welsh Harlequin are georgeous ducks!