Ducks

[walldanzig]

I know it's not chickens but I was thinking of keeping ducks but was not sure how different it was from the chickens and could they be reared together. Any advice would be appreciated thanks

[OverWyreGrower]

I keep 6 hens and 6 ducks together in a large pen and they do have quite specific needs... plus ducks are a lot more destructive, and also a lot more nervous than hens

Having said that, I love to watch the hens bossing the ducks about!

[HayleyB]

Do ducks lay daily? Do they have nest boxes? Obviously they don't perch but do they sleep standing or in nest boxes or what?

I hope you don't mind me hijacking the thread Walldan

[OverWyreGrower]

My ducks lay daily, but that's cos they're ducks for eggs, not meat! I have Khaki Campbells and Indian Runners and get an egg a day from each girl.

They don't need nestboxes or a perch... my ducks and hens share a shed - hens have raised nextboxes and perches and ducks have the floor area.

I'd say 90% of the time the ducks make a sort of nest in the straw and lay there; however, recently they've taken to laying in a large patch of nettles in the run - they've only started doing it since it got very hot, so I'm wondering if it's something to do with the weather at the moment?

[HayleyB]

Do you reckon mallards would be layers? Thinking of the 4 rescues, I do love Indian Runners though they are such characters, the area His Lordship will be allocating the rescues will have room for a few more albeit I am (highly) allergic to duck eggs

BTW do the ducks have layers or stay on growers??

[Hilary B]

Do you reckon mallards would be layers? Thinking of the 4 rescues, I do love Indian Runners though they are such characters, the area His Lordship will be allocating the rescues will have room for a few more albeit I am (highly) allergic to duck eggs

BTW do the ducks have layers or stay on growers??

I would feed ducks the same as chooks. The babies may grow up to be reasonable layers (a lot of mallards are cross bred with some 'escaped farmyard' in their ancestry) or they could be drakes........
If you can't use duck eggs, how about dual purpose breeds, and eat the drakes?

[Headbrewer]

I have some lovely muscovy ducks available. I feed them Duck and Goose Grower/Finisher that is about the same cost as chicken food. I regularly get an egg a day from the two girls and have hatched 16 ducklings so far this year. They live in a small run with a 4ft square house and are allowed to freerange when we are at home. They get on well with my flock of chickens and often they help themselves to each others food and cohabite really well. I now have some of the first batch who are about 12 weeks available for sale at £5 each. I am hoping that any sales will fund a couple of indian runner females for my frustrated indian runner drakes. The drakes are very large and could be good for the table. I am located in IP19 (North East Suffolk) area if anyone is interested.

[kevnsue]

Hi,could someone tell me at how many week's old do runner duck's start to lay?,cheers kev.

[Polly Fouracre]

About twenty weeks, kevnsue. It depends on the time of year though.

[OverWyreGrower]

Mine went well over the 20 weeks, as it was coming up to winter... but if they were coming up 20 weeks now, I guess there'd be no problems

[Moony Moon]

I have three Aylesbury's, they are far messier than the chucks. They will not neccessarily put themselves to bed at night, at the very moment i can hear them in the their pond, they are sleeping out because of the weather i do believe.

As for food they are on the same as the chucks, layer pellets.

[OllieMartin]

I just found this website which has a lot of helpful (and somethimes quite funny) advice on keeping ducks. As well as chickens, quails, rabbits, guinea pigs and bees.
It's very comprehensive and covers all questions I was considering.

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