Ducks Vs. Chickens?

[Lisa-Lu]

I just started with ducks myself. I have been told they need to be locked up at night. I plan on placing my duck house close to my lake because it is stocked. They apparently forage well but need water to eat. They can be locked up at night without food and water.

Ok, so not to sound dumb but they eat only in the water, and regular crumble/duck food at the coop? Do they get bugs and things from the ground like chickens?

 

[DuckWhisperer06]

Oh no, I just read that bass will eat ducks....well there goes that idea...and there are a ton of bass in there, guess we would have to get rid of the bass if we want to persue this!

You could still have ducklings but they should probably have a coop/pen away from the pond and a pool(plastic kiddie pools work) in or near their pen. You just have to make sure they stay away from the pond until they’re older.

 

[A_Fowl_Guy]

Ok, so not to sound dumb but they eat only in the water, and regular crumble/duck food at the coop? Do they get bugs and things from the ground like chickens?

Yep they eat bugs and frogs and whatever they can catch

 

[DuckyBabies]

Ok, so not to sound dumb but they eat only in the water, and regular crumble/duck food at the coop? Do they get bugs and things from the ground like chickens?

When mine free range, they eat bugs, and anything else they can find. They have water close by, but they tend to not use it when free ranging. When eating the crumble in their coop they will take a bite, get a drink of water and then shake everything around. It gets a bit messy, but that is just the duck way! Haha

 

[DuckWhisperer06]

Ok, so not to sound dumb but they eat only in the water, and regular crumble/duck food at the coop? Do they get bugs and things from the ground like chickens?

Yes, they love to find little bugs like crickets and will even eat spiders

 

[Lisa-Lu]

Ok, so once they are adult? size, they would be ok in the pond? Can they be yarded with chickens? We are planning to build a new/bigger chicken coop and I am wondering if we could combine them in the yard but have separate coops?

 

[Table4Six]

I currently have thirty ducks and twenty-one chickens who are all housed together. Ducks are definitely messy, more so than chickens, but each variety of poultry is perfect to me in their own ways.

Water: Ducks drink/need much, much more water than chickens, and should preferably have the option to swim/bathe, but this does mean some extra work on your part: changing their water, maintaining their pool/pond, etc. Also, be warned, clean water lasts about five minutes at the most with ducks. But you learn to love their messy habits.

Housing: As stated above, ducks definitely need to be locked up in a secure area for the night. Just like with chickens, nesting boxes should be provided for laying hens. If they are free-ranged, I’d also recommend keeping them contained until eggs are laid, or else you may be embarking on an unexpected egg hunt through your yard.

Nutrition: As babies, ducks require more niacin than found in regular chick starter, so niacin supplements are always a great idea. When adults, layer pellets should be given to adult hens with option of oyster shells as added calcium for stronger eggshells. In mixed flocks that include drakes, all flock feed is good to add for needed/extra protein for the boys.

Hen/drake ratio: Males can be rough on the females, so be sure to have at least three hens per drake. However, preferably five hens to one drake.

In regards to free-ranging, I personally do not free-range my ducks without supervision. During the day, aerial predators remain a threat and it would be all too easy for a bald eagle to carry off a duck around here. If you do let them on a pond, one of the biggest threats are snapping turtles. They will eat ducklings and easily injure adults legs.

Hope this helps a bit. If you have any questions, feel free to ask.

 

[DuckWhisperer06]

Ok, so once they are adult? size, they would be ok in the pond? Can they be yarded with chickens? We are planning to build a new/bigger chicken coop and I am wondering if we could combine them in the yard but have separate coops?

Yes they can be with chickens, we have ours together since we’re building new coops.

 

[rjohns39]

My Ducks, Chickens and turkeys share the same pasture. They have separate housing but aren't opposed to the occasional sleep over. Baby ducks need higher protein feed than chickens and more niacin. And their water needs to be deep enough to clean their nairs.

 

[DuckWhisperer06]

I currently have thirty ducks and twenty-one chickens who are all housed together. Ducks are definitely messy, more so than chickens, but each variety of poultry is perfect to me in their own ways.

Water: Ducks drink/need much, much more water than chickens, and should preferably have the option to swim/bathe, but this does mean some extra work on your part: changing their water, maintaining their pool/pond, etc. Also, be warned, clean water lasts about five minutes at the most with ducks. But you learn to love their messy habits.

Housing: As stated above, ducks definitely need to be locked up in a secure area for the night. Just like with chickens, nesting boxes should be provided for laying hens. If they are free-ranged, I’d also recommend keeping them contained until eggs are laid, or else you may be embarking on an unexpected egg hunt through your yard.

Nutrition: As babies, ducks require more niacin than found in regular chick starter, so niacin supplements are always a great idea. When adults, layer pellets should be given to adult hens with option of oyster shells as added calcium for stronger eggshells. In mixed flocks that include drakes, all flock feed is good to add for needed/extra protein for the boys.

Hen/drake ratio: Males can be rough on the females, so be sure to have at least threes hens per drake. However, preferably five hens to one drake.

In regards to free-ranging, I personally do not free-range my ducks without supervision. During the day, aerial predators remain a threat and it would be all too easy for a bald eagle to carry off a duck around here. If you do let them on a pond, one of the biggest threats are snapping turtles. They will eat ducklings and easily injure adults legs.

Hope this helps a bit. If you have any questions, feel free to ask.

We have to supervise ours too, we almost lost a chicken to a hawk but thankfully she only had a good amount of feathers pulled and a small rip on her back but it healed up pretty quick and she has all of her feathers now.