What to do?

[Going Quackers]

Again you don't need a pond, many use kiddy pools or the smaller ornamental styles to create one.. there is a thread on that actually lol

 

[zooweemama]

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

My kids love the other ducks we have but I have NO idea what it is about the Pekins exactly but they are most watched by the kids for their antics. They talk to each other (the 3 Pekins I have) and they are packed full of personality. And the female quack is wow- so loud! Maaaaaap map map map. We know the Pekins quacks just by listening and not seeing. So funny! My kids personally understand (have been taught not to chase them down and try to hold them) not to go try to catch them so ducks totally work for us.

 

[folgerrd]

NOTE: We are not stupid! We know most household pets are probably better in most situations. This is not a most situation! We turned to ducks because of her fascination with chicks and ducklings and we have looked into EVERYTHING else! No rodents, no kid wants to pet a fish, caged birds are out of the question, we already have a dog and cat she doesn't like them and more is not something we're looking for. We already have chickens, she loves them but they're mine and this is for her(besides step dad is opposed to more). At six we know she isn't old enough to care for a duck, but really at six were you responsible for taking care of your dog or guinea pig all on your own? Most likely not. A pet is for fun, it will be our responsibility to care for her duck.

 

[folgerrd]

Again you don't need a pond, many use kiddy pools or the smaller ornamental styles to create one.. there is a thread on that actually lol

Thanks!

 

[zooweemama]

NOTE: We are not stupid! We know most household pets are probably better in most situations. This is not a most situation! We turned to ducks because of her fascination with chicks and ducklings and we have looked into EVERYTHING else! No rodents, no kid wants to pet a fish, caged birds are out of the question, we already have a dog and cat she doesn't like them and more is not something we're looking for. We already have chickens, she loves them but they're mine and this is for her(besides step dad is opposed to more). At six we know she isn't old enough to care for a duck, but really at six were you responsible for taking care of your dog or guinea pig all on your own? Most likely not. A pet is for fun, it will be our responsibility to care for her duck.

I don't think anyone was trying to say that you were stupid. I am sorry if that is what you feel you got here. Everyone is just trying to help with personal experience. A lot people are rather shocked by the sheer mess and work that comes with having ducks. We love our ducks. We are here because we love them. We answer questions because we love them. Should you go ahead- we hope you love them too. Good luck!

 

[folgerrd]

Okay, it just feels like everyone is saying that we're wrong in our decision and that we don't know what we're talking about. We're definitely getting ducks just not sure which kinds suits us best.

 

[Going Quackers]

Okay, it just feels like everyone is saying that we're wrong in our decision and that we don't know what we're talking about. We're definitely getting ducks just not sure which kinds suits us best.

Nah, just when people say they are buying pets for kids one wants to be sure their are responsible people in the shadows, plus ducks are messy .. and i am gathering quite so much more so than chickens(dunno yet, mine are supposed to come Sat)

There are tons of threads here on the different breeds or feel free to starts a thread asking specifics on a certain breed.I only have Muscovy, love calls but they can't go into my 'scovie flock the drakes would flatten them

I think Pekin are massively comical you see a ton of them around here but my last hatch has gone well so i shouldn't need to worry about adding more ducks at this point.

 

[Kevin565]

I'll take a crack at this:

Calls: Are a nice breed. Since noise factor is not a problem you should be fine. However, Call ducklings are very fragile when young so she must be extra careful when handling. Will you be buying locally? Because most people do not ship call ducklings. You said she liked the cuddly factor which is common for most bantam ducks. Silkies, Australian Spotted, and Black East Indie could be more hardy call alternatives.

Welsh Harlequin: A gorgeous breed that is fairly calm depending upon where you get your stock. They are quieter than most calls and females lay decent sized eggs. They have been known to go broody which could be a benefit if you want them to hatch out babies from your other birds.

Runners: I'm sorry but I would not recommend these for children. They are truly unique but all of mine seemed to be flighty. They are a bit more high strung than other breeds which I would worry about around a young child.

Pekins: Some people find them to be a "Boring" breed but I've found most to have a great personality. They can be a bit heavy which means they would go through more feed them some of the other breeds. However, they do lay some decent sized eggs for consumption. They aren't really a broody breed so you wouldn't have to worry about too many offspring.

Crested White: Please stay away from ALL crested specimens. They are much more prone to neurological issues than non crested ducks. I have first hand dealt with this issue and I would NEVER want a child to have to witness a seizure episode like that.

Ancona: I don't have experience with this breed but they are gorgeous.

 

[Going Quackers]

I'll take a crack at this:

Calls: Are a nice breed. Since noise factor is not a problem you should be fine. However, Call ducklings are very fragile when young so she must be extra careful when handling. Will you be buying locally? Because most people do not ship call ducklings. You said she liked the cuddly factor which is common for most bantam ducks. Silkies, Australian Spotted, and Black East Indie could be more hardy call alternatives.

Welsh Harlequin: A gorgeous breed that is fairly calm depending upon where you get your stock. They are quieter than most calls and females lay decent sized eggs. They have been known to go broody which could be a benefit if you want them to hatch out babies from your other birds.

Runners: I'm sorry but I would not recommend these for children. They are truly unique but all of mine seemed to be flighty. They are a bit more high strung than other breeds which I would worry about around a young child.

Pekins: Some people find them to be a "Boring" breed but I've found most to have a great personality. They can be a bit heavy which means they would go through more feed them some of the other breeds. However, they do lay some decent sized eggs for consumption. They aren't really a broody breed so you wouldn't have to worry about too many offspring.

Crested White: Please stay away from ALL crested specimens. They are much more prone to neurological issues than non crested ducks. I have first hand dealt with this issue and I would NEVER want a child to have to witness a seizure episode like that.

Ancona: I don't have experience with this breed but they are gorgeous.

a great rundown there! and i had no idea about that with crested, as babies they look hilarious!

 

[folgerrd]

I'll take a crack at this:

Calls: Are a nice breed. Since noise factor is not a problem you should be fine. However, Call ducklings are very fragile when young so she must be extra careful when handling. Will you be buying locally? Because most people do not ship call ducklings. You said she liked the cuddly factor which is common for most bantam ducks. Silkies, Australian Spotted, and Black East Indie could be more hardy call alternatives.

Welsh Harlequin: A gorgeous breed that is fairly calm depending upon where you get your stock. They are quieter than most calls and females lay decent sized eggs. They have been known to go broody which could be a benefit if you want them to hatch out babies from your other birds.

Runners: I'm sorry but I would not recommend these for children. They are truly unique but all of mine seemed to be flighty. They are a bit more high strung than other breeds which I would worry about around a young child.

Pekins: Some people find them to be a "Boring" breed but I've found most to have a great personality. They can be a bit heavy which means they would go through more feed them some of the other breeds. However, they do lay some decent sized eggs for consumption. They aren't really a broody breed so you wouldn't have to worry about too many offspring.

Crested White: Please stay away from ALL crested specimens. They are much more prone to neurological issues than non crested ducks. I have first hand dealt with this issue and I would NEVER want a child to have to witness a seizure episode like that.

Ancona: I don't have experience with this breed but they are gorgeous.

She is very careful with the chicks(often tells on her father about proper handling haha) S o I think she'd be okay plus we'd be with her when she's with them during their duckling stages. We are buying locally, few breeders in the area.

Broody and laying are nice but not really something we are looking out for, but they are pros. Gorgeous and quiet are nice qualities I will mention this breed to my mom.

Okay so no Runners

Pekins sound good too.

No crested, got it