Starting again... advise on genders please?

[mysgyn]

Hello there! We had two pekins, unfortunately one was attacked and killed by something earlier this week. Our other is lonely (that's a separate issue, the quacking is painful... I feel for her! Not sure what to do...) and my daughter is sad so time to get a few more!

We had talked before about getting some new hatchlings but just hadn't done it yet but now is the time... we have decided on Cayugas this go around (live in a neighborhood-less quacking).

The advice I need, probably one of many, is what genders? We originally were going to get 3 females so we would yield apx one egg per day but the minimum order was 4 so we thought "well, maybe we'll get one drake for protection and we can still eat the eggs even if he does fertilize them"

Is that the right way to think about it? Get one drake, eat the eggs (we pull the eggs every day and refrigerate), or maybe down the road let them keep a few and have more chicks vs. having to buy them again.

Or should we stick to all females and just go for eggs and eat them for their meat when the time is right?

Thank you in advance!
jen

 

[cpegram]

You can do either way it's up to you. If you get a drake you can hatch more, and still eat some for meat when they are ready.

ETA
you can eat the fertilized eggs also

 

[mysgyn]

Thank you! Instead of starting a new thread, I'll also take advice on how to quiet/calm our remaining Pekin. I'm afraid, considering our close proximity to other neighbors, that if her quacking continues we're going to have to go ahead and slaughter her early. She is a little over a year and is producing an egg a day.

I think having two quieted them, they usually were only this loud if they had eaten all of their food...

Today I locked her back up in her run (we had let them free range in the back yard) and so far this morning she has been quiet but I wonder if she'll be upset to not roam...

Again, thanks in advance!

 

[cpegram]

ducks are a flock bird get another and that should help

 

[mysgyn]

that was our thought as well but am not finding luck finding a bird in the area...I'm checking out petfinder etc, hoping to find one locally!

 

[Going Quackers]

She's loud because she's lonely and probably looking for her friend, honestly, ducks are flock animals.. they don't do well alone(yes, some have house ducks BUT that requires massive dedication, most are not willing nor able to provide)

As for this...

"well, maybe we'll get one drake for protection and we can still eat the eggs even if he does fertilize them"

You can certainly eat a fertile egg, we do my big flock is mixed sexes but the protection? nah, they are not roosters, yes, some are protective i do see it here but most would just turn tail and run if an attack happened, for me because most of my ducks fly, the drakes cannot they tend to remain behind, so that does give the ducks more time to escape but that is merely circumstance not based out of "protection"

Perhaps i missed it, what was the sex of the lost bird? I'll tell you i have always owned drakes, right out the gate(started with ducks) they are okay but they for sure complicate things, you must ensure you have enough ducks 2-3per is the basic recommendation and be watchful they don't bully the females.. some can be too much...

I'm not anti drake i have 8 from call right up to mainly Muscovy(so BIG boys) but they change the dynamics, if your in a neighbour hood, raising ducklings and so forth maybe a bit noisy? plus always consider what will you do with the babies? a plan has to be in place..

I have bred my ducks so i know it's not all fun and games... can be downright stressful frankly lol not being discouraging just honest. Plus not sure how "broody" the pekin is... now Cayuga i seem to get mixed opinions? the quietest duck? Mine- Muscovy.. they are broody queens, lay well and are dual purpose.. THE only down is females fly but a wing clip is easy, otherwise they mainly trill, coo, chirp and hiss... they do quack but that is a default voice not the go-to.

Anyways, just some rambles, sorry for you loss and good luck with the rebuilding of you flock.

 

[mysgyn]

Our lost Pekin was also female. We had originally wanted all females as we were mainly interested in eggs.

The reason we thought of the drake was a few reasons. One was protection (but thank you for dispelling that!) and the other was if we wanted to have more in the future it would make more sense to do it ourselves, rather than finding a farm and getting some shipped... I don't think that would happen for a couple/few years, until then we'd just be eating the eggs.

It would be 1 female Pekin (if we are able to keep her until then) and then 3 female Cayugas and 1 male Cayuga.

I welcome ALL advice. I'm running a bit on emotion now

 

[cpegram]

not sure where you live but here tractor supply has ducks and chicks

 

[Learningstill]

Until you get another you could try a stuff animal or bringing her inside. I had a solo duck when I was a kid and it thought of me as the other duck and only quaked when I wasn't around. They make duck diapers or you could make them too. Or you bring her inside a kennel her near everyone, so she feels included.