What to do?

[zooweemama]

Woof, I would NOT suggest a duck as a pet for a little kid. They're hard to handle and not very sociable and they grow fast and you're looking at a high-maintinence animal... Which falls to the parents to care for when the kid is no longer interested.

That's how animals end up in rescues or released into the wild. I worked at a pet store and every parent wanted to get a guinea pig for the first pet not knowing that's almost a decade of keeping an animal that bites, scratches and runs away form you at every turn, can't be picked up and isn't nice to pet (wiry fur). I always had to correct them that it was a terrible choice... And the sheer number of animals we had returned to us on a daily basis attests to people who had no idea what they were in for...

Rabbits can be a nice choice for a pet... The dwarf kinds get to be 5lbs tops, they're quiet, low(er) maintinence and friendly. My lops love to be snuggled. They can be taught tricks and litter trained. But I wouldn't get a duck for someone who is under 12.

I would honestly agree with this unless the parent is going to assume care for the animal. By 2 weeks the duck is more than double it's original size, not a fan of being held, a messy mess of water and by 3 weeks often too big for the brooder and ready to hit the coop. It's also a hit or miss if you try to toss them in with the chickens but likely the chickens will peck them. So they would need their own duck house. A nice secure one that has a floor raccoon and dog can't tunnel under, walls that predators can't tear open or chew through...there are a lot of considerations for having ducks. I would research some more before making the final choice. Otherwise mom just got herself some new pets she has to care for, for the next 10 years. <3

 

[Going Quackers]

Woof, I would NOT suggest a duck as a pet for a little kid. They're hard to handle and not very sociable and they grow fast and you're looking at a high-maintinence animal... Which falls to the parents to care for when the kid is no longer interested.

That's how animals end up in rescues or released into the wild. I worked at a pet store and every parent wanted to get a guinea pig for the first pet not knowing that's almost a decade of keeping an animal that bites, scratches and runs away form you at every turn, can't be picked up and isn't nice to pet (wiry fur). I always had to correct them that it was a terrible choice... And the sheer number of animals we had returned to us on a daily basis attests to people who had no idea what they were in for...

Rabbits can be a nice choice for a pet... The dwarf kinds get to be 5lbs tops, they're quiet, low(er) maintinence and friendly. My lops love to be snuggled. They can be taught tricks and litter trained. But I wouldn't get a duck for someone who is under 12.

Usually guinea pigs are the complete opposite of what you said they love to be petted, you can hold them and they call and whistle to you! I had one that won friendliest pet at my local fair above cats and dogs! They don't all have wiry hair? I had some silkies their fur is soft. Rabbits on the other hand do NOT like being picked up.. generally speaking( i have those too) we have a few that will tolerate but they prefer being petted ... and rabbits for sure scratch/scramble and some do bite too.

 

[veronicasmom]

Not trying to hijack this thread. But I own rabbits and guinea pigs. I vote for the pigs to be a WAY WAY better pet for children under 10. Way better. And mine (I have had several) have not scratched, bitten or run away. They are soft and will snuggle into your neck. Easy care and rugged. But they DO require care and attention and training to be good pets.
Rabbits on the other hand are physically delicate. I don't know about lops, but all the other breeds I have had except giants, are a bit skittish. And rabbits being prey animals generally do not like being picked up or held. There are exceptions to this, but for the most part, rabbits make lousy children's pets. They love to dig. Anywhere. Inside, outside, carpet, anywhere. And will chew a wire in a second.
So, back to my opinion on ducks for a small kid. Eh, well, as long as there is someone there to take up the slack when said kid loses interest in a pet that also usually does not like to be held or carried, and if that child is ok with just watching them, then I guess they'd make ok pets. But an adult needs to be willing to take on the responsibility of caring for them if they don't work out for a child. That is why the shelter and rescues have ducks 4-6 months after Easter. When the child realizes that this is not all it is cracked up to be and parents don't want to be bothered with a messy, loud (not all ducks are loud, I realize), labor intensive pet.
It sounds like you are approaching this in a logical manner, doing some research before committing. I commend you for this. I wish more people would do this, then less ducks and any other impulse buy pet, would end up homeless or dead.
Good luck. Hope you make a decision that works for everyone, animal included.

 

[Going Quackers]

Not trying to hijack this thread. But I own rabbits and guinea pigs. I vote for the pigs to be a WAY WAY better pet for children under 10. Way better. And mine (I have had several) have not scratched, bitten or run away. They are soft and will snuggle into your neck. Easy care and rugged. But they DO require care and attention and training to be good pets.
Rabbits on the other hand are physically delicate. I don't know about lops, but all the other breeds I have had except giants, are a bit skittish. And rabbits being prey animals generally do not like being picked up or held. There are exceptions to this, but for the most part, rabbits make lousy children's pets. They love to dig. Anywhere. Inside, outside, carpet, anywhere. And will chew a wire in a second.
So, back to my opinion on ducks for a small kid. Eh, well, as long as there is someone there to take up the slack when said kid loses interest in a pet that also usually does not like to be held or carried, and if that child is ok with just watching them, then I guess they'd make ok pets. But an adult needs to be willing to take on the responsibility of caring for them if they don't work out for a child. That is why the shelter and rescues have ducks 4-6 months after Easter. When the child realizes that this is not all it is cracked up to be and parents don't want to be bothered with a messy, loud (not all ducks are loud, I realize), labor intensive pet.
It sounds like you are approaching this in a logical manner, doing some research before committing. I commend you for this. I wish more people would do this, then less ducks and any other impulse buy pet, would end up homeless or dead.
Good luck. Hope you make a decision that works for everyone, animal included.

I completely agree on all points.

 

[zooweemama]

Usually guinea pigs are the complete opposite of what you said they love to be petted, you can hold them and they call and whistle to you! I had one that won friendliest pet at my local fair above cats and dogs! They don't all have wiry hair? I had some silkies their fur is soft. Rabbits on the other hand do NOT like being picked up.. generally speaking( i have those too) we have a few that will tolerate but they prefer being petted ... and rabbits for sure scratch/scramble and some do bite too.

I lived my a friend and her family for a year and they had 50+ rabbits and rabbit chores were one of my many jobs and this can be true. It was a hit or miss. Some of the ones we had as babies and handled a lot (daily) were sweet as can be, easy to handle, we even brought some into the house for snuggle time and they would sit with us, sometimes wandering around a bit- easy to catch. Some of the ones that were not handled often as babies- you had to chase them around in their cages to get them and those back feet- whoa mama! Ouch.

I am really glad the poster came here asking. All of the experiences and opinions can help them make a more rounded decision. I wish the poster all the best in their picking and hope it works out beautifully!

 

[folgerrd]

At least two.. i only have Muscovy, they do roost lol but that is there trait.. they just get pools and while they are less water loving than most ducks a lot of people use kiddy pools, easy to keep clean and you control where they are... less danger too..(snappers! come to mind)

Anyhow, i love calls.. but they are super teeny.. and loud so those things would have to be considered... I free range my 'scovies and lock them up at night.. but there barn contains pretty much what a chicken coop would... ventilation, windows and is secure to keep predators out and again because i have scovies i have a shelf/roost in mine so the girls can be up at night if they choose, i also keep my drakes separated from my ducks at night.

For feed i use a flock raiser by purina since i have birds ranging right now from day old through to over 1yo and offer free choice oyster shell for extra calcium for the ducks, plus they forage.

ETa; how old is this sister? personally unless she is an older child i would narrow down the choices to a couple and have her choose from that, you have to decide on a breed that best suits not just cute which is what a child would focus on but then all ducklings are cute!

Sister is turning six and handles animals amazingly(except for Puppies and kittens, weird I know)!
Loud shouldn't be an issue, middle of nowhere. The teenier the better because she adores babies and more space!
We had originally decided on Calls because to her they'd look like they were babies for life and the nosiness suits her(had this been her younger sister we would've picked a calm, quiet mothery breed) We just want to make sure that it suits the family as well.

 

[Going Quackers]

Sister is turning six and handles animals amazingly(except for Puppies and kittens, weird I know)!
Loud shouldn't be an issue, middle of nowhere. The teenier the better because she adores babies and more space!
We had originally decided on Calls because to her they'd look like they were babies for life and the nosiness suits her(had this been her younger sister we would've picked a calm, quiet mothery breed) We just want to make sure that it suits the family as well.

They are definitely toy like... as long as the rest of you realize it'll be yours, at 6yrs she can help obviously but no way can she take on the full responsibility. If your out in the sticks a small birds like a call, i would want penned? i free range the 'scovies but they are big... if i ever ventured into calls i'd have to pen because of my predators here.

 

[folgerrd]

What age is your sister? My own kids are aged 10, 8, 6 and almost 4. I have a variety of breeds. I will say that despite our handling and treats NONE of them like being picked up. If a child runs towards one- it scares the poo out of them and they make a mad dash. It only takes a few of those incidences for the ducks to just wanna stay clear of people.

If you want quiet- males of any breed are pretty quiet. They make a soft rasping noise. Girls of any breed (except Muscovy) are loud quackers. Some louder than others of course- but are generally more chatty and their volume can be quite loud. You do not want to get just 1. Two is fine though. All the breeds I have are pretty messy when it comes to water. I wouldn't say any of them are considerably less messy than another breed because it's just not enough to say oh yeah that breed is tidier. Ducks are a messy bird, no way around it.

We are new to chickens and my kids are enjoying them because they actually allow you to hold them as babies. Ducklings barely tolerated it and quacked alot. (even the males as babies do)

So age really helps. And researching ducks a little bit too. Their care is very very different from chickens. I am finding chickens and absolute breeze compared to ducks.

Almost 6. Messy isn't an issue, we just don't have a pond and heard some breeds don't need as much water. It wouldn't be her job to care for it, well not entirely, we'd do most of that she'd just have it follow her around supply it with never ending treats.
It's interesting you say they aren't overly sociable, most of our duck-raising friend say different so I guess it depends on the duck or person or maybe breed.

 

[Nyowpotopop]

Well having worked with both for some years in general guinea pigs are far more skittish especially when young. I have a friend that does guinea pig rescue who backs this up. She has a handful of great guinea pigs but the rest are terrified of everything... Even ones hand-raised from babies. And it's actually true that the softer ones tend to be more chill... But they're harder to find.

Certain breeds of rabbit are pretty awful too. Larger meat ones like NZW or Californian can be super evil but smaller ones like dwarf dutch or holland lops tend to be bred for pets only and have nicer personalities. The holland/dwarf/mini lops all tend to be very curious and friendly animals... Especially when kept alone. Rabbits are social and will bond to whatever animal is around. If you have two bonded bunnies they'll be less friendly. If you have one it'll love it's human with a little bit of training. (I own two but they're separated because they don't get along.)

But this is pretty much entirely off topic. The point I was trying to make is that children shouldn't just get whatever is cute... they should have something manageable. I dunno... A hermit crab or a small lizard. Not a duck. I have owned tons of animals and I am not sure how good I will even be at raising ducks correctly... Let alone a little kid.

 

[PetesMom]

I placed my vote on the pekins....nothing like white chubby, chatty pekin girls running around.