Hello.
I would like to add some new duck breeds in my yard...
I already own Indian Runner ducks and chickens.
I would want to add at least one breed that could live and free range together with my birds - with these qualities if possible :
1 - good egg layers (a breed that lays even in winter would be great);
2 - good meat, in case I need to cull the extra drakes;
3 - good looks;
4 - bad flyers - being ducks that don't fly away from home;
5 - not destructive, because I want to keep my yard intact.
(Considering the quality of meat is a first for me, because I NEVER culled an animals. Besides, I am kind of afraid of corpses...
Nevertheless, I know if I have too much drakes amongs the ducklings born in my garden, I will eventually need to kill them if nobody wants them.
So, I think that's time for me to prepare myself...!)
...My two favorite breeds to bring home would be Cayuga and Khaki Campbell, but I am also interested in Duclair, Magpie, Ancona, and Welsh Harlequin ducks.
...What I would need is : pros and cons, and personal experiences with these ducks.
Or even OTHER duck breeds you could think about : I am still not decided with what I will bring home, after all...!
Ideally, I would want ducks that could peacefully go to bed together with my Indian Runners.
I would separate them if possible, but preferably, I would not want to : when storms are coming, it would be easier for me if I could just herd all of my duck in only ONE run and not worry about them ending up to fight each other in their enclosed space.
(Speaking about herding : do these breeds are ducks easy to herd?)
I also would want ducks that are not particularly heavy or destructive.
...because my Indian Runners are not : they don't make any damage to the yard, and only the ducklings and juveniles eat my grass and my veggies...
And I really don't want to bring home ducks that will destroy my garden and my plants (rosemary, lavender, thyme, etc...)...
Of course, I would need these duck to stay home, so...
...Do they need to have a constant access to a pool?
Because I will separate my ducks in different parks for mating season, but I probably will not have a pool for each one of them (just small basins)...
So : would these ducks (try to) fly away if they don't have a pool?
...In fact : what could you tell me? And recommend me?
How many hens for these drakes...?
...Are they gentle? ...Good pets?
Etc... whatever you think about...!
(If you have pictures and stories to share, I would really love it if you do...!)
Also... do somebody know if Australian Shellducks and/or small ornemental ducks could all also live and go to bed together with Runner ducks without killing each others...?
And not to be horrible, but just in case I can't give away all of my young runner drakes before next winter : what about Indian Runner's meat...?
(...Last question : given chicken hens can keep and use their rooster's sperm during three weeks after the mating... do I have to assume it is the same for ducks?
It is just to know how long my ducks need to be separated in different parks for me to be sure the ducks' eggs are fertilized by the drakes of my choice...)
Thank you!
I would like to add some new duck breeds in my yard...
I already own Indian Runner ducks and chickens.
I would want to add at least one breed that could live and free range together with my birds - with these qualities if possible :
1 - good egg layers (a breed that lays even in winter would be great);
2 - good meat, in case I need to cull the extra drakes;
3 - good looks;
4 - bad flyers - being ducks that don't fly away from home;
5 - not destructive, because I want to keep my yard intact.
(Considering the quality of meat is a first for me, because I NEVER culled an animals. Besides, I am kind of afraid of corpses...
Nevertheless, I know if I have too much drakes amongs the ducklings born in my garden, I will eventually need to kill them if nobody wants them.
So, I think that's time for me to prepare myself...!)
...My two favorite breeds to bring home would be Cayuga and Khaki Campbell, but I am also interested in Duclair, Magpie, Ancona, and Welsh Harlequin ducks.
...What I would need is : pros and cons, and personal experiences with these ducks.
Or even OTHER duck breeds you could think about : I am still not decided with what I will bring home, after all...!
Ideally, I would want ducks that could peacefully go to bed together with my Indian Runners.
I would separate them if possible, but preferably, I would not want to : when storms are coming, it would be easier for me if I could just herd all of my duck in only ONE run and not worry about them ending up to fight each other in their enclosed space.
(Speaking about herding : do these breeds are ducks easy to herd?)
I also would want ducks that are not particularly heavy or destructive.
...because my Indian Runners are not : they don't make any damage to the yard, and only the ducklings and juveniles eat my grass and my veggies...
And I really don't want to bring home ducks that will destroy my garden and my plants (rosemary, lavender, thyme, etc...)...
Of course, I would need these duck to stay home, so...
...Do they need to have a constant access to a pool?
Because I will separate my ducks in different parks for mating season, but I probably will not have a pool for each one of them (just small basins)...
So : would these ducks (try to) fly away if they don't have a pool?
...In fact : what could you tell me? And recommend me?
How many hens for these drakes...?
...Are they gentle? ...Good pets?
Etc... whatever you think about...!
(If you have pictures and stories to share, I would really love it if you do...!)
Also... do somebody know if Australian Shellducks and/or small ornemental ducks could all also live and go to bed together with Runner ducks without killing each others...?
And not to be horrible, but just in case I can't give away all of my young runner drakes before next winter : what about Indian Runner's meat...?
(...Last question : given chicken hens can keep and use their rooster's sperm during three weeks after the mating... do I have to assume it is the same for ducks?
It is just to know how long my ducks need to be separated in different parks for me to be sure the ducks' eggs are fertilized by the drakes of my choice...)
Thank you!