Which Duck breed for me? 🦆🦆

[Cluck0FF]

Hiya
I've always kept chickens but I'm now looking for a duck Breed. It needs to be lovely natured, calm, not noisy, good egg layer and friendly and approachable.

I'm currently stuck between the Welsh Harlequins, khaki Campbell's, Indian runners, pekins or a cayuga.

I have a very large fenced off area with 5ft 8 fence, do they need clipped and access to a water pool?

Thanks

 

[Isaac 0]

Welsh Harlequins or Khaki Campbells would be a good choice then. What your question?

 

[Cluck0FF]

Which is the most social friendly as a pet o meant which doesn't require a large pond

 

[Isaac 0]

Which is the most social friendly as a pet o meant which doesn't require a large pond

"friendly" is something that is attained when young through bonding, any duck can be friendly, it just takes weeks of careful bonding to get them used to people.

A duck doesn't need a pond, a kiddie pool would be sufficient enough.

 

[Cluck0FF]

Thanks which of the breeds would not escape my fence? Or do they need clipping? Thanks

 

[Isaac 0]

Every breed besides the Pekin and Cayuga could probably fly over that with a running start, they may need to be clipped.

 

[Callender Girl]

My Indian runners are easily confined with a 2-foot fence; there's a reason they're called runners and not flyers!

I don't think they are overly noisy, and I currently have seven adults and four little ones in a brooder. They aren't generally as friendly as my some of my chickens, but they are incredibly food motivated and will rush across the yard to my side if they even suspect they hear me open the feed storage container. Sloan, who has avoided me for two years, recently decided she would now like to eat out of my hand like all the others.

The adult girls are laying nearly every day now that the weather has straightened out.

Runners' tiny wings and unique gait make them the only duck breed I am likely to ever again own.

 

[Isaac 0]

Surprisingly, I have actually have had runners fly at least five feet into the air with a running start.

 

[Callender Girl]

I once owned a runner who could get airborne for about three seconds. But Claire outgrew that ability as she matured. None of my adult runners can figure out the physics behind flight -- even when being chased by a pair of cranky geese!

 

[DuckyDonna]

I've had a drake or possibly 2 fly over a 4' fence to get to girls for mating but it is rare that has happened with my runners.