Meat Ducks in Chicken Tractors?

[SandySlopeHomestead]

I saw a thread on here discussing ducks in chicken tractors a bit, but it never really got past speculation into the meat of the subject. What is the viability of raising duck in a chicken tractor (a la Salatin). I have 2 already made from chicken this year and I would like to switch over to ducks. Has anyone seen good sources on people trying this? I'm most interested in the amount of ducks possible in a tractor and the type of waterer to use.

 

[iwltfum]

I think Justin Rhodes on youtube was trying this for a while. Maybe you could find some videos he has done on the subject?

 

[SandySlopeHomestead]

I just searched his channel and couldn't find anything. He did have ducks but not in the tractor style like what I'm thinking.

 

[iwltfum]

Sorry. I thought I saw something like that scrolling through. I raise chickens in salatin style tractors and I'd like to raise ducks for meat as well, but I haven't looked into it too much yet. I don't think I would do it in tractors personally, but I have very little predator pressure where I'm located compared to most other people.

 

[SandySlopeHomestead]

My concerns are the difference in manure and water requirements. I did visit Polyface and they had ducks in an electronet enclosure, but they had more than 200. I might just end up trying it out to see what happens. I'm going to be doing it out on pasture, so I would need the tractor as opposed to free ranging them.

 

[iwltfum]

My concerns are the difference in manure and water requirements. I did visit Polyface and they had ducks in an electronet enclosure, but they had more than 200. I might just end up trying it out to see what happens. I'm going to be doing it out on pasture, so I would need the tractor as opposed to free ranging them.

Are you opposed to using the electric netting? I use it every year for our annual batch of turkeys that we raise in our otherwise unfenced orchard.

 

[MVchickens]

A local farm here raises Pekins in 8'x8' tractors with electro net. They seem to have been pretty successful with it as they have done it this way for a few years now. I would assume its not much different then chickens other than the fact the will not scratch their manure in. They will probably create mud, but if the tractor is moved frequently enough this should not be much of a problem.

 

[SandySlopeHomestead]

Are you opposed to using the electric netting? I use it every year for our annual batch of turkeys that we raise in our otherwise unfenced orchard.

Well I already have the tractors from chickens this year. I also have sheep that will be using temp fencing too so I’d like to keep the fencing to a minimum if possible. But mainly just reusing what I have