thinking of adding ducks

[Crickett]

I'm thinking of adding some ducks to my flock. My question is which breed would be best? Weeder? Peking? Muscovy? I want some that will get along with my chickens. It would be great if I could trust them to eat bugs in the garden as well.

 

[HEChicken]

My only experience is with muscovies and they live in the same coop as my chickens and turkeys and all three species get along fine. The ducks tend to be dominant. I never see them overtly doing anything to any of the other birds, but if a group of muscovies is standing by the chicken door, no one else dares to go past them to get through the door. But they share feeder and waterer and we haven't had any issues with them.

 

[DUCKOBSESSED]

I had scovys that got along fine with my chickens. But my Pekings do not.

 

[StruckBy]

Breeds I've had mixed in with my chickens without problems:
-Swedish
-Khakis
-Cayuga
-Silver Appleyards
-Gold Star Hybrid
-Crested
-Australian spotted


We mostly keep ducks because we prefer duck eggs to chicken eggs but I always have 6-10 chickens to provide eggs when the ducks aren't laying, to provide eggs for a handful of recipes that can't handle the higher fat content of the duck eggs, and for bug control since they seem to eat different types than the ducks.

I've introduced it every which way without problems...ducks first, added pullets, had old hens, introduced barely-feathered ducklings, introduced adults to adults. I've never had the problems introducing ducks & chickens the way I've had with chickens to chickens. For that matter, I've never had problems ducks to ducks either.

I'd get whichever breed you like the most. I always want Khakis for the egg production & predator evasion abilities but my husband always wants something prettier so we usually have a variety.