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

[dumb_cluck]

Curious as to why everyone likes a certain breed or breeds. I had mallards, but wondering if a different breed would be "better".

My mallards met an horrific end by a mink attack late October this year. I am currently thinking about getting more ducks this spring, but would like to know what gravitates you to a specific breed and why.

 

[TLWR]

I wanted ducks.
DH said if I got ducks, he wanted eggs, or he wasn't agreeing to ducks.

So I checked out good layers.
I liked the looks of runners.
DH liked the looks of runners.

I like the personality of my runners (though, what do I have to compare it to personally...).
DH does not like the little loud mouth pooping machines



My family did have 2 penkins when I was maybe 5, but they moved to a friends pond for the winter and just stayed there.


My runners are little clowns with feathers. They entertain me and make me laugh daily. I don't mind their pooping mess and if they get noisy, that means they want something, so I just go give them some veggies and they usually quiet down.

I'd still kind of like a pekin, but it won't be a loud mouth girl! And not sure I'll get DH to agree with that. And I sort of still want my blue runner duck since Blue is well, not blue LOL

 

[cat1994]

I got my first ducks from Buchheits, I got two. One pekin duckling, and one mallard duckling. The pekin trund out to be a male and the mallard a female. The mallard hen wasn't that bad, but she always was broody, (she was small, pretty, and sweet though), but the pekin male was mean, big, and eat like a pig. So the mallard hen passed away, and I sold the pekin male. From what I had learned from my experience with the mallard and the pekin was that I wanted ducks that were small, friendly, and colored like a mallard, but were less broody then a mallard. So I found the Call duck !!! I love them they are everything I want in a duck and more!!!

 

[easttxchick]

I LOVE my Calls. Small, economical little eaters, very social and friedly. They don't require a large swimming area, which for me is great since I don't have a pond.
The hens are a TAD loud(OK, that's an understatement) and they can fly like maniacs.
The good definitely outweighs the bad with them, though.
Plus, they are just so darned cute!

 

[Aria]

We had Call Ducks for 15 years. LOVED THEM. Had some MONSTER enter our Barn and we lost our flock.

We had a friend who had Chickens and she said...why not try Chickens? WE DID. Loved my Calls....but also love my Chickens.

We have Silkies and they are full or personality. AND THEY GIVE US beautiful eggs for daily
use. Aria

 

[WestKnollAmy]

How do I love thee, let me count the ways.......

Okay, whats not to love?

Eggs! Cute factor! Talkative and personality plus on some.

I love my Runners first and foremost. However, my Magpies are adorable, the Khaki Campbells are hard workers, the Pekins have the cuteness factor and I am sure I will love the Muscovy when I get them. They all are great for one reason or another.

 

[Wifezilla]

I have had a few different breeds but now I only have Welsh Harlequins.

Here is my list why...

• The can't fly worth a darn
• They are pretty
• They lay eggs like mad
• They are mellower than runners
• They are friendlier than Khaki Campbells
• They will brood their own young
• They are quieter than buffs (but not much

)

 

[NajmoNests]

Calls, definitely call ducks! Ideal small area bird; people friendly; very social; females DO quack loudly. Sounds like they are saying, "Here you" "now" "I want". But then that's their femine voice. The males are properly subdued. They sound like they are saying, "yes dear, yes dear". I love the loud greetings, makes me think they actually care about my presence. ROFL Fly? Do calls fly? They will hover in the yard, fly over 'n circle the barn, but they always manage to land back where they started from. Do they fly to leave? NO! They are very family/home based. After all, we all need to flap our wings sometimes.

 

[ejctm]

I love my Runners because:

1. they don't fly - so can't get out of our garden and into danger
2. they are famed for egg laying - still waiting for this in the Spring to ring true, but not expecting any problems
3. they are so funny! the absolute comical clowns of the duck world. Hours of laughter and entertainment in the summer when I sit out with them... Very rewarding to tame them with peas...
4. they are not too noisy (like calls for instance). They "chatter" a lot of the time to each other which is fairly quiet (and so adorable), and only quack loudly when they get really excited.
5. they are big enough not to be lunch for my cat, or any neighbour's cat
6. they are small enough not to eat or poop unmanageable amounts (like a pekin for instance)
7. they don't need a huge pond, as we don't have one, or room to build one.
8. they are not fussy eaters, but this probably applies to all ducks, lol!
9. they come in such a variety of colours, that I was able to get 4 different looking ducks from one hatch, so it is easy to tell them apart and learn their different personalities, and they are gorgeous (my biased opinion!)
10. they run instead of waddle, which is just so funny and different to other ducks. They look like backyard penguins!

 

[DuckyMom]

Runners, Runners, and furthermore RUNNERS!
I absolutley adore my runners.
they're friendly and all around happy. someone used the term clown. in most cases it fits better than anything. They have so much personality. Pickle and Frances are both feamales from the same hatch. raised together. Pickle is a very serious hard working little duck. She always looks like she's got something really importaint going on, you best not disturb her. This doesnt keep her from curling up on the couch when she gets time inside, or perching on my shoulder. (this was cute when she was a duckling. now that she's full grown its funny but it gets alittle old.) As much as she likes to lead her sister around and march about just being "busy" she cant help but follow the dog about everytime she gets the chance. If I sit in her pen shes always trotting about following "her dog". She will go sneaking across the pen as quickly and quietly ad possible and jump on Pepper's back. (Pepper is a chihauhau jackrussle dachsund something or other mix. If you can imagine Pickle is a tad larger and her Attempts to ride pepper like a pony dont work so well.)
Frances is nothing like pickle. she follows pickle around and you would swear she is grinnning. she is cuddly and loves to curl up in your arms and bury her bill in you neck. She isn't loud mouthed like her sister and happily comes running to the pen door and lays her head in your out streched hand or if your sitting she'll climb right into your lap. The clown term fits her perfectly. At one point i came out to the pen to find Frances had pushed her head through a leaf and was wearing it like a necklace. she was strutting around like a debutante and refused to let me touch her. she was worried I would take her precious necklace. She will run in circles while frantically flapping her wings, as if she's trying to fly in tornado form. If you put your hand on the ground she wil step on it balancing both feet perfectly so you cany carry her like this or she will stand on your forearm like a parrot.
I love my little girls. I would recomend runners to anyone wanting a duck.
Emily