Quack! YES/NO

[Beaglegal]

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.

Mine free range all day, I have 6 ducks. They free range over a couple of acres. During the summer though they eat more because they seem to find less they want to eat. I have around 20 chickens who free range on a much smaller area, I think they eat less sometimes because they are less active.

 

[KingD]

Wow! That's very helpful information
Thanks a lot!

 

[HappyDuckie]

Mine free range all day, I have 6 ducks. They free range over a couple of acres. During the summer though they eat more because they seem to find less they want to eat. I have around 20 chickens who free range on a much smaller area, I think they eat less sometimes because they are less active.

Mine seem to find more food in the summer. They have recently started eating more, since its winter.

 

[Beaglegal]

Mine seem to find more food in the summer. They have recently started eating more, since its winter.

Here the winter is the rainy season when the frogs and slugs abound. Our back pasture floods a little and the ducks live it up

 

[Beaglegal]

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

Frogs, newts, slugs....

 

[Fuchsia]

I love ducks, but if you're not sure you probably shouldn't get them.

Mine free range so they aren't go through a lot of feed right now, but as it gets colder they are starting to go through more feed. They also make a big mess with their water, so I don't recommend putting their water in their coop.

 

[21hens-incharge]

Ducks make a wet sloggy mess wherever water exists.
Ducks MUST have deep enough water to wash their nares in. Ducks make a mess with water....always.
Ducks go through a lot more feed than chickens.
Predators seem to think duck tastes better than chicken.
Ducks are loud.


What part of the world do you live in? Climate is always something that needs to be considered when choosing IF a particular species would work out.

 

[Corbdee]

And do you want to breed? You have to keep drakes separated from hens if you end up with a drake

 

[KingD]

Ducks make a wet sloggy mess wherever water exists.
Ducks MUST have deep enough water to wash their nares in. Ducks make a mess with water....always.
Ducks go through a lot more feed than chickens.
Predators seem to think duck tastes better than chicken.
Ducks are loud.


What part of the world do you live in? Climate is always something that needs to be considered when choosing IF a particular species would work out.

Interesting!
I'm from England

 

[Beaglegal]

I never would have gotten ducks because I heard bad things about them, but a small flock was left behind by the previous owners. I love them. They are generally healthier, better foragers, more personality, better layers than chickens. The main downside for me is I don’t like duck eggs.