Pros and Cons

[Livlif2itsfulest]

Thinking about adding ducks to my Cochin flock of 7. What are your pros and cons about ducks... I heard the poop way to much and are some what pesky... any other and I read all the great stuff on the top reasons to have one. Just need to be sold 100% on the idea. Thanks!

 

[DuckLover179]

Pros you ask? Everything about them is a pro!!! You can see them all listed here: https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=245376

Cons:
Sure they poop a lot (But that's just more time you get to spend with them!)
They can bite hard (It won't happen if raised properly)
... I can't think of any others...

They are AWESOME!!! You should totally get some! I got mine at www.metzerfarms.com
Oh PLUS they are super cute!:

 

[mommyofthreewithchicks]

The pro's hove out weighed the con's for me.....

Cute, curious, laughter, ducklings, flying wings.....

Poop, poop and more poop... Water hauling and dealing with the water mess... ( and don't make my mistake of getting the same number of ducks as your chickens... Ok maybe 7 would still be do able

as they require more work in the water and poo department)


I could keep going on the list but really they are fun and I have been enjoying baking with the eggs.

 

[Livlif2itsfulest]

Aww thanks a lot thats that I wanted to hear! I think I am in!

 

[Amiga]

I have seen a few people who get desperately put out with ducklings. There are probably many reasons. But I always feel bad for the ducklings, because they are just being who they are. I just want to ask you to be willing to adjust your ideas about "how it should be." For example, I thought I'd be cleaning the brooder once a day. Well, some days it was five times. I thought providing water would be a snap. Well, I had to redesign watering systems three times for the brooder (the outdoor pen watering worked as designed from the start - whew! Relief!).

So, if you're at a time in your life when you cannot be flexible, or when it would add to too much stress you already have, you might want to wait.

But if you are ready to change your life and your ideas in exchange for some of the sweetest, funniest, most darling, expressive, creative little animals ever, then welcome to the club!!!

 

[maralynn28]

What Amiga said! I got my ducks for egglaying....they have quickly become a favorite pet. Even hubs (who was desperately against getting them) now sits outside with a beer and watches them, laughing at their antics. My cayuga and rat terrier actually PLAY together, chasing each other around.

Only cons for me:
1. Attract predators you didn't know lived anywhere near you
2. Can be noisy when wanting attention
3. stinky POOP! lol (but then again, what animal doesn't?)

 

[Smiles-N-Sunshine]

Ducks definitely lend themselves to free ranging in a dry, non-manicured setting..... Hey, that's exactly what I have!

Brooding ducks is indeed more challenging than with chickens. Treating them like chickens didn't work for me either. Now I use a 5' diameter stock tank and keep piling clean pine shavings over the soiled stuff, and put the waterer on top of a screened pan to keep "most" of it out of the litter.

But once they're out of the brooder, they're low maintenance (mine are, anyway) - and it's a great end to my day to watch them splash in their tub!

Bryan

 

[learycow]

I must say that I love my ducks more than my chickens!
They are much more entertaining and relaxing to watch. The chickens all do the same thing, but the ducks seem to have personalities that just make them fun to be around.

Pros: They are much more hardy than chickens
I live in Maine and it gets very cold here. On a freezing cold, snowy day the chickens will be in the coop and the ducks will be outside playing in the snow.
I also find that they do better in the cold. They don't get frostbite like a chicken might.
They lay more eggs than my chickens
I have mostly Khaki Campbells and I get an egg a day from the hens, every single day. My chickens tend to take a day off here and there, but the ducks just keep on laying.

The only cons I've had are these:
They are messy! They LOVE water, and tend to splash A LOT. If you can, I would suggest keeping their waterer outside. Otherwise your coop will be soaked and messy within a matter of minutes.
They are also noisy. But it seems like they are only loud when startled or if someone new is around.
Also, they like to hide their eggs. I had to put a large pen around my coop because they were hiding their eggs on me! Now they usually lay in the coop, but they still like to cover they eggs.

I hope this helps

I would definitely recommend ducks though, the pros by far outweigh the cons

 

[DuckLover179]

Just learned another con... I cleaned out their pool

DISGUSTING Oh well, I still love them!

 

[Livlif2itsfulest]

I have 7 chickens all are free range during the day and at night are in a small coop with a I guess you call it garden coop. it can home easily 10 chickens. I plan on keeping the flock I got with addition of the ducks and then maybe some chicks to hatch and sell or keep ). I have heard they were messy and I have thought of hanging a waterer under the coop and then one in the coop. I was only planing on getting 2 ducks. I like my flock small and personable. I appreciate all your advice I do have some research ahead of me. Thanks