Ducks or Chickens? Pros/Cons

[Totalcolour]

We have about 25 ducks and 25 chickens. The ONLY reason I keep chickens is to sell the eggs to help pay for the feed.

We have Muscovy ducks, friendly, quackless (unless very frightened, they are very silent, the girls "trill") and Welsh Harlequins, which are a bit standoffish.

The "Coop" is left open all the time. The ducks are mixed in the pasture with the chickens. They rarely use the coop for shelter.

We sell Muscovies for meat (they are very tasty). We sell them live, so no extra work for us. We have just begun with the Harlequins so I don't know how well they will sell.

The Harlequins are reputed to lay as well as any chicken, and the eggs are bigger and quite tasty. I don't like Muscovy eggs - but husband does.

If you have a market for them, duck eggs sell well and for a higher price. People who are allergic to chicken eggs can often eat duck eggs.

The chickens require more care (housing). Plus, they really tear up the ground. Having said all that, they really pay their way in egg sales. We have several breeds, so can provide a lot of different coloured eggs which my customers love.

Ducks can bond well with other species - my sister has one of my ducks and it's "mate" is a lop rabbit!

Both chickens and ducks take time out during winter when they don't lay, but you still have to feed them.

My Muscovies are very laid back. You wouldn't know we had them if you didn't see them.

Either way you go, there is some work attached, but different in both cases. We are lucky to have a pond, so the ducks don't mess up the "drinking" water.

We have had some chicken illness, but no duck sickness. They tend to be very hardy. Hawks tend to like baby chicks and ducks a LOT!

Some ducks have talons and can cause a lot of cuts when you handle them (wear gloves!). Some roosters (and hens) can be very mean also (wear gloves!).

Six of one, half a dozen of the other

(No help at all - good luck!)

 

[DUCKGIRL89]

Duck and chicken crazy. I have to agree. My orpingtons were cute for about two days... Then they looked evil... They still do at a month old

 

[NeuronSauce]

I personally have three ducks (1 ancona, 2 cayuga) and 14 silkie chickens housed in the same coop. The ducks are very, very messy, but I still enjoy them. They have some pretty funny personalities. I use a deep litter system to keep some heat in for the freezing northern Missouri winters, and must either rotate or scrap any bedding that has gotten wet from the ducks' activities daily. HOWEVER. I have found that situating your water supply atop a large pan covered with a grate does wonders. The bigger the tray provided to catch the water, the better. You can even set it up to drain the water out via a hose through the floor of the coop and sealed into the bottom of the tray. Most of the duck mess never makes it to the bedding, and therefore my coop stays pretty dry. As for the smell, it's not bad- just smells like a coop. If done correctly, it usually smells like pine with a bit of bird mixed in.

So, ducks or chickens? I don't know. The ducks are messier, but to be honest, my Ancona is a better layer than half of my neighbor's laying hens and is extraordinarily friendly and peaceable. Runners are supposed to be even more productive, though neurotic in comparison. Furthermore, duck eggs are an oddity around here, so people often want to buy some out of curiosity. The chickens are not as messy and are therefore less work as far as chores go, but they also are more prone to illness than ducks, and therefore can consume a great deal of your time in terms of vet work should they become ill for any reason, not to mention the time you should take in checking them over individually to make sure that they're doing well, especially in times when the temperature is erratic. Ducks seem less accident and illness prone. I medicate my birds or otherwise assist them if they become ill or injured, so I have to consider this. Others simply let nature take its course. It depends on your style and the purpose of the birds, really.

It doesn't hurt to try things out; you can always sell, gift, or even butcher birds if they're not your cup of tea.

 

[Tahai]

Quote:
I think the chicks are cute, but I've always thought adult chickens looked like snakes with wings.

 

[triplepurpose]

Duck eggs are kind of different than chicken eggs, so it's not all created equal, in terms of egg vs egg. Duck eggs are bigger, but they also have a larger, richer tasting yolk, with a more or less "ducky" character to them (I say more or less because it depends a little on what they have been eating, as with chickens), that it seems people either love or hate, depending. As someone pointed out, duck eggs can also be sold for a higher price if you have a market for them, but I'm guessing you aren't going to be keeping so many ducks that egg sales are going to be a big factor.

If I were you, I would try eating some duck eggs (if you haven't already). What you think of them may decide the question for you, making the rest just a matter of logistics... Personally, I was a fan from my first over easy duck egg! So in your situation I would probably take ducks over chickens, all other variables being equal (although I do love chicken eggs too, hmmm). The "duck water" situation can be a little messy, especially if you don't manage it well, but it's totally workable especially with only a handful of ducks.

Also, I can say that my muscovy ducks are much better foragers than my dual-purpose chickens (I feed them hardly any feed mix, mostly greens, fruit, and what they forage--and they seem to eat a lot of weeds and grass, which is great), but this may all be less than relevant to you, since runner ducks are different from muskies in genetics, form, and function--and depending on your situation, ranging or feeding of garden surplus may not be options...

Good luck! I'm sure whatever you pick will be great!

 

[cbohn80]

i have 10 dudcks and 10 chickens. i got all of them last spring. the female ducks are very loud. the males are quiet. the chickens are much more friendly but i had 2 die from who knows what leading me to believe that ducks are truely alot more hardy. i did have to have 2 separate pens. not only were the ducks making a mess of the pen but they would drink (or atleast splash out) all the chickens water everyday. i still like the ducks more. they are beautiful, great pest control in the garden and the eggs are awesome. once ducks start laying they are just as consistant as my chickens at laying. they do take much longer to start laying though. i also love duck meat and i'm starting to raise some for meat. the first eggs are in the incubator now. with a pen that size you could try 3 of each and split the pen in half. everyone will like one more than the other but you wont be sure without trying. ducks also need next to no housing and actually love bad weather. they do like to bury their eggs which can be inconvenent but it doesnt bother me. ducks also tend to trample and flatten the ground while chickens are great tillers of soil. ducks are also much slower than chickens making them easier prey for fox and racoons. however they are great burgular alarms. anyone goes in the yard and they sound off like crazy. good luck choosing. i love having both. oh also ducks dont need ponds but they sure love them.

 

[Billy-jean]

duck&chickencrazy :

I prefer ducks...if you get a new duck the other ducks don't really freak out...they accept the new bird and act like they have known each other forever. But with chickens it like their whole world is ending because there is a new bird its kinda annoying. And ducks are more relaxed and they are funny to watch.

Ducks are more hardy than chickens.

Ducklings are adorable and they never stop being adorable even after they become adults. Chicks are ugly from day one until they are adults and even then they are sometimes ugly lol I think baby chicks look evil. But that's just my opinion.

I agree,,ducks are wonderful pets!! and their eggs are fabulous for baking

and they never stop being adorable either,,lol!​

 

[aoxa]

It's not fair for the chickens when you ask the question in a duck forum

 

[poleket]

12/31/11--I had 3 Muscovy ducks dumped on me and I had no idea how to care for them. Now, 8 months later, I know all I want to know about ducks in general. I also have chickens, but I keep them separated because ducks foul their water continually. In my opinion, ducks are the most nasty of the fowl and a whole lot more trouble than chickens. Their living areas are soggy all the time and they require ALOT of water around the clock. If you live in a drought prone area like I do, I would run, not walk, away from keeping any ducks.

 

[triplepurpose]

That brings another important point to mind. Chickens scratch and ducks don't. Deep litter works great for keeping chickens in small areas, not so much with ducks. Chickens will do most of the fluffing and mixing of their litter on their own, but ducks just trample it down and get it wet while the poop builds up on top, and you have to stir the litter yourself. I'm sure some people have made deep litter work with ducks, but IME it's not the natural, easy no-brainer of DLM + chickens. This also means that chickens can be used to cultivate garden beds, etc, while ducks can't, although depending on how you are using them in your garden these habits could be either a good or bad thing!

The two birds (chooks and duckies) have completely different personalities too, which I also think is worth considering. Personally, I'm not generally the sort of person who keeps around lots of animals for pets, but even if I wasn't raising muscovies for meat and eggs I would still consider keeping a couple around purely for their wonderful personality that they add to the farm (plus the fact they don't eat much from the feed bag).