Daily Dose of Adorable

[4FordFamily]

So a hobby I've had since I was a kid is raising domestic ducks (and occasionally geese to protect them and keep annoying Canada geese away) as "green" pond treatment. They eat algae, mosquito larvae, weeds, slugs, and other pest critters in retention ponds.

It's also pretty darn cute so that's an added bonus. Anyway, here are my first four. Will have about ten more arriving tomorrow.

A buff goose, emden goose, buff Orpington duck, and white layer duckling.



A real benefit is that domestic ducks, but especially not domestic geese, don't tolerate nasty Canada geese on the pond oftentimes. Added bonus!

Geese don't want to compete or get chased off. Domestic ducks are 2-3x the size of wild a domestic geese are larger than Canada geese. In the case of an emden goose to the tune of 10lbs or more and they're much friendlier.

 

[4FordFamily]

Anyone curious about what the heck domestic ducks and geese "breeds" look like as adults:


Smaller black is an east India duck, behind a Cayuga, back left a khaki Campbell

Buff goose
Emden goose
Magpie duck
Created khaki Campbell
Created buff Orpington
Created blackSwedish
Created blue Swedish
Welch harlequin
Buff Orpington drake

OK the breed names posted on the wrong bird, they're one "delayed"

There are others these are just a few that I have.

Yes crested exist for nearly every "breed"

 

[revhtree Verified Admin]

Oh wow so cute!!!!

 

[4FordFamily]

Oh wow so cute!!!!

At this stage, little is more adorable. In 4 weeks, not the case. :D

 

[Naiad]

Aww. A friend of mine raises ducks. Our Township doesn't allow them. Not that it has stopped some people and our nature center has its share of domestics running around. Two very beautiful ones showed up last spring, maybe you know the breed? They are black with white chests?

 

[4FordFamily]

Aww. A friend of mine raises ducks. Our Township doesn't allow them. Not that it has stopped some people and our nature center has its share of domestics running around. Two very beautiful ones showed up last spring, maybe you know the breed? They are black with white chests?

Yup sounds like black Swedish!

They're 2-3x the size of wild mallard ducks (their cousins).

If they're the size of mallard's or smaller they're probably call ducks or call X mallard crosses.

Here is a bibbed call duck

In Michigan if you don't have a fountain or pump moving water all winter where you find them, they're probably call ducks. Call ducks can fly and survive winter without help. Most domestic ducks are bred too fat with short wings to fly so they need a pump to keep the water from freezing since they cannot relocate

 

[Robink]

Once you raise them do you set them free or continue to feed and house them?

 

[Naiad]

I think they are the Swedish. They are bigger than the mallards. As far as surviving winter idk. It was a big debate but the caretakers at the center ended up building shelters for the big white guys so the black ones may have gone south or just gone in lol.

 

[Bob Escher]

Cool, I'm a cat person myself been raising them for 25 years ( not breeding, all of them have been kitten rescues. Down to two now maybe down to one after Thursday ( one is 15 and going in for surgery and they think it's cancer.) but yes have had them all since each was 6 to 7 weeks old the oldest was my first and he passed at 19

When I win the lottery and move out of this condo I'll make a pond and keep ducks heck yes