[Tom Parrot]

Hello readers,
Close to buying some ducks but, but should I buy a pair or one drake and two ducks.
Read somewhere that tow is better than one. Cannot remember where or what!
I will be buying three chickens first. Lost my last two to a very clever fox.
But they had a very good short life.

[cressrt]

Go to a rehoming site, it helps battery and other animals, you pay a donation but are not buying them as such. Try here for example. https://www.bhwt.org.uk.

[sunshineband]

I wouldn't have  a drake and two ducks as drakes get "over amorous" (Think about those mallards in the ponds who nearly drown their mates) and unless you are going to breed them, three ducks would be a better bet imho. Bear in mind some breeds are very vociferous too. Calling Ducks have their name for  areason!!

And rearing ducklings is hard work so buying POLs like you might with chickens is always helpful, even if slightly more costly

[Tom Parrot]

Hello Cressrt,
It doesn't answer my question. Though.
Went to the you gave and they only do hens not ducks.
Did a search for ducks and got a load of letters about nothing to do with ducks.
Tom

[Tom Parrot]

Hello Sunshineband,
I take your point but I've never seen the situation you mention.
Just ducks and drakes swimming along the river Cam.
Tom

[New shoot]

Hi Tom.  I have never kept ducks, but there are a lot of helpful articles on the main site here :

https://www.chickens.allotment-garden.org/keeping-ducks/

Also a list of breeders :

https://www.chickens.allotment-garden.org/poultry-suppliers/duck-breeder-UK.php

Cressrt was only giving you an example of somewhere that rehomes animals, which was the British Hen Welfare Trust.  It might not have helped you with ducks, but always I think it is nice when some-one replies to a post I have made and offers a suggestion.

Sunshine is right about drakes being both persistent and sometimes quite agressive.  I live near the Thames and see male mallards chasing and nearly drowning the females every spring. 

The next thread down on this board is about a drake causing problems 

https://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=129657.0

[cressrt]

We have had a number of ducks, mainly Muscovies, the drakes are large in this breed, and a few Aylesbury's,. We never had any fatalities but one duck did have a bad leg due to a drake. If you don't want ducklings then don't get a drake. They are messy and if you have a pond it will need a lot of cleaning. We still have two miniature mallards, no eggs any more, and I have to clean the pond filters every week.
Never had an issue keeping with Ducks and Chickens together.
There are quite a few facebook groups that put people together for rehoming of Chickens & Ducks, a quick search will find them for you.

[John]

Cara had 2 Aylesbury ducks who were certainly over amorous. One did drown another duck and even the hens started looking nervous! I like ducks but they do leave a lot of slimey poo around. Anyway, unless you're breeding go for 3 ladies would be my firm advice.

[sunshineband]

Hello Sunshineband,
I take your point but I've never seen the situation you mention.
Just ducks and drakes swimming along the river Cam.
Tom

In Spring drakes can get very carried away with seasonal enthusiasm and grab the back of the neck of a duck, causing quite some damage. Definitely something to avoid if you can