Thinking of getting ducks!

[Nicos]

For the past 3 years we've had 5 geese over the summer period.
We're thinking of not having any this year - just to have a break from spending 2 consecutive days 'doing' them.

The alternative may well be ducks
We have a couple of paddling pools which change the water daily.

They'd be kept inside an electric fence and run with the chooks but sleep in a moveable wooden shelter.

Would their wings need clipping?

Just a thought- can anyone suggest edible /friendly breeds which might be worth having?

They would just be for rearing then freezing and not overwintering.

Any thoughts/ideas/suggestions would be much appreciated!!

Thanks x

[Mikey]

My neighbour has some indian runner ducks, for the dogs to round up. They keep them for eggs rather than meat.

[roitelet]

Iv'e had two lots of big white French ones, can't remember the breed. Bought in at two weeks old. They grow very fast and are ready for the pot at about 10 - 12 weeks. They are VERY MUCKY and we found that they wouldn't go in the house at night unless we put them there.

We decided that after that we wouldn't keep them any more. They are a pain to pluck and for the amount of work were not worth it.

[OverWyreGrower]

Aylesburys are a good dual purpose breed, as are Muscovies, and I suspect with the right food, a Campbell might be ok as well...

However, I'm seconding Roitelet with the fact that they are incredibly mucky - they will turn anything into a mud pool in less than a week.

My ducks (mixture of Runners and Campbells) are complete ASBO ducks and will not go inside without the application of several people herding them with boards (like pig boards)

They won't do much flying (too heavy!) Occasionally, one of the drakes might get a foot off the floor (with a good run up) for about 2 or 3 feet - that's the extent of it!

[Nicos]

roitelet- Oh.

As much pain as a goose?
( ie 2 hrs per goose to pluck and dress- and very sore fingers afterwards?)

Geese squit everywhere...are ducks more messy then? ( ie squit- wise- or make more muddy patches?)

[Nicos]

OWG...our field will be bone dry- apart from the 2 paddling pools- will they still make it a mud-bath?

[Nicos]

You two are putting me off!
It takes 10-20 mins generally to herd 5 geese into their hut at night...so ducks will be more difficult???

[Scarlet]

Get some turkeys Nicos, plenty of meat on them!

[Nicos]

...well- I could- cos they have loads at the market for bringing on.

Do they get on with hens?
I have heard they can drop dead with stress at the smallest thing...how true is that?

[Scarlet]

I always 'tried' to keep mine separate, i just section off an area within the electric fence with some plastic fencing . They are more fragile than chickens when hatching but I can honestly say I've never had any problems after the first few weeks. If you have a large amount of ground i think you would find it easy. They can be escape artists and like to roost up high, but if you clip the wing early on I don't think you will have too much trouble and they really are great characters.

[VirginVegGrower]

Get some turkeys Nicos, plenty of meat on them!

NO read Richmond Hens on turkeys! Big and heavy plus too stupid to go in at night.

[RichmondHens]

My geese are tons easier than the turkeys! We also have five - one gander, four geese. It may make a difference but my first pair were hand raised (watched TV on my lap and everything) and learned to come to my call, and although I subsequently bought three more youngsters they just copied the other two and consequently all are pretty obedient. Turkeys do get easier as they age though, my older pair are much less scatty than the youngsters. Kept back two nice girls so now have three hens one stag and despatch and plucked the last young stag this morning as it happens. Must be almost 20 lbs although haven't weighed him yet as he is hanging in the stables at the moment. About to set 9 more turkey eggs under a broody Orpington and in theory they will be ready by the end of November if all goes to plan.

I don't have much experience of ducks as I have just a single drake who thinks he is a chicken (I inherited him with some second hand hen houses and his elderly bantam companions). He bathes very tidily in his own bath - a potting tray - and makes no mud at all, although we are on very sandy soil and he has the run of an acre so if he could make that muddy I would be well impressed! Aylesburys are the definitive meat duck over here and you can get something called Gressingham duck but I think it is a commercial hybrid. Meatwise I would choose goose over duck in terms of what you get for your effort, although turkeys obviously are much bigger still. If you can get over their stupidity then they are manageable, but if they are like mine then they will lead you a merry dance. Clip their wings to prevent them roosting up high and worm them very regularly (I do mine more often than the chickens and they also don't live with them but in a separate area of field). Turkeys will need a lot more feed than geese though, the youngsters will graze a lot but do need a reasonable protein supplement in the way of pellet, unlike geese who can fatten up on grass alone.

Sorry that's a lot of waffling from me. You would do well to talk to Petal (on here) as she breeds/keeps different sorts of ducks including muscovies and can probably advise loads on their management and eating qualities.

[Scarlet]

I did say they like to roost up high . I have had my fair share of putting them to bed although if they haven't got any alternative high roosting perches they usually go in.

[darkbrowneggs]

You two are putting me off!
It takes 10-20 mins generally to herd 5 geese into their hut at night...so ducks will be more difficult???

I feed my ducks at night - they are dual purpose so in the laying season they have more, but in the winter just a few handfuls of wheat between them. I only have to call and they rush to their pen to be fed. No rounding up involved

Mine are extra pretty garden ducks and very easy and freindly to keep - good layers from Feb to August and very meaty for size of bird.

In the past I have kept Silver Appleyard, Aylesbury type, Pekin Crosses, Saxony, Rouen ordinary and St Clair, Cayuga and Muscovey. Of all of them I shall only keep my own in future.

Easy to keep, don't destroy the garden, don't need a pond, goodish layers, nice looking creamy white large eggs, good yield of tasty breast meat, good ratio of fat skin and bone to eatable duck, drakes not incessant rapists, not too greedy with the feed, and if you want to spend time with them very easy to tame, friendly and not as hysterical as most breeds

Check them out CRESTED DUCKS - Apricot Crested Ducks It you ever visit UK I have hatching eggs for sale in the season.

[Nicos]

Gosh- that's a wonderful amount of info to reflect upon!
Thanks folks!!!

We have open field grazing with a couple of shelters for the chooks, bunnies and geese/?ducks/?turkeys to shelter under during the day...Surrounded by electric mesh fencing ( 110m circumference in total)

So far we have nowhere for high roosters to sleep at night- although we could provide something appropriate/safe.( Our 19 chooks fill the 2 m cubed indoor pigsty at night..and the 5 geese have/had a 2m squared 'bedroom')

Meat birds only I'm afraid- between now and November- as we have no winter accommodation for them.

Keep those ideas coming folks- this is really interesting- and we have 4 weeks to decide what we will have for 2013!...thanks for all these ideas!