Quiet, Affectionate, Small Duck Recommendations Please

[terris]

I've had Pekings. Muscovy - meanest duck I have ever seen. Too loud!!! I am just about to order Cayugas but someone on this forum said they are not affectionate. Does anyone have any other suggestions or opinions on Cayugas?

Thanks!!!

 

[needlessjunk]

I've had Pekings. Muscovy - meanest duck I have ever seen. Too loud!!! I am just about to order Cayugas but someone on this forum said they are not affectionate. Does anyone have any other suggestions or opinions on Cayugas?

Thanks!!!

Muscovies are suppose to be very dog like and affectionate. Pekins are also quite friendly. Ducks can be quite loud and Muscovites are the "quietest". My Cayuga is friendly but by no means affectionate. How you raise ducks I think has more to do with making them friendly. Ducks by nature aren't affectionate but they can be friendly just don't expect them to seek attention from you.

 

[Amykins]

Quiet, affectionate, AND small? I'm afraid this is one of those cases where you can only pick two, I'm afraid. Calls are very small and extremely affectionate, but they're not quiet. Mallards are small and relatively quiet, but they're not affectionate. Muscovies are quiet and affectionate, but they're not small!

 

[terris]

Thanks for the reality check. I love ducks but I guess I will never find the perfect duck for me.

 

[Amykins]

Thanks for the reality check. I love ducks but I guess I will never find the perfect duck for me.

Hey now, don't give up so easily, I'm sure you'll find the right duck for you! Forgive me for prying, but why do you need them to be a small size? It seems like of those three requirements, the first two seem way more important. I'm partial to call ducks, even as noisy as they are, because high-quality ones are the size of pigeons and they're probably the sweetest, most loving ducks around! But I really do love muscovies. They're gigantic, but they're very quiet and sweet-natured, even graceful.

 

[terris]

I need a small duck because I can only have one and it has to fit comfortably in a modified dog house. By modified I mean drilling large air holes and adding a door and lock. We have raccoons, foxes, coyotes, and possibly bobcats, you name it. We can't build one because we have zero minus zero time as we do some small scale farming on top of running two businesses. I have no real fence between our two neighbors who will not like a duck quacking. You could hear a pin drop around here and that is why folks like it. I think I am stuck on Welsh Harlequins. I can use the pooped-on straw for my compost pile so that's good. I can't have chickens because while I love them let's face it they are really dirty and scratch up everything into mud. I can't have chicken wire and plywood board cages ore runs because it would ruin the look of the neighborhood. I can't afford a nice hen/duck house. But a dod house I could have. The duck could have the run of the fenced in berry orchard which is huge as long as he does not eat my strawberries. : )

Two is the minimum from Metzer with an outrageous 40 minimum charge. I though I would sell the other little one in the local paper. Unless anyone on this forum has new hatchlings of WH and would sell ship me two or sell me one locally. I am in a south central PA. Help please.

 

[needlessjunk]

I need a small duck because I can only have one and it has to fit comfortably in a modified dog house. By modified I mean drilling large air holes and adding a door and lock. We have raccoons, foxes, coyotes, and possibly bobcats, you name it. We can't build one because we have zero minus zero time as we do some small scale farming on top of running two businesses. I have no real fence between our two neighbors who will not like a duck quacking. You could hear a pin drop around here and that is why folks like it.  I think I am stuck on Welsh Harlequins. I can use the pooped-on straw for my compost pile so that's good. I can't have chickens because while I love them let's face it they are really dirty and scratch up everything into mud. I can't have chicken wire and plywood board cages ore runs because it would ruin the look of the neighborhood. I can't afford a nice hen/duck house. But a dod house I could have. The duck could have the run of the fenced in berry orchard which is huge as long as he does not eat my strawberries. : )

Two is the minimum from Metzer with an outrageous 40 minimum charge. I though I would sell the other little one in the local paper.  Unless anyone on this forum has new hatchlings of WH and would sell ship me two or sell me one locally. I am in a south central PA. Help please. 

I don't want to sound discouraging but ducks don't do well alone. You really do need 2 not one. You can get away with having only one duck if you plan on it living in the house and you are with it 24/7. Ducks get very lonely and depressed if there isn't another duck around.

 

[terris]

I grew up with one pet duck peking and she was great. I had one years later and he was fine, too. My muscovy? same thing. We do not work out of the home so he will gets a lot of attention. What is the minimum versus best floor space it would need assuming winters are harsh? I am looking at a dog house 46" long x 34" wide. What do you think?

 

[Skyfire]

I was at the Fancy Feathers Spring Show this weekend. The Cayugas in relation to other duck breeds, are not small. They are a lot bigger than I imagined they would be.

 

[buff goose guy]

I've had Pekings. Muscovy - meanest duck I have ever seen. Too loud!!! I am just about to order Cayugas but someone on this forum said they are not affectionate. Does anyone have any other suggestions or opinions on Cayugas?

Thanks!!!

Muscovys are the nicest ducks and i think wither number 3 or 5 on the holderreads affectionate scale, while females are maybe a bit more distant they still usually are very friendly with human cotact and males while they are very egar to breed when young as soon as they hit about a year they are the most calm and easy going affectionate ducks ive seen.and certainly the quietes as they are not loud and dont quak