Let’s Talk Ducks

[BYC Project Manager]

Ducks often take a back seat to chickens when people think about backyard poultry, but they’ve got so many unique qualities that make them worth raising! For one, ducks are natural foragers and can be excellent at pest control—goodbye slugs and beetles! They’re also surprisingly hardy. And let’s not forget their eggs—bigger, richer, and often preferred by bakers.

Some folks say ducks are messier, harder to contain, or less affectionate than chickens, while others insist they’re easier to raise once you understand their quirks.

So here are a few questions to get the discussion rolling:

1. What do you love most about keeping ducks?
2. If you’ve raised both ducks and chickens, which do you prefer—and why?
3. Do you let your ducks free-range, or do you keep them in a pen with water access?
4. What’s your favorite duck breed for eggs, meat, or just plain personality?
5. Any funny or memorable duck stories you’d like to share?

Let’s hear your experiences, tips, and maybe even some duck myths you’ve debunked along the way. Who knows—you might just inspire someone to add a few quackers to their flock!

 

[ruthhope]

What do I love best? Ducklings! Lovely little fluffies!

I rescue ducks rehab them and rehome when I can. Most, but not all, drakes have stayed with me. I have had abandoned roosters and an abandoned Rockefeller too. I prefer my drakes as roosters are too noisy, they scratch the ground and their poop cannot go straight on the garden as it burns the plants.

My Ducks and the occasional rooster free range in my privacy fenced back yard. There ate lots of shrubs and hiding places. At night they are secured in a safe duck house away from predators.

I love both my pekin and muscovy boys for companionship and amusement, and my son's laying pekins for eggs. My pekin drakes have distinct, silly, personalities. My one cuddly boy is a muscovy. He also bites my legs and ankles, hard.

Funny stories?? My cuddly muscovy thinks he should live in the house with me not in the coop with ducks. He is disdainful of the ducks in the duck house. He looks for and takes any and every opportunity to sneak into the house and hide

 

[cavemanrich]

I would keep ducks if I had a pond in the backyard. So its chickens only for me.
BUT,,,,,,, I do get some visiting Mallards, that live near creek, about 1 block distance away. They come, to eat whatever the bird feeder drops to the ground.

 

[KathiQuacks]

I love their behaviors and personalities the most. Like how they chatter incessantly when they get fresh bedding. Or how the broody girls wag their tails. Or how my one girl, Pitaya, simply must take a bath immediately after the water tubs are refilled.

During the day, I let my birds free-range with access to a ~5 acre pond. They also have water tubs / a kiddy pool in their run. They return to the coop on their own, and occasionally even put themselves to bed.

Most of my ducks have been mixes, so I’m not sure I can comment too much on personal breed experience. But I’ve heard Khakis and Runners are great layers. Pekins are a classic meat breed. And I love the personality of Muscovy ducks the most.

I’ll recall the story of my girl Pepper having such a good nap by the pond, that she didn’t notice everyone else had left. I had to send her boyfriend to go fetch her and guide her back to the rest of the flock.

 

[rubi fussell]

hi im just wondering what is the show standards for blue bibbed call ducks ?

 

[Evadig]

I love ducks.
- They’re much easier to care for than chickens, less stressful, and so much cuter!
- When I had ducks, they’d free range during the day, and at night sleep in the coop with food and a little pond.
- I don’t have a favorite breed, but I like Saxonies and Silver Appleyards because they were the most friendly.

Stories, memories? Most memorable was the time my broody duck Hilda abandoned four eggs just before they were due to hatch.
I made a makeshift incubator out of a fishbowl and a reptile heat lamp and with the help of God and BYC one egg successfully hatched. I will never forget that.

My ten beautiful ducks

 

[chickengr]

I have muscovy, indian runner and khaki campbell ducks. pekin ducks are on my wish list. although they are messier than chickens they are easier to keep. muscovy ducks eat less than other ducks and chickens. definitely keepers if hard times come.

 

[StinkyAcres]

What do you love most about keeping ducks?

They're very cute and entertaining, they make great fertilizer "tea", and they are gentle to my plants while providing pest control.

If you’ve raised both ducks and chickens, which do you prefer—and why?

I am still a chicken person. Both have their pros and cons, but the biggest cons to ducks is they need a lot of water and they are very messy with that water.

Do you let your ducks free-range, or do you keep them in a pen with water access?

My ducks have a large pen with a pool. I do not free range because of predators and to preserve my land/pond for the wildlife.

What’s your favorite duck breed for eggs, meat, or just plain personality?

I've only raised Muscovy. I chose them over other ducks because they are quiet and are less dependent on water.

Any funny or memorable duck stories you’d like to share?

Muscovies are always funny. It's adorable to watch them use the treadle feeder then waddle to the water to wash it down. They can be crazy when they are broody and I am currently being attacked daily.

 

[akroberts1085]

I love both. My chickens are mostly lovable and chatter boxes. I love my ducks. Yes they're dirtier than my chickens but they are also easier to take care of. I have 3 swimming pools for the ducks but they also enjoy the leak in the garden hose and that's fun to watch. My neighbor's love to hear them talking and it's really relaxing for me too. I love the eggs too.

 

[Birdlove2011]

1.Let's see.. what i love most about keeping ducks is their appreciation toward me and that they just keep me laughing. They are full of personality. Fluffy muffins I call them....lol
I have raised all my ducks from incubation so they literally see me as their mom. I taught them to swim with swimming lessons in the bath tube, forging, and alerting me when they have a booboo or not feeling well. Being with all my ducks from the beginning allowed me to learn their communication language well and same with them with human language. Other than study their individual looks and facial expressions I also learned all their individual sounds. Sounds that tell me I love you, excitement, sadness, loneliness, sounds that they want to be loved on, all the things. Im alittle obsessed as you can see lol. For me though when each of my ducks give me a look saying thank you mom, or excited when mom comes home is all worth it for me. I LOVE DUCKS.

2. I currently raise both ducks and chickens and I cannot say I prefer one over the other. I think they both bring different things to the flock. Each have both their difficulties and challenges.

3.My ducks are kept in a very large pen. Roughly 1 acre with 3 pools. This is to keep them safe and secure. I live out in wooded country and unfortunately I learned a lesson with free ranging and I'm not doing that again. So in a pen with an electric fence, with motion sensor lights for night and a solar trail of lights for walking around at so the can see and not bump into anything. The lights also brings in bugs so its a night feast for them.

4. My favorite breed is Pekin, but I also like Rouen and Cayuga . All have great personality and thats what I raise. I also have some black and blue Swedish to. Hybrids of Swedish and Pekin as well. Lol did I mention I have 23 ducks...lol

5. I think all my ducks have a funny story but I think the most memorable one for me and it came out of tragic event was my house duck Lucky. She was a victim of a dog attack and suffered from injuries to where she can not utilize her legs well. She was not doing very well for a while mentally and physically and I was unsure how to handle her. My rooster Chunky who was a rescued chick at the time somehow pulled Lucky out of a mental darkness. Chunky is Luckys support bird/ rooster. I truly belive without him I would have lost her. With Chunkys help I was able to hold Lucky again and began physical therapy with her in the tub to help her leg function. I was also able to become Luckys support in her eyes. 100% trust, our bond is unbreakable at this point. Lucky is thriving today, she starting laying eggs after 2yrs of not. She is eating and drinking and overall healthy duck, her legs she can walk some not great but some, however when she is in a tub she can fully swim and dive now. Its her one place she can truly be her duck self. She loves swimming. This yr she has turned 3 and im so grateful she is still with me. Picture below is Lucky and Chunky celebrating her 3rd birthday and few of my other ducks.