[RichardC]

I've got two ducks that live on a pond in our garden. When I bought them, I was assured that they were both female and, as they're Campbells (one khaki and one white), I'd have more eggs than an omelet chef could cope with. They live in a Fab floating house called Duckenham Palace.

In the last few weeks I've started to become suspicions of the original claim that their both female. It's all circumstantial but here are the facts.

1 We've only ever had a single egg per day.
2 One of them is significantly bigger than the other
3 My wife saw them mating.

We've never considered starting a duck family but it could be fun. My wife Googled "mating ducks" to make sure that it wasn't just a fight and as always the internet came up with the answer. My daughter describe the videos as "Duck Porn" so we're now fairly sure that they we're genuinely "at it"

How can you tell a ducks sex if you can't catch it? Can you get lesbian ducks? Do I need to do anything to assist with hatching?

Any answers very gratefully received.

[Rosey]

Hi
If they are cambells, one will have a curl in its tail if it is male and adult. The male doesn't quack as loud either. We have had Cambell, call ducks and runners and they all follow this method. When buying check the seller has not pulled out the tail feather and listen to them as well. There is a good book, a shires book which tells you about sexing properly.  I did have a rather agressive female call duck once which mated with the other females but she stopped when we introduced a drake.

Rosey

[RichardC]

Thanks Rosey,

I've checked against your description of Males and I think the patter of tiny web feet is more likely than a run on toasty soilders!

Do you know if Ducks eat Frog Spawn?

Richard

[Rosey]

Hi Richard

Unfortunately yes they do eat frog spawn, my old call duck was a devil for it.  They can also pollute a pond so much everything dies.  I got around it with a pump and a big pond. campbells, like runners can manage with an old trough of water, they have to be able to get their eyes wet and be able to get out.

My ducks died of old age, my call ducks Jemima and Mr Drake died last summer aged 10 and 11. Oddly I cried for days when they died (an odd confession for someone like me I know) but they were little characters.  I am getting some more white campbells hopefull next week though so I am very excited!  Our old runners were called "Sita" and "Rama" which my daughter named, they live until they were four and five.

I hope that you do hear the patter of tiny webbed feet, there is nothing quite so cute!  OOh and the eggs make brilliant sponge cakes if you are into that sort of thing. I also won the village fete with my lemon curd made from duck eggs, the first time entering, it put a few noses out of joint I can tell you!


Rosey

[RichardC]

Rosey,

Thanks again for the extra information. One of the thing's I'm missing most is the fresh ducks eggs. I'm one of those sad blokes who bakes everyday and for cakes and merragues you can't beat them (no pun intended). I'm leaving them in case they're actually going to breed.

The ducks are lucky enough to live on a fairly big pond. When it was built it was with the express intent of attracting local wild life, we've had Deer drinking from it, lots of Frogs and now the tame Ducks have attracting wild ones. I'm not sure if the wild ones will breed as there is a lot of "People Traffic" kids and dogs going out to look at stuff and feed the animals.

I've still got a lot of work to do on it, I've promised the kids a pontoon that they can fish from and a big water fall but that all take time and effort so it's likely to happen in the summer. (I've just re-read this and it makes it sound a lot better than it actually is. No matter how you dress it up I've got a water filled hole in Somerset!)

If I can work out how to do it I'll try to post some pictures.

Thanks again for the information.

Richard

[katrina4068]

hi richard,

got to say i laughed my head off at the posting.... mianly because i have a 12 year old who squeals everytime buster near drowns belle in the throws of passion!!!!

we've got a pair of campell whites.... and we've not taken the eggs for the last 11 days now (no sign of her going near them yet!! but im still hopefull)

please keep us updated on how yurs fair... for all my reading on the internet about ducklings most of it relates to taking the egs and putting them in an incubator whihc id rather not do!!

quite excited about my pending family!! and thats putting in mildly....

Katrina