Ducks?

[d000hg]

I know it says chickens but anyone here keep our know about ducks? On the face of it I find the idea more attractive than chickens but I know nowt about either!

[Guest]

I keep both. However with the bird flu issues I wouldn't recommend either until next year when hopefully things recover.

Ducks depend on breed, some will only destroy lettuces and others will destroy everything. They leave wet pooey puddles everywhere so not good if they can roam on your paths and patios and they can be noisier than chickens and are def. stinkier. They are very characteristic and easy to fall in love with, especially at fluffy duckling stage

[roitelet]

Wot Norfolkgrey says!!! I used to keep them but not any more, lovely though they are.

[ESBkevin]

They don't scratch about in the beds pulling everything about making a mess like chickens, I read somewhere indian running ducks are prefferable but don't recall why.

[d000hg]

We're moving to a country property between two steams, surrounded by woodland. My naive ideal was the ducks would spend their days pootling around by the stream rather than running around destroying my plants and crapping everywhere

Duck eggs are so good though... and as you say very easy on the eye. We're not sure how our cat would get on with chickens or ducks but then farms always used to let the birds run around the place and have a farm cat... I imagine a duck or a chicken might be more than a match for a cat?

[mrsbusy]

Ducks eggs are very good. Call ducks eat slugs. But I think the downside is the poop thing. Plus they can fly quite well. To be honest I know nothing about ducks. Foxes like ducks just as much as hens.
Re cats. My niece had a biggish hen killed by a cat - she saw the cat in the run with the hen - which basically died in her arms.
I have 2 cats - the hens are very confident with them and will chase them away - well the young cat will have a go but the older cat is terrified of the hens. However there is a lot of alarm calls if a strange cat gets in the garden and the hens defo do not know what to expect.
I find my hens are very discerning re friend or foe - for example they take no notice of my daughters black dog (well behaved) who visits occasionally, but if it is the white dog (young/unpredictable) that I walk they are on total alert. I have read that hens can recognise up to 50 faces. I can believe that.

[flynch]

If you have neighbours near by I'd go for muscovy ducks they are a different species, the males hiss and the females pip so are very quite compared with ducks descended from the mallard. I use to keep them and loved them. Hoping to again if I ever get the space.