Getting rid of my chickens!

[animalz11]

Another pro for ducks:
When they bite, it's way less likely to pierce the skin (unless they bite really hard!), unlike chickens who peck.

 

[Grassman 52]

I owned Pekins and Muscovys of the same age - Both were able to be "herded" but the Pekins would group together tighter than the Muscovy's - The latter would split off very easily - where the Pekins always stayed in one group -

 

[jdywntr]

Regular ducks? Perhaps, I wouldn't be able to compare as that is the only breed i own but i will stand by my statement that i disagree with your previous they cannot be herded. My Muscovy are herded in every night and while i think there special i doubt there that "special" LOL..

I don't house my chickens and ducks together, i am not a fan of the concept but people do, i feel there needs differ enough where it creates issues that i would rather not deal with but again some seem to pull it off just fine.

My muscovy also herd pretty easily. It is difficult now that my mama duck decides to sit right in front of the coop door with her babies and she pitches a fit if the other ducks come too close. But everyone else gets in anyway.

Now my first ducks, Indian Runners, now they herded with ease but thats what they do. I would take my muscovy over trying to get chickens in the coop before dark any day.

 

[Going Quackers]

I owned Pekins and Muscovys of the same age - Both were able to be "herded" but the Pekins would group together tighter than the Muscovy's - The latter would split off very easily - where the Pekins always stayed in one group -

Interesting to hear the comparison, as i said i only own 'scovy but i know mine herd, we taught all the birds to do this from wee ones and then the adults taught the young, even the young not hatched here, it's just part of the program lol

 

[Going Quackers]

My muscovy also herd pretty easily. It is difficult now that my mama duck decides to sit right in front of the coop door with her babies and she pitches a fit if the other ducks come too close. But everyone else gets in anyway.

Now my first ducks, Indian Runners, now they herded with ease but thats what they do. I would take my muscovy over trying to get chickens in the coop before dark any day.

LOL! Yes, that could create an issue, Lilly used to bring her brood in just before dusk so that avoided her going nuts on the other birds. True, runners herding is there "thing" but Muscovy are definitely capable when taught too.

 

[ChristineR]

Okay, I've made the decision to finally get rid of the last of my chickens and just stick to ducks. While ducks are messier then chickens when it comes to their water, I find that the pros of ducks out-weigh the cons. Feel free to add to this list



Cons:

Female ducks can be loud (but the drakes are much quieter than roosters)
They like making mud
Don't always lay their eggs in their nests
They are hard to butcher (Lots of feathers!)
Chicken eggs come in LOTS of neat colors, while duck eggs are only white or blue-ish
If over-crowded, can flatten and compact soil, making it hard for small plants and grass to grow
Many people aren't used to duck eggs, and it can be hard to find buyers, especially in a small town
Did I mention the mud...???


Just curious what reasons you all have for keeping ducks........

Just wanted to point out that ducks eggs do come in other colors (so you can remove that from the cons column

).

Cayugas lay black eggs that fade to gray as the season go on and some of my Anconas lay a VERY green egg and others lay a pinkish egg.

 

[sjshaw1980]

I'm considering getting a khaki campbell and a couple of pekins but as for a muscovy...never ever ever...I used to have a neighbor who I helped with her farm and she had this BIG, OLD muscovy drake who was as unpleasant as getting poison ivy where the sun don't shine!! I called him Damien b/c he was such a nasty b****rd...every time I went into the duck pen to clean out the troughs and replenish food and water, he would come running out and attack my legs to no end. No provocation whatsoever other than entering his territory, and I got many a bruise from that nasty beak!

 

[Going Quackers]

That's to bad your experience with the Muscovy breed was negative, mind you that could have been a duck of any breed. I have two drake Muscovy and neither has or had attacked a sole. I actually had quite a few drakes last year and again, all decent birds.

Not trying to convince you to try Muscovy lol, both breeds your interested in are popular, good birds, just felt I should share a differing experience with 'scovies

 

[Senna95]

Any bird can be taught to go in it's pen or cage at night, and thus can easily be "herded" toward it in the evening. This is not what I'm talking about, and its not really herding.

Try to herd a flock of chickens or muscovies into a new pen or enclosure or into an unknown part of the yard, and you'll be lucky to get even one to go where you want it to. Take ducks of mallard descent (AKA "normal" ducks........ ), and they will all naturally flock togher in a tight group (Think sardines on Discovery Chanell). Where one goes, so do the rest, and the whole group moves as one. It's like herding a single entity instead of a bunch of individuals.

 

[crissycriss]

I love my ducks alot more than my chickens but i still enjoy and have chickens. This spring i will be selling most my LF chickens so i can get more ducks. Selling my pekins and some of my mallards too.Really really want some saxony and silver appleyard ducks.