Should I get ducks?

[chickensrus2]

I have the room for ducks and all, but should I get ducks? Are they hard to care for? Do they need a large pool of water? Also, can they room with chickens or no?

 

[elly21]

Ducks are great! We originally decided to get ducks for the eggs. And we decided on ducks rather than chickens because my husband and I both think ducks are cuter. They don't have to have a pool or pond, although they would love to have one. We have ours set up on a pallet and we installed a drain in it so we can empty it easier. Using a bucket to empty it is a pain! I spend a lot of time in the yard with them. They are very interesting to watch. They are messier than chickens. From what I have heard, chickens don't like to be in wet areas. If the ducks constantly get the area wet or muddy it's not a good idea to have chickens in there. Also, if you get a male duck they may try to mate with the chickens and they can hurt them. Hope this helps.

 

[tmorgan46]

There's a book on natural land management published in the 50's which is now online, it was my inspiration of using animals to manage land rather than expensive machinery. Originally we were looking for inexpensive ways to clear a portion of our acreage, but that quickly changed once I began pulling ticks off of me and our dogs. So pest control became the focal point. The spousal unit and I went to a "chickens 101" course and knew the moment we left that chickens, ducks and geese were in our future. So here's a quick list of pro's and con's from our perspective, your mileage may vary ;-)

PRO's:
Yard spiders, ticks, and other creepy crawly pests are being quickly and efficiently erradicated
No longer need to cut the grass in the back yard (not sure if this is a pro or a con right now)
The compost bin is over flowing, had to construct a second one and all the flower beds / garden will be very happy next spring
I've got 11 new friends, each with their own personality and quirks.
They make me smile and I look forward to going out and working to make their lives better
Natural stress reducer

CON's:
Frogs, salamanders, skinks and other small animals don't stand a chance (not sure if its a con or not, but the first time we saw first hand how a young duck could catch a small garden snake and proceed to consume it whole... we, it leaves ya speachless I'll say that!)
When you lose one, it's crushing
They can be very hearty and very fragile at the same time.
Not high maintenance, but there is some. There are no free lunches
Mistakes will be made. (which to me is a PRO, because then learning takes place and I become a better provider)

Both lists are much longer, but that's what comes to mind in just a couple of minutes. The people here have blown me away with the quality and level of responsiveness, helpfulness and willingness to correct an errant way or choice. I tried a couple of other forums and this one by far is the best I've found.

While we do have chickiens and geese, they serve their own function, but the majority of our flock are 6 Muscovy ducks which are reflected in most if not all of my list of pro's and con's.

Hope this helps and best of luck no matter what you decide!!

Troy & Tina