What breed would be best?

[DuckLover3]

I have a friend who wants ducks, but she doesn't know what kind to get. She wants some that will lay a lot of eggs - like the Khaki Campbell, but she would prefer bantams.....I can't think of any bantam duck that lays a lot.....Also, she would like to be able to bred them and sell the ducklings as show quality. Also, she seems to like rarer ducks....I'm sure not all of these qualities can be met, so just so you know, the least important is that they be bantams. Any ideas of what breed she should get and where she can get it?

 

[Kevin565]

While those qualities are nice that duck doesn't exist. A lot of bantam breed are not very good breeds especially SQ ones. They are bred to be the correct color and type not to be a egg laying machine. She's going to have to decide what qualities are more important than the others. If she wants something more rare she could go for English KC's

 

[PetesMom]

Maybe the mini silver appleyard? Not sure how they lay...
http://www.holderreadfarm.com/photogallery/mini_sa_page/mini_sa_page.htm

As for selling "show quality".......I can't comment on that as I know next to nothing about breed standards

 

[HauiBali]

Mandarin ducks are relatively easy to raise, keep and breed, and they are colorful, egzotique and they are in the red book of endangered species.

 

[Kevin565]

What about Dutch Hookbills?

They aren't huge

Fairly good layers

Pretty Rare

 

[Oregon Blues]

Dutch Hookbills are wonderful, but are not APA recognized, so can not be sold as "show quality"

Of the bantams, I think that the Black East Indies are the most beautiful. But nobody keeps bantams for egg production, so they haven't been bred to be heavy layers.

Runners are heavy layers, very competitive at shows, and they are rather small. Tall, but not much duck there.

 

[Nebraskagirl]

Welsh Harlequins are BEAUTIFUL ducks and are good layers as well.