What breed do you recommend?

[SilverBlaze]

Heya guys!

So... I've hatched multiple types of game birds, and several batches of chickens. And despite everything I've found saying it's nigh impossible, I wanna try incubating duck eggs. I've already found a home for 'em (my chiropractor's secretary moved last summer to a farm that has a smaller pond on it, and she was wanting ducks, and it just kinda meshed happily).

She doesn't care what type, so long as they don't have a high chance of flying away (it'd break her daughter's heart). They're not going to eat the ducks, they're just going to be pets, so what breeds do you recommend here? Her daughter is 7ish, maybe 8 now, so it's not like a wee-toddler, but still, hopefully a breed that's not aggressive?

Also, when puttering around on Ebay, I keep seeing ads for Call Duck eggs... what the heck? I can't seem to find much about a 'call duck' breed. Help out a clueless newbie?

 

[Mahonri]

Call ducks are probably the most common.

If I had a pond, I'd get mallards and find a way to get them to stay, but I LOVE watching them fly.

 

[SilverBlaze]

Quote:
So, Call are like, mutts then? I know one breed looks like mallards, but they don't have the habit of flying away... mayhap those? I think those are just sooo pretty.

 

[KansasKid]

Domestic duck eggs are easy to incubate, calls are a bit harder than the rest but can be done. The call ducks that look like mallards are called grey calls. O and all calls usually can fly decently.

 

[SilverBlaze]

Quote:
OHH, I think I get it now. Call ducks are like, herding dogs. Just a category then? Or is it a specific breed?

*gryns wryly* Everyone I've talked to, and the duck books I've read, all say that the levels of humidity and the temps are SO precise, that the average person cannot incubate and hatch them. I figure that's gotta be rubbish, right??

 

[KansasKid]

No, calls are a specific breed of duck. There are different types of mallards like, white, snowy, etc. then theres other domestic breeds like welsh harlequin (silver, and gold phases) Khaki campbell (light, and dark) then theres species like calls and runners who have a broader variety calls come in butterscotch, grey, white, snowy, blue, pastel, etc.

First 25 days: 99.5-101 degrees and 50% - 55% humidity
Last 3 Days: Same Temp...70% humidity

"I always hand turn my waterfowl eggs, they do better that way for me as opposed to turners. I also lay them on their sides in a natural manner and never used trays.
I put a spray bottle in the incubator, this way the water is the same temp as the air and eggs, no shock to them. I also mist every time I turn from day one.
I do this for domestic of migratory species. Turning 2-3 times a day." quote from fellow BYC'er

 

[SilverBlaze]

Sweet, thank you so very very much!! Got into google images, and found some pics. They're quite cute, and I think that's what she's looking for. Thank you again so much!

*jots down the tips so she doesn't loose them* ^_^

 

[kangababy]

A few years ago I wanted to teach my sons about the whole incubation process.. We usually just ordered day old Mallards and raised them and put the on the pond..

Well I ordered some White Crested and Buff ducks.. Needless to say I had a really high hatch rate and we kept them. The crested have this puff on the top of their heads the looks like a little Chefs hat! Too cute!!

I kept them in a pen until last year when I got into Ornamental waterfowl and needed my pen for them. WE put them on the pond because we couldn't find another home for them. I was scarted something might get them because they can't fly but they have down just fine!! They come running for food when we go to the barn but then ago so do the mallards!

 

[Wifezilla]

I am a Welsh Harlequin fan. Friendly ducks who can't fly worth a darn, plus they lay A LOT of eggs. Mmmmmmm... breakfast!

 

[ThebigE]

I have and love muscovy's, they're not great waterbirds in fact, they are South American tree ducks and they can fly and are great brooding chicks. My ducks fly around, but not away, and they don't fly around like mallards, they look a little bedraggled when they come out of the water but they quickly dry off. If you don't want them because of their caruncles i recommend buying them from hoffman hatchery because they are the opposite of the standard. If you do want something else, i recommend mallards and runners. Mallards because they are beautiful and raise their own ducklings, and runners because they lay well and the mallards will become attached and wont fly away.