Which duck should I get?

[Miss Lydia]

Can anyone else offer a suggestion?
I have available to me mallards, pekins, muscovy, call ducks, khaki campbells and indian runners.

I can only speak for Scovy's, they are a wonderful breed, quiet, wag their tails, seasonal layers great brooders and mothers. They do fly though so wing clipping would be a must. Drakes usually average out around 12-15lbs, ducks 4-7.

 

[theduckgirl4110]

I have a duck tilly. She is a khaki campbell. I don't think anyone knows how "friendly" she is or how "friendly" ducks can be. She is the best. Do you have either welsh harlequins or cayugas available? The also are great

 

[NewDuckyMan]

No, I don't have them available to me, Tilly sounds lovely by the way.

 

[Learningstill]

Thanks for all the advice, I knew all that , I was planning on getting 2-3, sorry if my title was misleading.
I have a deep plastic pond in the garden which is changed regularly, I have a large kennel set out for them(hay bedding) which is in a large enclosure they will be in during the night also for protection.
I'll probably be getting a trio of khaki's in a few weeks

That sounds great.

 

[NewDuckyMan]

Thanks

Anyone else reading this post please answer my thread Questions!!!, so many Questions!!!, I have decide don Khaki campbells as my duck of choice.

 

[mariehanson]

I have two female white campbells, they are the same as breed as the khakis just a different colour obviously. I got mine at approx 10-12 weeks old and they were so scared of everything including me. It was so heartbreaking when I would go to feed them and they would run in the opposite direction and climb over each other to get away from me.

That was three months ago. Now when I go out to feed them, they run towards me. They do make a noise when they see me and they start chattering to me which I've interpreted as them telling me about their day. Once that chatter has finished after about 5 minutes they eat their food and like to forage around where I am sitting or flap their wings at me. I think it is a bit like "look at what I can do Mum!" If I don't do this sit down and have a chat with them on an evening, I can quickly find two ducks pounding their beaks against my back door until I open it to hear about their day. It is so funny.

The only time they are loud is when I first let them out of their pen on a morning and they are excited to get into the pond, when I come to feed them or when a bigger bird like a pigeon or seagull comes into the garden. Other than that they make the cutest quiet little chirpy sound when they are happy (I've even heard them making this sound when they are asleep, happy dreams I suppose). My two are just so curious about me at the moment and will follow me about the garden or try to eat my shoes or the bottom of my trousers. They have become so tame and will eat peas from my hand but are still not keen on being picked up.

As I am still a novice duck owner I don't really know about the flying issue. My ducks have occasionally squatted their bums really low and jump high and flap their wings like they are trying to fly. So far they have managed to get about a metre off the ground for maybe a couple metres in length. Their little wings just don't seem to be able to allow them to fly but I will be keeping an eye on that and may have to clip them in the future. My two are just coming into the egg laying age now and I am hoping they will start within the next couple of weeks. The website I bought my ducks from stated that the campbells lay on average 300 eggs a year, only taking a couple of months off over winter and molting season. I'm very excited so fingers crossed!

 

[NewDuckyMan]

Hi, Thanks for all the info, its all greatly appreciated, I'll be getting mine at 1 week old and they will be handled daily by the breeder so I think mine will come to me pretty good, your two sound absolutely beautiful, can't wait to get my 3!!!!

 

[Miss Lydia]

Hi, Thanks for all the info, its all greatly appreciated, I'll be getting mine at 1 week old and they will be handled daily by the breeder so I think mine will come to me pretty good, your two sound absolutely beautiful, can't wait to get my 3!!!!

enjoy your spring I bet it's lovely there.

 

[NewDuckyMan]

Thank you, it is indeed!

 

[theduckgirl4110]

My tilly can fly sort of. I bring her in my backyard and race her to the house. She always wins. She flies about a meter off the ground and flies far. She stays by me and she would never fly away. That is not issue and i don't think it will be for you either.
You can read these. hope they help!
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/750869/raising-and-caring-for-ducklings
http://www.liveducks.com/duckcare.html