My Pet Duck as of 2010
- Thread starter Destroyer551
- Start date
studd muffin;3804839; said:sure recommend me a duck! i want a duck that will follow you and will obey you like a dog. i might be interested in a duck like sunnyand i do have the time to take care of one.
Ok then, to start. I wouldn't reccomend a mallard. Mostly because they are a smaller breed which you need to clip their wings. And because of their size and clipped wings, they'll make easy prey for hawks or raccoons. Another option is the muscovy. These are the "ugly" ducks with the red faces. They aren't for most people, but they don't make any noise at all. Females will make the slightest chirping noises. And the males will hiss. These ducks can also fly, so you would need to clip their wings. But the duck I reccomend, is of course a pekin. Which is what Sunny is. Why? Mostly because they are one of the friendlist ducks out there, they are calm, large, don't fly, and don't make too much noise. They are also one of the most readily available ducks out there. And usually by easter almost every feed store will have them. They are the cute yellow ducklings you seen in children's books. But as a precaution, make sure not to get a male. Once they mature, and when you keep them alone. They can become very aggressive due to the urge to mate. They'll pick their favorite owner and will attempt to mount. How can you tell? You can sex ducklings by pushing their sexual organs out, and yeah...it's not for the squemish. I'd get someone to do that for you, someone that knows how.
Once fully featherd you can tell the sex of a pekin. Sometimes earlier. Females, usually by 2-3 months old will start to quack. Males will make a scatchy "ack" noise. Definately not as loud. They will also have what's called a drake feather once fully featherd. It's basically just a feather that curls backwards on their tail. Be prepard to clean A LOT. Once a day at the least. Ducks poop quite a lot. And it smells, too. Ok, and to raise a duckling, you'll need quality feed. A feed with 20-25% protein is needed for the first 3 weeks. After that, start going down. Too much protein will cause a disease called angel wing, where to ends of their wings stick out from their body. To less of protein will cause deformities and malnutrition. Feed them only their feed until 3 weeks old, then you can start introducing treats and vegatables. Also, NEVER feed ducks bread, crackers, cereal, and chips. Even though that's what people feed ducks the most, bread has no nutrional value, is high in protein, and can harden in their crop (stomach) causing them to choke. I can't explain everything in one post, so feel free to ask some more questions once you read this is you have any.
And good luck finding a pet duck in London Neer!
