Keeping ducks, someone please talk me out of it

[The_Real_TCIII]

My daughter wants me to get some ducks, good idea or horrible idea? I thought about a small fenced enclosure with a pallet "house" like this site talks about. Ive got a good spot next to my shed. They make it all sound very easy. And me being a complete sucker may just go get a couple! 

 

https://morningchores.com/about-raising-ducks/

[Al Bundy]

Suggest chickens instead??  Least you will have good fresh eggs.

[Doewhacker]

Ducks are by far the worst poultry we have had, they make a complete mess and crap more than an over weight lab with the runs. 

They root around with their bills in the dirt which turns to mud in a day. 

We kept some for a while for eggs and now they are in my freezer. 

[turkeyfeathers]

4 minutes ago, Al Bundy said:

Suggest chickens instead??  Least you will have good fresh eggs.

He’s got a nice pool the ducks will love swimming in. 

[Paula]

8 minutes ago, turkeyfeathers said:

He’s got a nice pool the ducks will love swimming in. 

And the chickens can roost pool side

[The_Real_TCIII]

The ducks will provide eggs too, no? The crapping a lot concerns me though...

[turkeyfeathers]

[Paula]

You will have crap everywhere, good news is that your dog will learn to help you clean up

[GreeneHunter]

We keep Ducks also .... in the freezer from the supermarket !

[Zag]

It will be fun for the kids, but yeah more work for you especially in the winter months. We lucked out 2 different times at tractor supply with ducks. We got some yrs ago and they were mallards. Raised them all spring and summer. About mid summer they started to learn how to fly and would fly all around the house it was pretty cool, then one day they took off and never came back which worked out perfectly. Next spring we did it again and same thing happened. We never did it again and take no longer could sell mallards.

[airedale]

30 minutes ago, Doewhacker said:

Ducks are by far the worst poultry we have had, they make a complete mess and crap more than an over weight lab with the runs. 

They root around with their bills in the dirt which turns to mud in a day. 

We kept some for a while for eggs and now they are in my freezer. 

And the nail has been hit squarely on the head! I had a lot of Ducks and Geese too and what Doewhacker said is spot on. Go with some chickens, a trio of large breed Hens would make much better pets than waterfowl and produce eggs with far less mess and care and be every bit as much fun for your daughter.

Al

Edited March 26, 2019 by airedale

[grampy]

A few years ago we got a few ducks to keep at the farm property. The foxes and coyotes really enjoyed the buffet. 

[Doewhacker]

10 minutes ago, grampy said:

A few years ago we got a few ducks to keep at the farm property. The foxes and coyotes really enjoyed the buffet. 

That’s another thing, ducks don’t roost like chickens so they are easy for any predators to kill. I had rats get some, bite them in the neck to kill and then couldn’t carry them away. 

Had an owl come in and get stuck inside the covered pen once too. For some reason they like to take heads off birds, strange behavior. 

Had a hawk get stuck in the chicken run too, both are super friendly birds to remove from a confined area. 

Then there was the raccoons, I trapped those bastards and put a cap in them while my daughter cheered, vengeance served. 

Skunk was the worst last summer, it kept getting in the meat bird pen to get the food and it would kill some chicks while it was at it. I finally trapped it and it sprayed during the dispatch process. Man the stench was bad, and it was 95 that day so it really lingered. 

Any way, I’d rather keep 20 chickens over 6 ducks any day. 

[Doewhacker]

Oh and the eggs are an acquired taste, I hated them but some folks love them. Taste kind of bitter to me. 

[The_Real_TCIII]

11 minutes ago, Doewhacker said:

That’s another thing, ducks don’t roost like chickens so they are easy for any predators to kill. I had rats get some, bite them in the neck to kill and then couldn’t carry them away. 

Had an owl come in and get stuck inside the covered pen once too. For some reason they like to take heads off birds, strange behavior. 

Had a hawk get stuck in the chicken run too, both are super friendly birds to remove from a confined area. 

Then there was the raccoons, I trapped those bastards and put a cap in them while my daughter cheered, vengeance served. 

Skunk was the worst last summer, it kept getting in the meat bird pen to get the food and it would kill some chicks while it was at it. I finally trapped it and it sprayed during the dispatch process. Man the stench was bad, and it was 95 that day so it really lingered. 

Any way, I’d rather keep 20 chickens over 6 ducks any day. 

Owls pull the heads off because the heart and lungs come with it 

[steve863]

14 minutes ago, Doewhacker said:

That’s another thing, ducks don’t roost like chickens so they are easy for any predators to kill. I had rats get some, bite them in the neck to kill and then couldn’t carry them away. 

Had an owl come in and get stuck inside the covered pen once too. For some reason they like to take heads off birds, strange behavior. 

Had a hawk get stuck in the chicken run too, both are super friendly birds to remove from a confined area. 

Then there was the raccoons, I trapped those bastards and put a cap in them while my daughter cheered, vengeance served. 

Skunk was the worst last summer, it kept getting in the meat bird pen to get the food and it would kill some chicks while it was at it. I finally trapped it and it sprayed during the dispatch process. Man the stench was bad, and it was 95 that day so it really lingered. 

Any way, I’d rather keep 20 chickens over 6 ducks any day. 

 

Oh man Doe, sounds like Mutual of Omaha's "Wild Kingdom" around your chicken coop!!  LOL

 

 

[moog5050]

We had two ducks for a while when I was growing up that moved in after a school project.  They disappeared one day.  Our lab/st Bernard mix had a big ole smile on her face.  Not pointing fingers, but ........ 

[Doewhacker]

10 minutes ago, steve863 said:

 

Oh man Doe, sounds like Mutual of Omaha's "Wild Kingdom" around your chicken coop!!  LOL

 

 

It kinda is lol, I left out the Fox, coyote, Fisher, and mink stories. They are a little less exciting. 

[Lawdwaz]

WTH, I fought hard against goldfish........ducks? NFW

 

[Doewhacker]

What about something like Quail? Smaller, just as cute and tasty when the time comes.  

[helmut in the bush]

Dog's are cool

[Just Lucky]

I had 6 ducks when the kids were little. They greeted me at my truck everyday when i got home from work. They would follow me around walking in a line when i was outside too. 

I got them for the kids as an easter present.  That fall I took them to the butcher shop but I told my kids I took them and gave them to a local farmer. 

That christmas we had mexican chicken for dinner.

[Dom]

Donald and Daisy both tasted very good with orange marmalade over sweet potato.I wouldn't go for more than a Trio also the eggs make great custard.

[BizCT]

This sounds like a terrible messy idea


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[BaldguyLee]

My daughters and I have had chickens and ducks through the years. Ducks are definitely second class. Way poopier and eggs aren't that great. Plus the roosting thing. Currently we have 5 chicken hens and one duck who turned out male. He just started mounting and plucking the hens and he now has a date at the next livestock buy / sell / trade. Goodbye!