who knows about the Rouen Duck?

[KMurphy]

Okay, so I know that the Rouen Duck is related to the mallard, but I don't know alot about their character as they grow. Any pics or funny stories about them would be nice.

Thank you!

 

[Struttn1]

I am just learning about them...got 4 that I bought about a month ago at Rural King (thought they were mallards). I have now found out I have 3 drakes and 1 hen (I think) since one of them has starting quacking. I just placed an order for 2 dz mallards so I had the hatchery add 3 Rouen hens to even out the Rouen flock a bit. They act and look just like mallards except they are growing really really fast and are loving this rainy weather. We herd them into a secured cage type pen in the evening and let them out to spend the day. They are very comical to watch. I will get pics if it ever stops raining again.

 

[1234duck]

I have a drake & hen Rouen Ducks I also have my "Lucky Ducky",Rouen Duckling she was born 3/10.

She is about 7 weeks old. I hatched her in my incubator. The only one that hatched. She stays in the house still. Rouen Ducks love to swim they are pool hogs. They are so cute when i put gold fish in their pool & they swim & dive looking for them to eat. sometimes they can get a little loud mostly the hens but they are cute the drake doesn't like other drakes around his hens to much. Good Luck, ~Julie~

 

[loprettaerin]

Rouens are friendly and loving and love the mud, water and yuck. They are pretty smart and stick together. We have our ducks trained to go in the chicken coop at night for protection. Our dont roam to far but they are good scavengers also. They grow really fast doubling there size everyweek when they are young. My duaghters hen is funny even the drake for that matter. When she goes out there to pick them up they run alittle and talk till she grabs them but they are not running fast it is more of a game they play with her. My duaghter thinks if she puts that duck up high on something and she flys down she will one day be able to teach it to fly. I know that is never going to happen. lol They are just not built to fly. When it starts raining our like the flap there wings while running kindof like a kid playing in a sprinkler.

 

[dumb_cluck]

Rouens get BIG. They can't fly. They were bred in France for "lawn ornaments", and when they got tired of them, ate 'em.

I had one adopted Rouen and he was a real nice boy with a great personality.

 

[bt03]

I have 2 Rouen girls and they are plotting my demise as we speak!

They are much quieter than my Pekins or my Khakis but I know that they are smart and plotting things. They are the first to figure out I have treats and now how to wiggle their way in to get the lions share of the peas. They are beautiful birds and the best part is they will never fly away & make me worry

 

[1234duck]

They can't fly for a long distance but don't let them fool you they can fly up and over a short fence to get to another side or area if they want. I had to separate my Rouen ducks(drake& hen) from my Golden Cascade drake & hen, the drake Rouen would be mean to the other drake(chase and bite it) because he didn't want no one else trying to breed with the hens. So I put up a "short" divider (only came to a little over my knees,so I could step over to other side). But a couple days later the Rouen "hen" had flew over to other side when i gave corn to other ducks first or if there was clean/fresh swim water on their side first. (now I'm faster at giving treats & give Rouen's theirs first. That happened a few times & the Rouen drake figured out how to also fly over to other side then would chase the other drake. Now my fence/divider has an extension added to the top so its taller.

~Julie~ Rouen Ducks on their side of the fence.

Rouen Ducks the pool hogs. Most of their time is spent in the pool, day or night, hot or freezing cold.

This is "Lucky Ducky"{Mar.10th 2011} She is 6 weeks old in this picture. I AM HER MOMMY (with the help from the incubator) She stays in the house still but loves to be outside in the day time. She loves swimming.

 

[WillyPete67]

Worst and dumbest animal I have ever seen. Always nervous and you cant touch them, even from 2 days old they were always running side to side and would not let us touch them. Absolutely would not stay in our pond, they always wanted to run up the hill and set in our garden 24 7. they would not go into a pen at night and after about 3 months they all got eat by predators. They say they don't fly? that is a lie!! I had one fly as soon as we let it out of the pen a few hundred yards away before it landed!!! These are the worst ducks there are, when these hatchery say they are calm and grate pets its a lie!!! These thing s are dumb and a waste of your money!! My first attempt at ducks and might be my last.... STUPID ANIMALS!!

 

[duketheduck331]

Worst and dumbest animal I have ever seen. Always nervous and you cant touch them, even from 2 days old they were always running side to side and would not let us touch them. Absolutely would not stay in our pond, they always wanted to run up the hill and set in our garden 24 7. they would not go into a pen at night and after about 3 months they all got eat by predators. They say they don't fly? that is a lie!! I had one fly as soon as we let it out of the pen a few hundred yards away before it landed!!! These are the worst ducks there are, when these hatchery say they are calm and grate pets its a lie!!! These thing s are dumb and a waste of your money!! My first attempt at ducks and might be my last.... STUPID ANIMALS!!

I for one do not think this is true I got my male Rouen named duke from a hatchery since he was a day old and now he is 6 months he loves being held and laying on your lap, follows me everywhere I go even if I have to leave the house he will follow the car to the end of the drive way and walk back home. It depends on how you treat them some will be timid like our new addition to the family Minnie also Rouen about 4 months old she will make you walk up to her and grab you very insecure it seems like but very sweet. They LOVE to swim I have to clean their water bowls so many time because they try to swim in them

We started out with pekins ducks about 10 years ago they were very afraid of humans and never got ducks sice and I wanted a duck again so we ordered a Rouen because we had a mallard and thought it was a Rouen since it wasn't fully developed yet which was a mistake on my behalf but I am very glad I made that mistake or else I would have the big goof ball

 

[MamaJoyce68]

I have incubated and raised 25 Rouen ducks. I have one drake paired off with two hens in one section of the pen. They are doing fine. I had to remove two drakes from the pen because they killed one hen trying to mate with her. I found her drowned in their pool. I heard that the Rouen could not fly so decided to move them to our fish pond. Two minutes after I set them free on the pond they flew away. It was in the fall last year. This spring they returned to our pond. I was so happy to see them but they did not have any hens with them. A few days later I saw only one drake on the pond. Then a day or so later the lone drake was gone. I don't know if they flew away again or if they were killed by predators. I have not released any others for fear they would also fly away or succumb to predators.
I also have three other hens and two drakes who coop together in another section of the pen. They have their colors but have not started mating. They are doing well.
I also have younger ducks in another section of the pen. They are not large enough to tell drakes from hens yet and they are doing fine.
I have two month old ducklings in a separate pen who are getting too big for their pen. I want to move them into the pen with the other ducks but I'm afraid they will be killed.
The Rouen ducks are very territorial and will not tolerate new arrivals. The thing is I need to make room in the pen for the youngest ducklings but I have no more room.
I tried rehoming some of them but no one seems to want them. My question is should I let some of the older ducks free on the fish pond? I know there are predators of all kinds just waiting on a duck feast but I need to move some of them out. Will the drakes stay on the pond if I release hens with them or will they all fly away? Does anyone have any ideas as to how I can remedy this situation? Thanks!