opinions on breeds please.

[Dead Rabbit]

im thinking of raising a few duck hens for eggs. but i also want a breed that is good for meat. what is a good dual purpose breed?...noise is not an issue.

 

[Davaroo]

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I'd go with Khaki Campbells. But I don't know nothing about ducks.

 

[Wifezilla]

Welsh Harlequins lay eggs like a khaki, but they are slightly larger, and since they have lighter feathers, pluck clean. Plus harlequins are friendlier than khakis in my experience.

 

[Big Dreamer]

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X2

 

[pascopol]

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Forget Khakis and Harlequins if you want eggs and meat. They are light breeds and there is not much meat on them.

Would you raise leghorn chickens for meat?

Go with Anconas, Silver Appleyards both are excellent egg producers (220+ per year) also more common Saxonies but they lay less eggs han Anconas and Appleyards.

Picking good laying strain might be as important as breed.

I have small flock of Appleyards, they reached 8 lb at 2 months of age, they are 10lb + now at 4 months.

Anconas are not that heavy but still considered dual purpose duck.

Appleyards are calm and naturally tame ducks, and unlike Pekins they will go broody and raise young, their meat is suppose to be better than Pekins (not that greasy). Have not butchered them yet keeping them all as breeders to assure genetic diversity.

 

[Dead Rabbit]

thanks for the replys folks. i was really thinking about the W. harliquins before posting this question. going by the description at the Metzger website......but the appleyards also were of interest after seeing a thread here and some pics that others posted about them. i just couldnt find where any hatchery offered them.....i dont need more than a few hens esp. if ducks lay as well as they are described.

i havent gotten any replies on my other thread of raising ducks on wire. so i'll ask here hopefully i'll get some feedback. can ducks be raised on wire. perhaps with a small pan of water? i dont have an area i want to 'contaminate' with ducks so i thought wire may be a good clean healthy way of raising the. will they thrive, and produce on wire??

 

[Dead Rabbit]

if i do decide to let the ducks range. i dont want them flying. the periemeter fence is 4 ft tall. what breeds does everyone recommend that fall under my mentioned expectations. plus not able to get airborne?

 

[toadbriar]

I'm no expert but the only ducks I see being raised on wire are calls and little ornamental mandarin sorts of things, not any breeds large enough to eat. I would be especially concerned about foot health for a breed as heavy as Appleyards. I can vouch for Anconas being awesome ducks

But I can also vouch for the fact that they often deliver chicken-egg sized poops and it sure won't sprinkle through the wire like rabbit pellets, at least not until you hit it with the hose. Pea gravel works nicely as a substrate, can you consider a ground pen with a few inches of gravel?