The Duck Thread

[BriskRooster]

They are bigger and richer than chicken eggs. Bakers prefer duck eggs to chicken for baking.
Most of the heavier ducks don't fly and have no reason to want to. There's a lot of information on ducks and raising then in the sticky section of the duck forum (unless you are on mobile, then you can't see the stickies)

thanks for the info

 

[subhanalah]

thanks! i would prefer to train them to be loyal and to stay rather then clipping. we are thinking of 2 breeds we might get: Khaki Campbell And magpie duck, i prefer how the magpie duck looks but it is more visible because of being white to eagles and lays less eggs, on the other side there's the Khaki Campbell which lays most eggs of all ducks and is brown more camouflaged to eagles, but its a ugly color what do you think is the best choice

I think if you want kaki Campbells, you should get welsh harlequin insead. They are prettier and calmer and actually lay better than the campbells.

If you want magpie, look into anconas, they lay well, have similar markings and the anconas are bigger so not as much worry about flying predators.

 

[BriskRooster]

I think if you want kaki Campbells, you should get welsh harlequin insead. They are prettier and calmer and actually lay better than the campbells.

If you want magpie, look into anconas, they lay well, have similar markings and the anconas are bigger so not as much worry about flying predators.

okay... i googled welsh harlequin there'r doesn't seem to be one type -- many different colors pop up.

as to anconas being bigger it wont help-we have HUGE sea eagles the size of pelicans. Thanks! i'm getting to like ducks.

 

[subhanalah]

There is a gold and a silver version. The males and females look different from eachother, similar to how wild mallards are also sexually dimorphic.

The silver have blue speculums and the golds have brown. (Looking more similar to a light colored khaki campbell.

I have two baby anconas, and I just love em. My first choice was welshies, though. Maybe soon

 

[joyfulkeeper]

can you train ducks to not fly away and lay in egg boxes like chickens? because we had a neighbor with ducks and one male one (we call him dabble) he has escaped and is roaming in the creeks here. he's a Khaki Campbell

Our ducks are trained to go into the coop at dark and lay eggs in nesting boxes. They like and follow a routine.

When the ducks first went into the coop, we had them stay in there for a few days with their food and water. Just before dark we gave them a small healthy duck snack each night. Once they seemed comfortable in their new home we let them out into the run each day. They usually had to be put in the coop just before dark (with a snack) the first week, but then they started going in on their own and waiting for the snack. Once they got into that routine, we started letting them out to free-range and they stayed fairly close to home (coop) going in at dark each night. We stopped the bedtime snack, moving it to earlier in the day and usually outside the coop except for winter. They still go in on their own each night for bed.

When they started laying eggs we had to leave them in the coop longer in the morning so they got used to laying in the coop. Ducks usually lay early in the morning once their cycle gets established. We had nesting boxes at ground level for them. At first they would lay just anywhere, then they started burying them in the bedding in a certain corner of the coop. We persistently moved the eggs each day to the nesting boxes and left them for the next morning. They finally got it, and started laying their eggs in the boxes. Yay! Now every morning we can let them out after the sun is fully in the sky and they have laid us yummy big duck eggs in the boxes.

 

[BriskRooster]

Our ducks are trained to go into the coop at dark and lay eggs in nesting boxes. They like and follow a routine.

When the ducks first went into the coop, we had them stay in there for a few days with their food and water. Just before dark we gave them a small healthy duck snack each night. Once they seemed comfortable in their new home we let them out into the run each day. They usually had to be put in the coop just before dark (with a snack) the first week, but then they started going in on their own and waiting for the snack. Once they got into that routine, we started letting them out to free-range and they stayed fairly close to home (coop) going in at dark each night. We stopped the bedtime snack, moving it to earlier in the day and usually outside the coop except for winter. They still go in on their own each night for bed.

When they started laying eggs we had to leave them in the coop longer in the morning so they got used to laying in the coop. Ducks usually lay early in the morning once their cycle gets established. We had nesting boxes at ground level for them. At first they would lay just anywhere, then they started burying them in the bedding in a certain corner of the coop. We persistently moved the eggs each day to the nesting boxes and left them for the next morning. They finally got it, and started laying their eggs in the boxes. Yay! Now every morning we can let them out after the sun is fully in the sky and they have laid us yummy big duck eggs in the boxes.

good, but would a creek nearby and other ducks matter?

 

[BriskRooster]

good, but would a creek nearby and other ducks matter?

and would a duck get along/into the pecking order with 10 chickens?

 

[BriskRooster]

I'm definitely going to get one duck! we are also going to get 1 barred rock chick could we put both the duckling and chick in the same heat box?

 

[devinandfeather]

letting you know that it is very rare to get your pekin ducks to sit so I am suggesting you get a muscovy or an incubator

 

[devinandfeather]

my ducks does anyone know the breed pekin maybe? i have had them for 6 months now, 3 were female and 2 males we decided to eat one of the males and it was good. i plan to incubate the eggs in the spring for more meat birds. the eggs are big and they have laid every single day since coming in to lay...

letting you know that it is very rare to get your pekin ducks to sit so I am suggesting you get a muscovy or an incubator