Ducks

[davina112]

I am thinking about getting a couple of call ducks, I have no experience of duck but have had my chickens for a little over 3 years. So how many ducks should I get, are they like chickens, needing to be in a flock ? Is 2 ok or should I ideally get more ? Are there introduction problems like with hens. Will they live happily in a chicken coup, not in with chickens but in that type of coup as I gave a spare ?
Thanks

[kitla]

Sorry I don't know much about ducks but I thought you may not have spotted this post
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[rainy]

Hi
ducks will want company of their own kind so get at least two and limit your males. They dont have a pecking order like chickens are are much more sociable with each other so you dont get the squabbling that you get with introducing new hens.
Ducks can live in a coop but it needs to be low down/ ground level with plenty of head room and space to walk in freely - a pop hole will be too small.
They make a lot of mud and need a pond - it is unfair to keep ducks without one.
You'll get plenty of eggs.
Ive had ducks and chickens for 12 years.

[davina112]

Hi Rainy
Thanks for the info.
I have quite a big pond, so no problem there.
I am looking at some call ducks as I understand they are small.
I have been offered 2 pairs, would they be ok together or is 2 males to 2 females too much ?
I have 2 spare coops, one has quite a big door, which I think should be ok, are they able to get up a small ramp or not ?
Sorry, soooooo many questions

[davina112]

Bit of an eventful day.
Arranged to collect a pair of call ducks for hubby's belated Christmas present, a surprise for him. So off I went this morning telling him I was going to see a friend, I am not good at lying and nearly tripped myself up on numerous occasions.
Couldn't decide which breed to get when I got there, are there were quite a few small breed wildfowl ducks I liked. I was very good and came home with just the 1 pair of calls. I averted my eyes from all the hens.
I arrived home and told him where I had really been
So we have what we need for them but none of it prepared. So we set about getting everything ready. Firstly I slipped and fell flat on my back on the decking. Then put the house in the right place and put the ducks into their "run" they had a little swim, then got themselves out of the pond and went for a look around the back of the Polly tunnel, and promptly disappeared under the fence and down an incline into the perimeter of the school behind us. So after some climbing over fences and tackling an assault course and with the use of a net, said ducks were retrieved and put into their house with the door closed. Holes plugged and door reopened, they are now happily swimming on the pond. Hope bed time isn't difficult

[Thomassio]

Hi Favina, I hope the calls are settling in well. They are lovely little ducks but can get noisy? Have they been so far? I'm sure you know now anyway, but generally, no more than one drake to 3or 4 females. They are very....um....rampant and can do some real damage to the girls if the over mate with them and two drakes without enough females will fight and fight. We have one drake to five girls and he looks after them so well, it's amazing!