What should a chicken keeper know about ducks?

[MaeM]

Hi! I've always been a chicken keeper, but I've had a very bad experience with my last flock in terms of health, and I'm just not sure if I want to keep having chickens in the near future.

By the end of the year, I will be moving with my boyfriend, and he wants to have ducks in our new home. I know the basics about ducks, I know that they're messy, that they don't roost, that they need water to swim (my bf is willing to build a pond for them), etc. And I like that they're apparently more resistant to disease than chickens.

But I have a few questions:

- How prone are female ducks to reproductive issues?
- If they do get sick, are they harder, easier, or same to treat as chickens? e.g., I can give oral or intramuscular medication to a chicken pretty easily, could I do that with a duck, too? Is their anatomy more difficult or something?
- Could we only have drakes? We would like to start with a smaller flock (3 ducks), but I know that 2:1 is not an excellent ratio. So what if they were all male? Could it work?
- Could they be as affectionate as chickens usually are when you raise them as pets?
- Are they noisier than chickens? I don't mind the noise, but perhaps my new neighbors will.
- Any breed you'd recommend? I like Pekins but my bf may prefer Rouens, could we have both?
- What general advice would you give to a person who's always had chickens and wants to try ducks?

Thank you in advance!

 

[HonkABC]

I can't answer all the questions, but, as having had ducks before, I can say that some can be more affectionate than chickens. How noisy they are depends on the duck. Females have a loud quack, but they don't really quack a lot. Male ducks and Muscovy ducks don't quack, and they are quiet. I would consider ducks to be much quieter than chickens. You can have a mixed flock of duck breeds. An all male flock would probably work. Hope this helps!

 

[deer trail duck farms]

- How prone are female ducks to reproductive issues?
not very prone ducks are very very hardy
- If they do get sick, are they harder, easier, or same to treat as chickens? e.g., I can give oral or intramuscular medication to a chicken pretty easily, could I do that with a duck, too? Is their anatomy more difficult or something?
yes you can treat like a chicken for the most part

- Could we only have drakes? We would like to start with a smaller flock (3 ducks), but I know that 2:1 is not an excellent ratio. So what if they were all male? Could it work?
two hens to on drake would be okay most likely. might have to watch for over breeding but ive done this with success.

- Could they be as affectionate as chickens usually are when you raise them as pets?
this is controversial. and depends on how you look at it. i have raised 95% of my ducks straight from hatching. do they want to be picked up and pet. no. will they be mean if you do. no. now just like ppl every duck has there own personality. given enough time and effort. you might get lucky to have a duck that will like the affection.
- Are they noisier than chickens? I don't mind the noise, but perhaps my new neighbors will.
hens are loud and can be very loud. having only 2 or 3 wouldnt be a deal breaker in town but like me who has 25 at one point i had 50 there is no way if i had neighbors close that i could do that. drakes are quiet though
- Any breed you'd recommend? I like Pekins but my bf may prefer Rouens, could we have both?
both are good choices. really comes down to what you want from them. are you going to eat them? or is it for eggs. or just pets. personally my favorite duck is a ancona. very mild temperment they are relatively quiet compared to other breeds and excellent egg layers.

- What general advice would you give to a person who's always had chickens and wants to try ducks?

be ready to have water at all times. the mud sucks the way they give you the side eye might make you go crazy...

 

[KathiQuacks]

I would say not prone to reproductive issues. I’ve not had issue or heard too much of others having issue.

I’d imagine you could treat similarly to chickens? Definitely can give medication orally. But you’re right in what you’ve read, that they are very resistant to disease (and parasites).

All-male can work, but you should have a separation plan just in case. 1:2 would require a very calm drake to work, else it’d also need a separation plan. I personally recommend a 1:4 or 1:5. All-female is great, if you are able.

I do not recommend striving for “affectionate” ducks. Most ducks do not like being touched or approached. If you give them too much attention, they will “like it” because they see you as a mate. This can make them sexually aggressive with you & stress them out when you leave.
You can get them genuinely affectionate, it’s just not the same as other animals. My ducks love me - they follow me everywhere, call out to me, hand-feed, etc., but they still do not enjoy being touched or approached too closely.

Hens can get up there in noise level. They have a belly-laugh quack they do occasionally. Drakes, however, are very quiet. They only have a low, raspy quack.

You could certainly do both Pekins and Rouens. I agree it depends on what you want from these ducks. There’s a lot of breeds with different colorations, purposes, and temperaments.

There are 2 common waterfowl-specific health-issues I think everyone should know about.
One is angel wing, which can occur in ducklings. It’s where 1 or both wings stick out as they grow in. It’s easy to treat young, but becomes permanent in adults.
The other is a niacin deficiency. Niacin is a very important vitamin to ducks. A deficiency of this will most notably give them weak & bowed legs. It can also affect them neurologically & growth-wise. Most duck, waterfowl, and all-flock feeds have enough niacin, but some ducks will need additional niacin if they’re a large breed, or if there’s a pre-existing issue.