large chicken breeds vs muscovy ducks for eating pests???

[animals1981]

Hello

What would you say is better for large pest control, things like mice, snakes. cockroaches and large spiders, between muscovy and buckeye chickens?

 

[Wildsky]

Perhaps add Guineas!? I know the ducks and chickens probably won't eat a snake, unless its really small.

 

[Smartie_Pants]

Chikens will eat mice, I've had ducks try to eat salamanders and frogs before. Both are great for bugs, but I've never seen either of mine try to eat big spiders. I have however watched chickens peck huge bees out of the air, kill them, then eat them. So maybe chickens for the spiders?


ETA: I don't have any experience with Guineas. Aren't they really loud and obnoxious? What all are they good for besides pest control?

 

[the1much]

my #1 bug eaters are guineas,, they'll chase things down for hours,, but my chickens do good too,, but will only eat little snakes,, my guineas have taken on 3' rattlers.

 

[Wildsky]

My guinea's are still babies but gosh they can HUNT and they hunt ALL day long. (with poor chicken mother running along to keep them safe

)

Yeah they can be loud - but I don't have to worry about neighbors or anything like that.

My muscovies are good hunters as well, and they'll snap flies right out the air, but I've not seen them take on anything very big.

 

[zatsdeb]

guineas for the bugs!!!
My chickens killed a mouse the other day and were chasing each other around with it!!!

 

[Smartie_Pants]

Quote:
I don't really have to worry about neigbors either. I live in the country and while I still have very close neighbors (the properties here go far back into the woods instead of being big with wise, like a photo that is "portrait" style.) they don't care. The ones on the right are almost never home and only live there sometimes, and the ones on the left are good country folks. They have horses and have had chickens and things. The don't even mind our ducks and chickens going into their yard and foraging.

 

[Wildsky]

Smartie pants. Your list of critters is almost like mine - cept for guinea's - so go ahead and get some.

I have 18 chickens, 6 ducks and 6 guineas. 1 Boer goat and 1 horse.

 

[Smartie_Pants]

Quote:
Don't temp me! LOL! I way overspent on chickens this month. We don't really get many snakes or mice here. We have killed about two snakes in the 3 years we have lived on this property and they were both this year. We had a mouse problem in the chicken pen but have eradicated it now. We have tons of those big cave crickets that come out at night in the summer though! I hate those. Hmm... guineas. LOL.

I wish I could get a horse, but I'm only 16 and my parents have never let me on one. Well, except for those little ponys you get on when you are young and the man leads you around the coral a couple of times.