What is the nicest/most tame breed of duck?

[Haviris]

Well I don't know if there is a "breed" that is more tame then the others, but my ducks are fairly tame. I have two I'm sure I could easily pick up and hold if I wanted, I don't normally, but I do think I could.

I have one Swedish duck (technically belongs to my mom, but is currently staying here) and he eats out of my hand, in fact if I don't offer it he stretches his neck up to me to get me to notice him. I could probably catch him while feeding, but he would not be happy.

Then I have my own two, a golden cascade male and a cayuga female, which I hatched in the incubator (could make a difference), they come running when they see me and follow me around the yard. They eat out of my hand and I'm sure I could pick them up and they'd be fine with it. They think everytime I go out I should bring them food, they may not like me at all, it could just be about the food. The first time I let them out into the yard they foraged around and just loved it, but when it got dark and I went out they immediately ran to me and if I'd stand still would sit on my feet, I think they were inscure in the dark new place. After that they wanted to follow me everywhere, they still follow me around the yard and hang out with me when I'm out there.

I don't know exactly how friendly you want them, my mom's 6, and my sister's 2 are all tame enough to come up at feeding time, and are comfortable enough to climb all over my feet while trying to get to the food. I don't normally pick mine up and hold them, not really as babies or adults, I only hold them when I need to move them. When I took my sister's two to her I just poored them some feed and them reached down and picked them up to put them in the cage, neither made a noise as I did it. I'd say they are as tame as my chickens.

If you want ducks, go for it, just pick whatever breed you like, I've heard muscovies are calm ducks. Then handle them as much as possible while they are young, you could also put your hand in the brooder with feed in it and let them eat out of your hand. Good Luck!

 

[eggchel]

Any single duck would be the best bet for a pet, as advised by others, because once they bond in a group then they arent interested in you.

As for what breed, I would get a Muscovy. All the muscovy that I have hand raised have been much friendlier than the domestic ducks. I do have one Australian Spotted duck that was hand raised by herself and she was very friendly and liked to be held...... until she started living with the others. Now she acts more skittish however she still quacks really loud at us every time she sees us.

Runners are also good pet ducks, especially if you keep it alone. They will bond with chickens or geese and then they think they arent a duck, LOL. I have a couple like that. One bonded to giant Cochins and the other bonded to Sebastopol geese.



Chel

 

[bantymum]

I have a beautiful little yellow stuffed toy duck,
It doesnt chase me when it sits on eggs, doesnt hassle my chickens and just sits there and waits for me to pick it up!!!best of all I dont have to change its water all the time!!!

Well, I couldnt help myself,hehe,
I have mallards and have seen one on his own who was the nicest duck, I also had a friend with one muscovy who loved being hugged.
So I guess it is true, you need one for a pet!!!
good luck, where theres a will theres a way,!

 

[SarahF]

ha ha ha very funny. yay, i think a stuffed duck will do me just fine. I keep forgetting I'm going to have a baby..who needs a cuddly duck when you have a cuddly baby, right! Thanks everyone!

 

[KingsCalls]

If you want something that will be as tame as what you said, I'd suggest geese. They will follow you like a puppy!

 

[picklespickles]

i have a pekin (white duck) who has bonded to one of my goats. he ignores the chickens totally. he is a goat as far as he is concerned. if the goats are not around, then he likes to be loved and hugged on and will sleep in my arms. when the goats are around, though, he is more aloof, like a teenager when mom comes to school. i don't bond with my chickens. they taste too good.

 

[DuckLady]

In order to understand what tame is for a duck, you have to think like one.
I consider my ducks tame when they eat out of my hand. For a duck, that is tame.
Or when they see me digging with a pitchfork and crawl all over my feet, the pitchfork and the dirt I am turning over, I consider that to be WAY tame and trusting....for a duck.

A duck will never come near you if it doesn't trust you to some degree. And ducks are naturally suspicious at all times.

There are of course exceptional ducks that let you pick them up and pet them. Most of the ones I have had like that have been muscovies. Scovies imprint more than other ducks and hold that imprint. One of my drakes came to me as an imprint and after a year outside, he still loves to get in my lap and have a nap and have his head stroked.

On the other hand I have a Khaki Campbell drake who will eat your ankles and let me pick him up and schmooze him.

So it is all relative to duck-ness. If you can get one to eat out of your hand, you have acheived much.

 

[SloCrevs]

I know one of the girls in my area has gray call ducks. She lets one of the primary members in her 4H club practice showmanship with her drake, he's one of the calmest birds I've seen in my life. And the little girl runs around with him in her arms, it's amazing. I've never seen another one like him, so good luck!

 

[ml]

My runners are the ones I pick up and hold and pet. I have Pekins, Scovies, Mallards and Runners.
They must rather be on one of their missions of finding food and playing in water but they are sweet little ducks that you can hold and pet. I do pick up all the others up and try and hold. The scovies are the most difficult even when they have been raised by me.

Ducks can be quite messy and you got to be prepared with that. Also they adore water play and that is great to just sit by and watch. The may runners are laying eggs too.

Each like water but all are different.

ML

 

[GloriaH]

I raise Welsh Harlequin Ducks. They are very tame and trainable but as for picking them up they are not crazy about it. I don't know a duck that is. Hey why are there no duck smilies.