11 Small Duck Breeds For Pets – What To Consider Before Choosing?

I find nothing much cuter than seeing the ducks playing in the backyard or garden. Particularly, smaller breeds are heavenly cute. If you are a duck enthusiast like me, having some great small duck breeds can enhance your backyard’s beauty.

But what small duck breeds for pets are the best? Well, I researched the 11 cutest small ducks available in America. Call Ducks, East Indie, Mallards, Pekin, and Indian Runner are my favorites. Khaki Campbell, Carolina Wood ducks, etc., are also on my favorite list. 

Each of the breeds would be the perfect pet for backyard enthusiasts who are expecting feathered companions. So, without further ado, let’s begin the journey.

11 Small and Pet-Friendly Duck Breeds For Beginners

There are many small & pet-friendly duck breeds out there. You can pick any of them as pets. But, when it’s a matter of enthusiasm, I have conducted a thorough study to make a list of the most reliable breeds of small ducks in my interest.

I have picked 11 small duck breeds for pets based on several facts like adorability, adaptability, disease resistance, etc. The ducks I have picked are as follows.

It’s for the welfare of your waterfowl bird. So, keep it in mind before you have some pet ducks in your yard. However, let’s come to the point and take a look at lists of small pet duck breeds.

1. Call Ducks – A Beginner-Friendly Duck

Call ducks is a historical small domestic duck breed but bred for hunting. As per the standards set by the American Bantam Association (ABA), such duck breeds weigh between 1.1 and 1.25 pounds.

Despite being less than a kilogram, their adorable appearance makes the pet lover unresisting to get the bird in the backyard.

Seems irrelevant to hear, but nowadays, in America, it has become a lovely bantam breed for the pet lover. 

Good Facts

• Loving and having an affectionate nature.
• A natural forager.
• Used for ornamental purposes.
• Available in a variety of colors like black, blue bibbed or fawn, buff,  chocolate, butterscotch, gray, silver, or white.
• Can live up to ten years.

Bad Facts

• They are a little noisy.
• Difficulties while hatching.
• Don’t lay eggs that much (Lay small eggs, around 30 each year).

2. Black East Indian Ducks – Oldest Breed From 1874

Black East Indies with only 1 or 2 lb (450-900 g) were bred in the middle of the 19th century. It’s a docile and suitable duck breed with a unique black appearance. 

You may think of Cayuga or Mallard ducks by appearance, but they are different. As a backyard, they are another bantam duck breed available in the United States as a pet.

Good Facts

• They are quiet and friendly.
• A perfect small ornamental pet to exhibit in shows.
• Comes with a unique color and appearance where the deep green feathers look dark black when they come under sunlight.
• Longer lifespan.

Bad facts

• It’s a little tricky to tame them, but when you do, it’s something to be entertaining.
• Not an egg producer (Produce eggs around 40-100 per year).

3. Khaki Campbell – Standard Miniature Breed

The egg machine Khaki Campbell is a messy backyard pal popular for homesteads or small farms! Khaki Campbell can be a pet in the yard or farm when your goal is to get eggs from them. It is certainly one of the best duck breeds for pets, considering any category. 

Although you can keep them, they have a nervous temperament, and you’ll have a tough time taming them. But your cuddling may soften their heart for you!

Good Facts

• An egg machine that lays eggs around 250 to 340 each year.
• The production performance of Khaki Campbell is quite praiseworthy.
• Such breeds are intelligent and docile.
• Although they have skittish or flighty behavior, they’ll be perfect pets in a low-stress environment.
• Such avians don’t make any loud noise.
• They don’t require much space as a pet.

Here is a video that will say why you should raise Khaki Campbell as your pet.

Bad Facts

• They are quite nervous.
• It might not fit with all the family.
• More suitable for commercial purposes rather than only as a pet.
• Not great with children or kids.

Recommended Reading: Khaki Campbell Duck Breed

4. Indian Runner Duck – The Future Pest Controller!

Whether it’s a kid or family, Indian Runners ducks love to stay with their owner for about 8 years. So, I suggest you have these fairly light ducks that weigh 4.5-5.5 pounds only. Although not the little ones they’re not that big in size and weight, I guess. So, I included them in the list.

What’s lovelier is when they get mature, they can be the workers of your farm or garden working as an insect and pest controller. Here is a video that says it all!

Anyway, let me tell you all the good about such breeds as a pet.

Good Facts

• It’s funny and nearly looks like a cute waddling penguin while they run.
• They are entertaining and friendly when they are ducklings.
• Good egg layers (300 to 350 eggs each year).
• Not a flying duck.
• Excellent foraging ability.
• They can be kept as farm birds that forage and control the pest population.

Bad Facts

• It has a temperament problem.
• It makes too much noise, especially when female ducks quack.
• They expect a large space to roam around or forage.

5. Cayuga Duck Breed – Unique Beauty In Yard

Not the smallest, but a medium-sized perfect pet duck breed of around 6 to 8 lbs. You can keep them with the chickens as Cayuga ducks are very friendly, whether it’s drakes or females. I get attracted particularly by the shimmering green feathers that look different from green-black to purple when they are under the sunlight.

Cayuga doesn’t need extra space or extra care but becomes a decent pet in the yard. And you can hand-tame them while raising them from ducklings.

Good Facts

• A beautiful small pet-friendly duck breed with iridescent green feathers.
• They are fairly quiet.
• Such breeds don’t look for large spaces.
• Lay enough eggs for the pet owner (Around 100 to 150 eggs).
• Can be a good mother or broodier.

Bad Facts

• It is a little larger than any other small duck breed in North America.
• It is a rare breed but can be found.

6. Miniature Crested Duck – Beautiful But Unethical Breed!

When I researched miniature crested ducks, I saw they have a crest on the head, which is something astonishing. Roy Sutcliffe in Yorkshire, Britain, in the late 1980s, the fowl was originally bred by the Call Duck and Appleyard.

Such breeds are excellent as pets because of their beauty. The fluffy feathers and plumage are to be praised the most. What I also love is their nature! They are quite active, funny and intelligent.

Good Facts

• Friendly and cute as a pet.
• Available in multicolor, so pet lovers won’t deny keeping some in the yard.
• They spend time with humans.
• It can be kept for ornamental purposes.
• Such breeds lay 100 eggs each year, which is good for the pet owner.

Bad Facts

• Not for beginner pet owners.
• They have a nervous temperament.
• You won’t be happy with the amount of eggs they lay if your goal is to have eggs for commercial purposes.
• They are considered an unethical breed as 25% of ducklings die in the shell when you crossbreed.

7. Mallard Duck – The Most Popular Pet

The Most Common North American duck is Mallard from suburban parks to cities. The adult male mallards can be 24″ long and 2¾ pounds, whereas females can be 23″ long and 2½ pounds. Either you see them diving in the water or the ground for food sources while showing the foraging behavior.

Although mallards lose their novelty after getting matured, I suggest getting some to stay in the yard. But ensure they’re from a reliable hatchery. 

Whether they come from the wild or belong to any domestic area, they can make good pets at a young age. Wait! You can keep it, but Quora suggests it’s illegal in most of the countries, including the US.

My point of view is the same! Because the mallard ducklings lose their actual companions. In fact, the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918 says that mallards cannot be sold, purchased, transported, or possessed without a permit.

However, if you do not know, domestic mallards are raised for meats and eggs. So, whether you want it as a pet or raise it for commercial purposes, you’re good to go. But don’t break the law!

Recommended Reading: Mallard Ducks And Their Diet

Good Facts

• Mallards are an ancestor of all domestic duck breeds.
• This breed is monogamous.
• They can be sociable domesticated pets.
• You can raise them for commercial reasons, such as eggs and meat.

Bad Facts

• Wild ones can be skittish, shy, or aggressive when you forcefully try to pet them.
• Wild mallards have migration instincts.

8. Welsh Harlequin – Best Pet With High Demand!

Another egg producer near the coop! Welsh Harlequin ducks are quite familiar nowadays with their attractive looks and the capability of laying eggs and giving lean meat.

You may not know that they were bred from Khaki Campbell in 1949. However, raising them as domesticated ducks is surely a good choice. If you talk about the size, it’s  51 to 76 cm and 4.5 – 5 lbs. So, they are not too small but not too large in size.

Good Facts

• Ducks breed with a calm temperament.
• Entertaining companion to a human.
• A good forager with curiosity.
• They do not fly.
• You can value them as an ornamental duck.
• Females become good mothers as they are prone to broodiness.
• Smaller ducks with a huge egg-laying ability to lay up to 330 eggs each year.
• It can be raised to demand lean meat.

Bad Facts

I didn’t find any negative facts about this duck breed. So, getting some of them as a companion in the backyard or near your pond is truly worth it. 

9. Carolina Wood Duck – Mostly Found In US And Mexico

A perching duck who prefers to stay in an elevated place, but you cannot have it. Rarely do people pet them, and you’ll possibly find them near the Pacific and Gulf Coasts. What attracted me the most was their piercing red eyes and their entire appearance.

They will be available in beaver ponds, bottomland forests, freshwater marshes, or in swamps. However, let me tell you some facts you must hear before looking for this bird.

Good Facts

• Can be friendly if you make a nesting box for them to live in.
• They are beautiful with a unique appearance.
• Such breeds are dabbling lightweight ducks who forage for plants or small animals. They mostly prefer plants, and their diets include 80% of plants.

Bad Facts

• They primarily are not domesticated ducks. So, keeping them as a pet is a little challenging. 

10. Silver Appleyard Duck – A Garden Pet

Another little one with an affectionate personality! I saw Silver Appleyard ducks have become pet lovers’ favorite. Such waterfowl can be kept in the garden as a backyard friend. They are quite lively and hardy and can be perfect garden ducks.

On average, male miniatures weigh between 2.6 to 3 pounds, whereas females weigh around 2.3 pounds. However, let’s see what’s more good here!

Good Facts

• A good homestead or garden duck to raise.
• They are calm with a friendly temperament.
• They can be taken for exhibition.
• They can lay 200 to 270 white eggs each year.

Bad Facts

Overall, they are good enough as pets. So, I didn’t find any drawbacks about miniature silver Appleyard ducks.

11. Silver Bantam – Pet Duck That Came After World War 2

Not a common one, but it can be a pet as a domestic duck. This lightweight duck (2 pounds) with beauty can even soften the beast’s heart!

This breed is also good for laying plenty of eggs all over the year. But no one may tell you that! People often think silver bantam is basically a silver Appleyard. But it’s a myth, as silver bantam is a totally different breed. However, let’s see what’s good about them as pets.

Good Facts

• Small-sized, friendly, and not noisy ducks who quack disturbingly.
• Commonly raised for exhibition or ornamental purposes.
• They can lay eggs (Around 60 to 160) that are enough for the pet lover.

Bad Facts

• They may fly away.

What Factors I Considered to Pick the Small Duck Breeds for Pets?

While considering what duck breed to pick as a small and pet-friendly breed, I would suggest keeping the following things in mind.

1. Behavior: Ensure they are well-behaved and friendly enough. Docile breeds are great!
2. Size: Get the duck breed that is perfect and comfortable in your space, whether it’s the backyard or a room.
3. Avoid Too Noisy Duck: Your neighbors may not permit you to keep any noisy ducks. So, get the one who doesn’t quack too much as a disturbance.
4. Lifespan: Having a pet is like a long-term commitment to be together. So, it should be at least 8 to 10 years.
5. Environment Impact: Bring a duck who is comfortable with your local climate.
6. Safety From Predators: I would say keeping the small ducks safe from predators is quite crucial. Ensure fences or any other blockages are there to block the predators.
7. Meat And Egg Production: If your purpose is to have meats and eggs, get the duck breed that produces more than any other breeds.
8. Ornamental Purpose: If it’s for exhibition, get the duck raised for ornamental purposes.

Related Articles:

• 10 Ducks That Dive For Fish!

FAQs

Here are some frequently asked questions that may help you out. 

Ending Note

The pet lover who is expecting small and docile duck breeds can now pick the one from the duck list I included. Almost all of them are small in size and perfect as a backyard friend.

If you ask me, I would suggest Mallard or the Call Duck as the cutest among all. Although all of them can be a good companion, check out their nature and then go for it. But please ensure their proper space, diet, and environment so they can be raised adequately.

Sources And References:

• https://www.rspca.org.uk/adviceandwelfare/farm/farmanimals/ducksandgeese
• https://www.cbc.ca/kidsnews/post/watch-forget-pesticides-this-south-african-vineyard-has-an-army-of-ducks
• https://www.vet.cornell.edu/animal-health-diagnostic-center/programs/duck-research-lab/domestic-ducks