Why do you like your breed of duck(s)?

[Big Dreamer]

I love my Welsh Harlequins,
1. They are beautiful
2. They lay great (so Ive heard)
3. They brood their own young (so Ive heard)
4. They dont eat a lot
5. Mine are pretty quiet
AND I LOVE THEM!!

 

[KansasKid]

I like my mallards because they are the i started with and i love to watch them fly. its also kind cool to have ducks that i commonly see the marsh.

 

[mommyofthreewithchicks]

My ducks could start laying at any time now so can't tell you anything about their eggs.... I am getting impatient waiting.

I love our mallards because of their flight. Plus they are so pretty. I had planned on clipping their wings but

I love our WH because in theory they should lay great and they are so pretty.

Right now the Jumbo Pekins I could take or leave. I have had two that I had to nurse back to health because of leg problems. They are BIG. And yet I like the contrast between the other breeds.

I think you need to think about what you want out of the ducks and then look at the breeds. I wanted eggs and meat (and now I am unsure about the meat) as well as bug eaters.

 

[PippyChicken]

I just have 1 little duck who thinks she's a chicken. She's a 6 week old Rouen duck. She's a little drama queen and makes the biggest mess ever!! But that's why I love her!

 

[duckfat]

I prefer the pekin duck mostly. The feed conversion ratio is about 2.7 to 3.0, and the white plummage leaves a good looking carcass after processing. The meat is delicious, and the rendered duck fat is great for cooking. They are good layers of large eggs that we can sell easily through stores. They are fairly hearty, and eggs incubate easily.

 

[beardiemom]

We have 8 male magpie ducks, that we got as 10 week olds this summer. We got them so that the dogs could practice herding at home and we could save the $40/hour cost. Our trainer had switched from runners to magpies because they are calmer ducks. We haven't worked them as much as we intended because life gets in the way, but it really has been good for the dogs to see and interact (supervised) with them on a regular basis.

The males get along wonderfully together. No scraps so far, I wonder if that will change as they get older. They do get bullied by the 6 chickens though, who fly into their yard and eat their food.

Sharon

 

[Muscovies]

I have Muscovies I like the wartie face that they have, they are good mothers, they each have a unquie thing about them. They are the first ducks I have raised I seen them at a man's house one time and asked what are those ducks called and he said "Muscovies" and I asked some one to find me a pair and they did they where white and now I have a whole flock of them.

 

[dumb_cluck]

Anyone have mini Appleyards? They look interesting. Ifyou do have them, any "problems"?

 

[duck walk]

I love all of my ducks...I have some pure breds and some mixes and I find that they all have very endearing personalities...the Pekins and the loudest, biggest, fatest with an extreme waddle factor...they are loud and friendly...totally silly...they lay very well and give me the largest eggs and often double yolkers...

I have a very old Black Swedish duck who went broody and hatched a dozen ducklings, some of them even her own as I have some young Black Swede mixes out there...I think that was probably her last hurrah as she is a senior citizen in the duck yard...she is freidly and opinionated...

I have a crested Rouen drake I named Don King for his wild hair do...he has three fawn and white runner ducks who would follow him to hell and back...in the big mix they are always together and if one of the girls goes missing, Don gets frantic and flits here there and every where until he has located the missing...he is very charming and watchful of his babes lest one of the other drakes gets any ideas about stealing one of them...

I have a buff and a plain brown duck...both are old and quite the moochers...always hanging about my ankles waiting for me to drop something like dog food, an egg, anything at all that they can scarf up...they watch my hands and my face...always hopeful for a snack...

There is a black Runner duck out there who has identity problems...she was not raised with geese but thinks she is one...she has an insufferable "crush" on my White Chinese gander...she follows him every where and stays with the goose flock rather than the duck flock...she quacks at him and head bobs and he looks at her like she is a total lunatic but never offers to harm her...once in a while he gets tired of her and bonks her but not wickedly...I am sure she embarrasses him...

I have two Ancona/Pekin crosses with very pretty markings, both girls and very loud...

I love them all and they each bring something different to the table and I do not mean the food table...I spend hours just watching them and laughing my butt off...they are better than tv, movies, all that stuff...it is totally hilarious when the group of six or seven bachelors (guys who have no ducks of their own and who hang together as a group) argue over something...they get into pushing contests, chest to chest, and really get down with the shoving...the non combatants gather around in some sort of cheering section and encourage the mayhem...better than fake wrestling on tv...they shove and push, plant their big feet and really give it a go until one backs up or backs down, then it is off to the pool for a dip with a mouthful of celebretory oatmeal...they a a total crack up...

There is no such thing as an ugly duck and they all have the charm factor in full force...it all comes down to personal preference and the quack factor...if you have neighbors, which thankfully I don't, loud ducks could annoy some people...Muscovies are quiet, lay well, brood their own, are very delcious tho I have no personal experience with that aspect, and fly like bandits...if you want to keep them honest, you may have to clip wings...I recently acquired five of them and am smitten...one drake and four ducks...they come in a variety of colors and that is nice...easy to name them, differenciate and all of that...

 

[BlackBrookPoultry]

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I have to add, my calls have all been good mothers. I've also had true mallards and they are great too.