Quack! YES/NO

[ChickForLife]

I will probably be hatching out my own

cool!

 

[HappyDuckie]

If you are looking for eggs, Khaki Campbells lay the most.

 

[Beaglegal]

Do you want ducks? I love them, but they can be very loud and very messy. And they go through a lot of feed.

My ducks sometimes go through less feed than my chickens. During the rainy season they hardly eat feed because they are hunting frogs all day. But other times they go through more. They waste a bit. They become less messy the more space you have I think

 

[HappyDuckie]

My ducks sometimes go through less feed than my chickens. During the rainy season they hardly eat feed because they are hunting frogs all day. But other times they go through more. They waste a bit. They become less messy the more space you have I think

How many chickens do you have, and how many ducks? Mine free range all day, and only eat feed in the morning and at night. That is how I got their feed consumption down.

 

[KingD]

My ducks sometimes go through less feed than my chickens. During the rainy season they hardly eat feed because they are hunting frogs all day. But other times they go through more. They waste a bit. They become less messy the more space you have I think

Very interesting!
I never actually realized ducks eat frogs.
Will have plenty of them

 

[nuthatched]

Ok then. What breed?

That's your job to do research on what breed would work best for you. We don't know your situation like you do. If I were to get ducks and have the proper set up, I would do welsh harlequins BUT that might not work for you. Meat breeds such as Pekin can have weight and joint issues, so I'd avoid those your first time around.

 

[The Happster]

If you're "neutral" and you don't know whether you should get ducks, there's your answer.

No, you should not get ducks.

 

[SulkyBantam]

100% GET DUCKS if you can care for them and maker them happy.
I suggest Indian Runners if you don't have lots of water for them.

 

[KingD]

If you're "neutral" and you don't know whether you should get ducks, there's your answer.

No, you should not get ducks.

Ok ok.....
Sorry I'm not good at explaining things.
I need the bad points and the good points of keeping ducks for eggs.

 

[Trisseh]

It really depends on what you’re wanting them for and your setup. I much prefer my ducks to the chickens, even though I do like my chickens. But, if it came down to it and I had to downsize, the ducks would stay and the chickens and quail would go. Personal preference.

Ducks are more cold hardy, better in wet conditions, and generally easier to contain, as most breeds don’t fly. Khakis and harlequins may, though, and some opinions have it that they’re flightier than other breeds. My personal favorite are silver appleyards - lots of big eggs, quiet personalities, heavyweight birds if you want to eat your extra drakes...

Best to house them separate from the chickens even if it’s just penned separately within your coop, as they make a gawd awful mess with their water. Even better to keep their food and water outside the coop and avoid that issue entirely.

where chickens will scratch and dig up plants, ducks will drill with their bills in any soft or wet ground so newly planted plants or wetter areas will be full of holes...

Also if you’re planning on keeping drakes, remember that some individuals will misbehave and try to mate with your chicken hens, which can be damaging or lethal to them, as the plumbing is different.

personally, I love how goofy they are, the way they like to do everything together, and the racket they make when they hear me pull into the yard or see me coming. I love the way they all get so excited about silly things like new straw and call the others over and then they all spend half an hour playing around in it making their “discovery” noises. xD

I haven’t had any issues with mine not going to bed on their own, although they do turn in much later than the chickens do. I know some people have issues getting them in for the night, but they CAN be trained to go into a pen on their own at the very least with little trouble.