Why would you get Ducks?

[fowl farm]

I think some people are just duck people, some are just chicken people, and so on and so forth. I'd always wanted a duckling and ended up with six! I like the flavor of their eggs better than chicken eggs (not everyone does) and they have a great personality. And when they talk, it doesn't sound like they're contemplating your death like a chicken is.

 

[Rosie42892]

Okay thanks. But is there any profit in it?

Egg wise, there are quite a few people in my area willing to pay double for duck eggs because of allergies to chicken eggs. Not everyone is able to do this but if considered for a meat purpose, duck can be quite profitable. Even without the restriction for Human grade processing, myself and many others in my area feed a raw diet to their dogs. My dogs each get a duck carcass weekly as well as a meal or two of duck necks, along with other foods. Sounds horrible to some, but the dogs are healthy, and I pay somebody good money for the duck!

That being said, I have ducks and geese because I enjoy them. I think they have much more varied personalities then chickens. Geese are new to me, but are incredibly personable. I enjoy caring for and spending time with them. I can not raise the ducks for meat myself because I spend WAY too much time with them, but I can eat the eggs just fine.

 

[rubberduckies]

Why not?

Why would anyone want chickens?

Lol.

I KNOW I'm not a chicken person. But I love my ducks. Some people like chickens. Some people like ducks.

 

[Ceilismom]

I find my ducks to be entertaining and ornamental. I'm sure they have had a positive effect on the mosquito population in my yard, and I appreciate their eggs. Profitable? I live too far away from a population center to even try selling their eggs, offspring or meat.

The geese, I mostly got because I liked the idea of having them swimming peacefully on my pond. Prettier (IMHO) and much cheaper than swans. The gander is kind of a pill right now, but for about 10 months out of the year, they mind their own business and decorate the pond.

 

[Mr MKK FARMS]

I love ducks. They are great to "decorate" a pond/lake.. they eat bugs, weeds, etc.. but most of all I love them because of their personalities. They are SO much fun to watch, especially when a nice little rain shower comes along in summer (or winter for that matter). It's relaxing to me to just sit and watch/listen to them. They are quite interesting. And those are pretty much my only reasons for having them.

I don't eat my ducks' eggs but I do occasionally hatch them. As for geese, I'm sure the reasons are kinda the same as ducks but I've not had any geese and my husband says, "no geese." LOL

LOL thanks!

i sell baby ducks for 4-5 dollars and i'm ussullay got all 3 incubators running all spring so u can make some but u won't get rich doing it lol, they are alot of fun great for kids

Good, thanks

We raised chickens years ago, and they were always pecking each other. When I wanted to get back into raising poultry, I did a lot of research and learned that ducks are much healthier than chickens, and have a lot fewer diseases than chickens. Also, because they bathe every day, they normally do not have problems with mites and stuff (my ducks bathe in a plastic kid's pool from Walmart). I had never eaten a duck egg till my girls started laying, but oh my! They are so delicious they just put chicken eggs to shame!! The taste is not really different, but they taste so much richer. Everything you make with duck eggs tastes better - even better than chicken eggs from free range farm chickens, like we used to get from our neighbor.

And, like the other poster said, their personalities are just so much fun. I currently have Welsh Harlequin ducks, which are an endangered breed that lays more eggs per year than chickens will (around 300 eggs per year, sometimes more). I will be getting another endangered breed of duck at the beginning of May, Saxony ducks, which are much bigger than my Welsh Harlequins and will be primarily meat ducks but which also lay over 200 eggs per year. They are both beautiful breeds. You can go to the website of the hatchery I always use, Holderread's in Oregon, to see great pictures of ducks. Their site is www.holderreadfarm.com. Dave Holderread is considered to be the foremost waterfowl expert in America, and one of the best in the world.

My daughter calls me the "crazy duck lady", which cracks me up!

LOL thats funny. Thanks, I'll know where to go if I ever need ducks!

Why not.
That's why I have them.
We flew from Alaska to Mobile so I could show my DH the house we bought online - I flew down to do the inspection after the offer was accepted. When he came down, I told him I wanted some ducks. He said ok. Moved down two months later. He flew out to Attu for a while and I ordered ducklings. I had some as a kid. I wanted them again.
They are great fun to watch. I like to stand on the patio while they are playing in rain storms. We do eat the eggs. I'm not a huge fan of the strong yolk flavor, but I don't like egg yolk much anyway. So I just use one yolk to a few eggs when we are eating them.

hmm.... okay that makes sense!

Pest control, they are well known and documented for this, you got problems with mosquitoes? slugs, spiders, ants, flies? they'll clear that up. Low laying water a risk for west nile, not with ducks around.

Being pretty pond toys totally misses the point, i am sure some use them for that but there is so much more to the purpose of ducks. Eggs, meat, pest control and so forth. Purpose of breeds vary though, so you need to evaluate what yours is and then find the right duck for the job

Thank you everyone. I will have to think threw it all for a bit... LOL

 

[Mr MKK FARMS]

Why not?

Why would anyone want chickens?

Lol.

I KNOW I'm not a chicken person. But I love my ducks. Some people like chickens. Some people like ducks.

And some people like both! LOL

Egg wise, there are quite a few people in my area willing to pay double for duck eggs because of allergies to chicken eggs. Not everyone is able to do this but if considered for a meat purpose, duck can be quite profitable. Even without the restriction for Human grade processing, myself and many others in my area feed a raw diet to their dogs. My dogs each get a duck carcass weekly as well as a meal or two of duck necks, along with other foods. Sounds horrible to some, but the dogs are healthy, and I pay somebody good money for the duck!

That being said, I have ducks and geese because I enjoy them. I think they have much more varied personalities then chickens. Geese are new to me, but are incredibly personable. I enjoy caring for and spending time with them. I can not raise the ducks for meat myself because I spend WAY too much time with them, but I can eat the eggs just fine.

cool, thanks

I think some people are just duck people, some are just chicken people, and so on and so forth. I'd always wanted a duckling and ended up with six! I like the flavor of their eggs better than chicken eggs (not everyone does) and they have a great personality. And when they talk, it doesn't sound like they're contemplating your death like a chicken is.

hmm....

I find my ducks to be entertaining and ornamental. I'm sure they have had a positive effect on the mosquito population in my yard, and I appreciate their eggs. Profitable? I live too far away from a population center to even try selling their eggs, offspring or meat.

The geese, I mostly got because I liked the idea of having them swimming peacefully on my pond. Prettier (IMHO) and much cheaper than swans. The gander is kind of a pill right now, but for about 10 months out of the year, they mind their own business and decorate the pond.

I see. Haha!

Okay, this is a lot to chew on. But I have a few questions:

1. Geese turn mean a lot, right?
2. Are Ducks pretty loud?
3. Duck eggs are usually smaller than chicken eggs, correct?
4. Were Pekins bred for meat?
5. Will duck eggs and meat pay for Duck food, time, effort, Etc.?

Thanks for the help everyone. Sorry that I ask such simple questions. I'm very dense when it comes to ducks LOL (Chickens, I've been around for ages)!

 

[Rosie42892]

And some people like both! LOL
cool, thanks
hmm....
I see. Haha!

Okay, this is a lot to chew on. But I have a few questions:

1. Geese turn mean a lot, right?
2. Are Ducks pretty loud?
3. Duck eggs are usually smaller than chicken eggs, correct?
4. Were Pekins bred for meat?
5. Will duck eggs and meat pay for Duck food, time, effort, Etc.?

Thanks for the help everyone. Sorry that I ask such simple questions. I'm very dense when it comes to ducks LOL (Chickens, I've been around for ages)!

1. I know that ganders will get aggressive during the laying season, but otherwise they can be docile with bribery (food!)
2. There are some duck breeds that are quieter, such as the cayuga, and some that are very loud, such as the pekin.
3. Duck eggs are larger then chicken eggs. They also vary in color like different chicken breeds.
4. Pekins are fairly feed efficient (slightly less then chickens) but are good meat ducks. The Jumbo pekin would produce an even larger duck with the same egg laying capabilities.
5. I can't say if the ducks would pay for themselves, as I have not done a comparison.

Metzer's has great information on all things waterfowl, including egg laying capability. Check it out! http://www.metzerfarms.com/index.cfm?CustID=1464345

** If you are looking for something to make money back, consider the Golden 300 Hybrid Layer, or the White Layer!

 

[Mr MKK FARMS]

1. I know that ganders will get aggressive during the laying season, but otherwise they can be docile with bribery (food!)
2. There are some duck breeds that are quieter, such as the cayuga, and some that are very loud, such as the pekin.
3. Duck eggs are larger then chicken eggs. They also vary in color like different chicken breeds.
4. Pekins are fairly feed efficient (slightly less then chickens) but are good meat ducks. The Jumbo pekin would produce an even larger duck with the same egg laying capabilities.
5. I can't say if the ducks would pay for themselves, as I have not done a comparison.

Metzer's has great information on all things waterfowl, including egg laying capability. Check it out! http://www.metzerfarms.com/index.cfm?CustID=1464345

** If you are looking for something to make money back, consider the Golden 300 Hybrid Layer, or the White Layer!

I like pure breeds. I've been around hybrids to long...

Thanks for the link. Hang on, geese go through a laying season??? I had no idea...

 

[carcar80]

Some love ducks.. Some love chickens.. I love both! haha

 

[Mr MKK FARMS]

Some love ducks.. Some love chickens.. I love both!

haha

haha