Interested in Ducks, But Curious About Odor

[Enigmius]

I have never raised any fowl, but have been reading this board for a few weeks, eventhough I've only recently became a member. I am potentially interested in getting a few ducks as opposed to chickens(mainly for the eggs and cuteness), and building a permanent duck house with a run. But I have one big concern.
Let's say I have three ducks that spend majority of their time in a large covered run, and let's also say that I use a substrate like sand or shavings with which I scoop out feces regularly. Would there still be an issue with odor? What about urine smells; do they build-up over time?
I live in a community where my neighborhood is comprised of acre plots which are longer than wide, so naturally I don't want them to hate me everytime they go into their backyard.

 

[Welshies]

Chickens, ducks, and birds pee and poop all at once. So really, there is no urine smell.
If your coop isn't overcrowded and cleaned/aerated (if you use the deep litter method) regularly, there won't be an odour. Adequate ventilation is necessary too, it tones down smells and ammonia.
With ducks (who are very, very wet), your best bet is to use straw for bedding. Shavings will get too soggy, and although I've never tried sand, their poop isn't dry enough to just "scoop" out like with chicken poop.
If you've never had poultry before I suggest you start with chickens or medium sized ducks like Welsh Harlequins. Ducks are more high maintenance than chickens, although hardier. They are very wet and messy, and play in water no matter the temperature. They'll require a pool to swim in, and when you feed them, they must always have water or they'll choke. They use water to swallow their food, so you may have little food crumbs or soggy water trails to and fro.

 

[chickens really]

Hello...I'm a total Duck person and yes they stink and ammonia is in the poop..If your alive your poop stinks...Ducks are very messy with water and that is a need for all Ducks. Chickens stink too.
You either love Birds or don't?....Nothing romantic about owning either species..

 

[Enigmius]

Fantastic! Thank you so much for your speedy reply. I am still considering whether I want chickens or ducks, but..... The funny thing is that the ducks I have been considering are the Welsh Harlequins, and maybe one cayuga. Now I haven't decided 100 percent yet, but I like to plan things out in my head before I actually do anything.
My plan for the run, and this is only in my head thus far, would be to have a peaked/angled roof with a gutter leading to two rain barrels, a valved pipe leading from said rain barrels into a small and slightly raised pond. And from the pond, I might have pipe with a valve leading out of the run. This way I could flush out and refill the pond.

But as you said, perhaps I should start with chickens. I am going to be doing some extensive yard work when the weather becomes much more friendly; I won't be able to actually get any kind of fowl until that is done. So, I should have plenty of time to nail down which one I would prefer.

 

[rjohns39]

Hi and welcome to BYC We're so happy you've decided to join us
Even with deep litter, ducks are tough to brood in terms of mess. Once on pasture they seem to be cleaner than the chickens. What might work for you is portable electric fencing or portable shelter with frequent movement. Mine will swim in ANYTHING that has water in it. I provide water bowls and kiddie pools and that seems to keep them happy. Some ducks are better than others about using a nest box (I'll defer to the others to tell you which) but mine are strictly aniti-nest box. I put lots of fresh straw in th night shelter and leave them in until about 9:00AM and can generally find where today's nest is. There will always be one that waits til they're outside and leave you a surprise.

 

[Enigmius]

Hi and welcome to BYC We're so happy you've decided to join us
Even with deep litter, ducks are tough to brood in terms of mess. Once on pasture they seem to be cleaner than the chickens. What might work for you is portable electric fencing or portable shelter with frequent movement. Mine will swim in ANYTHING that has water in it. I provide water bowls and kiddie pools and that seems to keep them happy. Some ducks are better than others about using a nest box (I'll defer to the others to tell you which) but mine are strictly aniti-nest box. I put lots of fresh straw in th night shelter and leave them in until about 9:00AM and can generally find where today's nest is. There will always be one that waits til they're outside and leave you a surprise.

So your portable electric fencing...Do you use something over the top? I have few hawks where I live.

 

[chickens really]

Ducks poop watery poop and drill holes to China in a yard..The smell of wet swamp is always in the air with Ducks...proper management is a must..Then Chickens need to be kept dry and well ventilated ..Its a lot to learn. Keep on reading and you will do great

 

[rjohns39]

So your portable electric fencing...Do you use something over the top? I have few hawks where I live.

I put little two foot tall shelters around that they can go hide in. I also use chicken tractors which are much safer for them. I'll warn you though that they seem impervious to the electricity and many of my young ones will bolt through the fence both ways. As a general rule they all stay together and its gorgeous to watch them fly from one side of the pasture to the other.

 

[Kallywumpus]

We have a fairly small back yard and kept three chickens and a duck in a coop and run. There was some odor when you were right next to it, but it didn't travel far. More neighbor-concerning was the noise. Although, we were lucky and they thought it was cute. A lot can be forgiven for a gift of fresh eggs now and again. ^^

 

[Enigmius]

We have a fairly small back yard and kept three chickens and a duck in a coop and run. There was some odor when you were right next to it, but it didn't travel far. More neighbor-concerning was the noise. Although, we were lucky and they thought it was cute. A lot can be forgiven for a gift of fresh eggs now and again. ^^

Ha! I will keep that in mind.