Thinking about getting a duck.... or two

[Bring]

I have 7 chickens and I've ALWAYS wanted a duck. What breed would be good for High Desert? It gets in the upper 90's here, and snows in the winter. Got down to 8 last year at night, mid 30's during the day. I want a good hardy breed but still very pretty/colorful. Do I need to get two? Will a small plastic swimming pool be enough water for them to swim? Are there breeds that don't fly? What do they eat? What kind of shelter/inclosure do they need? I know I can research all this online, but I want somebody with duck experience to let me in on the duck scene. Sorry about all the questions at once, I just don't want to go into this blind. THank you.

 

[FenDruadin]

Hello,

Ducks are great! I think any sort of duck will do fine in your conditions, as long as they are provided with plenty of clean water and SHADE. They don't like heat particularly, but they'll do fine if they can bathe and sit in the shade. The winter won't bother them a bit--they are well insulated.

A plastic swimming pool is perfect, because you can simply dump & refill every few days to keep the water fresh. If you're in high desert, however, I suspect you are on water restrictions, so you'll want to find a way to recycle the water (it makes AWESOME fertilizer--just pour directly on needy plants). And choose a small pool, since you only have a few ducks--I have had as many as ten sharing a small molded plastic kid's pool, the sort that are shaped like a turtle or frog from Walmart and such (except I salvaged mine from the roadside, lol).

Most ducks are pretty hardy, but yes, you'll need at least two. A single duck will bond too strongly with you and/or the chickens, and never be truly happy. The chickens are unlikely to accept the duck as a flock mate (although they will probably tolerate a pair just fine), and a single duck will be lonely and miserable.

For color, consider an ancona or magpie--very cute, and good layers too. Or try an Indian Runner--very popular, widely available, loads of personality, and a conversation starter (their upright stance makes them look like little people, or like wine bottles--very funny). Runners come in a variety of interesting colors (white, mallard, black, fawn & white, blue, silver, chocolate...) that mix & match nicely.

Welsh Harlequins come in only two main color varieties, but they are beautiful. All three breeds mentioned are good layers.

Have fun. Definitely do some research like you suggested. Also, find yourself a copy of Storey's Guide to Raising Ducks by Dave Holderread. It is the bible of duck keeping and will answer nearly any question you might have.

 

[ChickenToes]

Any breed would be good in the high desert. If you want lots and lots of eggs, get Khaki Campbells, Welsh Harlequins, or Runners. Khaki Campbells outlay chickens.

Get at least 2 ducks. They are incredibly social animals, and love to 'talk' to each other.

A kiddie pool for them to swim in works great.

Only Mallards and Muscovies fly.

You can feed them the same thing you feed chickens (start with unmedicated starter, then switch to layer) or you can feed them waterfowl or gamebird feed.

A small coop (like a large dog house) is perfect for ducks. In reality, they only need a 3 sided enclosure to get away from the wind, but they really should have a coop to protect them from predators.

Good luck!