Interested in ducks.

[OrpingtonFairy]

I have chickens and am interested in getting ducks. I'm not too familiar with them so I'm wondering what the difference is between the two, in time, care and attention.

 

[Muscovygirl426]

We have muscovy ducks and they are amazing. I feel they are more personable and approachable. They are cleaner in my opinion and are great mothers. The muscovys will sit on any egg and hatch it. As far as time, they don't really take to much time. Jus making sure they have food and clean water to drink and swim in.. And as far as flying, getting wings clipped once a year depending on the duck will keep them from flying off. But that's a preference to the owner.

 

[Adalida]

I love my ducks and won't ever be without ducks. That said, they are MESSY. I've seen more than one post on this forum where people have gotten ducks and got rid of them because they couldn't handle the mess they made. Constantly splashing water everywhere, drinking water constantly which leads to pooping constantly, tearing up the yard like this:

That said, I think they're worth it because they have so much personality. They're goofy and quirky and I can't help but love them and laugh at them.

 

[TLWR]

Time wise - same as ducks. You need to feed them, water them and clean out their coop.
Ducks don't always put themselves to bed - you can get them in the habit of doing so, but some nights, they just don't wanna.

I have both. I find the chickens just a bit easier as there is no swimming water to deal with.
As for clean up - I think the ducks clean up easier as I hose out huts and their poop is much more watery than chicken poop. Same goes with the yard... I find myself scooping chicken poop when I go out and clean up after the dogs, but I've not yet scooped a duck poop LOL

My chickens are content to hang out at my feet. My ducks would rather stay at least an arm reach away.
They each have their own types of personalities.

 

[OrpingtonFairy]

This might be a stupid question, but you know how people try not to get a rooster due to loudness and other "issues", should I be avoiding male ducks for any reason?

 

[Adalida]

My drakes are actually super quiet. They quack but it's like a low, raspy quack that you can't even hear unless you're within 10 feet or so. The girls are the loudmouths! Muscovies are very quiet though, both the girls and the boys.

 

[TLWR]

The issue with male ducks is not how loud they can be, it is if they decide to mate with your chicken hens. Duck and chicken anatomy is very different and male ducks can hurt or even kill a chicken hen mating it because it just isn't meant to work. So if you plan to keep them penned together, I'd avoid drakes. If they free range, then I'd have a plan B for a drake that gets overly interested in a chicken hen.

 

[Adalida]

X2 what TLWR said.. I tend to forget about drakes potentially harming chickens this way, because my chickens definitely rule the roost and boss the ducks around. But that's not always the case with a mixed flock.