[loam ranger]

I am toying with the idea of getting a pair of ducks and I would like to know which breed would be best for free ranging around the allotment ?
Any advice would be appreciated.
Geoff

[Nails]

Depends what you want them for? Runners are great and very amusing to watch, lay nice eggs to, but if you want them for meat, then Aylesburys are good.

[darkbrowneggs]

Like Nails -

what I would ask is are you wanting eggs, slug control or prettiness?  Are you looking to start a duck breeding project? Is the allotment securely fenced?  Is duck quacking noise going to be a problem?  Will you ever consider eating any surplus etc etc.

All the best
Sue

[loam ranger]

    Thanks for the replies . I was thinking about slug control mainly and eggs would be a bonus.
Geoff

[gillian62]

Do ducks lay eggs each day like chickens?

[Nails]

Our runners lay most days, so do the Aylesburys

[darkbrowneggs]

Khaki Campbell are very busy ducks, and don't need swimming water as much as other types. From memory they were bred by a Mrs Campbell for egg laying abilities and to be able to run with chickens (ie not so messy as other ducks - not difficult!!)

I think for a long time they held the record for numbers of eggs laid - even by chickens, around 320pa.  They are not too big so shouldnt flatten the garden TOO much, and the ones I kept were not TOO quacky.  They are not the prettiest, but easy to get hold of. 

All the best
Sue

PS if any want a nice pair of Exhibition quality Rouen hatched April I currently have 2 pairs

[tedsdad]

KC ducks arethe most prolific layers bar none. I wouldn't keep them in with chickens,you can,but  I wouldn't.(I like to feed the ducks wet  and the chickens dry,but there other reasons)Our KCs averaged over 300 eggs a year there were 50 of them,and they lay better in the darker months,and have a longer laying life.Downsides: There's no meat on them whatsoever,not even enough for a sandwich.Their big webbed feet make a mess.They are quite timid beware dogs.

[loam ranger]

Thanks again for the replies, I have 3 plots together for veg growing and 1 for my hens, I was thinking of letting the ducks roam around the veg , will they cause much damage?
Geoff

[Spana]

Muscovies, the one and only :happy:

[tedsdad]

But they look like the mother-in-law,and they don't lay many eggs.

[Sassy]

But they look like the mother-in-law,and they don't lay many eggs.

you've seen my nother-in-law then!

Even so I do fancy muscovies. I once found a site when googling of a breeder breeding muscovies without the dangly bits! Sorry I know it is a little technical!!!!!!!!!

[Kate and her Ducks]

Sadly whichever duck you choose it will eat all you veg if you don't fence them off from it. Even with only a couple they will definately prefer your veg to anything else you give them and the feet will trample anything.

What I do is fence them off the veg in summer but let them run on the ground in winter. The eat all the waste and weeds (mine adore marestail!), eat all the slugs and snails AND their eggs in the soil and fertilise it for the next year. I definately have next to no slugs and everything grows like it has rocket fuel under it.

Personally I found Campbells very nervy and never really took to them. Mine never laid to their advertised potential. On the other hand my silver Appleyard is a much nicer temperment, lays well, is beautiful and is a good dual purpose bird.

[tedsdad]

[quote author=Kate and her Ducks link=topic=64672.msg74105. On the other hand my silver Appleyard is a much nicer temperment, lays well, is beautiful and is a good dual purpose bird.
[/q
So while the mucovy resembles the mother-in-law,  the SA is more like her indoors!

[Spana]

You only have to have a Muscovy for a short time and you will be so in love with it that you will find the red knobbly bits  very endearing

They are the sweetest ducks ever, are not noisy, dont need water for swimming like most other ducks altho they do enjoy a splash about on a hot day and i find they are good slug hunters but dont eat my veg.   
They are seasonal layers but the eggs are first class when they do lay :happy: