first time with ducks

[collingwood]

I've had foxes digging under my pen and killing my ducks and chickens!

 

[Rachele anne]

This is my first time ... I no I have coyotes and Bob cats hawks around where I live

 

[triplepurpose]

You can sometimes buy special feed for ducks, but it's often pricey (or so I'm told). Ducks can eat regular poultry feed as a basis though, they just need extra niacin. For this you can buy supplements, but we use nutritional yeast, sprinkling it on their feed before moistening it so it sticks to the crumbles or pellets(you can do this in a bowl that you keep handy) before putting it in a trough or scattering on the ground. That's what I usually recommend to people. And if they are able to forage well, the niacin issue theoretically becomes less crucial.

 

[Bill1st]

Hello,

We have chickens and would like to add a duck or two… We have never had ducks but people keep talking about how much better than chickens they are. So need some help. Looking for a duck that is the following:
1. Doesn't fly. Is that possible? We live in the city and can't have our ducks all over the place.
2. Quite. Don't want a breed that is know to be loud.
3. Doesn't need water. I am sure there will be a kiddie pool or something for them but, I don't want to have to offer a pool to swim in all the time. More like a treat.
4. Friendly. The ducks would run with the chickens and i have been known to want to pick up and pet my chickens… It would be nice to have the same kind of relationship with the ducks.

Are these unreasonable request for a duck owner?

 

[CrazyTalk]

Duck hens are loud - they're social animals and they communicate by quacking. And I wouldn't keep a lone drake with chickens - that's a good way to end up with dead hens.

We've got a flock of runner ducks and a flock of chickens (and geese) - the ducks are way more maintenance - they go on and off laying much more often than the chickens, and they make a mess. They're neat animals, but "better than chickens" is a bit of a strange comment to me.

 

[triplepurpose]

Muscovies are NOT loud--they are almost silent. However, they do fly, and quite well. They also are a terrible choice for layers, because they invariably will set and hate to have their eggs stolen (though for these exact reasons they make fab self reliant meat birds especially on open range).

All ducks "need water"--they are after all waterfowl. Muscovies seem happy with less water time than mallards, but they still need full access to water containers large enough to bathe in, that will need to be kept clean. Depriving ducks of water access just seems cruel.

The "friendly" thing comes with time and them getting used to you, but I don't see that being much different.

One tip: don't expect ducks to be just like chickens. I too started with ducks after years of keeping chix and was surprised by the many ways in which they differ.

I too am bemused by the idea that "ducks are better than chickens." As someone who keeps both, I can tell you that chickens have many advantages ducks do not and vice versa, depending on the setting and circumstances. If ducks were universally better, why would so many people be keeping chickens?

Also, I'd recommend starting your own new thread for these kinds of questions. Tends to get more and better feedback than posting questions on other people's old dead threads in my experience... good luck!