So tell me about Cayuga ducks

[Sillystunt]

I believe my newest duck is one. Flea Market find! They look so beautiful when they get bigger and i really hope it is one. I have a Kahki drake and he is the best duck ever! He follows me around and nibbles at my feet! He even lets me pet him....

Hopefully this duck is a female for eggs.........

NOW FOR A DUMB QUESTION......Will a Cayuga and my other breed duck mate?? And what kind of ducks would be hatched?

DONT LAUGH!!

 

[hendrix25]

Quote:
Yeppers...Any drake will breed any duck. They aren't picky maters

Depending on what you other breed is will determine what type of offspring you get. Non the less, if the Cayuga is the mom or dad, your duckling will be part Cayuga. You will have mut ducks.

 

[Sillystunt]

EXCELLENT! Now to pray this duckie is a female....tail feathers are starting to grow and kinda curl....DAG DARN IT!

 

[waibel zoo]

So here is my specific questions:

I live in the suburbs but by law can have six pet ducks. I don't want that many, my yard is too small. I am hoping for something more friendly then chickens but not mean like geese. They need to be quiet. They will always have deep drinking water but not always swimming water. I want them to eat the bugs, not so much my plants. I would enjoy eggs as well.

Is a Cayuga going to meet the best of these wants?

How messy are we talking? I want 2 maybe 3 ducks. Am I going to be able to walk through my grass? I plan to just have them running about when they are fully grown. I have a fully fenced yard. But I am on a 1/5 of an acre.

 

[waibel zoo]

Or would muscovies be better?

 

[waibel zoo]

Also are the drakes of cayuga or muscovies aggressive? And a dumb newbie question, will the hens lay without the drake? I know chickens do, but no clue on ducks.

 

[ladybug4ut1]

I love my Cayugas and no they do not seem to eat eat a lot of plants just bugs and if there is moist ground they will dig little holes looking for bugs. the messy part is depends on what you do. If you free range them they do not seem to get as messy where ever the water is seems to be the messiest. Mine are in a pen at night and free range during the day. the walking in the yard they will usually just ignore you or if they have inprint on you they will follow you and oh yeah they love to play in sprinklers.....Mine are much quieter and are smaller than the muscovies and i think much prettier. any other questions just ask.......I have eggs and have had great hatches this year.

 

[hendrix25]

I live in the suburbs but by law can have six pet ducks. I don't want that many, my yard is too small. I am hoping for something more friendly then chickens but not mean like geese. They need to be quiet. I never hear mine anymore, the older they are getting. When they were younger, they (one) was pretty vocal, but only when she couldn't find me or was really hungry.
They will always have deep drinking water but not always swimming water. LOL They will "swim" in the drinking water if it's deep, so don't worry about them swimming. They don't have to have swimming water all the time. I let mine swim when they want, but only outside the pen.
I want them to eat the bugs, not so much my plants. Mine do seem to be more interested in the bugs rather than the plants. Actually when I was out with them this morning, they found a fire ant bed...and went nuts, they ate them for like 10 mins. Guess the ants didn't bite them
I would enjoy eggs as well. From what I've read Cayuga are pretty good layers. But I don't think they start laying until they are 20-24 weeks old, which I think it's that long with any breed.

Is a Cayuga going to meet the best of these wants?
Mine (I have 3) seem to be just content with a small area. Once they root around, they usually huddle together and lay around more than they run around. With mine, I can't exactly reach down and pick them up, but they do follow me around when I call them. They seem to look at me as their protector instead of their "friend." With what you are wanting, I think that Cayuga would be a good breed for you, but I can't speak for Muscovies, because I don't have any.

How messy are we talking? I would say once they are free range the mess seems to be less, at least with mine. I don't think they pop near as much as geese to.
I want 2 maybe 3 ducks. I only wanted two but the seller suggested I get three incase something happened to one of them the other would still have a mate, which makes sense. Really three is no harder than what two would have been. I would rather them had "ducky" companions they to imprint so much on me.
Am I going to be able to walk through my grass? I don't see why not
I plan to just have them running about when they are fully grown. Same with me. Mine are 5 weeks old and they are free ranging on Saturdays when I am at home to keep an eye on them. During the work week they are in their pen which is 60 square feet area.
I have a fully fenced yard. But I am on a 1/5 of an acre. I think the amount of space will be fine. They don't seem to require that much. For instance this morning, I let them house of their house around 9:30 and they ate, took a swim in their kiddie pool, rooted for some bugs and now have been laying down in the grass since 11 and it's 11:25. They really seem to be calm ducks. I have no worries with them going any where. The area they have been all morning is about 600 sq ft, are they are completely free to roam, but they just stay close by. Cayugas are homebodies, if you will. They are not roamers. I do know that Muscovies can and will fly, Cayugas can't.

Or would muscovies be better? I can't comment because I don't have any

Also are the drakes of cayuga or muscovies aggressive? Mine are old enough for me to answer this question
And a dumb newbie question, will the hens lay without the drake? I know chickens do, but no clue on ducks. Yes, the drake only brings fertilization.

 

[rlhbond]

I really like my black cayugas but I will say they seem slightly more skittish than my rouens or my blue cayuga. They were all hatched together and they will eat out of my hand but they are always the last to come and the first to be startled.

 

[Southerngirl]

Here are ours from Cackle hatchery.They are 1 year old, quiet, fat, and do not fly. 3 of the 9 hens have gone broody in the last 2 weeks !!