Show off your house ducks!

[AxolotlLove]

Thanks

 

[FaerieGlynne]

So many cute ducks, I am dying to get mine!

More duck house pics everyone PLEASE! I want tons of ideas on runs and set ups as I'm crafting mine

And please not just the expertly constructed beauties, I'd like to get ideas all over the spectrum! Especially those of you in my neck of the woods so I can see what people have found to work in all of our rain.

Also, once I start my project I'd like to post pics of what I have and get people's input. Would this be the ideal thread to use?

 

[AxolotlLove]

Yup

Good luck with your ducks what ducks breed are you getting?

 

[FaerieGlynne]

I'm thinking right now that I'll order from Metzer's although I still need to check at the local feed store to see what goes on there. I want to get a Cayuga, welsh harlequin, pekin, and blue Swedish. I'm starting with 4 though it's taking all I've got t not get 6. Don't want to overwhelm myself. Does this sound like a good flock composition?

 

[Tevyes Dad]

I'm thinking right now that I'll order from Metzer's although I still need to check at the local feed store to see what goes on there. I want to get a Cayuga, welsh harlequin, pekin, and blue Swedish. I'm starting with 4 though it's taking all I've got t not get 6. Don't want to overwhelm myself. Does this sound like a good flock composition?

Sounds great to me! Keep in mind that feed stores usually don't sex their ducks. I would advise against any drakes unless you have a really good reason. Even if you have a good reason I would advise against the Pekin being a drake in a mixed flock because they are so much bigger. All the breeds you have selected have absolutely beautiful females so I would definitely go that way.

This is from someone who got two Drakes in 13 (at the time) ducks for what were good reasons to me: 1 - Kaine Rouen - I wanted that beautiful Mallard drake coloration. 2 - Tevye White Crested - I knew that since I had a drake (Kaine), that a crested female would be in severe danger because the drakes will often pull on the crest instead of the neck and that could be fatal. I currently have 12 so that puts my ratio at 1:5 - by most accounts quite reasonable. The most grief I have with my flock at this point (more than feet or predators) is Kaine when his hormones are turned up (he is an absolute sweetheart otherwise). Over the winter, he took a 3 month break from being a jerk, but it is just starting up again. I will probably have to build him a nice semi-permanent jail once my secure area is done. We really don't want to rehome him. My Runners and Rouens ABSOLUTELY worship him (it is pitiful really) but he does overstress the flock January - September and he is downright mean to Greta and Tevye during that time.

 

[MagpieDucks]

Don't let kaine get bumblefoot in jail!

 

[Tevyes Dad]

Don't let kaine get bumblefoot in jail!

Funny - Kaine always has perfect feet. Dove always has little scabs that we treat - one goes away, she gets another... It is strange that all the ducks are in the same environment but some have foot problems and some don't. They all hang out together so it is not like some ducks hang on the hay and others walk on the reel of barbed wire left in the back yard for no good reason.

 

[Ravynscroft]

Funny - Kaine always has perfect feet. Dove always has little scabs that we treat - one goes away, she gets another... It is strange that all the ducks are in the same environment but some have foot problems and some don't.  They all hang out together so it is not like some ducks hang on the hay and others walk on the reel of barbed wire left in the back yard for no good reason.

Dove is a tender skinned young lady, while Kaine spends more time 'walking' on feathers rather than the ground...

 

[AxolotlLove]

I'm thinking right now that I'll order from Metzer's although I still need to check at the local feed store to see what goes on there. I want to get a Cayuga, welsh harlequin, pekin, and blue Swedish. I'm starting with 4 though it's taking all I've got t not get 6. Don't want to overwhelm myself. Does this sound like a good flock composition?

Sounds good... Although I would strongly advise getting 2 of each breed

 

[Tevyes Dad]

Dove is a tender skinned young lady, while Kaine spends more time 'walking' on feathers rather than the ground...

Very true