What is the nicest/most tame breed of duck?

[LukePalmer]

Congratulations on your baby girl. Just got my first two granddaughters in the last year and I'm enjoying spoiling them rotten!!

I know there are people who keep ducks and chickens together, but I wouldn't ever want to do it...just because the mess the duck would make. I love my call ducks, but ducks are about the messiest pet/animal you could have I think!!

I think..don't know since I've never kept them together...that even a lone duck would chose the chickens over you. As cute as they are, they just aren't the cuddly pet people would like them to be.

Would you say chickens are better in terms of being tame? X

 

[Double The Ducks]

I am no duck expert, but I have two Welsh Harlequins. I got them delivered from Metzer Farms, and they were 3 days old when they arrived. They are very loving and cuddle up with me and follow me around. They've even learned not to cheep for me when I'm trying to sleep. They get along well with my Khaki Campbell and Indian Runner as well.

 

[BaJa]

Every duck is tame if you buy them as one day old and play with them often. if you get the first best duck off a sale, don't expect it to be tame. call ducks are gentle and small, but they make a lot of noise. I think mallards are the best. like call, but make less noise. They're awesome?

 

[Ducktown]

I have 5 indian runner ducks, one of them is drake I incubated from an egg. That one is the largest and became the leader of the flock. I have had it for around 3 weeks, before I managed to buy additional ducks, so he could bond with them instead of me. He did that in just a day. After that, he almost completely ignored my presence for a while, walking around with his new friends. Then, he started following me around again as he saw me, leading the flock with him. As he grew more mature, he changed a bit, but never stopped following me. He was never happy if I carried him in my hands and now when he's already mature, that didn't change a bit. A few weeks ago, he climbed into my lap when I was sitting on the grass, and I'm quite sure he tried to hump my leg, because there was also some biting involved and some neck twisting around my arm. He did not mind being in my lap that time, I even think he liked it. That strange thing didn't happen again after that. I can pick him up, but he clearly shows he doesn't like it by lowering his head and even biting (not aggressively, more like annoyed kind of bites) when I release him.

He will come eating out of my hand any time. I have managed to introduce him to other people soon, especially children, so he gladly eats from their palms as well. None of my other ducks will do that, even I have problems when I try hand feeding them. So far 2 drakes will eat from my hands, and one of the hens did a few nibbles at one point few days ago, two hens are still far away from it.

I am thinking about raising a few more ducks from the eggs I get from the three hens I have now. They will become more imprinted on humans that way and will hopefully even tolerate being held if necessary.

 

[CayugaJana]

I have a drake black swedish that is the boss and will eat out of hand and come to me when I call. He lets me know he doesn't really like it when I pickhim up. I picked him up last night when my lab was sitting next to me and he REALLY didn't like that. He was miffed at me. My khaki campbell is way too high strung and nervous even though he will also eat out of my hand. My two pekin juveniles are pretty flighty too, but they got handled less than the swedish drake. My cayuga ducklings are by far the most calm. So far they will run all over my lap, nibble me, run into the holes I dig in the yard trying to find worms, and stand still when I picked them up as long as I hold a hand under their feet. But we will see how they act when they are introduced to the flock. I'm waiting until the last moment possible to introduce them so they will be as used to me as can be. I've raised them all from a few days old.

 

[DogsDucks&Cat]

Our Runners, Welshies, jumbo Pekins, and Cayuga will all eat out of hand but do not want to be picked up and usually move away from us when we approach. I would say the Cayuga (female) is the calmest about being held but she still isn't willing about it. Our Muscovy (male) won't eat out of hand for some reason, but usually does not move away when we approach and most often will approach us himself. We can pet him on the back of the neck right under his head. BUT the flip side is that we've also had some aggression issues with him.

 

[TeeMom]

We have Welsh Harlequins and a couple Golden Cascades. None of them will crawl in a lap and pretty much run away if you move toward them, but they're easy to catch and at least tolerate being held once you have them. Just took this pic tonight of my daughter with Rosie.

 

[BaJa]

I have 5 indian runner ducks, one of them is drake I incubated from an egg. That one is the largest and became the leader of the flock. I have had it for around 3 weeks, before I managed to buy additional ducks, so he could bond with them instead of me. He did that in just a day. After that, he almost completely ignored my presence for a while, walking around with his new friends. Then, he started following me around again as he saw me, leading the flock with him. As he grew more mature, he changed a bit, but never stopped following me. He was never happy if I carried him in my hands and now when he's already mature, that didn't change a bit. A few weeks ago, he climbed into my lap when I was sitting on the grass, and I'm quite sure he tried to hump my leg, because there was also some biting involved and some neck twisting around my arm. He did not mind being in my lap that time, I even think he liked it. That strange thing didn't happen again after that. I can pick him up, but he clearly shows he doesn't like it by lowering his head and even biting (not aggressively, more like annoyed kind of bites) when I release him.

He will come eating out of my hand any time. I have managed to introduce him to other people soon, especially children, so he gladly eats from their palms as well. None of my other ducks will do that, even I have problems when I try hand feeding them. So far 2 drakes will eat from my hands, and one of the hens did a few nibbles at one point few days ago, two hens are still far away from it.

I am thinking about raising a few more ducks from the eggs I get from the three hens I have now. They will become more imprinted on humans that way and will hopefully even tolerate being held if necessary.

That sounds just like my ducks!

 

[poultry person]

If you don't want ducks get geese! They are so sweet and they scare away predators!

 

[poultry person]

I sugest Sebastopol geese their very friendly!: