I want ducks.... sooooo many questions

[flowerchicks]

I reeeaaaallyy wanted calls, but everybody says they are so loud, and I just had to rehome my 2 roosters for that same reason. Someday, maybe, but for now, I need to find the quietest ducks. I only want 2 or 3.

 

[manybirds]

Quote:
muscovies arn't illegal up north r they down there? a well bred muscovy (one bred for exibition porpuses-who have the smaller caurnacles- not so much the ones bred for meat) r the prettiest, quietest, sweetest, best mothers, and the absolute best foragers (they eat more ticks mice snakes and bugs/spiders that any other breed). they make a wide array of cute noises. even though they can fly we have never had one leave. they like to perch at night. there only down fall is the poop alot and have strong wings and long sharp nails. they r not as agresive as most people seem to think.

 

[kuntrygirl]

Here is a link about the topic of Muscovys being outlawed.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=304055

Muscovy ducks are great to have.

Really no difference between ducks and chickens. Size and texture of their eggs are different.

Ducklings and ducks can eat the same feed. I feed mine Flock Raiser.

Ducks can eat BOSS. I feed it to mine. For more information about duck health and illnesses, check out this link below.
http://www.duckhealth.com/duckhlth.html

My chickens have hatched baby ducks and have cared for them with no problem.

Ducks can bond with humans but I have too many to try to bond with.

It's not too late to get ducklings.

My muscovys DO fly. They can fly at least 12 feet off of the ground if not higher with no problems. They do not fly away. They fly around the property and will fly on top of my house and my 12 foot high peacock aviary.

Many people say that ducks do not roost but strange enough mine do. I have raised/open air coops that are about 2 feet off of the ground. Some of them will fly in the coop and fly on the roosts and roosts with the chickens. The others will just go in the chicken stalls and sleep in the stalls. The others will just sleep in the ground in the chicken yard.

Duck preparing to roost before night.

You can have a kiddie pool in the chicken run but please make sure that ducklings are supervised if they are near the kiddie pool. They could possibly get in and drown.

Muscovys don't need grass to live but they do love eating grass.

 

[gryeyes]

I happen to have Cayugas and call ducks in with my flock of chickens (and two geese).

I absolutely love my Cayugas. They are very quiet, and the hen hardly ever quacked; if so, it would be because something startled or annoyed her, and she would let out about 3 quacks. The female call duck, on the other hand, is VERY loud. Call ducks do fly, quite well. But if they are being fed and cared for, they just fly around the place, not away from the property.

My entire flock eats "All Flock," the Nutrena version of Purina's "Flock Raiser.". I leave ouster shell out for the layers, free choice.

The ducks do not want to go I to any duck house at night; as a matter of fact, they roam the property at night, on patrol. I call 'em my Ninja Stealth Ducks, because you cannot see the black Cayugas in the dark. They find grass hummocks in which to sleep during the day, now and then.

 

[jdywntr]

I have runner ducks which I am in the process of trying to rehome. They are hilarious, not very loud, great layers and good bug control. They are not overly friendly (at least mine). I just got (today

) 5 Muscovy ducklings.

1. Muscovy are (most likely) not going to be illegal to own. The government is trying to figure it all out. May be some restrictions.

2. Ducks are MESSY especially when young. A bit more fragile in my opinion too.

3. dont know

4. It depends.

5. Less availability in fall and winter as they don't breed in northern climates.

6. You should get at least 2. Depending on breed and individuals, males can get along fine (without females around). More females than males.

7. The ducks will muck up the chicken pen. I'd put the pool outside of the run and make sure that the ducks waterer is over some type of pit with wire over it to take care of excess splashing.

8. I had grass but after the chickens, I don't know.

9. Depends

10. They can eat the same depending on what it is. I feed All Flock to my chickens and ducks (after 8 weeks)

11. Depends on breed, few roost. From what I've read, many return to the duck house, depends on training.

12. Again, depends on breed.

Do some more research and decide what breed suits your needs. Do you want pets, eggs, meat, hatching eggs to sell or ducklings? And remember that all ducks are individuals and may not fit the "mold" of the typical behavior. I made this mistake myself (got runners even though I really wanted muscovy) I would not trade the experience for the world but due to my lack of forethought, I now have 12 ducklings that nobody (at least locally) wants.

Good luck though.

 

[agregg15]

1. Why are muscovies illegal now? They are supposed to be the quietest.
They aren't illegal where I live, but they are supposed to be pests in Florida (Ocala.)

2. What are the main differences (besides water) between ducks and chickens?
Ducks produce eggs that are (obviously) larger, better tasting, and make pastry fluffier.

3. What kind of health issues do they have? I saw on another post that bird seed will make them sick, what about BOSS? We feed that to the wild birds/squirrels, and the chickens love it.
Ducks are pretty hardy. The only problem that is really common is angel wing. When they're first hatched they can have splayed legs, but that is easily fixable. Birdseed can cause impacted crops in ducks and potentially kill them. Basically, don't let them eat birdseed.

4. Do hatched ducks "bond" to people better than purchased duckling? What about getting an older duckling or a full grown pair?
The younger they are, the better they will bond with you like all birds. Some ducks are better pets than others though. My mallards are calm, but don't like to be picked up and don't run over to see me like my Welsh Harlequins do (Get WH, you will love them

)

5. What time of year do you recommend getting them? Is it too late in the year to get ducklings?
I got my WH ducklings on Monday. As long as they have about 3 1/2 - 4 months months before winter (or the first snowfall) and a warm coop, they should be fine.

6. Should I get a pair? I don't want noisy ducks, and I have heard that the females are noisy. Should I get 2 or 3 males and no female? Do they need a mate?
They don't need a mate, but your chicken hens might get crushed. I would just get a couple girls and a drake. My mallards quack, but they aren't that loud most of the time. I've heard WH are rather quiet (they are also supposed to lay well

)

7. I would be putting a kiddie pool, or a plastic garden pond, in my chicken run area (it is about 50' x 50') and my ducks would be hanging with the chickens. Is that ok? I would make a separate duck house for the ducks to sleep in at night.
People keep ducks and chickens together. I'm planning on getting a chicken hen or two in the spring. They should be okay and the water from the kiddie pool would make wonderful fertilizer.

8. Do ducks need grass? I don't have any, just dirt and leaves.
If you through them some lettuce or other veggies once in a while (here is a wonderful page https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=242460) along with their feed, they should be fine.

9. If I used one of my broody hens to hatch a duck egg, would they accept the duckling as one of their own? If they did, would this help the chickens to accept the ducks in their area, or would they do that anyway. (I have no roosters)
I would imagine they would accept them. Ducks are very social.

10. I know the ducks (and ducklings) eat different food from the chickens, how could I separate their food? I was thinking of putting it in their "house".
There really is no need to do that. My ducks eat duck/chicken food called DuMor. I get it from my local TSC. Just remember that ducklings CANNOT eat chicken starter with medication.

11. Will the ducks "roost" at night on their own, or will they need to be put in their duck house?
You will probably have to put them in. My duckies love to stay out. Though I have heard that they can be trained with peas...

12. I have a 6ft wooden fence, will they try to fly away?
It depends on the breed. Some ducks love to fly (mallards) and some can't (rouens, pekins, etc.) I believe Metzer's site has a list of the breeds of ducks that can and can't fly.

 

[flowerchicks]

WOW, thanks for all the great info everyone. I am curious though, it seems that ducks don't like to roost or go into a coop at night. How do you keep them safe from predators if you don't lock them inside? I am very diligent about locking my hens up at night (I even have a deadbolt on the door in case a super smart raccoon gets in the run

).

 

[kuntrygirl]

Quote:
I think it depends on if a person has a predator problem or not. Some people have predators (coyotes, racoons, fox, etc.) and some people don't. For those that have predator problems, they would have to keep them locked up. For those that do not have predator problems, they are comfortable that their ducks are safe just sleeping on the ground and not being locked up.

 

[easttxchick]

My ducks are locked up at night. We have the typical nocturnal ground and aerial predators so I want them safe.

 

[Kaelinstorm]

Yeah... I had Possums last year but since then I havent seen any... besides them I dont have preddy problems (and Ive only lost one chicken to them) So my duckies just roam the yard at night and pick a comfy spot when tired... Perhaps you could have a run for them at night if you have predators lurking?