# Ducks!



## keren (Oct 26, 2008)

So ... I might be getting some ducks - just gotta ask my other half if its ok! Lol

I am looking at getting 4 females and 1 male. 

Gah, I'd better go do some research. 

Gotta figure out if the boy can live with the girls or if he'll just hassle them too much. We keep them separate at work but they are much smaller pens there. 

Gotta learn about ducklings etc. Was thinking I would let them breed, raise the ducklings and then butcher them for our freezer. One step closer to my self sufficiency dream! Two steps I guess, because the girls are laying an egg each a day atm so meat AND eggs. Yum duck eggs. 

Gotta buy a pond ...


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## Willow (Jun 12, 2011)

Ducks are very entertaining. I have 9. since last Spring. You only need a plastic kids pool for a pond. I let our out into the pasture most days and call them back in at night. Now i opened up their pen to our 2 large vegetable gardens - along with the chickens so they can get my soil ready for planting in April. Enjoy. :hi5:


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## iddybit acres (Feb 18, 2011)

I love my duck's :greengrin: They are so comical!! I let mine out in the morning and holler for them in the evening also! I have the kiddy pool for them it's alot easier to clean then my big plastic lined pond! Good luck


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## apachedowns (Mar 14, 2010)

I just wanted to give you some advice on ducks.....I have been breeding Muscovy ducks for many years and have found them to be the best tasting duck of all the meat breeds...they have excellent resistance to diseases or any health issues as a matter of fact. I have had some drakes in excess of 15 lbs (undressed of course). I would suggest one male to 3-4 females and have no trouble with that ratio being too agressive with the females and you can keep them in with the females on a regular basis to alleviate the other pen situation. The only time I take the male out is when the females start laying on the eggs , in about 30 days they will hatch. What they do is consistantly lay day after day and once they are ready they will lay on the nest non-stop ...that is when you start counting the days, also when you take out the male as he will attack the ducklings...the other females are good with the ducklings of others as long as the pen is big enough and they have their own nesting areas. I am not sure if they have this breed in your area ...but if they do, they are a great investment and great meat duck.


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## KW Farms (Jun 21, 2008)

Cool! I used to have ducks...but found them too messy...they were fun though while I had them. :laugh:


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## freedomstarfarm (Mar 25, 2011)

I have always wanted ducks! 
Congrats on the hopeful additions!


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## freedomstarfarm (Mar 25, 2011)

Can ducks be housed with chickens if everyone is free range or do they need separate housing?


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## KW Farms (Jun 21, 2008)

I free ranged my ducks and chickens when I had them...they all seemed to get along great. :shrug:


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## Willow (Jun 12, 2011)

I kept the chickens and ducks together when he ducks were young..and they spent each night on the floor of the chicken coop...but they messed it up too much. Now they have a separate pen area...but they free range together. The chickens walk through the cattle panel to range but the ducks dont go through into the coop. I made a porable duck house that just sets on the ground. I put mulch hay [gently used goat hay] on the floor of it. I also have a kids plastic playhouse that they go in for shelter. They prefer to lay their eggs in 1/2 plastic dog crate. You can imagine what the duck pen area looks like! LOL! :shades:


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## jaycee (Aug 3, 2011)

Hi I just wanted to add my comment to these about what a mess ducks are. They really will turn any sort of pen or enclosure into a mudhole relatively quickly because they make such a mess with the water. They dont just drink it they like to throw it everywhere and use it to burrow holes in the mud. I have 8 Khaki Campbell ducks and I tell everyone that pound for pound, they are more destructive and messier than pigs. You will be amazed at the mess...

That said, they are wonderful layers. They are not seasonal like chickens so I get 8 eggs every single day and I dont even have to put a light on a timer or anything. My brother in law has all these super laying chickens he always brags about, but in the winter time, they stop producing and my ducks keep going. A good laying breed of duck will outlay any chickens.

Also I really prefer the taste of the eggs. The texture is much thicker so the whites are never thin even when fried. The yolks are also much richer and make up a greater portion of the egg. They are preferred by most people for baking because of their richness and thick texture. But I also prefer them to eat fried or boiled or in an omelette, just any way.


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## Willow (Jun 12, 2011)

You're right about the mess...if its a small area. HEY! I just got an idea!! :idea: I can use the ducks to tear up sections of pasture that I want to replant...part of a rotation plan..with excellent eggs as a bonus! :leap:


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## J.O.Y. Farm (Jan 10, 2012)

We always kept our ducks and chickens together..... they were fine.


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## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

Duck eggs are awesome! My niece has a pair of Mallard hens that will be a year old in a few months, they're kept in a dog kennel with a 3x2 tub for water and a dog igloo for shelter....I've been getting a dozen eggs every week and a half since they started laying in September, they haven't slacked off at all and those eggs have such rich yolks that they are awesome for making pasta and baked goods as well as "dippy" eggs.

Ducks are mess makers....my mom raised the white pekins and no matter where they were kept, the pen always ended up under water from them slopping and rooting.


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## keren (Oct 26, 2008)

The duck adoption fell through  they were ex research animals I was hoping to adopt but too much red tape ... 

I should mention though, I do know how messy ducks are. I've had ducks many times before at home, and I work with ducks everyday in my job. Just always had the males separate so wasnt sure if you could run them together with the girls or not ... I know they can be pretty brutal on the girls and on each other ...


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## apachedowns (Mar 14, 2010)

Hey just another tip as I raise ducks and have been for over 6 years...the best pen floor you can have is a good deep sand base...it drains wonderful, there is no mud, its easily raked when needed, and overall a wonderful footing for them. I have experimented with many types of ground surfaces over the years and this has been the best and cleanest I have found...I just had a truck full of sand dumped and did the surface in the pen really thick with sand and its wonderful ! No mud & no mess..love it !


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## deronmo (Nov 12, 2012)

The scaly feet are powerful and well designed, and usually set far back on the body, more so in the highly marine varieties. The wings are very powerful and they are short and pointed..i like ducks so much...


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## neubunny (Nov 7, 2012)

I have ducks and chickens and house them together -- sort of. They are in the same 'yard' but the ducks always opt to sleep over under the trees (no way can I herd all of them into the coop at night - open the door and 2 go out for every one going in) while the chickens settle into the roosts of the coop. Daytime, about half the chickens fly the fence and free range -- they always come back at bedtime though.

When I had just ducks, the area around the wading pool was a muddy mess, but most of the pen was nice and grassy. With both, the chickens scratching has eliminated the grass and the whole thing looks bare. I have to put down straw to keep it looking decent. 

If you want the ducks to raise their own ducklings, you have to take the drake out while she is sitting. Otherwise he will drive her off the nest trying to get her to mate again. Might work with more -- we had one mama our first year successfully raise a brood under the rabbit cage -- we thought something must have gotten her as we didn't see her at all for several weeks (she must have been living off what the rabbit spilled) -- I assume the male couldn't find her either or was preoccupied with the females that weren't hiding so well. 

Another point on running ducks and chickens together -- roosters are stupid and will attempt to breed the female ducks (and fight the drakes as rivals). 

We started with a pair of pekins, a trio of swedish blues (my favorite), and a pair of Cayugas (each chosen by a different child). Unfortunately we now have mostly hybrids as I was unsuccessful in keeping them separate (birds that have never flown the outer fence and I swear couldn't fly at all somehow got over to breed). And I learned the hard way that both chickens and ducks have to be kept separate for a full month to ensure paternity (females can store sperm) -- so you can't just collect to an incubator eggs from the days when the 'right' male was in the breeding pen. 

Incidentally, though the season is shorter duck eggs are better than chicken eggs! Whites make unbelievable meringue. Both the swedes and pekins are prolific laying an egg a day for 100 days or more (February to July this year) if you keep stealing them. Jaycee -- what breed are you raising that lays year round - and what climate? I think (but am not sure) that ducks are more temperature sensitive where chickens are light sensitive.


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## keren (Oct 26, 2008)

Updating this very oooold thread ... I ended up buying a group of ducks, 2 males and 3 females, with the intention of putting the old boy in the freezer and keeping the younger boy to breed the girls etc. Well, it ended up a disaster and I discovered I had a huge fox problem, and the two survivors - the aged duck and the young drake - went to live with my friend. 

However, we moved house and I have recently adopted two ex-research ducks, pekings, a male and a female. They are doing brilliantly in my chicken coop (I have no chickens) and although they dont free range like my last ducks did during their very short stay, these guys are loving the pen. It is bigger than what they had at the research facility, a grassy area, a muddy area and a dry area. A big plastic paddling pool for them to swim in, and a bunch of different types of nesting houses for mrs duck to lay in. She favours an old car tyre though occasionally will lay in the pond or in the mud patch. We are enjoying having duck eggs. I am now collecting the fertile eggs to give to a friend to put in the incubator, he is going to hatch them for me, I told him he can keep half of the eggs/chicks for himself as thank you for hatching them. So, I am hopeful that in a month or so, I will have some new ducklings, I hope to keep a girl or two to lay along with the mum, as she is getting old, and if we get boys, grow them to suitable size and eat them.


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## fd123 (May 29, 2012)

Keren Congrats on your new ducks! Your making me wanna get some!! (like i really anymore mouths to feed!!) lol....I also have a fox problem here..He has about wiped out my flock of chickens!! Everytime i see him im not prepared to "SSS" >> SHOOT, SHOVEL, and SHUT-UP!! The fox gets them in the mornings and evenings (daylight) ...??.(Ive seen him several times , but by the time i run and get the gun he vanishes)..Ive always heard that foxes are nocternal, and if you see them in the daylight hours they are more than likely RABID...??...Could this fox have adapted to getting my chickens in the daylight??? OR.....Do you think he may infact be RABID????
Whats your thoughts on this??


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## keren (Oct 26, 2008)

Na, I doubt it is rabid, foxes will start to come in the daytime when they know there is am easy food source available - its what happened with me, and sounds like what is happening to you. The fox at the last place was strolling casually through our backyard at 9am when I was standing 4 metres away! He was picking one duck off every day. So sad  So glad there isnt a fox problem at this new place, I have no doubt that there would be foxes on the property as it is 300 acres, but seems like they are keeping away from the houses cos the neighbours chooks are free range all day and night and she hasnt lost any, and my baby goats havent been troubled.


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## fd123 (May 29, 2012)

Thats EXACTLY whats happening here! This fox also doesnt have much fear of humans..(YET!!)... I feed the deer about 2 1/2 acres away from my house and where the chickens hang out.. I have seen several fox on my game cameras, but its always been late PM and early AM hours..But its not the one thats getting my chickens!! The one that ive seen getting chickens is red with alot of black...and the ones on the camera are grey foxes...Im gonna have to just start sitting out there camoed out in the early morning to get him i guess....UGHHHH.....Its getting cold here now, and i HATE THE COLD! But i guess thats what its gonna take to STOP HIM!!!


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