Starter Ducks

[fayoumisfeathers]

Hello! I have owned chickens for a couple years now and i am thinking about getting a few ducks. I have a 3 acre piece that is about 30 feet from my house that i'm going to start putting poultry in. A pond (most likely 1/4 acre in size) is going to be built and completed before we get any waterfowl. I don't enjoy having my birds cooped up, so all of my poultry (except the occasional breeder experiment) is free range*, therefore meaning they can't be sitting ducks (no pun intended) to predators. Noise is no problem, since we have no close neighbors and i personally enjoy the many sounds of a farm. I live in eastern Idaho, so the breed of choice needs to be cold hardy. I was thinking of getting 4 Black Swedish Ducks, but i definitely need input on my decision and some tips on keeping waterfowl. Any help is greatly appreciated!

Thank you for reading and/or responding!

*The 3 acres is split in two pieces (1.5 acres each) meaning that any individual bird would have access to 1.5 acres at any one time. If necessary though, i can remove the partition so all birds have access to the full 3 acres. The perimeter fence doesn't allow any bird to pass through, unless they fly over (that happens a lot but they [the bantams] never go far).

 

[DanielleInUro]

I have a Cayuga and a Buff Orphington, both of whom I love dearly. I also have a rouen, who might be my sweetest and kindest duck, and some kind of weird pekin-runner mix, who is a honking, noisy little clown. I lost a khaki mix about a week ago who was very funny, but panicky. And a friend of mine has a lot of swedish that are also awesome ducks. I have a feeling you're going to get some "here are my favorite ducks because they're the prettiest/sweetest/best egg layers," but I haven't seen a ton of good-vs-bad differences between the breeds. Pekins are heavy and poop a lot. Smaller breeds are less heavy and also poop a lot. I suppose it depends on what you want the ducks to DO, or what you want them for. I want mine to be sweet and funny and lay eggs and not annoy my neighbors, so mission accomplished, but pretty much anything but runners would satisfy all of those checkpoints. (Runners are noisier and would probably also not annoy my neighbors, who like ducks, but what if I get new neighbors?) And I can't really name any ducks that aren't cold hardy.

Edit: Also, on tips for keeping them--everything kills them. They are food on feet. So keeping them from being murdered or murdering themselves is a concern.

 

[fayoumisfeathers]

Thank you so much! I will definitely apply what you said to my decision.

 

[DanielleInUro]

Something I just remembered--I tend to think only in terms of mallard-descended ducks, because that's what I have and that's what I think of when I think "duck," which seem mostly the same with some minor variations (egg laying, flocking, quacking, being cute, etc.) So I always forget that muscovies exist, since I don't have them, but the people who do ABSOLUTELY LOVE THEM for a lot of reasons, most of which revolve around personality. If my guy weren't so dead-set against them, I'd think about getting a couple just to see what all the fuss was about (he hates the caruncle, precious, and since he's so good about loving my guys, I try not to push it.) Plus they fly, and my guys are yard-angels in the city, which would end badly.

And another consideration is flight--if you don't want them to fly off or if it would hurt your heart for even one to fly away, stay away from the super light breeds like the mallard, because they might, and the beautiful and expensive breeds like wood ducks and mandarins are probably out too.

 

[jofanx]

Something I just remembered--I tend to think only in terms of mallard-descended ducks, because that's what I have and that's what I think of when I think "duck," which seem mostly the same with some minor variations (egg laying, flocking, quacking, being cute, etc.) So I always forget that muscovies exist, since I don't have them, but the people who do ABSOLUTELY LOVE THEM for a lot of reasons, most of which revolve around personality. If my guy weren't so dead-set against them, I'd think about getting a couple just to see what all the fuss was about (he hates the caruncle, precious, and since he's so good about loving my guys, I try not to push it.) Plus they fly, and my guys are yard-angels in the city, which would end badly.

And another consideration is flight--if you don't want them to fly off or if it would hurt your heart for even one to fly away, stay away from the super light breeds like the mallard, because they might, and the beautiful and expensive breeds like wood ducks and mandarins are probably out too.

Lol I'm one of those people who had every type (chickens, mallard derivatives, and muscovies) and now I am ONLY raising muscovies. They're quiet (this is the top reason) and great egg layers, but I do wish they were more friendly the way pekins are. Once they reach a certain age, they're just hands off. Don't like petting or sitting with you. May eat from your hands if you have food but that's about it. That's my only downside to them.

 

[Duckstruck]

Heavy ducks aren't as fast as lithe ducks. When it comes to predators, my pekins would be the ones targeted for being slower and fatter. Ducks are more cold-hardy than chickens, but will need a dry, secure, insulated coop/house to get in if there is severe weather or extreme temperature drops. Note that they usually don't return back to their coop frequently like a chicken, but will most likely linger around the pond. For predator protection, I recommend a floating duck house. They keep land carnivores and nuisances out of their house.
Frankly, I've only kept two species of duck, but I've found that pekins tend to be more sickly in comparison to my buff ducks. Pekin ducks are also prone to leg issues, given their weight. My pekins have a history of limping, bumble foot, and respiratory infection and I still have an issue with one of them limping. The only buff duck I lost was to severe injury and we had to put her down. So, in the long run, I suggest buff ducks. They aren't as friendly, but will save you money, hardships, and heartbreak in their lifespan. As much as I love my pekins, I wish I knew this before getting them.
Do not get a drake! Some other people probably have better luck with them, but when my drake, Freddy, lived in the flock, he caused so much suffering to the females. Scabbed and bleeding heads, a malformed wing, and even broken bones did he cause! You might like the idea of letting your ducks start a family, but know that I had a duck die from an overmating drake. I also wish I knew this before getting him.
Buff ducks can't fly, so they won't fly away. My buff ducks have been substantially more healthy than my pekin ducks. Buff ducks can run if need be. My buff ducks will eat out of my hand.
In general, ducks can be a pain sometimes with their unclean habits and barbaric ways, but they have won a place in my heart. Good luck with the ducks!