Meet Lucky and Gretchen!

[nachoqtpie]

hehe... yes... that was sort of my thinking... but I might let them mother their own. We're not super worried about freezer camp at this moment in time... we've still got to get a freezer FOR camp!! LOL

 

[vfem]

Not only are they cute, but you just can't just have 2. Maybe you should get 2 more friends for them. Your flock will thank you! lol

 

[MuranoFarms]

Awwwww How cute!

 

[nachoqtpie]

Haha!! Stop being an enabler vfem!! ;-)

 

[897tgigvib]

Yes, get more duckies, lots of different kinds of them! hmmm

How good are domesticated ducks at being safe from predators? I'm thinking about getting some, if they could be safe.

 

[bobm]

Marshall: For economy of production and considering that there is only you living in a cabin in the woods - I would recomend Khaki Campbel ducks for egg production ... their eggs are much larger than a chicken's and they will outlay ( in number of eggs per year) even the Leghorn ( the egg laying machine chicken ). Two of these female ducks will supply you with all the eggs that you can ever consume and give away/ sell. I had a drake and 2 hens that supplied us with eggs for breakfast as well as cooking for our 3 kids, wife and me. They are a small duck and eat small amount of feed and forage for bugs and weeds very well. For meat : The Pekin is the most efficient feed to meat converter there is and are ready for freezer camp in 6-8 weeks of age. My drake and 4 hens provided the 5 of us with enough meat for weekly dinners for a year. All other breeds may be cute, but nowhere near as productive as in cost / benefit for one's labor. Since they are waterfowl, they require lots of water to drink, clear their bills of feed, swim, bathe, and spilled water + dirt = lots of mud in, on, under, and through their housing which = to stink. Also,while males are quackless, female ducks are quite noisy in larger numbers. Too, 2 or more male ducks in a flock will constantly and mercilessly go after the females in their amorous persuits. Therefore I would limit my numbers. All predators just LOVE a tastey duck dinner.

 

[nachoqtpie]

Bob is quite right!! From what I've heard Muscovy are really tasty as well! They also go broody 4 (or more) times a year, which would be good for me because I really don't WANT to raise the babies inside... LOL We do have 2 males... even tho we TRADED 2 males for 2 females... it's better than having 3 males and 1 female I guess. I've net had any predators, but that doesn't mean that you wouldn't. I live in a rather urban area and there are quite a few houses here. Some of my local friends live in less populated, but still urban, areas and have had quite the issues with fox, raccoons, and one of them even seen a bobcat!! They do need water to be able to blow their nasal cavity out, and they are really messy. Muscovy need less water, but still need water. As far as I know... ducks aren't as susceptible to flying predators as chickens are. I also think that ducks have more personality than chickens, tho I love my chickens as well.

 

[bobm]

My next door neighbor baught 10 Mallard ducklings in Spring 3 years ago. Since we have quite a few raccons, possums, several bobcats, and coyotes by the dozens, He dug a large pond ( 20' x 50' x 2')with a(@ 10'x10') island in the middle with his tractor and scraper for them near his house. Landscaped the island and surrounding area beautifully with small trees and bushes. and fenced in the surrounding area with a 5' very nice v mesh fence. By fall he had 4 left. By Summer of the next year the rest were gone. It seams that the Red Tailed hawks raised 2 broods on duck dinners at their nest in a 200+ year old Oak tree on the other end of their 20 acre property( judging by duck feathers at the base of the Oak tree). However, a colony of ground squirrels run rampant at the base of that tree as well as at the nearby fence posts. Go figure !