thinking about getting a duck.. questions

[ChickieBooBoo]

Quote:
Muscovies do

 

[FarmrGirl]

Quote:
Muscovies do

Yes, Muscovies love to roost and they do put themselves up at night about the same time as my chickens (while the ducks stay out to play).

But, technically speaking, Muscovy aren't regular ducks: they're a large, perching waterfowl. Mallard derived ducks (of genus Anas) are ground nesters and don't roost, but Muscovy (of genus Cairina) are perching ducks who love to climb just about anything - though they actually lay eggs in a ground nest in domestic situations and sometimes high in trees in feral populations.

Also, Muscovy hens fly superbly, while the domestic drakes tend to be too heavy for serious liftoff. Most large fowl domestic ducks don't fly, it's been bred out of them. Smaller domestics, most notably mallards and calls, do fly. A simple wing triming once per year after they molt will keep them grounded

ETA:

 

[kuntrygirl]

Quote:
Muscovies are known to though but i believe they are the exception

Yes, my muscovys roost. They will fly in the raised coop and roost alongside the chickens. They roost on the peacock aviary and they roost in the pecan trees. So, yes you are right. There is an exception.

 

[kuntrygirl]

Quote:
Muscovies do

Yes, Muscovies love to roost and they do put themselves up at night about the same time as my chickens (while the ducks stay out to play).

But, technically speaking, Muscovy aren't regular ducks: they're a large, perching waterfowl. Mallard derived ducks (of genus Anas) are ground nesters and don't roost, but Muscovy (of genus Cairina) are perching ducks who love to climb just about anything - though they actually lay eggs in a ground nest in domestic situations and sometimes high in trees in feral populations.

Also, Muscovy hens fly superbly, while the domestic drakes tend to be too heavy for serious liftoff. Most large fowl domestic ducks don't fly, it's been bred out of them. Smaller domestics, most notably mallards and calls, do fly. A simple wing triming once per year after they molt will keep them grounded

ETA: http://mainenature.org/images/muscovy.jpg

Yep.

 

[MysticAK]

This is my first year owning ducks, I have 4 Anconas (3 ladies and 1 drake) i love them like crazy, i will say they are a messy animal, i didnt realize this until i actually owned them (their whole indoor area is covered with pond liner so it can be cleaned by spraying it down and shop vacuuming it during the winter months. My ducks have been with and without a pond/swimming pool, i will say they seem alot more happier when they had their swimming area, which needs to be cleaned every three days or so right now because i do not have a filter. Ducks do need something that they can at least dunk their heads in so they are able to blow out anything that gets lodged in their beaks and to clean themselves. But they are a huge part of our family now and i look forward to getting a few more in the spring and possible hatching some little ducklings.

 

[roxyblue]

THANK YOU SO MUCH EVERYONE!
this helps so much!
I have a small backyard the most ducks I could get is two, the run I have for my chickens is big (probably 35 square feet) so i don't see that as a problem. while some ducks may roost, will the ones that don't sleep in the nesting boxes? or do they need there own section of the coop? it sounds like they can manage on layer pellets and lots of forage. i've heard that ducks imprint much more then chickens, would it be possible to get one duck and keep it company? will the chickens that I have (they are very sweet girls and one of the two have shared their space with ducks before) be enough? or must I get two? I can probably manage to get a trough of water in the coop, so it will be able to swim

thank you for all of your info I apreciate every word!

 

[roxyblue]

I'm looking a lot at the pekin ducks, has anybody had experience with them? are they good layers? can the fly? etc.
Thanks!

 

[Miss Lydia]

Quote:
Pekins can't fly. lol, I hope you don't put swimming water inside your coop or drinking water for that matter, unless you want to spend time changing out bedding everyday from where the ducks have completely drenched it. Lol, A small kids pool or even a cement mixing tub works good for swimming inside the run not in the coop, They will need a place to sleep where the roost won't be right over them so the girls won't be pooping on them at night. If you get adult ducks ready to lay or laying then it safe to feed layer to them same as your chickens, but if ducklings not laying it's not good idea to feed layer too much calcium. Even if feeding layer might not be bad idea to put out oyster shell for them, most do on here, and it will benefit your chickens too, they will only eat what they need. It would probably be better for the duck to have one of it's own kind, and you can have 2 females and won't have to worry about a drake trying to mate with your hens which happens and can kill them. when I say hens I mean chickens. or if you want drake and duck then separate the 2 from the chickens. you don't really want your ducks to sleep in the nesting boxes because they will poop in them then you have a huge mess. Nesting boxes are for laying eggs in and brooding all the best to you, a bravo for getting all info before doing this.

forgot to say pekins are good layers too.

 

[roxyblue]

Thanks!
It's great to have experienced duck keepers to talk to. It makes all the difference. and I'll deffinantly think about how the water trough thing will work out, i do not want the chickens sopping wet and miserable while the two ducks have great fun in their water.
thanks again!

 

[<3 N.C Chicken Chick <3]

You could alaways clip there wings. Ducks are cool