Anyone here keep ducks?

Careym13

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I recently ended up with 4 ducklings, about a week old. I keep chickens but am new to ducks. Does anyone else have any knowledge they can pass on? I don't know what kind of ducks they are, still trying to identify them.
 

Yvonne G

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Can we see a picture?

Years ago my husband had his knee fused after three failed knee replacement surgeries. He was confined to the sofa daily for quite a long time during recuperation. I bought him a little duckling as a joke to keep him company. It was yellow, but grew up to be a pekin (white) duck. She was just the cutest little thing. She thought my husband was her mama, and she stayed with him the whole time he was recuperating on the couch. When he graduated to being able to get up and move around, the duck also graduated to living outside. She stayed by the sliding glass door to the house waiting for my husband to go outside.

Ducks have a hole where the beak attaches to the skull on the under side of the lower beak. They filter water looking for food and the excess water goes out that hole. They are quite messy. My duck would take a bite of the chicken mash then go over to the waterer and swish her beak back and forth to swallow the mash. I would find tomato worms and toss them to the duck. And I would dig in the moist earth with the duck right there by the shovel waiting to pounce on any unsuspecting worm that I may turn over.

I was so taken by that duck that I eventually bought more. I had a whole flock of Call ducks (a bantam breed). I was thinking about getting some indian runners, but never did.

I learned the it's the female that makes the loud "quack". The males make a very quiet little growl sound. Also, an adult male duck has one curly tail feather that curls up towards the back while the female's tail feathers are straight.

https://www.beautyofbirds.com/pekinducks.html
 

Careym13

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What a sweet story! I hope these turn out to be that friendly. Here are photos of each one...they aren't feathered so I'm having a hard time identifying them:
IMG_3786.JPG IMG_3785.JPG IMG_3784.JPG IMG_3783.JPG
The one in the bottom right photo is the friendliest so far, doesn't squirm when you hold it. The black and yellow one seems to be the most anti-social currently.
 

wellington

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Soooo cute. I love ducks. I had a bunch of mallards that was caught in an oil spill in a creek they lived by. They all needed to be rehomed so we took some. They are very messy both when eating and pooping. They do need water to both drink and swim in. Give them a place to sleep in that's dark and cozy but not overly big. They seem to like sleeping all snug together. Not much more really that I can think of. Enjoy
 

Careym13

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Soooo cute. I love ducks. I had a bunch of mallards that was caught in an oil spill in a creek they lived by. They all needed to be rehomed so we took some. They are very messy both when eating and pooping. They do need water to both drink and swim in. Give them a place to sleep in that's dark and cozy but not overly big. They seem to like sleeping all snug together. Not much more really that I can think of. Enjoy
I read that some people use dog houses for them to sleep in, does that sound like a good idea?
 

Rue

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Adorable! :<3:

I have chickens (and parrots - who I call the 'house chickens')...and have had turkeys. We eat the eggs. The animals themselves are pets.

The only ducks I've had were overnight Mallard babies. The mother was run over and the next day I dropped them off at a wildlife rehab centre. But they were adorable too!
 

Yvonne G

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Black ducks are usually Cayuga, but I think your babies are probably mixed species. There's also a Swedish duck that's black with a white chest. As babies the Swedish look similar to your third picture.
 
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wellington

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A dog house should be fine. Do they have a place to go though to get out of they rain and sun if they want? Some place that if it gets rainy and windy they will have some room to still be fed and walk around while being out of the rain and wind? Doesn't have to be fancy or really big but you get what I'm saying
 

Careym13

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Black ducks are usually Cayuga, but I think your babies are probably mixed species. There's also a Swedish duck that's black with a white chest. As babies the Swedish look similar to your third picture.
I guess I'll just wait and see when their feathers come in. Hopefully they're species that get along with one another.
 

Careym13

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A dog house should be fine. Do they have a place to go though to get out of they rain and sun if they want? Some place that if it gets rainy and windy they will have some room to still be fed and walk around while being out of the rain and wind? Doesn't have to be fancy or really big but you get what I'm saying
I'm going to get a shed or something like that where they can go to be dry and warm. I guess I'll lock them up at night to keep them safer like with the chickens.
 

Careym13

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Adorable! :<3:

I have chickens (and parrots - who I call the 'house chickens')...and have had turkeys. We eat the eggs. The animals themselves are pets.

The only ducks I've had were overnight Mallard babies. The mother was run over and the next day I dropped them off at a wildlife rehab centre. But they were adorable too!
I have 2 rose breasted cockatoos that I call "pink chickens" since they like to run around on the floor and pick at things.
 

Rue

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Lol...I call mine the green or grey chickens....as the case may be.

I have two of them clucking.

"What does a chicken say?"
"Bok Bok Bok!" :)
 

dmmj

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I will be getting some ducks sooner or later myself I love the eggs big and tasty. So I will be watching this thread for information. lurker status confirmed
 

tortadise

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I recently ended up with 4 ducklings, about a week old. I keep chickens but am new to ducks. Does anyone else have any knowledge they can pass on? I don't know what kind of ducks they are, still trying to identify them.
Yep just got 8 ducklings myself. I'm rearing them with a turkey and 6 chickens that hatched. They will follow the leader as usual turkeys or chickens do. But also they will venture onto there own like. All the chickens and turkeys(adults)I keep together but during the day when they're out they tend to flock together with their own.
 

N2TORTS

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I used to breed "Indian Runner Ducks" .......a very neat species. One of the few " flight-less" ducks , walk around standing erect like a penguin. Lot's of fun .......but duck poo is messy!o_O




as well as hatch out button quail ( so tiny)....peacock (mean as Sh**) but beautiful......and heck quite a few other species.

but...................

"Sally" is still Queen of the Cove';)
 

dmmj

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I used to raise button quail when I was younger along with various finches. Those baby ducks are very cute though
 

dmmj

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my neighbor's father has a 2 acre farm in San Dimas he has two ducks that lay eggs all the time about six months ago she brought me some, I tried them and I was hooked.
 

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