OK, so I am hooked... how many Pekin ducks?

[MaineChickens]

I got my chickens today and I had been considering getting some ducks for a meat project. Now that I have the peepers here, how many ducks would you recommend someone start with? I would plan it so that my chickens are out of the brooder before the ducks arrive.

I know a lot of hatcheries make you order 15, but I am concerned that may be too much for me. I am a single person and I have already read how messy the ducks are. I can get away with less from Ideal.

That being said, I breed German Shepherds, so I have had my share of 8 small messy needy critters in the house for 8 weeks. How bad can ducks be? LOL

 

[championny]

This is just my topic. Yes, Ideal will let you order less than 15, but they will send, as one other member called it "peanuts" or a few extra chicks for warmth. They will likely be males, but if you raise the for meat or sell them/give em away, you should be fine.

Ducks are messy! I told myself I wouldn't do it again and here I am with a 1 mo old Pekin I bought at the feed store when he was less than a week. I had finished my ducks from November to outside just back in Feb, and I dunno why I did it again. It's the water. Give them something they can dip their bill in, but can't spill over or jump into. They will try and that's what really makes the mess.

But they are fun and very sociable. Peepers likes to lay in your lap and he used to crawl on our shoulder but now he's too darn big.

 

[MaineChickens]

Well, I guess I will find out. 6 pekins ordered from ideal and god knows how many packing peanuts.

Who knew this was going to be so addictive?

 

[greyfields]

Ducks work best in trios or multiples of three; assuming you can get them sexed, which isn't always an option with waterfowl.

Since you're probably going to have a hard time finding people to ship day olds, have you attempted to look for breeders or use craigslist for your area? If someone charges you $15 or $20 for ducklins a month old+, it's a good deal for you. You get the number you want and don't have the risk of losing any in the brooder, etc.

 

[Cara]

I'd pick the litter of puppies over a few ducks any day! Ducks absolutely stink, and make your whole house stink. They smell very similar to pigs.

 

[GwenFarms]

My ducks don't stink, but I don't keep them in the house. I've never noticed a smell in their living area. They do tend to leave feathers around the yard. I'm thinking its from my over amorous drake. He gives his hen too much neck sugar

 

[nightshade]

My ducks don't stink either, and I have 5 in my chicken pen with my chickens. But then again I am kinda nuts about a smelly coop. I will admit they take alittle more work to clean up after then chickens

 

[Cara]

We don't keep grown ducks indoors, but ducklings are in a brooder inside until they are big enough to go outside. They are in a wire bottomed cage with a pull out tray that I clean out daily, but they enjoy dabbling the water out of their waterer and that mixed with duck poop is not pleasant. The grown ducks are not as bad, except that their pond needs cleaning daily as they poop in it and it quickly becomes dirty with nasty smelling duck sludge.