What do you think of DUCKS?

Date sort Score sort
rhodeislandred1

rhodeislandred1

In the Brooder
7 Years
Oct 27, 2012
65
0
39
Hello guys!
I have 2 free roaming backyard chickens. I really want to get a duck. Only one.So I was doing my research and i found out that ducks can fly over fences!!! :O Is that true? What do I do?? I dont want my future baby flying away. Also, ducks are noisy. I have people around me that i dont want to disturb. I want to let my ducks free jujst like i do with my chickens and then lock them in the cage at night. What do you think? Will the chickens peck the duck or maybe will the duck make my backyard messy and nasty?
Please give me any advice and help me understand what is in bold above.
Thanks <3
hugs.gif
 
We have a friend who keeps a single Pekin female with her hens... the duck was raised with the chickens and gets on fine with them. Most domestic ducks, unless very small, cannot fly. A female will quack, tho! As for mess, they will poop more than the chickens and need water for bathing, which can make a muddy mess. Depends on your set-up.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
in my experience the drakes will not make muck noise. I have 20 ducks and they are the most lovable creatures ever. they are messier then chickens but one should not be that messy. I also have 26 chickens and they get along well, but the duck will want a pool to swim in. I use a kids plastic sand box. if you spend time with them they will follow you around and eat out of your hands. mallards can fly and so can muscovies. but most others are to heavy to fly. you could get their wings clip so they cannot fly. I had I mallard drake and he stayed with me all throughout the winter. sadly he died :'( hope this helps.
 
If your chickens are broody, you could try having them hatch the duck egg... that is what our friend did. Downside is you might get a male, which would cause all sorts of problems with the hens!
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Hi! Ducks are AWESOME! Ducks, like other animals, do better with a companion. An only duck may never 'flock' with your chickens. It would best for you and the ducks to get 2+. Some ducks can fly, but not all. If you get a flying breed of duck, you can clip a few feathers off of one of their wings and they will not be able to get far off of the ground (like a chicken). If you weren't set on a certain gender of duck, you could get a male (if you're only getting one) or a pair (one female, one male). Males are much quiter than females because they have a raspier voice, unlike the females which have a full-out quack. I have call ducks (one of the LOUDEST breeds of ducks) and my neighbors don't complain. They've even admitted that they never hear them (we're not even 1/4 of a mile apart). Ducks can free range just like chickens, but they have to know their surroundings first so they won't wander off. You just have to lock them up at night. Some chickens and ducks get along, but not ALL. If they didn't end up getting along, you could free range them at different times of the day. Ducks are a bit more messier than chickens IF they have a lot of water. They also poop a bunch more than chickens. Most likely, unless you have a BUNCH of ducks, your yard will not get nasty.
 

Similar threads

MaeM
    • Love
What should a chicken keeper know about ducks?
2
Replies
10
Views
1K
CoriM
C
L
What’s the best bedding/substrate to use for an outdoor pen and very messy ducks?
2
Replies
19
Views
846
LtDanFan
L
H
Chickens and ducks
Replies
2
Views
269
CoriM
C
G
What Breed Of Duck Should I Get?
Replies
8
Views
502
Luv Ducks
L
OzarkEgghead
    • Like
Mystery ducks
Replies
4
Views
494
KathiQuacks
KathiQuacks

New posts New threads Active threads

Back
Top Bottom