Anyone have Black East India Ducks? looking for opinions about them.

[ThreeGlovers]

I am trying to put my wish list together and was wanting a couple of small ducks. How are these as far as ease to take care of? Temperment? Ect?

Thanks.

Bo

 

[shelleyd2008]

I don't have BEI's, but I do know they can fly very well. You would need to clip their wings or keep them penned up. Any of the call ducks (BEI's are not calls from what I understand, but they are about the same size) can fly well. Other than that, I really don't know. I imagine they would be just as skittish as any other duck, unless you mess with them a lot when they are babies.

 

[birdnutz]

I find them as easy as any other duck.(poops just smaller) they do fly quite well. doesn't bother me any. They tend to waddle more than fly though. They talk alot,seems loud to me,but was assured the volume is a little less than calls. As for temperment,I'm not real sure what your looking for. They come yelling,waddling and flying for their treats. Reconize and are leary of strangers. I can walk through them.Looks like the parting of the black sea.LOL They really don't like being held. But I've only really raised 1 orphan with a goose. The ones I've named reconize and answer to their names. I wouldn't call them skittish so much as cautious. I didn't handle my orphan (Houston) as much as I could of I guess. Since I've put him back in with the flock he's not as friendly as he used to be. But I have 54 of the little monsters. Just LOVE my ducks!

 

[Dances with Ducks]

I've been reading about Australian Spotteds, which are a small duck like Black East Indies and are supposed to be much friendlier than most ducks. They are really really pretty birds! There are not enough of them around and may be lost forever if people don't breed more of them, and the hens are excellent at brooding too. They are sold by Holderread's.

 

[seedcorn]

Quote:
what do you do w/54 of theM???

 

[GardenerGal]

I don't know if others have had this experience, but I've found them to be kind of skittish and more of a "collector's" duck that you'd keep in a separate aviary from regular domestic waterfowl.

I had a pair of females a few years ago. They were really good flyers and in fact they got out of the pen one day and disappeared.

Almost a year later I saw them swimming in a nearby coastal estuary! They were still bonded together and doing great. I did a doubletake thinking they might be wild ducks but it was them.

 

[ThreeGlovers]

Thanks everyone.

Thats kinda what I was wanting to know. I will probably put a seperate run attached to my chicken house for them so they would not free range. How much room would a pair or trio need? I picked these out because Ideal carries them and I want to "slip" them in my order of chicks when I order. " oops where did those come from?" LOL

Bo

 

[thecochincoop]

I have 2 drakes. They are nicer than my white call drake, he bites. They are all not tame but the BEI's seem to be nicer. I am going to try to get them some girlfriends in the spring. I hope that if they are raised from babies they will be more tame. The ones that I have now only make noise when they are out of food.

 

[birdnutz]

seedcorn wrote;
what do you do w/54 of theM???
Well I just LOVE them. They come when called and also know what the phrase " Theres MONSTERS OUT THERE"(big birds of prey) means.I've never lost any, they stay within my 5 acres. they might miss out on their treat of a can of dog food. They do fly really well. But all mine do is circle my house.

 

[moduckman]

BEI are the prettiest of the small duck in my opinion. The greenish sheen can be striking. They are loud, like the call, which can call in predators. The only problem with ducks if you have chickens is they tend to keep the water dirty.