what kinds of ducks should i get?

[annie3001]

hopefully someone can clue me in on what would be the best ducks to get!
i have 5 chickens so in the winter i will be housing them together. a bit ago i was interested in getting goats, (hubby said no) ducks are fine tho.
i want to get 2, sometime in the spring or maybe feb or march next year, we are going to be building a seperate duck home, our current chicken home is big, and in the winter i feel that adding 2 ducks with the chickens would be alright.
by the time winter comes next year, my ducks will be big enough to be with the already full grown chickens.
my question again is what is a hearty good docile duck to get?
and should i get 2 males, 2 females or 1 male and 1 female? where can i get ducks?
i bought our chicks thru mypetchicken.com and have really luck so far? any feed back is much appriciated.
as i will be putting my duck order in next year soon!
thanks!!!

exited to know be a duck (quack) owner!

 

[Wifezilla]

If you are only going to get two, get two girls.

If you get 1 girl and 1 boy, the drake might overbreed a single female.

If you are keeping the ducks with the chickens, drakes will try to breed the chickens if they don't have a female duck around...and they will fight with each other.

You may have trouble getting only 2 ducklings. Metzer will let you order only a few, but you have to pay extra for a heat pack. I split an order with another BYC member and we paid extra since we only got 6 total. I got three and paid extra to make sure they were all girls.

 

[annie3001]

okay thats good to know! epecially about just getting girl ducks.
any breed that you suggest?

 

[pringle]

My favorite breed is pekins,there sweet docile big and dont let other animals boss them around.Since they will be about as big as you chickens in like 7 weeks I highlly recomend them.They also lay the hugest eggs.You might think becouse there a meat breed that there all mest up but thats not true,they still love to swim,eat bugs,play ina mud and do many duck things.Oh and about the eggs,they lay pretty much 1 a day.

 

[jonibc]

I'm a new duck owner. I chose my breed because I wanted to help to conserve a breed that was endangered. I consulted the American Breeds Conservancy website and decided to go with Welsh Harlequins. They are a good all around breed for meat and eggs and are very attractive. They are also good mothers, which was important to me.

 

[taraann81]

wHAT DO YOU WANT YOUR DUCKS FOR??? eGGS MEAT, BOTH?

 

[Wifezilla]

I love my Welsh Harlequins. I got them because they are dual purpose. My 3 girls just started laying. I also have a runner and a buff mutt. The runner would not be a good meat bird...she hasn't got any meat on her but she lays HUGE eggs. Almost every day too.

The buff khaki mix is more meaty, but she is safe. I hatched her out myself. She lays large light tan eggs.

 

[the 412 chicks]

my pekins eat out of my hand every day so i would have to say pekin.

 

[pirtykitty]

I love my Welsh Harlequins and cayugas... I got them from Metzers May... a trio of Welsh harlequins and a pair of cayugas.
Snails don't have a chance if they come in our yard. LOL.

 

[kcardella]

I love my Welsh Harlequins and Khaki Campbells, but the Campbells are friendlier and more quiet. The WH girls can be VERY loud (not all the time)! They are not unfriendly, but will not come right up to me like the KC.