which to purchase? pekin or runner?

[AshleyFishy]

I'm wanting to add a few ducks to my poultry yard! I had ducks a few years ago but lost all, I'm ready to try again. I'm batting around getting pekins or runner ducks. I like the fact that pekins put weight on and I would be able to use any culls, however I like the laying ability of the runners.

Any opinions? Also I like the silly upright look of the runners.

My plan (yes I know plans hardly ever work lol) is to have a trio of Embden geese, six of my slow white broilers (which surprisingly lay well. I'm getting lots of double and triple yolks), two or three turkeys and five or six ducks.

Would either of the breeds work best with my other feathered critters?

 

[Amiga]

Don't know about other critter interactions, but I love my runners!

 

[AshleyFishy]

I put in a bid on some holderreads white runner eggs! If I don't win the auction I'll just order some pekins from my local hatchery.

 

[claytonjoyner15]

i would get like 3 of both if yo said you want 6. i have some pekins along with my mallards and love my pekins, but from what ive read the runners look very cool also

 

[AshleyFishy]

I like this Idea! When in doubt get both!

 

[Going Quackers]

The only thing i would caution on is the sizing, runners are lightweight ducks, pekin are heavyweight.. sometimes when raised together sizing is okay but one has to watch bigger ducks don't bully smaller ones.

I have 2 sizes in my main flock.. medium(which are buffs) and then heavy Muscovy and Pekin, i have chosen to keep anything smaller than that out of the flock(my calls for instance are separate)

 

[Amiga]

My nightmare is a Pekin drake on a runner duck. Could be fatal. Sometimes it works, but wow, that is risky.

 

[AshleyFishy]

My nightmare is a Pekin drake on a runner duck.  Could be fatal.  Sometimes it works, but wow, that is risky.

Very good point. Well if I win the eggs I'll just stick with the runners and hope for a few to hatch.

 

[AshleyFishy]

Woot I won the white runner eggs! Hopefully I'll have enough hatch out to get me started.