Which eat less....ducks or chickens?

[LoreenH]

After reading about some of your ducks being piggies about food I'm wondering if they would eat more than I could afford. We are more than likely going to get Swedish ducks. Our ducks would be penned at night and whenever we are gone to work or the rare times we might be gone for part of the weekend (pen will be approximately 6x16). After I get home from work they would be allowed full access to the backyard to forage until dark, weekends would probably be most of the day. We have too many free-roaming cats, and racoons to let them free-range the backyard all the time. Though I guess when they were adult-size a cat probably wouldn't bother them. I could do chickens if they would be less costly to feed but would prefer ducks (my hubby would prefer neither but is willing to put up with whichever I decide). Thanks in advance for your opinions.

Loreen

 

[horsejody]

Get both!!

I have one duck and it eats more than a chicken. Actually, it doesn't eat it all. She wastes most of it. The one duck seems to make as much of a mess as her 18 chicken friends, but she is well worth it.

 

[hendrix25]

My ducks are 16 weeks. I have 3 Cayugas and I am on my 2nd 50 lb bag of Starter/Grower. I also went through a 10lb bag at the begining. So I've had my ducks since April 30, 2009 and I have used 110 lbs. @ $15.00/50lb bag. Mine forage in the yard a lot. I have also seen that they would rather forage than eat the feed. May be the breed of ducks. I don't give them feed throughout the night, just to cut back on the mess. I can't give an opinion on chickens bc I've never had yard chickens. my dad has always raised commercial chickens (60k) and they push a high feed intake to fatten the birds. In all reality my ducks have only cost me $100.00 since I've had them and that includes their pen and house.

I'm not sure how many you're intending to have though.

 

[streemers]

locking them up at night is always a good idea! cats will leave them be but a friend of mine had 2 of her adult ducks heads ripped off by a coon. anyway, my ducks eat a LOT as ducklings until about 3mths. then they slow down and forage a lot. so right now i have 22 ducks, 8 are adults and the rest are about 7weeks and i go through a 50lb bag every week and a half but it is only $16 a bag and once everyone grows up the bag will last almost 3 weeks.
as for chickens i dont know yet

 

[LoreenH]

I will have no more than 6; technically I'm allowed 3 without a permit within city limits but we have a 6-foot high fence around the backyard and I'm sure I can 'bribe' the neighbors with eggs.

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[LoreenH]

So they are like teenage boys.....eat lots & lots then eventually slow down....lol. I have two brothers and several male cousins I grew up with so I know how much they can eat.

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[LilRalphieRoosmama]

They were pigs when they were little and would empty their bowls as fast as I filled them. I think this is what caused them to get angel wing - too much feed (my fault). Once I moved them outside and they could forage during the day, they barely eat any feed at all. My chickens eat alot more and they eat the duck feed too

 

[Wifezilla]

My 3 newest ducks have just switched from PIGLET mode to duck mode

The eat A LOT when they are "teenagers".

 

[horsejody]

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I guess mine is still a teenager so maybe she'll slow down soon.