Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hey, I think I spelled it right Does anybody know much about the pekin breed? I really want one or two. I have 7 muscovies and 1 mallard! he thinks he is a muscovie! Are pekins aggressive to other ducks, or are they more tame? Just wondering about these things. Thankyou Genny

Hi Genny,
I have 4 Pekins. They have quite the personality and are generally not aggressive. None of mine have ever acted aggressive toward people, however during mating season the males will sumo wrestle each other over the girls. I don't have any other kind of ducks so it is hard for me to say whether this breed is more aggressive or less than others. Some things to know about the breed though is they are a large duck and are somewhat messy. They also lay tons of eggs, which is good if you want to eat duck eggs (I hear they are good for baking but have never tried them) or if you want to incubate them for additional ducks. Pekins generally will not sit long enough to hatch any ducklings so if that is what you want, you'll have to artificially incubate the eggs or place them under a broody chicken.
My Pekins have been hand raised and I play with them/talk to them every day. This may be why mine are so easy going. Mine even get along with our dogs.
Hope this info helps you in your decision.

GrammaDuck

Grammaduck, Thanks for replying! I would rather have 2 girls since I don't really want any more boy ducks. I already have 4 boys! But, I know you can't tell whether or not one is a male or female until they get their adult feathers in--the boy's tail feathers have a curl on the end like a mallard does. I'm even thinking about separating my boys and girls so that there won't be anymore babies. I already have one baby that hatched about 3 weeks ago and more are on the way. I don't want the eggs to eat though. I just enjoy the 'babies' very much. They are precious! But, back to my question!!!-- If I separate the boys and girls will the boys fight each other? Or will they be ok with just other boys around? Thanks again! Genny

If you separate boys from girls, a fight may ensue. Spring is a tricky time anyway (all those duck hormones!) There is a way to sex ducklings, but you would need a professional such as a vet to do it.

My two boys are separated from each other right now because they are bullying each other for the one girl duck. I was fortunate when I got the ducklings in that I had two of each. But since my Daisy was killed by the turtle, there's only one female for two boys now.

I'm considering getting another female and introducing her to the three remaining so maybe they can all pair up again, but I'd want an adult female.

I'm really nothing more than a "backyard expert" at best when it comes to ducks. I knew absolutely nothing about them when I purchased 4 little fuzzy yellow things a couple of years ago. I just watch their behavior and provide food, shelter and plenty of love.

If you do decide to separate the boys from girls, I would definitely observe them carefully for a while to make sure they don't start fighting.

Good Luck!
GrammaDuck

We got a pekin today! It is very cute!