Need Raising Backyard Ducks for Dummies!

[dofnup]

Hi all,

I am a fairly new chicken owner, I spent a year (yes, a year) researching and learning about how to raise chickens before I finally got my current flock of 7. They are all around 6 weeks old.

I had been hoping this experience would make DH jump on the chicken bandwagon, mostly because I want to get more breeds, but instead he has decided he now wants ducks!

The problem is, I am an expert (ha! j/k) on chickens, but know NOTHING about raising ducks, let alone introducing new ducks to an already existing chicken flock

I don't want to be "that n00b", you know, the one who starts a topic that is basically "teach me everything I need to know". What I am trying to do is ask you to please point me in the right direction of where I need to start learning.

Yes, I've Googled, but I figured if there was a hidden gem of a website/book out there that duck owners swear by then I gotta ask the duck owners!!

Thanks in advance for any help, it will be greatly appreciated!!

 

[sianara]

We were all "noobs" at one time so don't worry

Hang around this duck forum and read back as far as you can, you will be amazed at what you learn from this one source.

The very first book I would suggest you buy is Storey's guide to raising ducks by Dave Holderread. A few other books I have are The new duck handbook by Heinz-Sigurd Raethel and Hobby Farms Ducks - tending a small scale flock for pleasure and profit by Cherie Langlois.

Also there are several magazines that cater to both chickens and waterfowl. Do a google search for "poultry magazines" which will not only pop up paper magazines but many websites as well. A good one is are Backyard Poultry (a BYC advertiser and well worth the $).

You could also do a google search for "poultry websites" (I wouldn't do one for "waterfowl magazines" as you'll get a bunch of hunting magazines and I don't think that's what you're looking for

).

Good luck.

 

[HottentotTeal]

I bought Storey's guide and also picked up a nice little Duck Magazine at Tractor Supply today. The Duck Magazine surprisingly covered a good amount of stuff i read here on the forums and while it's not as detailed as the forum, it is very concise in the information it does have and is quicker to flip through when i need to refresh my brain on something.

 

[Amiga]

Ditto Storey's, and there is a good site, http://www.duckhealth.com/ducklab.html, to check out.

Search the BYC Duck Forum, and also some of the categories under BYC general, on feeding, preventing problems with predators, bedding (especially the deep litter method, or DLM), are helpful.

 

[Wynette]

Thanks, folks - I'm in almost the same boat as dofnup so thanks so much for putting this thread up! I have had chickens fro years, and am getting ducklings next month for the same reason - try as I might, I haven't been able to get my DH interested in chickens, but he came to a poultry show with me last fall, and decided he just had to have a few ducks. Sheesh. Anyway, for some reason, I am just MORTIFIED that I'll do something wrong.

What I would love are some posts from folks who have both chickens and ducks about what is different about them. My brain works oddly at times, and I think a list of what is different (and maybe why?) would be helpful!

OH, goodness - I just realized this thread is quite old! Been doing lots of searching on BYC and found this in my searches...sorry for bringing an old thread back to life!

 

[sianara]

My large ducks and chickens have separate yards and housing but I do let them free range together regularly. So for some of the differences...

1) My chickens make a huge mess out of the ducks food (while visiting their run) because it is in one of those rubber tubs on the ground and not a regular chicken feeder. That probably ticks me off the most.

2) The ducks are much messier with their waste than the chickens are which is why I only use wood shavings in their nesting house (where they lay eggs and sleep). It's about 3'x2' and I clean it out once a week in a jiffy whereas the chickens coop is 8'x8' and gets cleaned out twice a year. I also bought horse stall pads for their run and spray it down several times a week. We are both much happier this way. Before doing that I had a sand run and it was just so disgusting after a year. I ended up digging out about 5" of duck waste before putting the horse stall pads down. Now the water/waste runs off the sides down the hill into the woods. Much more sanitary. During really cold spells (below freezing) I will spray the run down and lightly sprinkle wood shavings all over. The shavings freeze to the pads and they can walk around safely without slipping and sliding. When I spray it down all the shavings/waste goes down the hill into the woods

I love it!

I'm sure there are other differences but to me these two above are the most important. I prefer to house the ducks separately mainly for a cleanliness issue. I'm a little AR about it but this works for me.

Good luck and it's always fun to see an old thread revived!

 

[CelticOaksFarm]

Stoney's guide, and read all the stickies at the top of the duck area. Then just start new threads asking questions as they come up for you.

Yes ducks and chickens can live together, but we don't do it because the ducks LOVE wet, muddy, wet condition s and chickens, well not so much.

 

[Wynette]

GREAT info. - thanks, guys! I won't be housing my chickens and ducks together, I was more asking for comparisons because I'm completely familiar and comfortable with chickens, and I thought some comparisons would be helpful for me.

Sianara - I have feed pans like you mention that you use for your ducks (I have horses and donkeys and use the pans for them). Do the ducks "bill out" the food at all? This is the reason I don't use these pans for my chickens, for the most part.

I'm glad you mentioned the horse stall pads for your run...this concerns me, as my plan was to put several inches of pea gravel in the run; I'd read that this is easy to hose off when need be, but perhaps that's not right?

Celtic - yup! I've read the stickies, but it's been months; I should refresh myself, thanks for the reminder!

 

[sianara]

Yes they do bill it out some but not as much as the chickens do.

Well all spraying down waste on top of pea gravel does in my experience is to liquefy the waste and create a build up underneath. Did it for 8 years. the stall mats allow the waste to actually be washed away and then rain & time make it disappear.

 

[CelticOaksFarm]

We use the black rubber pans too, what they spill they clean up.

1- Chickens don't readily accept new comers.

Ducks will stop and look at a new duck, shrug their shoulders, quack and all go play in the water or mud together.

2- Chickens don't herd well

Ducks can be easily herded across a field and driven into any building or pen of your choosing.

3- Chickens roost and sleep at night

Ducks will get use to going to bed for their human, but will go through sleep wake cycles through out the night.