Ducks or Chickens

[Hinksy]

Someone told me this morning not to get Chickens as they are apparently very dirty and smelly, I should get Ducks (Indian Runners) instead. They apparently are good layers are not dirty, quiet and are really friendly.

Anyone have any thoughts on this as we had kind of set ourselves on Chickens for Spring time, but now I am not sure.

The plan was to get 6 Chickens for which we already have a house, would this be different for Ducks.

Which is best, more on the grounds of friendly/Pet, good layers would be nice too.

Any thoughts and advice would be appreciated.

Thanks

[Pumpkin Becki]

Different breeds of chicken have different temperaments Hinsky. The larger breeds and hybrids are often more docile than smaller pure breeds or bantams, so you really need to do your research before you buy.

Ducks are very messy!!! Very messy!!! and will turn a pretty pond into a quagmire really quickly.

You will need to keep them locked up at night, just like chickens, so no advantage there.

Ducks are not to be taken on lightly, as I said, do your research. I love the Francine Raymond books 'Keeping a few hens in the garden' and 'Keeping a few ducks in the garden'. They are brief but informative and helped me decide that ducks weren't for me personally.

[Flummery]

Chickens aren't smelly! If you poo-pick every day in their house and run - only takes a few minutes - they are lovely little things. I have 4 hybrids and you wouldn't know they are there. Love 'em. Ducks really pollute a pond and any surrounding grass. Do think carefully.

[Daz]

Well I am no expert but had always thought that it was the other way round.
We have 6 chickens ourselves and they are 2x moorland leg bars, 1x speckled hen, 1 white star and 2 goldlines.
They supply more eggs than we need and are good pets they follow our 3 year old daughter around and let her pick them up etc.
As to being dirty we have not found this I clean the run every day and have found that this is just a 2 minute job, we have also not found them to smell either.
All in all we would not be without our girls.
Good luck with watever you choose.

[Hinksy]

Well the whole plan was and still is to do as much research as possible on keeping poultry, have visited a few working farms and from this we had gathered that Ducks were not from us. From reading up on Chickens they seem ideal for what we wanted, good layers and nice and friendly pets.

It was just a friend who has kept both said that the Chickens smell more than ducks, they are more territorial and aggressive, and that ducks make much better pets as they can be trained.

Now up until this point I had always thought it the other way around, as Ducks seem far naughtier and destructive, and from all the books I have read it was always said that Chickens can be trained and make ideal pets etc…

It just put a few doubts in my mind, but from the replies on here it seems there is nothing to worry about with Chickens.



Thanks

[leah]

I'm glad I found this thread! I've always wanted chickens and was hoping to get 3 or 4 in spring, but my oh isn't too keen He thought they would smell too much, so I'm glad I can now assure him they will be ok as long as they are cleared up after on a daily basis

[MaureenHall]

40 chickens in my back garden, living in 3 coops don't smell. The coops would smell if I didn't clean them out regularly though I wouldn't be without them, but I'd think twice, then think another twice before contemplating getting ducks

[Snadger]

Ducks stink, are messy eaters and attract rats big style!

[Hilary B]

Ducks are perhaps a bit more intelligent, (although the difference is slight enough that a fairly bright chook may be cleverer than a slightly daft duck) which has positive and negative implications. It means you will have more chance teaching them tricks (although either will teach themselve a lot, some of which you can do without).
The advantages to ducks are
a) ducks are less likely to jump/fly over a modest height of fence
b) drakes are quiet, cockerels are noisy
c) not quite so destructive of the vegetable garden (and they eat slugs)
Advantages of chickens
a) less messy, ducks poo more, and everywhere
b) more likely to lay their eggs in the proper place
c) some people are allergic to duck eggs.

[dexterdoglancashire]

I'm glad I found this thread! I've always wanted chickens and was hoping to get 3 or 4 in spring, but my oh isn't too keen He thought they would smell too much, so I'm glad I can now assure him they will be ok as long as they are cleared up after on a daily basis

My OH wasnt into chooks until I took him round the Winlas Collection in Shropshire last September. I was lucky enough to get my girls from Lynda66. Drew is absolutely smitten! Though he wouldnt admit it! Who has a picture of Kaye, Fanny and Clarissa as his screensaver? Who sneaks round and talks (and I suspect, cuddles) the girls when Im not here?
Guess who rang me from the panto rehersal this PM as soon as he knew I'd got two new girls?
He's a bigger softie than me!.................
Chickens aren't smelly, Ive never had a problem, they are (apart from Dexter and Ramsey and Crosby of course!) are the most intelligent, loving and friendly pets Ive ever had.
Go for it!

[petal]

I would get chickens, indian runners smell!

[Sanjo]

My daughter has two ducks and 10 chickens (well nine actually - just remembered one died last Sunday)
The ducks are VERY noisy, even though they are only miniatures and yes, they do make a muddy mess of their area.

[MrsC]

Chickens don't smell, well they will do if you don't clean them. I know people who've had both and they said ducks make a mess. Wouldn't be without my girls!

[tlck9]

I agreed with the comments here, if you keep them clean then they do not smell. If you keep their run in one place, and it rains then heats up then you could get an odour, but if you poo pick every day, this will be fine

The only thing I would add, is that my little hybrids were stars, no smell and very clean birds, my ex batts though were quite smelly when they came to me, and the Poo, wow much more intense than my hybrids

But its true what they say you get what you put in LOL, mine are on a nicer all round food than perhaps they were given as battery hens and they are starting to smell normal again

[its hilly]

I'm firmly in the chicken camp, having kept both.
Ducks poo more, turn any bit of wet, just heavy rain wet, ground into a mudbath, and lay wherever they are when they think of it. And they REALLY need some form of water, even if its only a shallow bowl, but you'll need to clean it out every other day at least as they fill it with poo and mud and it stinks. The only really intelligent ones I've met are Muscovies..and theyre more goose than duck..very clever. Ducks are only better layers because they lay further into old age, a good hybrid hen will lay better than most ducks on a day to day basis in my experience.
Chickens may be more stupid (although I've not seen any signs of it with mine) and they can decimate a veg patch but they do lay in a nest box, and wont smell unless the coop is dirty. They can be agressive with each other, but its seems only the cockerals who get agressive with people. Oh and feathery footed breeds dont seem to scrat the ground up as much. Out of mine the friendliest are the Orpington x silky and the cream legbars.