/Pet/ Duck Breeds?

[DuckiesPLZ]

I've been looking through breeds of duck, and I know Pekin ducks are the most common... But, I wanted some duck-owner opinions of duck breeds? I think Rouen ducks are beautiful, but I want a breed thats friendly and won't attack/run the other way when they see me... What breeds have you had?

 

[m496]

I don't own any ducks yet, but I will soon! I have done a TON of reaserch and I finally settled on a bird that I wanted friendly, calm, relatively quiet, and make good pets and be good mamas. So, I chose the mini silver appleyards. They are a bantam breed and are less loud than the calls and a lot of people who've owned them say they are so friendly they will follow you, climb in your lap, etc! Soon I'm getting a pair to breed next spring

Hope I helped!

 

[DuckiesPLZ]

I've never heard of that breed! They sound adorable~ thanks, anything helps my noobishness xD

 

[manybirds]

Quote:
I would recomend muscovy's (thought they do have rather sharp nails and strong wings they, especially the females, make good pets. They r the BEST foragers and don't fly away. they r the quietest making quiet cooing noises. Be carful though they r very bred for meat so certain strains r kind of ugly. find a show breeder who has good large well bred birds) or rouens. that is if u want something tame enough to pick up and love. i think cayuga's r good to. I never really cared for the pekins. they arn't nearly as hardy- because they r way way to overbred-, they do tend toward agression (everyone we've had was kind of mean toward other ducks and sometimes us) and no matter how much time spent with them they where always a little more skidish. also the arn't nearly as colorful. we had a khaki cambell that was really skidish. the runners we have r really sweet. magpie's r beautiful birds and though they're not the tamest r pretty laid back.

 

[LLCoyote]

I would recomend Welsh Harlequins. They are very nice pets. Just remember that with any duck that you buy it needs socialization. If you don't buy them as ducklings or previously socialized adults then they will run. Ducks don't like being picked up. They will always run from that. It's not like a parrot or a perching bird.

 

[DuckiesPLZ]

Thanks for all the breeds, its hard to find their personality traits online xD Small other question to add here, how many ducks do you advise getting? since its my first time having any, i don't want too many, but I don't know how many friends/what gender ratio they prefer? I didn't figure they'd like being picked up xD I just don't wanna have to chase them around if it looks like theres an injury or something, ya know?

and can I ask where you guys get your ducklings from? I don't really have the supplies to get eggs, so i'll stick with ducklings i suppose

 

[EileenNW]

This is probably unfair since I live in Oregon about half an hour from Holderread's, but they are the best.

http://holderreadfarm.com/

Dave Holderread wrote the book on ducks and they are lovely people.

 

[manybirds]

sorry! i'll go back and finish my post- the goats escaped

 

[lovesgliders]

If there is one thing I learned here, it's that any duck breed can make a nice pet, and everyone thinks their breed is the sweetest and bestest.

You mustn't go on textbook descriptions of personalities because individuals can and do vary from the "standard."

(Case in point: I got a flock of Silkie bantam chickens because everything I read said how kitten-like, loveable, gentle, and friendly they were. To this day I cannot get NEAR these chickens and I spoiled them and handraised them in my house. I wish I had just gone with what I liked!)

When I was looking into ducks, I was drawn to Mallards. Some people here said that Mallards were flighty and wild; others said that their Mallards were the only ducks they owned that actually came to eat out of their hand. So with the chicken incident fresh in my mind, I thought "advice be darned," went with what I liked: the Mallards. And I wasn't disappointed.

 

[DuckiesPLZ]

Quote:
Ahaha, I've begun to notice that xD I guess its that the ducks have their own personality and you gotta raise em right or something, anyways, thanks for the advice

Its so difficult finding a breed, I might just get two of everthing O___O kidding xD...probably

thanks for all the replies guys

this is a huuuuuge help!