Pekin or Cayuga?

[Horsebackrules]

Lol I'd love to see a trained duck. If I end up getting some then I will definitely try that. Will my ducks still bond with me even though they have each other? I really want a dog-like pet. My dog isn't all that loyal...plus she usually prefers the rest of my family over me even though I spend the most time with her. Since I'm really the only one into ducks I'm hoping they'll only bond with me. I'd still want them to like other people though. Also will they like to be held if I hold them a lot from an early age?

 

[Horsebackrules]

I'm also considering getting a goose...I was told that they would watch over the ducks. But I'm rather worried about this because I've heard that the males can be aggressive and that a duck and goose will actually mate with each other. Is this true? I would love to get a goose but don't know if I really should unless I got female ducks and a goose. But that brings up the problem of what to do with the eggs. They'll all be raised together...will this change anything?

thoughts?

 

[Glenda Sue]

I have 11 Cayuga but one had some problems so it is in the house. I named it Little One. The others are skittish but they are only 7 wks old and I don't spend time with them like I do Little One. He/she loves to sit on my lap and preen it's feathers. Ducks are very social. Stay social and affectionate with them and you should be fine.

 

[Horsebackrules]

Thanks! I've been planning on spending tons of time with them anyways

 

[mightymax]

My first two ducks were Cayuga's. I raised them together since they were 5 days old. They were brothers, and identical in so many ways that I even had to leg band them with colored zip ties in order to tell them apart. Their names were Morgan and Hunter, and they were beautiful. When they were babies, they were like two peas in a pod. They both had the same likes, same dislikes, even the same waddle. Both liked to snuggle and both enjoyed their 'bath' time in the tub in the house. But when they matured, it was like ying and yang. Morgan was gentler, more laid back. He came when I called him and he loved to eat whatever treats I offered him right from my hand. Hunter was louder, more assertive. He knew his name too. I could tell he did by the way he always turned his head ever so slightly away from me whenever I said it. He also stopped eating from my hands. As adults, neither one of them really appreciated being held for more than a minute or two, which was interesting because, as little babies, that's about all they wanted. Even though they were brought up the same way and with the same advantages and potential disadvantages, they turned out to be not so much the same once they matured. Experiencing their differences actually made me love them as individuals all the more. I don't think there's such a thing as a 'peoples duck' or even a particular breed of duck that's known to favor humans over their own species. I think that there are some ducks that are just more partial to humans than to other ducks, no matter what the breed. The trick is in finding one of them. Good luck with your search. I'm sure you'll find exactly what it is that you're looking for. Just don't give up hope!
P.S. I know nothing about Pekins, as I've never had one before...

 

[Horsebackrules]

Hmm...well I don't think them not wanting to be held too much is that big of a deal. It'd be great if they did though! But I kind of want to get one Pekin and one Cayuga just so I can tell them apart

Anyone know anything about geese?

 

[mightymax]

GEESE

!!!
Now you're speaking my language !!!

I've only been on my goose adventure for a little less than a year now, but let me tell you...nothing else compares to the devout friendship of a goose. Just to be able to watch them watching you is reason enough to call in sick to work! They're majestic, magnificent creatures whose deeply penetrating eyes belie a childlike mischievousness that, I believe, can only be truly appreciated by another sentient being. I guess you can tell that I really like my geese...lol !!!

 

[Horsebackrules]

Lol I've heard great things about them! But would a male goose fight with my ducks?

 

[mightymax]

If there were females around (either duck or goose) then more than likely, the answer would be 'yes'. But, that being said, I currently let my 2 geese (a goose and a gander) free range during the day with my 7 silkie chickens and 2 Narragansett turkeys, without too much fuss. So really, anything is possible (just not necessarily probable). And of course, as I'm sure you already know, a gander may try to mate with a duck, which, besides upsetting the top drake in the flock, may also injure her. An undesirable situation however you look at it, IMO, And Remember, just because someone says you shouldn't do it...doesn't mean that it can't be done !!! Good luck and have fun!

 

[Horsebackrules]

So is it true that the ganders are aggressive and might fight with my ducks? (I'm only getting 2 males so the mating part shouldn't be a problem)