Alive and HealthyWe ordered 1.1 Cayugas, and live on a remote island in Alaska. Weather prevented them from arriving on time because we get our mail here by float plane, but even a day late, they were in great shape. We are very pleased!

Love Them!I love my Cayugas! Murray McMurray sent me three gorgeous ducklings on 7/7/14 and I've had them over a year now. My shipment came from California instead of the Iowa hatchery one day after the shipment of my layer chicks in the mail.

They are very beautiful. They shimmer green, blue, and purple like jewels in the sun. Since their first molt, one of my girls has developed a lot of white feathers peppering her black ones. She looks like a snowstorm at night now. I love it, but folks who want the black ducks to stay black ducks should be aware that some Cayugas (not all) develop white feathers and can turn from iridescent black to nearly completely white over the course of their lives.

I can't say mine are all that cuddly, but they are friendly. They don't enjoy snuggling or laps like some other ducks do. They are very independent. They will run if they think I'm going to pick them up. However, they clearly show they enjoy my company in the yard as they follow me around everywhere and love to sit near me. They willingly come and dabble my hands gently with affection before waddling off again. They've never bitten me.

They are very funny. They think my shoelaces are the world's greatest duck toys and delight in untying them. :) They love to play and make me laugh.

They are quite intelligent. I trained mine to be still when I hold them for their weekly health checks. They clearly don't enjoy it, but they learned quickly after just a couple sessions that they won't be allowed to leave unless they are sitting calmly in my arms. So now they relax and tolerate it very well. So I don't have to worry about them freaking out if I need to administer medicine or treat a wound.

Cayugas are supposedly kinda quiet for ducks, but don't be fooled...My girls are quiet most of the time, but they do have a great set of lungs and can be VERY loud. They have one heck of a quack, and they start yelling incessantly to be let out if I'm even a few minutes late opening up the coop. I'm lucky my neighbors don't mind their noise.

I raised my ducklings with my layer chicks and they all live in the same coop with no problems. Our drake (recently taken by a predator) watched over and protected my chicken hens as well as the two female Cayugas and have never had a problem. He did try to mate the chickens, but couldn't "reach" as they are much smaller than he was. He was a great protector and a great duck. He had a raspy whisper-quack that was endearing and he was the friendliest of the three. I'll miss him.

These ducks give AMAZING eggs and lay quite a bit. All this summer they gave me one to two eggs each daily. I use the eggs for baking and nobody can beat my banana or pumpkin breads or pies for texture. :) Their broodiness doesn't seem to be all that great. One of my girls tried her hand at setting once this summer, but the girls ended up eating all the eggs.

They are exceptional at seeking out slugs and snails and have done a fantastic job in reducing the pests around our property. Be aware that doing this gives a mild fishy flavor to the eggs that you might taste if you ate them scrambled or boiled, but does not show up in baked goods at all. Personally, it doesn't bother me.

They cannot fly. They are three times the size of a wild mallard duck, and their wings are clearly too small to lift them off the ground. Mostly they use their wings to help them run faster.

They do not require a pond, but they really do appreciate a kiddy pool to play in.

In the end, they lost a star for lack of cuddliness, their loudness, and because their feather color changes might not be desirable. Personally I'm very pleased with my ducks and I can't imagine life without Cayugas in my flock now. I will absolutely order more from Murray McMurray in the future.