# Duck breeds that can't fly?



## PonderosaQ (Jan 12, 2004)

Are there any duck breeds that can't fly(Indian Runners?)? I friend of mine lives on the river. Last year he brought me some duck eggs and I incubated them for him. He so enjoyed those ducks. However they weren't tame enough for him to be able to catch them and clip their wings. Needless to say they ended up on some hunters table. He'd love some more as pets and to simply enjoy watching. He doesn't own his property and isn't allowed to cage them so a breed that couldn't fly and be hunted would be great. Your help will be greatly appreciated.
PQ


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## Clifford (Aug 14, 2004)

White Pekin Ducks. Never seen them fly, although they can flap while they run which gives them some ground speed.

They love water too. I had 5 last year and they survived 2 fox attacks on the creek. Strong birds...


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## PonderosaQ (Jan 12, 2004)

In that case our hunters aren't playing by the rules as two of the ducks he lost this fall were Pekins. Maybe nothing stands a chance! I know you can't hunt Harlequiuns in this area but as one hunter told me ...me wouldn't know one if he saw one!
PQ


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## crashy (Dec 10, 2004)

We have Cayuga ducks and they are big and beautiful and the do not fly.


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## moonwolf (Sep 20, 2004)

I had Khaki Campbells. They also don't fly, and lay lots of eggs.


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## Daddymem (Oct 5, 2006)

We had ducks with white pom-poms on their heads and they couldn't fly. Some kind of crested duck I think, I was young. I think some domestic breeds can't fly because they are too heavy for their wings.

Edit
Yep, they were crested ducks, domesticated and couldn't fly.
http://www.feathersite.com/Poultry/Ducks/BRKDucks.html
http://www.feathersite.com/Poultry/Ducks/Crest/BRKCrestedDucks.html

They were a riot. We had a broody hen hatch them and we put an old rowboat full of water in the yard. Well, ducks being ducks, they took off to swim and that mother hen about died of panic thinking they were gonna drown. She never did realize they were ducks nor did the ducks realize they were ducks...all the other hen house residents knew something was wrong...poor rooster.


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## DocM (Oct 18, 2006)

All ducks have the ability to fly, but usually domestic breeds do not fly because they don't have to - they don't aquire the muscle development as very young ducks. A duck that can't fly by the time it's 12 weeks old becomes coyote dinner.Then they get a little "fat" on corn and can't fly. None of my ducks can fly away, they can all fly about 2 or 3' off the ground quite a distance, probably 25 or 30 yards.


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## PonderosaQ (Jan 12, 2004)

Thanks for all your ideas. I've had ducks and none of them ever flew but they didn't need to. These guys will live on a river and if they can will probably fly at some time. I just don't want my friend to lose more buddies. He enjoyed watching them so. I used a hen to hatch them and some of the kids at the campground he lives in really thought the chicken had hatched ducks. Was not pleasant when I saw them in the back of hunters PU. 
PQ


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## savinggrace (Oct 27, 2005)

Hi,

We have two Rouen ducks and one Khacki Campbell. If you don't know what Rouens are-they look like mallards except they are approx. 10 lbs. 

We got them as ducklings and kept them in the yard with a plastic swimming pool until they were fully grown and several months old.

About that time, it was high summer, and the creek adjacent to our property was pretty low, with sand bars ect. and it wasn't flowing as swiftly.

One day by mistake, our ducks pool went empty and they found the creek!

I was so worried they were gone forever! But they have grown accustomed to the currents, they can even manage when the water is extremely high. The ducks spend a lot of time in the creek, never very far away almost always in view. They roost along the creek in our yard, and come up to the house twice a day to eat. Otherwise they graze in the yard, and dive for crayfish and seaweed in the creek. 

They are fat, sassy and we positively adore them! 

They do fly-short distances to get into the water ect. I am glad they can fly as they don't waddle very fast!

While we have lost chickens to predators, (*NOCK ON WOOD***) all three ducks seem to manage-just fine. They decided they didn't like the wooden 'duck house' we constructed for them (and locked them inside at night when they were little) The only time they sleep inside is when it is positively cold out-they stand in front of where we keep the bantams quacking asking to be let in so they can sleep in front of the heat lamp we keep in there. 

One thing they DON'T like....snow. I had to dig a path up to the house because they wouldn't get out of the icy creek and brave that horrible snow!


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## fantasymaker (Aug 28, 2005)

A hunter shot pekins?That would commonly be called a moron in my neck of the woods pretty obvious they were domestic. Id have called the sheriff and game warden.


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## mamajohnson (Nov 27, 2002)

I have pekings and muscoveys. I have seen them flap about, but do think they are a bit on the heavy side to fly.
they are basically free range, and always stay close to home.


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## no1cowboy (May 2, 2004)

I use to have muscoveys the young ones would fly around the barnyard but never flew away, as they got older they stayed grounded, as for catching them i would grain them from a pail and they got so use to it that they would follow me around any time i had a pail in my hand.


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## PonderosaQ (Jan 12, 2004)

Fantasymaker thanks for that info. No one in my family hunts so I didn't know that the sheriff could have been called. Don't find muscovy's very friendly and after having one myself that would attack I don't think they would be the best choice around the campground kids. In order to get away with keeping them my friend will have to be sure they won't cause any trouble! Thanks again everyone.
PQ


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## DixyDoodle (Nov 15, 2005)

> Don't find muscovy's very friendly and after having one myself that would attack I don't think they would be the best choice around the campground kids


Really? Mine were so tame, I sometimes had to practically wade through them, they would follow me around and get underfoot. But I raised them from ducklings, so they were definitely people ducks. I suppose ducks are like chickens, though, sometimes you get a bad one, and that only determines who goes in the freezer first! 

Male muscovies don't fly well as they get too heavy. My females I just clipped; being tree ducks, like they liked to perch on high things, like the barn roof. Once they were clipped, they wouldn't even go as far as getting on my water troughs.

DD


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## mwhit (Jun 8, 2006)

fantasymaker said:


> A hunter shot pekins?That would commonly be called a moron in my neck of the woods pretty obvious they were domestic. Id have called the sheriff and game warden.


My thoughts exactly-- hunting *wild* waterfowl does not include Pekins or any other domestic duck. Next time call the sheriff or game officer.


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## MaineFarmMom (Dec 29, 2002)

Ducks that can't fly can still walk. Since he lives on the river and can't pen the ducks it seems unlikely that he can keep them going to the water.


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## tinknal (May 21, 2004)

You say they "ended up on some hunters table". Do you know this is a fact? Domestic ducks really don't stand a chance swimming around in a river. There are about a dozen type of critters that will readly make a meal out of a domestic duck.


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## JasoninMN (Feb 24, 2006)

A game warden is not going to care if some pekins were shot. They would be more concerned about you releasing domestic birds and then they end up crossing with mallards. In some areas of the U.S mallards have become so tainted with domestic blood that they are not showing true mallard type/color any more and alot have lost the ability to migrate. Besides YOU could end up getting fined from calling a game warden and telling them you released domestic ducks on a river. If I was those hunters and I saw two big white ducks floating in a river out in the woods I would probably shoot them too because they do not belong their. They weren't idiots, they were smart enough to realize domestic ducks do not belong mixing with wildfowl. This kinda cracks me up after seeing all the people on here advocating the 3 S's and then somebodies ducks are floating on a river, not even on their land, supposedly get shot and NOW the sherif and game warden should be called. :shrug:


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## fantasymaker (Aug 28, 2005)

Jason
We are talking pekins......and I take it you dont understand the concept of free range? As far as I can tell the landowner was perfectly happy with the situation.
better check your laws agin , hunting is only allowed for animals defined as"game" or varmits and pests. Domestick fowl are never leagal to hunt.........Unless they are harming your animals

edit...
Besides dont they have to be in the air to be a leagal shot?


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## tinknal (May 21, 2004)

FM, I think you are missing something. The ducks were "free ranging" on public land! I don't know where you live, but where I live you are expected to keep your livestock on your own property.


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## fantasymaker (Aug 28, 2005)

Free range is ALWAYS public land


Unfortunatly once agin we dont have the slightest clue as to where the poster is talking about...a pet peeve of mine see below!


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## Runners (Nov 6, 2003)

We've seen just about every one of our ducks fly, some shorter distances than others. Some get off the ground just enough to clear a fence, others manage to go just far enough to get out of reach.

Any duck can fly if they stay LEAN enough. Feed them fattening stuff like CORN and they pork out, gain too much weight in fat and the flying days are over. Enough exercise free ranging and leaner feeds - they can surprise you when they don't want to get caught.

When I saw a 3yr old Tom Turkey go flying by my window, I was stunned. About 10' behind him was our duck herding dog, chasing him out of the front yard. He got tired of losing tail feathers to the little hound - or finally got in shape... he and his other Tom friends can easily go 100 yards when they really want to. Same with the ducks.


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## JasoninMN (Feb 24, 2006)

> ason
> We are talking pekins......and I take it you dont understand the concept of free range? As far as I can tell the landowner was perfectly happy with the situation.
> better check your laws agin , hunting is only allowed for animals defined as"game" or varmits and pests. Domestick fowl are never leagal to hunt.........Unless they are harming your animals
> 
> ...


I understand free range quite well actually all my birds do it and yeah I know the laws where I live. I am also smart enough to realize that domestic ducks do not fall under the same laws as migratory waterfowl too. Could you please show me a link anywhere on IL states laws that it is illegal to shoot a domestic duck of its owners property?


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## GrannyCarol (Mar 23, 2005)

I'm afraid that domestic ducks are a real problem in wildlife situations and ought not to be there. They crossbreed with the wild ducks and the offspring are not able to fly well enough to migrate and lose wild type. In all likelihood the hunters did the wild duck population a favor. You don't free range ducks because of this. It's quite likely that the hunters thought they were strays. It's also quite possible for a tame duck to fly up out of the water for a short distance, making a "legal" shot. 

Now, if the land the ducks were on belongs to your friend, that is an entirely different story. 

Also... those hunters may have done the ducks themselves a favor. Predation is high on domesticated ducks that are not safely penned up, esp. at night. They can't move fast enough or fly well enough to escape predators and I'm afraid that they'd quite likely end up dinner for raccoons, mink, cats, foxes, dogs, coyotes, hawks, owls or whatever else there is around that area. Likely better to just be shot quickly. I'm afraid your friend's desire to have his pets run wild on the local pond just isn't likely to work out well in any sense. 

Ducks are wonderful pets to have though, they are highly amusing and not all that hard ot keep if you are willing to pen them up at night in a secure pen and have a fenced area during the day to protect them. Few of the domestic ducks fly very well or very high. We find that a 3' fence will keep them happily in our backyard, though one of the smaller drakes did fly over that to get to the ducks one day...  We clipped his wings and that ended THAT!


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## Kstornado11 (Mar 17, 2006)

We have Rouens,Blue Swedish,Khaki Campbell & Magpies. Love all of them, they make excellant farmyard ducks and all are great layers!!


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