Ducks or Chickens? Pros/Cons

[TLWR]

3 runners in that area would be fine.
I'd start with getting a pen ready for ducks if you go that route before bringing them home. Figure out what you can do to minimize the muddy mess they will make if the kennel is on solid ground. The grass will be gone in no time and you'll be left with a mud pit.
Predator proof for your area, which might mean a layer of hardware cloth around the bottom level of the kennel.


I LOVE my runners. But I have mine in the back yard (we have 4 acres fenced behind the house, they stick to the close half acre or so). They love to run around and look for stuff, so they aren't destroying anything since they have lots of space to explore.
I'm back to getting 2 eggs a day from my 2 runner girls again and they are laying them IN the duck house again (I put a marked chicken egg in there to encourage them lol).

I don't really have an issue with their mess. Their "duck" yard is pea stone and their pond is a raised landscape timber pond that gets drained every couple of months or when we think it looks just too nasty instead. When we drain it, they have a blast playing in the nasty water in the yard lol


I've never had chickens.

 

[JulieNKC]

My chickens are friendlier, and nowhere near as messy. They are underfeet tripping me when I go outside. My ducks prefer to stand 5 feet away quacking as loud as they can. My ducks are much better layers. My 2 girls lay as much right now as my 12 plus hens, although about 8 are molting/broody/just getting done being broody. I do prefer my chicken eggs though. My ducks stay in the yard, my chickens will occasionally fly over the fence. My chickens are much more content when penned up than the ducks though, I don't think I'd have ducks if they had to stay in a pen all day, and mine have a big pen (around 20' x 55').

 

[Tivona]

I've had both chickens and ducks and I prefer the ducks. I live in Oregon and winter time where I am is very wet and windy. Its impossible for me to keep my current coop/run dry enough for chickens to be happy. Water gets tracked in on muddy feet and every thing gets wet no matter how hard I try. I fought it several winters with sand and whatnot but it was a lot of work. The chickens did terrible damage to my garden and could fly over any fence or just tear down the bird netting protecting a garden bed. Roosters crow all times of the day, from the second there is the barest hint of light in the morn to sunset. The chickens had to be taught to eat slugs. Their eggs are certainly better then store bought but....

Duck eggs taste better to me. They lay more and bigger eggs. They don't do much damage to my garden as they don't fly over fences or tear down the bird netting around my beds. They are friendlier to each other as well as me. The drakes don't crow. They seem to love the Oregon weather. They loooove slugs. I can use their pond water to water and fertilize my garden in the summer. They are funny.

Ducks and chickens both have good and bad points. Think about your own conditions. Is your climate dry or wet. Do you plan to let them out (and if so what sort of area will they be in)? Are you in an area where water is restricted in the summer? What would you do with the water ducks use and make mucky? Ducks are certainly messier. It all depends on you, your climate, your coop, if your planning on free ranging them during the day, your personal preference on eggs (they do taste different and some hate the flavor of duck eggs), and much more. I do recommend tasting some duck eggs and making sure you like them because it would be sad to find out you don't like the taste. Also try and figure out how you would deal with the water, bedding, and feed. Chickens are easier in most regards but they do love a dry coop and a non muddy yard. A 10x12 ft run could be quickly a mess. What will you use on the ground when all the grass is gone? Chickens and ducks both will have it down to earth in no time.

 

[DUCKGIRL89]

Ducks:
Pros:
Their poop makes good compost
They are adorable
They make good pets
They are amusing
They are easy to herd

Cons:
They poop a lot
they make a mess with water
They poop A LOT
They make holes all over the yard
They poop ALOT!!!
They can get mean during breeding season (all other birds do though)
AND THEY POOP ALOT!!!!.....................
....... Did I mention they poop alot?......

 

[yotricia02]

Thanks everyone for such great responses! I will continue to balance the pro and cons before making my decision. It helped alot to hear what you had to say!

Thanks again!
Trish

 

[Mike Winters]

con. do NOT trust a duck with an open water bowl
pro. they are so darn CUTE when they get to that water bowl

 

[aoxa]

Quote:
Thanks and no, why?

If you get ducks, you'll see.

You don't want both in the same area. Ducks are more fun, chickens are easier. Depends on what you want.

Can I just mention something, with owning both chickens and ducks. My chickens like the peas just as much, if not more than the ducks do

I enjoy my chickens more than the ducks. They are friendlier and more personable. My chickens will hop up onto my lap. They enjoy my company. The ducks just put up with me

But than again, I haven't had them for a long time (the ducks). My fiance enjoys the antics of the ducks. I enjoy the antics of the chickens.

Ducks make a mess (FAST).

Chickens are cleaner.

It's weird, but the ducks have an entirely different smell. Their feathers smell strange to me

I think it may be the oil to waterproof their feathers.

My ducks drive me crazy messing up my waterer. They put dirt/straw into it and it is empty in half the time it takes 18 chickens to consume it

I wouldn't want to choose, but if I had to, I would choose chickens. My fiance would choose ducks. It's really all a matter of preference.

 

[aoxa]

Quote:
Yeah, I've noticed this! My ducks poop twice if not 3 times as much as my chickens!

 

[DUCKGIRL89]

Quote:
Yeah, I've noticed this! My ducks poop twice if not 3 times as much as my chickens!

This is why I would be worried about houseing my chickens and ducks together?

do you think I could if I gave the chickens roosts?

 

[aoxa]

Quote:
Yeah, I've noticed this! My ducks poop twice if not 3 times as much as my chickens!

This is why I would be worried about houseing my chickens and ducks together?

do you think I could if I gave the chickens roosts?

Just don't put water in the coop

My ducks do fine with my chickens in their coop. How many chickens do you have?

The only thing I am worried about is my now confirmed drake mounting my chickens and hurting them.

I hope he doesn't. I don't want to have to separate them. I have somewhere I can if I have to, but I like seeing them together.