Cayuga

I have 2 cayuga ducks who are 7 weeks old, and i've raised them since they were just 3 days old. I have put a lot of time into hand rearing them and as a result they let me pet them on the beak, their chest, they sit on the decking waiting for me to come outside, they even let me rub their heads (which they love as they drift off to sleep). they can quack loud but not constantly. I think all ducks are naturally skittish, but if you spend a lot of time with them and get them from a very young age, it wont happen immediately but they very capable of bonding and trusting you

I decided to get a Cayuga duck because I thought it would be quiet. Turns out, they are LOUD ducks. My girl quacks nonstop and it is very loud. I live in a HOA community, but thankfully I haven’t been caught yet. On the other hand, she loves to come over and see what I am doing. When I dump the pool to wash and refill it she’s right next to me playing in the muddy water. However, when I reach down to try and touch her she runs into her house. Overall, she has lots of personality but I wouldn’t recommend Cayugas if you want a quiet duck. Maybe the males are quieter, but definitely not the females.

I have one Cayuga duck and one Cayuga drake. They are both great additions to my flock. The drake is a great watchful eye over my mixed flock of ducks. While everyone is napping, he always has one eye open. My Cayugas are the most skittish of the breeds. The drake won't let you touch him ever. My Cayuga duck will allow gentle petting if food is involved. They both will eat out of my hand. They are calm around my kids (ages 2-9) and will walk with us around the tank water. When humans go swimming, they will keep a small distance to people they're unfamiliar with. My duck will lay 7 days a week for 3 weeks, then nothing for about a week, then again for 3 weeks. The eggs are off-white, almost a light gray. The eggs are larger than chicken eggs but smaller than Pekin duck eggs. My Cayugas did well through the Texas winter. They went to water regardless of weather. My drake survived a tussle with a dog and healed well without intervention. I would say they are definitely a hardy breed. My Cayugas (along with the rest of the flock) are trained to come when I call. They are sticklers for routine and will naturally come out of the tank for dinner feed and to be put up for the night. If I need to put them up earlier, all I have to do is call. My Cayuga female is a dark brown/black with a beautiful beetle-green sheen in the sunlight. Her beak is black and feet are gray/black. My Cayuga drake is a beautiful green on his head and neck and then turns to a sheen over dark feathers on his body. His beak is a dirty yellow (it was black in infancy) and his feet are gray/black. Both duck and drake have purple/blue/green splashes on their wings. Their coloring are very iridescent and very beautiful.