babypink Posted January 20, 2008 Share Posted January 20, 2008 Good evening everyone I am considering taking on a couple of ducks, mainly for pets but also for laying the odd egg or two. I used to as a little girl have a pet duck and had her for years, she laid only one egg per day and came down from her hut,along the garden footpath and knock on the kitchen door for my mum to feed her. When it was cold me and my brother used to cry that she was cold so she slept in the kitchen! I am slowly realising that I am tending towards being vegetarian and looking at growing my own veg and thought about eggs too. I would only keep a pair so they have company and even if they never laid an egg I would not be bothered but would like ducks that are not constantly vocal, good as pets and small. I am also considering buying an Eglu which seems a safe option and also bulidng a small pond at the bottom of the garden for them to use (but only when I am around) Can you recommend a breed for me, that also the egg is not strong, I remember the eggs we got from my previous duck were terribly strong and only suitable for cooking (no idea of her breed she just turned up one day!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karen & co. Posted January 20, 2008 Share Posted January 20, 2008 Hello I don't keep ducks, but lots of members do, and will be along soon with lots of good advice Karen x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
feemcg Posted January 20, 2008 Share Posted January 20, 2008 I have hatched a pair of Khaki Campbells - they are 12 weeks now. The drake is about the size of my largest hen now, but the duck is much smaller. I chose this breed as I read they were very good layers - I don't know about taste yet, and were 'medium' in the noise department! The duck does quack very loudly, but only if she sees or hears me coming, or when I call her name. A 'fixed' pond can get very dirty - I have a child's solid plastic sand pit/paddling pool. i empty and refill it every 2/3 days They were sleeping in one of the eglus with the 2 youngest chooks, but now those chooks have decided to bunk down with the older ones, the ducks are sleeping on the floor beside the eglu door Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gooner.girl Posted January 20, 2008 Share Posted January 20, 2008 I have khaki campbells and they each lay an egg every day without fail. They have a loud quack but barely use it. I can't really taste the difference between their eggs and the hens eggs! As Fee says they are about chicken size. Calls are smaller but noisier and not as good layers i don't think... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lesley Posted January 21, 2008 Share Posted January 21, 2008 We have White Campbells and one Indian Runner. They are all pretty quiet. We started with two Campbells in an Eglu and we had the run and an extension. I think ducks need more room then hens and i wouldn't have been happy without the extension unless the ducks could free-range. We used an 'underbed storage' size plastic container as their pond. I don't like duck eggs - I find the white a bit rubbery - Carl loves them poached. I have three buyers for duck eggs and they either poach them or use them for cake-making. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
babypink Posted January 21, 2008 Author Share Posted January 21, 2008 Thanks for that, very much appreciated Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
