Ducks or Chickens? Pros/Cons

[DUCKGIRL89]

Quote:
Please dont say your ducks are stupid

breaks my heart.

I dont care that you dont like the ducks as much. But still breaks my heart

Also, some duck breeds can OUT LAY chickens. Like the khaki campbell, the runner, and the welsh harlequin. My two khaki hens laid MUCH better then my moms red star chickens. What kind of ducks do you have?

I'm only stating the truth, I have had several duck breeds and none were very bright. Out of pekins, rouens, muscovy's, runners and all kinds of mutts, I've never had one outlay a chicken. They might lay for a few months, then they quit. A chicken is a more efficent layer.

I know gwarg has already replyed to this but, all of those except the runners and mutts (not knowing what breeds they are) arent suppost to be laying breeds. They are made for meat. I hear runners dont lay as well as the khaki or the harlequin, but are still good layers... As long as you have the right line

Persononly, I think my 7 chicks are much nicier, and more cuddly, but kinda annoying as well. I like that they want to be with me, but hate that they are so noisy. The ducklings only wanted me for food, and water, and I was fine with that. I like raising ducks ducks more I think but still love the chicks.

 

[Luciesbuddys]

I have both right now and they live together happily but they do spend all day free ranging. Ducks are much messier and eat wayyyyy more. My ducks decided that they wanted to live under my deck for a little less then a week (it was only a foot off the ground so no way for me to get them out. In the spring lattice work will be going up) I only filled the feeder once instead of 3-5 times.

If you want easy Chickens would be the way to go. They put them selves to bed, they drink and eat less, they don't need a pond/pool. My chickens scream at me when they want something (The food is low or they want some treats). 2 of mine let me pet and hold them ( my ducks don't let me within a several feet unless its dark out)

My ducks have way more personality and i like using the duck eggs when i bake.

Both my ducks and chickens are still laying just as much as ever, i do have a heat lamp in with them at night due to it getting so cold at night so that may be aiding in the laying

 

[HollyBird24]

Quote:
I believe buff orps and other breeds of chickens can reach 8lb or more. The breeds of ducks you listed that you raised are nearly all heavy breed ducks. Pekins and rouens were bred for meat. I wouldn't raise a cornish x and expect high egg yields.

It's ok to have your opinion about ducks and not like them, but don't spread misinformation to someone asking a question about chickens and ducks. The bottom line is a laying breed duck will out perform a laying hen more often than not. The flip side to that is the duck will most likely be messier and louder.

I also mentioned Runners which according to the people here are one of the better duck egg layers.

Just because my experiences have been different then yours doesn't mean its mis-information. I've never had a laying breed duck outlay a laying breed chicken under the same conditions.

 

[m.kitchengirl]

Wow! This topic is almost as hot as the Sox/Yankees rivalry.

I have 4 laying hens & 3 ducks.
I like both.

My ducks aren't laying yet. They are supposed to be a good dual purpose bird. I'll find out in January.
Since my hens started laying they are keeping us ahead on eggs - we have had souffle & quiches, and fritattas like crazy the last month, with eggs to spare for friends & the occasional egg sandwich, etc.
I look forward to the duck eggs for baking, they make everything lighter, fluffier & more moist. Yummy.
I also agree - duck is much tastier than chicken. (I remind my drake of this on days he gets that look in his eye that tells me he is thinking of starting a revolution.)

Ducks are a bit easier to build for, and if you design their structure efficiently I think they are not much harder to clean up than the chickens. There is always going to be the added step of cleaning the pools. Also, their poop has projectile properties (and sound effects, often), and someone said they eat like hogs - they can sometimes SMELL like them, too.

My chickens are more sociable with the family unit. They are a lot meaner to the cat than the ducks. They are like a gang, and throw their weight around in the yard. They organize efficient raids on the duck house & occasionally lay eggs in there, just to prove they can do whatever they want.

Personally, I can't see having ducks or chickens without the other.
I can tend to the chickens & their coop while the pools fill, and the nasty water from the ducks is magic for my garden. Ducks did a wonderful job on the slugs, beetles, horn worms, and the like. But, since we got chickens I have not found a tick on my kids after playing in the yard.
When friends ask me about adding "farm" type animals I always suggest they start with chickens. I think a small flock of laying hens is a good litmus test for whether or not you enjoy the livestock/hobby farmer lifestyle. If you don't like chickens due to - noise, grossness level & work load, there is NO WAY you'd enjoy raising ducks.
(I think rabbits are the easiest BY FAR, so easy that they are hardly a litmus test for anything. I think goldfish take more work than a bunny. IN MY EXPERIENCE.)

 

[jaycee]

Quote:
The Khakis I have have only been laying for a few months, but I get an egg a day from every duck. They havent missed a day yet. My brother in law keeps chickens, not sure the breeds he has, but they all stopped laying for the winter months ago. If you want the chickens to lay here in winter you have to provide artificial lights in the barn... no such issues with the ducks. I cant imagine anything laying more eggs than they do, it would have to lay more than one egg a day.

Edit to add the point someone mentioned above... the eggs are on average 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 times the size of large chicken eggs...

 

[HollyBird24]

Quote:
The Khakis I have have only been laying for a few months, but I get an egg a day from every duck. They havent missed a day yet. My brother in law keeps chickens, not sure the breeds he has, but they all stopped laying for the winter months ago. If you want the chickens to lay here in winter you have to provide artificial lights in the barn... no such issues with the ducks. I cant imagine anything laying more eggs than they do, it would have to lay more than one egg a day.

Edit to add the point someone mentioned above... the eggs are on average 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 times the size of large chicken eggs...

My ducks stopped laying in and around early October, they haven't laid one since. The chickens are still going strong.

Maybe it has something to do with the climate, we have cold winters so maybe the ducks stop sooner because of that. I dunno.

 

[DUCKGIRL89]

Quote:
I believe buff orps and other breeds of chickens can reach 8lb or more. The breeds of ducks you listed that you raised are nearly all heavy breed ducks. Pekins and rouens were bred for meat. I wouldn't raise a cornish x and expect high egg yields.

It's ok to have your opinion about ducks and not like them, but don't spread misinformation to someone asking a question about chickens and ducks. The bottom line is a laying breed duck will out perform a laying hen more often than not. The flip side to that is the duck will most likely be messier and louder.

I also mentioned Runners which according to the people here are one of the better duck egg layers.

Just because my experiences have been different then yours doesn't mean its mis-information. I've never had a laying breed duck outlay a laying breed chicken under the same conditions.

Yes, runners are suppost to be good layers,..... BUT they arent always. Let me just say that we can ALL have differnt appinions, but doesnt mean one of us is wrong and one is right. khakis and welsh harlequins ARE good layers, doesnt make them any BETTER then chickens, and me saying this isnt putting chickens down at all, chickens are WONDERFUL layers as well. I like both, but I enjoy my ducks more

 

[jaycee]

Quote:
I have cold winters also... its 25 degrees here as we speak. I believe laying ducks as a rule are less susceptible to climate changes affecting their laying habits. That was my point.

 

[ducksinarow]

I have read that a good laying chicken lays more eggs than a good laying duck. However, campbells (and their cousins W.H.) are suppose to be the best layers of all poultry. With the exception perhaps of the new 300's ducks. I have only read this. My campbells also lay an egg a day still. I understand Leghorn chickens are remarkable layers also.

 

[DB_Tex]

I think the 300 hybrid's ramped up performance can be attributed to the fact that they are hybrids bred from probably campbell drakes from good lines, and females from other breeds with good laying lines and the animal husbandry phenomenon of "hybrid vitality" gives them an edge over the purebreds of either breed. My goldens are efficient eaters and a better size than my pure khakis, (I hear the culls make a decent meal if push comes to shove) but I think they have a bit less personality than the purebreds in my list. I ordered white layers too but I've had a heck of a time with those. I had several just quit thriving at different ages and the last one I lost was lacking in brains and drowned in a few inches of water one morning. For what ever reason, white layers just don't seem to do well free range. I think they're designed to live in a box, drop eggs and get water from a nipple.