• Post Reply Bookmark Topic Watch Topic
  • New Topic
permaculture forums growies critters building homesteading energy monies kitchen purity ungarbage community wilderness fiber arts art permaculture artisans regional education skip experiences global resources cider press projects digital market permies.com pie forums private forums all forums
this forum made possible by our volunteer staff, including ...
master stewards:
  • r ranson
  • Nancy Reading
  • Carla Burke
  • John F Dean
  • Jay Angler
  • paul wheaton
stewards:
  • Nicole Alderman
  • Pearl Sutton
  • Anne Miller
master gardeners:
  • Christopher Weeks
  • Timothy Norton
gardeners:
  • Nina Surya
  • Matt McSpadden
  • thomas rubino

Tough duck breeds?

 
Posts: 65
Location: Oregon (zone 7b), 31.3 inches/yr rainfall
1
  • Likes 1
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
What are some duck breeds/species that can best hold their own against predators? I hear Muscovys can be tough. Anything else?
 
pollinator
Posts: 755
Location: zone 6b
18
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
I heard muscovys are good survivors too. Mine sat like dummies on the frozen pond while the coyote helped himself to one a night until they were all gone. People said they'd roost in trees. Not mine. I tried to herd them into a safe house but they flipped out and it became impossible to catch them.

We're trying Khaki Campbells this year and are going to teach them to go into a house at night. Smaller = more manageable to me now.
 
pollinator
Posts: 3738
Location: Vermont, off grid for 24 years!
123
4
dog duck fungi trees books chicken bee solar
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
If you have ducks and goats you should really get LGDs - yes you need two.

Maremmas were used to protect endangered penguins. They will bond with your livestock. Expect one or two duck deaths though this will be an accident as the dog learns it's too strong to play rough with such a small animal.
 
Posts: 48
Location: NC, Zone 7
1
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
Jordan, Muscovy ducks are as tough as they come. Our khakis and Ruens are pretty tough too. The Indian runners are not necessarily weak but they can't fly so they are a bit helpless. From my experience any duck is tougher than the toughest chicken for what that's worth. Also, for some reason, predatory birds seem to not see full grown ducks as food...we have had many chickens killed by hawks but not one duck! Now, no duck with its wings clipped is going to be able to handle a cat or dog predator. If you have the room, I would recommend getting adult Muscovys and clipping one wing (please make sure you google how to do this properly) at first and give them protection while they imprint on your location. After they realize that your place is a pretty nice place to be they should not leave. Our ducks fly out of their gated pond in the morning to forage and fly back in at night. If they see danger they either fly away or get in the pond.
 
Roses are red, violets are blue. Some poems rhyme and some don't. And some poems are a tiny ad.
Binge on 17 Seasons of Permaculture Design Monkeys!
http://permaculture-design-course.com
reply
    Bookmark Topic Watch Topic
  • New Topic