Pro - Does anyone else's nest boxes get soaked in rain?

[The Raven]

Hi, I'm new here. I have never kept a bird of any sort before, although I am a fairly experinced pet owner. I have two Bearded dragon lizards, (and an incubator soon to be full of their third clutch! - lizard egg omlette anyone?) A leopard gecko, a royal python (smaller than the name suggests!) and a dog and cat. The dog is a hapless fool who is not allowed into the garden anyway for fear she'd eat slugs, and the cat is old and neurotic so they won't do any harm to whatever species of bird i get. I have looked at coops and have saved up enough, researched all i can, and i now face a dilemma; Chickens or ducks? Quackers or clucks? My garden seems suitable for either, I have found a source of food - done everything I need. I am currently on holiday at a relative's house and will be home in two weeks - that is when I will be getting them. I have wanted ducks since I was a small child, but I have to consider the practical side - what would be happier living with me?

 

1.I would like to raise them from chicks, so they could be tame - but if i choose chickens i will probably choose some ex batts.

 

2.I do not have room for much water - indian runner ducks seem a good idea if i choose ducks

 

3. A woman across the road used to keep/keeps chickens (not sure if she has gotten rid of them) so she could care for them whilst we are away (will probably be for around two weeks each year)

 

4. Not too fussed about eggs

 

5. Looking for a pair, possibly a trio if necessary but preferably just two

 

 

Thanks for helping me make a decision

 

Raven

[fluffy chick]

Welcome to the forum!!

 

I can't speak about ducks. To be honest they don't have the same appeal to me and I can only imagine them swimming in big ponds or rivers

 

I love chickens. I also wouldn't worry about having chicks so they are tame. Most of mine were bought point of lay and are silly tame. You can train them to follow you. I shout 'chickens!' in a silly voice and they come charging from all directions!

 

I can't compare to ducks though I'm afraid.

[jackian]

Don't know about ducks , but chickens...Well no contest ,they are like part of the family now They have changed our lives . Also it depends on the space you have ,I can't imagine ducks with out a pond.

[freddie]

Ducks make a hell of a lot more mess than hens, my friend has both, and I'm there enough to make this judgement!!

[Chortle Chook]

Hello, welcome to the forum

 

Ducks are probabaly sweeter creatures - they bully one another less

Ducks are messier than chickens - their poos are very runny and there is even more of it than with chickens

Many ducks do not need lots of water but they do need clean water, not the stagnant ponds or brown tubs that you sometimes see poor ducks with.

If you have always wanted ducks then that is probably where your heart is

Ducks usually live quite a bit longer some up to 20 years

 

Chickens are more like people and you can't look at a chicken and not smile. They will make you laugh every day

Chickens probably need less room to run about in and don't mind so much about soft surfaces as they don't have webbing that needs to be looked after

There are probably more breeds of chicken to choose from than there are breeds of duck, including fuzzy ones, fluffy ones, and loads of different colours and lovely colour patters.

[The Raven]

Thanks for the replies, really appreciate it! Still not cartain yet, though....i can deal with poo quite well - once you've cleaned fresh lizard leavings you can deal with anything! They will be cleaned alot, and will changing the straw completely once a week be enough?

[karlotta]

I've got both and the chickens are much friendlier and seem to be cleverer! If I had to choose it would be the chickens every time!

[chicken bark]

Ducks are adorable and if you don't mind the poo and enjoy the eggs then I'd get those as that seems to be where your heart is. You will need to change the water (small paddling pool) frequently - a few times a week. A bucketful of fresh water everyday is enough if necessary. Depending on what breed you may need to clip a wing. A bigger duck will be too heavy to fly.

Ducks don't dig up your grass with their feet (like chickens) but they can dig in it with their beaks. If they can make mud anywhere they will. Chickens will make dust baths where they want.

 

As for cleaning them out I found a complete clean out once a week in the Summer was enough but more needed in the winter as they spend more time in their house.

 

Chickens put themselves to bed at night. Ducks will let you put them to bed at night. Not a real problem you just to be there to round them up.

 

If I had better water access to my run I'd have both chickens and ducks (I did for some time) but now find chickens easier to keep.

[Chortle Chook]

You need to put a similar post on the Duck area of this Omlet forum and compare answers

My OH wanted ducks and I wanted chickens . . . guess who won

Actually if we had more space I'd love ducks too.

[Redwing]

I like my call ducks, they are very sweet but quite messy, I have a run that is 'fox proof' so I dont shut the ducks in at night which makes things easier.

 

Here is my duck run:

 

 

I clear out all of the straw every week but its quite nasty around the water tub area, the whole front opens so I can use a pitchfork to get the straw out

 

(there is a nestbox behind the blue cover where they can shelter but they like to sleep out

 

I've been lucky with my ducks, they are a pair and some drakes can be pests to the females but mine is ok, he is pretty calm with his lady

 

Call ducks are nice and small but the females are noisy, the mess is a little easier to manage though, bigger ducks make bigger poos!

 

I have to say that I do prefer chickens though, I find them a bit more interactive and much, much easier to keep.

 

Again males can be a pest and are obviously noisy so whatever you choose I'd recommend two females

[Chicken shack]

I like my call ducks, they are very sweet but quite messy, I have a run that is 'fox proof' so I dont shut the ducks in at night which makes things easier.

 

Here is my duck run:

 

 

I clear out all of the straw every week but its quite nasty around the water tub area, the whole front opens so I can use a pitchfork to get the straw out

 

(there is a nestbox behind the blue cover where they can shelter but they like to sleep out

 

I've been lucky with my ducks, they are a pair and some drakes can be pests to the females but mine is ok, he is pretty calm with his lady

 

Call ducks are nice and small but the females are noisy, the mess is a little easier to manage though, bigger ducks make bigger poos!

 

I have to say that I do prefer chickens though, I find them a bit more interactive and much, much easier to keep.

 

Again males can be a pest and are obviously noisy so whatever you choose I'd recommend two females

Hi Redwing Sorry to high jack this thread. How big are call ducks? What are the dimentions or their run? Do they free range? Will be moving Wednesday and will have more room for more and it would be great to have ducks.

[Redwing]

The pen is 6ft x 6ft

 

I guess call ducks are about ten inches long (ish)

 

Mine dont free range and that pen is plenty big enough for them, when they had ducklings it did get in to a frightful state though - luckily now the ducklings are gone

[The Raven]

I think that ducks might be the way to go - pretty long lifespan!!! I wish I could have both! I still don't know, to be honest...I love them both!!

[Chortle Chook]

It's probably really all down to the space you have available and how clean and tidy you are. If you have room for plenty of free ranging, and are good at doing a nice daily clean up, then you probably could have both together. It would be best if the hens were smaller than the ducks as they will be the dominant ones - so, for instance, don't go for hybrid hens and call ducks, something like Pekin ducks mixing with Pekin hens would probably be OK or gentle hens like Silkies in with call ducks might work. Also best not to have any cockerels or drakes.

 

BUT and it is a B I G BUT you do really have to stay on top of the cleaning. For instance, the duck splashing water (not just the drinking water), must be put down fresh every single day and the food changed daily too. This is because the ducks will quickly muddy and spoil both water and food and then baccteria kreep in. I do know of someone who did not do this, with the result that their chickens got coccidiosis (I think that is what it was but the spelling is proably not right) and died

 

Don't forget that this daily clean up would need to happen day in, day out for years and years so it won't work if you are not naturally ultra clean & tidy

[The Raven]

Thanks. I'll think about that. My garden is not big at all - about 2m wide and 5m long i think, and i would only get 2 hens or 2 ducks. I'll consider all of this and any more comments from experienced peeps wpuld be appreciated

[zakjon-98]

Thanks. I'll think about that. My garden is not big at all - about 2m wide and 5m long i think, and i would only get 2 hens or 2 ducks. I'll consider all of this and any more comments from experienced peeps wpuld be appreciated

i have a very small garden too and if you have two bantams or two small ducks like mini appleyards they should be fine

[chestnutmare]

Ducks need to dip their head in water. You don't need a lake- more like child's paddling pool or large bowl.

Ducks aren't much different to keep than chickens.

Their poo is runnier than a chickens. But they are beautiful, intelligent creatures. My mother's kept chickens and khacki campells ducks. She still has Snowdrop (one duck) who free-ranges with five jack russel terriers.