We want ducks, need help to make up my mind on breed.

[Sweetfolly]

Quote:
I met this girl while volunteering at the monthly spay/neuter clinic at my local animal shelter a few months back, and we got to talking about what breeds of ducks we had, and when I had finished going through mine she looked at me with these big eyes and went, "WHAT?! No Cayugas?!".

I have a Jumbo Pekin - but she's a BEAST, and they're a meat breed that's not really meant to live past butchering age (mine will be 6 years old this spring), so she's always had terrible swollen joints in her legs and arthritis - it's hard for her to carry around the massive weight of her breast - and I DO have her on a restricted diet. She has the most character of any duck I own, but it makes me so sad to watch her hobble into her pond in the morning to spend the day swimming. When she's molting, she can't get out of the pond and needs me to lift her out.

Not all Jumbo Pekins have that problem - most are just fine and happy and have no problems getting around, mine just lost the genetic lottery and was probably fed too much during development (I didn't get her until she was 2) and grew too MASSIVELY big.

I have a pair of Runners who are both very bold and inquisitive, a pair of Dutch Hookbills who are very sweet and mellow (too sweet and mellow - they get pushed around by the other ducks a LOT - I need to get them separated before March), two Mallard drakes who are very sweet and imprinted to me but terrified of strangers, and a bunch of Campbells who are loud and obnoxious, they're always quacking their heads off about something, but they're strangely endearing - I can't imagine ever not having them.

I've never had any Swedish, so I can't offer you any advice there.

 

[shay20]

Ok so , now i know I want Indea because they are to flighty,
and i dont want Campbells because they are too noisy.

Are runner noise, i don't mind a little noise but i do not want the ones that sound like horns, what breed is that? I want to make sure i dont get them, are they muscovy? There the ones that are at shows a lot.

 

[ConchRepublic]

Muscovy males are quiet not sure about the females. Cayugas are generally quiet (I had 2 blues that made a lot of noise, although it was low volume). Not sure about runners.

 

[offdagridsoon]

We love our Cayugas! Beautiful birds, good-natured, not noisy and prolific layers of wonderfully tasty and large eggs. Actually looking to get more of them this year..

 

[swampducks]

Quote:
Muscovy females are quiet too, more so than the males who hiss a lot. The gals hiss too and sometimes make a sweet little trilling sound that I tend to notice when there are younsters. Females fly well though but mine never flew away, they were quite happy with my pond and there are 2 big lakes in town.

 

[usschicago1]

I would do scovies !