Ducks vs Chickens, + and -

[Fruit Juice]

What are the negatives and positives about ducks vs negatives and positives about chickens?

 

[Wifezilla]

Pluses
• Ducks lay bigger eggs
• Ducks are more disease resistant
• Ducks lay MORE eggs per year (if you get khaki's or runners)
• Ducks don't scratch up your lawn
• Duck poo doesn't burn your grass (it's waterier than chicken poo)


Minuses
• Ducks are messy
• Ducks personalities are more like cats...they usually aren't as cuddly as some chickens can be
• Ducks are messy

 

[Dances with Ducks]

Most, but not all of the domesticated duck breeds can't fly.
Ducks never crow at three in the morning.
The feed to egg ratio of ducks is better
Ducks are better foragers which makes the feed/egg ratio even better.
Ducks eat more kinds of bugs, like slugs, misquito larvae, and liver flukes.
Ducks are hardier at extremes of hot, cold, and wet weather.
Ducks are much cuter! (in my opinion)
Ducks promote happiness with their exuberant joyous nature!!


Although not absolutely necessary ducks should have at least a kiddie pool to bathe in. (on the other hand I find this to be a positive because it become a great source of fertilizer water for lawn and garden)
Duck's water will need to be changed more often.

 

[headred]

What everyone else said! And they do have huge personalities at young ages. See my website from the beginning to see what I have enjoyed with my 7 week old ducks. They are really entertaining!

 

[gretchenhau]

My ducks only lay their eggs while swimming in the pond, lots of good that does me. My chickens on the other hand lay in my flower pots or their nest boxes, always the square pot ont he front porch

 

[jmc]

Chickens are diseases waiting to happen, as are turkeys. Consider the fact that no permit is required to ship ducks or duck eggs acrosss state lines--because ducks are so disease resistant. Unlike with chicken, etc. babies and eggs for hatching, which must come from a NPIP-approved source.

Why? Because chickens get and can transmit alot of diseases. They can get tons of diseases which are not even on the radar screen for ducks.

If you want a cuddly duck, that is also BOMB PROOF, you go for Muscovies, the cutest darned things in the world (don't let their facial patch turn you off--their personalities--oh yes--will bowl you over!!!); and if you raise a scovy baby in the house in a brooder type thing--or even outside and have lotsa contact with him/her, you'll end up with a positively loveable companion that would even let you pick him/her up right off the groud--even (and this is no lie) let you scratch her feet while she lies back and loves it.

Duckies are de best!!! Scovies win it all!!!

 

[jmc]

You should find this helpful...........

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=100294&p=2

And this............

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=101117

Also, I used to have chickens that would bloody each other up by simple pecking, on a nearly daily basis. They were NOT overcrowded either, it was just pecking order activity at roost time, esp.

Perhaps it would have subsided, but the fact remains that one good grab by a hawk-like chicken beak is enough to put out another chickens eye (yes, I know someone who had a rooster poke out BOTH eyes of a hen) or at least draw fresh blood daily to a face, comb or wattle, AND SEND YOU TO THE STORE FOR ANTIOBIOTIC cream to rub on the victim a few times daily to prevent infection.

With ducks--for the most part--will not happen. At least their bills are not hawk bills, so when they are agressive, all they can do is pull and/or hang on, etc.

 

[Giddyup]

I have both...ducks are easier maintenance health wise for sure...just a little messier to clean up...but with all the horse/dog/cat/alpaca/chicken/chick/duck poop I pick up every single day it doesn't make a difference to me!

I've learned more "hard" lessons with the chickens...the ducks have been easy-peasy except for predators the first while.