Why raise chooks for eggs when you can do ducks?

[jmc]

I know some don't understand duck eggs as edible

But I mean, Campbells and Harlequins will lay as many eggs as any fine chook breed--often MORE; plus ducks laying life is much longer than chx.

Ducks are way more disease resistant than chooks, which are sort of petri dishes waiting to be inoculated................Seldom if ever do ducks get internal OR external parasites. unlike chickens.

No frozen combs.

Ducks more weather hardy.

ducks don't draw blood at one peck...............the list could go on. I really don't understand why people would want to raise the very delicate chicken when the bomb proof duck is out there, wanting to give you lots of nice big eggs.

Could it be that people raise chx for eggs rather than ducks mainly because we are all culturally preprogrammed to automatically think: "Eggs?..........then it's CHICKENS!!"

Is it because (and i think this may be a real factor) that there are way more varieties of chx than ducks--especially for good egg laying........?

maybe because chickens are somewhat calmer than ducks--only speaking generically, though.......Calls can be extremely tame, like muscovies too.

Why do I ask? because I gave up chx after a bad experience and switched to ducks. But i have been wondering a little bit about getting into chooks again. They are easier to come by, eat less.

But MAN, that disease issue is big.

 

[zazouse]

I have both and while i like to bake things with duck eggs in them i do not care for duck eggs over easy for my breakfast, they are just to rich for me.

I also prefer chicken and guinea meat to duck meat any day but thats just me.

I have alot of land and totaly free range all my birds so my feed bill is not near what some have to pay and i have never had any serious health except fowl pox once in a while if i miss vaccinating some chicks.

 

[Illia]

Chickens do not require a pond/pool to constantly keep clean and refill.

Chickens come in a LOT more varied colors, shapes, sizes, and in general, breeds, than ducks.

Chickens take shorter to hatch than ducks.

Chickens can go out and forage and fend for themselves far better than ducks.

Chickens are more agile and athletic than ducks.

Chickens have a more subtle flavor of egg, allowing you to use it in more things. Some people even find duck eggs too rich

Chickens make just as much noise and in most cases, less noise than ducks and bite JUST as hard as ducks. Besides, they rarely actually bite anyway.

Chickens have a far more vast variety of egg colors than ducks.

Not all chickens have single combs.

Rose, pea, walnut, and V combs are not susceptible to frostbite.

 

[Chris09]

Wife gets very sick if she eats duck eggs.

Chris

 

[Omniskies]

Chickens eat less than ducks.

Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't give up my ducks for anything and I love their eggs. But pound for pound, duck eggs are going to be more expensive to get than chicken eggs. Then again, chicken eggs cost more to get than Coturnix quail eggs

It's personal preference. I want both duck eggs and chicken eggs because each are valuble in their own way. Some people who are allergic to chicken eggs can eat duck eggs, duck eggs are the only thing I would ever bake with (try it some time - you'll get a duck for eggs if you don't have one already), and duck eggs are better for people with certain diseases, such as certain types of cancer since they are alkaline-based.

Still, when I make scrambled eggs or when I poach eggs, I use chicken eggs. They are cheaper to produce and, since I've grown up my whole life cooking with chicken eggs, I feel more comfortable with eyeing one of those in the pan than trying to get the same results with a thicker duck egg.

 

[Yay Chicks!]

I love duck eggs! However, many of us raising chickens in our backyards would not be allowed to raise ducks due to whatever city ordinance.

 

[Tala]

I don't have any water source for ducks, and just don't see myself filling a pool for them every day. However, when we move out into the country I do intend to get a place where we will have a pond and ducks! I've never had duck eggs, but I'm not opposed to trying them.

I've really not had much problems with chicken diseases. Lost 1 to Fowl Cholera, but nothing devastating. Have had lice (the white kind) but dogs get their kind of fleas too, so it's not much different IMO.

 

[deanna&rich]

I keep 9 chickens and 6 ducks. This chickens are a lot less work to clean up after, the poop is less messy; and the water for the ducks takes time.
The main thing for me is that the chickens are friendlier and more entertaining.

I love the way they come to say hello when I go into the yard ... true I usually have some seeed, but they will let me pet them and hold them. When I go into the coop to clean, Amelia always follows me in and makes her happy sounds. I like the way they have such distinct personalities .... I haven't seen that nearly as much in my ducks, except for the mean drake. I like their singing better, and I love that they will put themselves to bed in the coop at night, while the ducks want to be herded in.

My favorite thing about the ducks: the fabulous eggs!! Not just for myself, but whenever I want to give a small gift to a friend, the duck eggs are usually very much appreciated.

 

[acid_chipmunk]

I had ducks. I much prefer my chickens to ducks. I don't have to clean and refill a pool every day for my chickens. I don't have slimy duck poop all over my yard. I much prefer the sound of my roosters crowing than the ducks constantly quacking.




I also much prefer my ducks in my freezer.


I'll stick with my chickens.

 

[treldib]

We've had ducks for a while and just now have chickens. It started about 7 weeks ago when we hatched a grocery store organic egg and then got feed store chicks to keep her company. They are so so so much cleaner than ducks...its amazing. We just built a roost in the Duck house and they will spend their first night outside tonight. When brooding the Ducks a while back, I remember cleaning the brooder at least twice a day, if not more. We only cleaned the brooder about once a week with the chickens. 2 ducks/twice a day cleaning vs. 5 chicks (raising a friend's chicks as well as our 3)/once a week cleaning. Do the math. The main reason people would choose chickens over ducks is their horrendous advantage in cleanliness and the fact that they aren't high maintenance like ducks. Many people are used to the taste of a chicken egg and some hate the richer taste that duck eggs have. Plus chickens go into their coop by themselves every night

.

But I still like my ducks better

They are so fun to watch and I love their eggs!


ETA: We used to have problems w/ dumping and re-filling the kiddie pool all the time...which was a huge hassle. Solution? 700 Gallon In-Ground Pond and Laguna Max-Flo 1500 GPH Solids-Handling Pump and Bio-Filter.

They have a ball catching feeder fish and terrorizing the tilapia.