JavaScript is disabled. You can butcher Cayuga ducks as early as eight weeks, though many breeders will recommend waiting until 12 weeks for best results. Can A Pig Eat Anything? Is there a minimum that has to be ordered? I'm excited to see all the color changes her eggs will go through during the season. You can order males, females or unsexed (straight run). Her nickname is "battleship" on account of her enormous size. So, if you want a duck that will not disturb your neighbors and keep you up at night, Muscovy ducks are your best bet. You can get another two females to help him spread his affections, if you decide to keep him. They love to forage and swim but their loose feathering causes them to get waterlogged quickly. A Comprehensive Guide, How to Start a Backyard Chicken Farm During a Recession, The Many Benefits of Raising Backyard Turkeys. Female ducks usually quack loudly when they are excited or when they are startled. But, from as young as 4-8 weeks old you can start to observe some key differences, and build a case towards your Cayuga ducklings being male or female. Or, you could also try to trade him for another female at a different homesteadeven though I know you dont want to separate them, maybe it will help to know they can make new friends and be just fine. Although this isnt always a certain predictor, male Cayuga ducks tend to develop curly tail feathers from as young as about 8-12 weeks old. The Cayuga is a medium-class duck, weighing an average 8 pounds for mature males and 7 pounds for females. Got them all on time all alive and they are super cute. One of the Cayuga ladies is definitely wanting to be a mom. 5 Foods a Pig Should NOT Eat, Can Goats Eat Rice? The Cayuga Duck gets its name from Cayuga Lake in New York, and is one of the few duck breeds that originated in the United States. Theyre also docile enough to get along with children, household pets, and other livestock. Once their eggs have hatched, Cayuga hens have a strong tendency to become broody. Females will deliver a clear, traditional quack, males will vocalize a raspier, quieter bark-like quack. 138. shawluvsbirds said: Hmm. 534. Telling the difference between a male and female Cayuga duck at maturity can be hard enough, but for younger ducklings, its even more challenging. So, as far as sounds go, the males are markedly different than the females. if they are 8 weeks it is too soon to tell by feathers. You will barely hear sounds from them unless they are startled, attacked, or happy. Cayuga ducks have black feathers, a black bill, and an attractive iridescent green shade on their neck and heads. They were no less beautiful, however! Sounds are the best earlyish clue for gender that I know. Fertility Percentage: 60-75%. They can also thrive in a free-range setup, but be aware of. Females have a honkier sound and males a quieter, raspier quack. Commentdocument.getElementById("comment").setAttribute( "id", "a0e142fab4a9b640ba91633778c48382" );document.getElementById("b503fa7443").setAttribute( "id", "comment" ); Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. The ducks that survived were healthy and now showing beautiful, vibriant colors. A Cayuga duckling can cost anywhere between $3 and $12, with females being more expensive than males. I really love this breed, and I also really appreciate what great customer service and compassion Metzer showed when this girl first arrived in the mail. Medium class duck weighing 7 to 8 pounds on average once mature. The Cayuga duck is a rare breed, so birds tend to be on the pricier side for backyard poultry owners. That loss of popularity made Cayuga numbers spiral downward for several decades, but it seems this breed is (thankfully) not headed the way of the dodo. I am new to ducks and I have one Cayuga & one Pekin! If your Cayuga does the typical, loud clearly-voiced QUAAAACK quack quack, thats probably a tip-off for being a female. Our flock of stunning beetle green Cayuga ducks! Prior to the arrival of the Pekin breed, they were the bird of choice for meat production in the Northeast. If you want purebred ducklings hatching from your ducks, make sure you separate your ducks by breed during the mating season. While not as prolific as breeds such as the Pekin duck, people do keep Cayuga ducks as layers. A third consideration is letting them acclimate naturally like the animals they are. Metzer immediately contacted me back after I sent them a worried email, and gave me tips on what was wrong and how to help her, and offered a replacement if she did not recover. Origin: United States; The Cayuga is an attractive, colorful bird that makes hardly any noise. I have raised them since they were hatched and I was hoping for girls as I also have 4 chickens and have heard all the stories of drakes. At the same time, we got 3 Silver Appleyards. Many say that the breed has a flavor akin to prime beef. Healthy yolks will often have a bolder flavor than traditional chicken eggs with a thick, creamy consistency. Crested Ducks are relatively quiet too. . In the 1860s the duck breed was recognized under the name Cayuga duck and in 1874 it was recognized by the American Poultry Association's Standard of Perfection. We are not going to go the route of a heat lamp in the coop because we have had friends who had their coop burn down and also had others have their flock freeze to death when the lamp suddenly stopped working in the middle of the night, so we are going to do the deep litter method. Rouen Ducks: 140-180 eggs with a weight of 6-9 pounds. Muscovy ducks are the quietest of the different duck breeds. As sweet as they are now, the truth is that if he over-breeds and hurts the Pekin if theyre left as-is, theyll seem a lot less cute. Thanks for your comment. They may try to mate the chicken hens with fatal results. They would lay about 130-180 eggs per yr. Is it possible to order a couple of females and a male Cayuga ducks? They usually make no calls except if they are hungry, excited, or being threatened. The classic, archetypal "quack" sound is that of a female duck. Ducks mature at around 6 months of age when the male drakes will have a small, curled drake feather appear at the base of the tail. The Cochin chicken breed originates from Japan. Generally, they range from 20 to 26 inches long and weigh from 1.6 to 3.5 pounds. Cayuga ducks are at the pinnacle of beauty. On the other hand, Cayuga drakes will begin mounting and mating behaviors from as young as 4 months old. This site does not constitute pet medical advice, please consult a licensed veterinarian in your area for pet medical advice. She is fierce, loving hardy and a great egg layer. Cayuga hens tend to be louder than drakes. When raised by hand, Cuyagas can be particularly affectionate. Pets | Livestock | Ducks | Cayuga | Kingsbridge. Your email address will not be published. That still sounds like it could go either way to me. Hope that helps! The Rouen was accepted into the Standard of Perfection by the American Poultry Association in 1874. Which one is the drake? The Cayuga is considered a medium sized duck with a long but well-rounded body. If you are keeping them for eggs, you should get around 100-130 large eggs per year. The color of the Cayuga ducks plumage is almost identical between the drakes and hens. Cayuga hens lay white to black eggs. I honestly cant tell the difference in sound between the males and females for that breed She has kind of a couple of feathers that curl up a bit, but nothing like the photos of drakes I see online, just ever so slightly curled. Theyre thought to have been crossed with the Native American Black duck and the Mallard in New York at Lake Cayuga. Domesticated ducks such as the Cayuga tend to live longer than wild breeds, which have to contend with predators, habitat loss, and disease. I love them they are calmer than my others. There are few things cuter than the sight these shadowy-black, peeping ducklings following after their Mamma duck through the clover! 17322. Drakes may clash without enough hens present. Cayuga hens weigh around 4-5 kilos and lay a lightweight blue or grey egg. In fact, their eggs are black or dark gray . As a generalization, from as young as 8-12 weeks old Cayuga drakes will also become greedier and more confident when it comes to sharing food or space. Mallards can reach 10,000 feet and typically fly at 4000-6000 feet while migrating. Cochins are calm, like to brood chicks and are cold tolerant for northern US winters. I loved the sound of my noisy flock, but if youre expecting a quiet homestead, maybe you should go with some near-silent Muscovy ducks. This drake feather is the most reliable way to tell males from females when mature, although the sounds of each genders voice is also a distinguishing feature, but less reliable. I have 2 Cayuga ducks. Your email address will not be published. |. . A Close Look at the Anatomy and Physiology of Chickens, The Benefits of Raising Chickens for Fresh Eggs and Meat, Can Chickens Eat Bamboo? The Cayuga is a heavy breed with drakes weighing 3.6 kg (8 lb) and the ducks weighing 3.2 kg (7 lb). 416. An opposing theory states that the Cayuga first originated not in New York but overseas in England. They are a medium-sized breed and were bred domestically. There are also stories of the Cayuga breed being developed in Britain in the 1860s by crossing the smaller East Indie duck with a larger breed such as a Rouen to develop the Cayuga. Thank you Metzer Farms! The males have an extended or elongated genital organ whereas females have a cone-like genital organ. The Northern Pintail duck has been recorded flying 1864 miles non-stop. The best way to prevent broodiness is to remove eggs and nesting material from your ducks space and encourage them to get outside and explore. They went down to 2 total eggs a day, until we separated them and they became more calm and went back to 5 - 6 eggs/day. Ducks mature at around 6 months of age when the male drakes will have a small, curled drake feather appear at the base of the tail. Are the drake feathers very prominent at 14 weeks? So, if this spring has you ready to add some new ducks to your flock, why not go for the under-appreciated, yet totally valuable and beautiful Cayuga? How can I tell and does that make her infertile?? These ducks are useful, fascinating, and beautiful to boot! The Cayuga duck has a history that dates back to the 1800s, but theres some controversy about the exact origins of the breed. A small population of wild black ducks was found in Cayuga county. Were building a place for homesteaders to connect, share what works, and grow their skills. The Cayuga was accepted into the American Poultry Association's Standard of Perfection in 1847. Weight: Drake: 3.6 Kg, Duck: 3.2 Kg. Thanks to their bright, iridescent coloring, they make popular show birds and ornamental pets. Drakes do not quack at all; they make a soft raspy sound instead. I am so so glad to have found Metzerfarms. by Stacy Wright | Sep 26, 2022 | Breed Spotlight, Chickens. Hens will cackle over long periods sometimes for no apparent reason. The Cayuga have a jet black bill with occasional olive tips and the feet are black to dusky. Well-kept Cayugas may live for longer than a decade, so the relationship you build will be one to last. Couldn't be happier and absolutely love the breed. Theyre cute! If they develop a curly tail feather they are boys. I say the Cayugas haven't layed yet - but I just haven't seen any darker eggs yet like they say Cayugas lay at first. I never butchered any of my Cayugas, so I cant speak from experience. Early in the laying season, the shell color is typically darker. 12 x12 pen duck huts x6 plus 13 ducks laying feedtray and two buckets 450 Bargin. It is a shame that it is one of the most endangered duck species in the world. Some websites say that they are quiet. | Your IP Address: 210.65.88.143 Cayuga hens (females) and Cayuga drakes (males) share so many similarities its truly hard to tell them apart just by their looks. Personality-wise, the Cayuga is docile and quite friendly if raised from a duckling. Your message was sent. The female black duck can produce 100-150 eggs per year. With proper care, Cayuga ducks can live 8 to 10 years in captivity. While the initial cost of setting up a habitat can run several hundred dollars, keeping a flock fed year after year is often fairly cheap. You can get them for ornamental purposes and for their eggs & meat. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. Cayuga ducklings have black feet and bills, black down, and have an occasional trace of yellow on their breast. The Cayuga duck doesn't display these overt differences like other breeds. It raises the noise level when hungry or threatened but is generally quiet at other times. There are a number of identifiers that will clue you in on whether you are looking at a drake vs. a duck when you study their plumage (feathers). Just wait till those little squirts grow their adult featherstheyll be so beautiful! | All Rights Reserved This was my first time ordering ducklings, and I was so nervous. The Cayuga Duck Purpose, Appearance, Personality, And Maintenance. Saxony Ducks are also lively, and they love having fun. thanks for sharing this article and now i want to get some Cayugas, and i hope it will be really fun. . In this video you will find. Just make sure you dont give your ducklings medicated chick food because theyll overdose on it. https://www.hgtv.com/outdoors/gardens/animals-and-wildlife/raising-ducks-or-chickens, https://www.thehappychickencoop.com/muscovy-duck/, https://www.thehappychickencoop.com/khaki-campbell-duck-everything-you-need-to-know/, https://backyardpoultry.iamcountryside.com/poultry-101/cayuga-duck-breed-spotlight/, https://www.backyardchickens.com/reviews/cayuga.10907/reviews, https://thecapecoop.com/great-backyard-duck-breeds, https://www.hobbyfarms.com/6-duck-breeds-to-raise-for-eggs-4/, https://backyardpoultry.iamcountryside.com/poultry-101/saxony-duck-breed-profile, https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/blue-swedish-ducks.166863/, https://www.roysfarm.com/swedish-blue-duck/, https://www.omlet.com.au/breeds/ducks/appleyard, https://www.roysfarm.com/silver-appleyard-duck/, https://www.omlet.us/breeds/ducks/crested_ducks. Your female pekin should give you a clue of what it sounds like. 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