If you want something pretty to put in your yard then get a mandarin or wood duck. They are both very pretty. But that is all they will pretty much ever be, pretty, they are an ornamental duck. Which means they are basically wild. They are also a lot harder to take care of, they will not live in just an ordinary coop because they are so picky. They dont like extreme cold or extreme heat. Seeing as though they live in the woods the like a habbitate much like a wooded area like where they would live in the wild. Also they are excelent flyers, take it from me since I had a female escape her housing and flew off just like a wild duck. So they will need a covered area. Taking all of this into consideration, I would NOT start with either of these breeds. Start with a simpler duck, like pekin, rouen, ancona, khaki campbell, cayuga, swedish, muscovies, and many more. A few years down the road you can get some wood duck and some mandarin. Like FLChickens said if you are wanting a smaller friendlier duck go with calls. They are beautiful ducks.
