Would you choose ducks over chickens?

[gofasterstripe]

Quote:
OMG!!! That duckling is just to cute...hes like Look At Me

 

[destinduck]

That mother Dances with Ducks is beautiful also. A welsh harlequin expert Im not. But thats the coloring I love on that breed to the tee.

 

[D'Angelo N Va.]

I would not choose ducks over chickens for the simple fact that I just LOVE MY chickens (ducks too), but there are so many more varieties of chickens..and I love chicken eggs and the meat..duck eggs..well not so much. They are Great for baking, but the actual taste is a little mucky to me.

 

[Louieandthecrew]

I'd have to choose no. I love my chickens

I just think that they are more cuddly, soft, and easier to name

 

[Dances with Ducks]

Quote:
I have to tell you, (and I am going back to edit my post), that is not my photo. I lifted it off of the "Mystic Prairie" site because I love it sooo much and want everyone to see it!! I think it shows how georgeous the Welsh Harlequin is, the beauty of the hen and the adorableness of the ducklings!!
Destinduck that is the coloring I love too, I have three hens that are "non-hooded" like her.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Very beautiful duck her coloring is outstanding.

 

[ejctm]

I love my ducks and my chickens, all of whom I raised from babies.

Since getting the ducks however, I am thinking about reducing the chicken flock. Partly because they are 3 years old and laying less, but also because they are not so much fun. All my chickens look the same and I have to tell them apart from coloured leg rings, but on the other hand they do have different personalities. The ducks all look different so easy to tell apart, but they do "move as one" so we are still trying to work out their personalities. The chickens are really tame and will sit on our laps, and often chase us around but the ducks are not cuddly although they will eat peas from my hand, and sit on my lap if I catch them first but they are not happy about it.

Part of me thinks, well I have done chickens, I haven't got much more to learn, but ducks are still a relatively new experience.

Mess? My hens scratch holes in the lawn and make dust bath basins. My ducks dig mud holes in the lawn with their beaks, and then turn the entire lawn into a wet desert.

Destructiveness? Chickens eat anything green in sight. Ducks same.

Pests? Chickens eat flies, worms, ants and small slugs. Ducks eat all that plus massive slugs the size of their own heads.

Poop? Chickens make piles that have to be swept up and composted. Ducks have wet poops that just melt into the grass, so no real mess. Any poop dropped on concrete or paving sits like a poop does regardless of who did it.

Water? we have to have much more of it around the garden in different containers and space is used up for that, but its not a problem.

Coop? Chickens might do one poop each per day in the coop, usually if they are not let out early enough in the morning. Ducks poop all night in the coop and stink it out and make it damp.

So maybe I cannot choose. I was looking the other day in a chicken book, and quite fancied getting some different breeds (frizzle, or Jersey Giant, or something with barred feathers....) See there I go, chicken math or duck math it is all the same!


Why not get both, then your dilemma is solved!

Ours all live together and get along fine. The shed is two-storeys - i.e. chickens roost up high and ducks sleep on the floor - simple!

 

[Miss Lydia]

sounds like you have the perfect setup ejctm, I would have a hard time choosing, this time of year with snow and ice I lean towards chickens because there is so much poop from the ducks and goose right now and hard to clean it up, but come spring when I can be out with all of them I enjoy them all so much I wouldn't want to have to make a choice. Thank goodness I don't have to...

 

[mommyofthreewithchicks]

I have 33 ducks and 30 ducks... Chickens were pretty easy to learn the in's and out's and so I decided to get ducks... 30 chickens were easy so 30 ducks will be too

They are harder in that they need more water, Need more attention (right away) and as ducklings they eat more food. Now that I have adult birds they are eating about the same amount as the chickens. I am hauling extra water out to them everyday and since the run fell down they have not gotten to swim and are starting to look a bit dirty!

That being said I don't know if you could get me to give up the ducks and I was the one dragging my feet in getting them.

Cons- Oh the water would be #1 in that department and this is why I think they are more work... But really I think that other than cleaning up after them and really you have to do that with any animal I don't have another true complaint.

Pros- Entertainment factor is very high. And this entertainment is different and yet the same with the chickens.

Still waiting to see about the bug eating and the eggs but again chickens do this too.

For me I am liking that they are getting along with the chickens as at first my thought was to keep them apart. I enjoy them but I will enjoy them more when it is a bit warmer as it is VERY hard to stay outside with them when it is -20 outside.

 

[20123001]

i would definatly chose ducks!!!! They are so cute!! plus even if you can provide them with a pool they will use anything you give them and try to swim in it, and when they see water you can see their little faces light up! Ihave Runners, Silver appleyards, Dutch hookbill, East indies, and call ducks. My favorite would be the call ducks because to me they have the most personality of all the breeds!