Looking at getting ducks!

[Ilovemychicks08]

Hi, i have been looking at getting ducks for a couple of months. They would be bought in the spring because of winter being here already. I have chickens and would be raising them together. They would have there own coop feeder and waterer( which would all be diy). I was wondering if i could use regular chick/ chicken feed with brewers yeast.? And what breeds would you reccomend? Thank you for any info!

 

[Isadora]

Yes, you can use regular chick feed and supplement with niacin. I prefer to use nutritional yeast.
Breed recommendations would depend on what function you want. Meat, eggs, just to have? Preference about size, etc.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Here is some good info on breeds
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/duck-breed-focus-project.1024526/

 

[Tookie]

I'm looking into getting ducks too, I created this thread so you can take a look at it.->
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/ducks-101.1551827/

 

[fatty and friends]

technically unmedicated chick feed is safe for ducklings, but it doesn't have everything they need. i highly recommend mazuri waterfowl starter. 100x better than any other starter you can get. it's a little more pricey but definitely worth it and will make sure your ducklings have the best start

 

[CoriM]

Keep in mind that chickens are more dry and ducks are wet - they need a lot of water to dunk their heads in, and it will get dirty quickly and need regular changing. Plus they need water for swimming and they will make a muddy mess of your yard, but it's good for them to have grass to forage in.

 

[Ilovemychicks08]

Thank you everyone! I will view all the articles.

 

[AllThoseFloofs]

This is all good information about ducks. If you can provide proper care, I would 100% reccomend getting ducks. They have so much personality and mine have brought me so much joy

 

[Ilovemychicks08]

I want a duck thay lays more eggs than they supply meat, what ducks should i get. But i can only have 2 because of town ordinance, we do plan on moving in 1-2 years. I have coop plans i could draw them up and then show you. I also have feeder/waterer plans. Will the chickens learn to stay away from the kiddie pool? Also how many tubs would you reccomend with water? Also would ducks need nesting boxes i have heard that they dont always lay where you want them? Thanks in advance!

 

[Tookie]

I want a duck thay lays more eggs than they supply meat, what ducks should i get. But i can only have 2 because of town ordinance, we do plan on moving in 1-2 years. I have coop plans i could draw them up and then show you. I also have feeder/waterer plans. Will the chickens learn to stay away from the kiddie pool? Also how many tubs would you reccomend with water? Also would ducks need nesting boxes i have heard that they dont always lay where you want them? Thanks in advance!

I believe a good egg laying duck would be a Golden 300 Hybrid Layer. Just search up best duck laying breeds and read some articles.
For two ducks you need at least 8sq ft of coop space and a minimum of about 12sq ft of run space for each duck. Nesting boxes are not required.
A kiddie pool would be perfect for two ducks. If you do use a kiddie pool the chickens should be fine, I don't think they'll go in it, just drink water from it. I doubt they'd drown in it. One kiddie pool should be enough.