Single hen

[jenuk99]

Hi

 

I have looked after some ducklings for a friend so I could take them into school to show my class and now I am tempted to get some. But I can'y decide whether to go for chickens or ducks.

 

Thanks

Jen

[The Pearsons]

I prefer chickens as they don't smell as much as ducks do.....

 

Helen in Hume

[Geoid]

and chickens dont quack

[The Pearsons]

And hens usually lay in the same place so you don't get the fun of a daily egg hunt.

 

You have to cook duck eggs for longer as well.

 

Ducks also like to tease dogs and cats by keeping just out of "pounce" reach and then jumping into the pond.

[smudgley]

we've kept both, but ducks are messy & smelly. I'm no expert but our ducks were not tame even though they were hand reared.

My chickens are really tame.

I'd just keep chickens.

[The Pearsons]

Ask the same question on the duck forum and you'll probably get a different answer though.......

 

Ducks are pretty and peaceful to watch but for me it is chickens every time

[kannie]

Best things: chickens are funny, lay eggs, unusual as pets (round here!), beautiful, generally easy to care for, and liven up the garden

Worst things: lots of poo (& consequent smell), can be damaging to garden, can have fragile health

[MisHapp]

Well, I have both and love both - BUT - I won't replace the ducks when they do go. They are funny to watch but they are messier and their cleaning is noticeably more intensive. They need something to at least put their heads in water - this gets messy and needs regular cleaning. They need water when they feed and their feeders & drinkers get filthy very quickly.

 

Also, they are harder to handle than the chooks. I can pick them up but they are less willing than our chooks. They don't take themselves to bed as willingly as our hens either.

 

HTH

[jenuk99]

Thanks for you posts I am feeling really tempted now. A friend has asked if ducks and chickens could be kept in the same eglu. Would this be possible as a lot of the duck posters say their ducks sleep out side in the run?

Thanks Jen

[Leanne]

this may sound silly, but if considering getting ducks, have you considered whether you actually like duck eggs?

 

we considered a couple of ducks last year, (despite everyone telling us how messy they were) but realised neither of us had ever tried a duck egg. we bought half a dozen to try, and really didnt like the taste at all. problem solved- we didnt get ducks!

[jenuk99]

Hmmm, you have an interesting point not sure that I have tried them. Do they taste very different to chickens eggs?

Jen

[Leanne]

the ones we tried did. they had a more translucent look than a hens egg, and a much stronger taste. i tried the remainder in a cake,and then the cake tasted different to normal too. Maybe yuo should buy half a dozen and try them before you decide ducks v hens? goos luck!

[MisHapp]

I have kept ducks and chooks in the same eglu, yes. I removed the first set of roosting bars and the ducks would sleep there or in the nest box. The chooks would use the bars at the back.

 

HTH

 

MH x

[jenuk99]

What sort did you keep and how many? Did they get on together?

Thanks Jen

[MisHapp]

Check out my signature - that's how many chooks/ducks I have and have kept in an eglu.

 

I only bought a second eglu for the times that I want to leave the birds in their runs for safety - the eglu itself had plenty of space for 3 bantams and 2 call ducks, but the run was not spacious enough for me.

 

Yes, they get on brilliantly. You need to amke sure the chooks are old enough to hold their own if introducing at a different time to call ducks.

 

If you check out my gallery in the chickens section, you will see them all.

 

http://club.omlet.co.uk/gallery/main.php?g2_itemId=13457

 

MH x

[jenuk99]

Oh the pictures are beautiful!! I am really jealous now. But if they are to be left in the run during the day how many do you think would be ok?

Thank you for your help

Jen

[MisHapp]

If you are going to keep them in the run all the time, I would say that 2 ducks would be a maximum. You would also need to put in that run a washing up bowl for the ducks to be able to put their heads in (at least).

 

Space is quite a personal decision. You need to consider what space you want to give them and consider how you are going to protect them (weighing up risks against predators). If you look at the picture below, that entire slabbed area that you can see is now covered with woodchip and fenced in and the 5 girls have free range in there most of the time. Within that space is a tubtrug type pond for the ducks.

[Couperwife]

and chickens dont quack

 

really???

[jenuk99]

Ok thanks

So how many chickens can you keep in the run? Is two of either but not both in the run unless they can free range?

I am buying my fist house at the moment and it has a paved garden with high walls on each side, don't think anything could get over the walls so they could be ok to free range.

What do you think?

 

Thanks Jen

[Couperwife]

Sorry I must have missed this but what are you buying?

 

we have a cube and have 6 chooks in it.

we only let them free range when we are home and they seem more than happy being in the run all day.

 

I dont know about the eglu (mark 1 & 2) but I know that some people have 3 chooks in them happily - I think that they are actually designed for 4, but I dont know on a personal level.

 

hope I was a little bit helpful

[jenuk99]

Hi

looking at an eglu and cant decide on ducks or chickens.

Was looking for advice.

Jen

[Sarah 2]

If you're going to keep the chickens in the run then you can have 2 otherwise you can have up to 4 chickens if they are going to free range. You can add a convertor and then extensions to increase the size of the run if you have the room. Which would mean that you could have 4 chickens and not let them out of the run .

[Couperwife]

We LOVE our chickens, they aren't too noisy, and clatter when they see us.

 

I believe that ducks really ruin gardens, turn it into a mush really quickly, our chooks havent totally destroyed the garden, yet

 

we never really considered ducks though.

 

actually this probably doesnt really help you does it

[jenuk99]

Well I just feel more tempted with every post I read. Ok thinking sensibly am buying a new house and hadn't budgeted for feathered friends, are they expensive to keep eg food, vets bills?

Have got the room in the garden for an eglu don't think I could extend the run, so it would be chickens or ducks.

Have a friend with a small holding and she has call ducks and a variety of chickens like silkies and polish I think, will spend a day with her friends and see which I prefer.

 

Thanks for the help

Jen

[Olly]

just one more point - I don't have a view on chickens or ducks, but pleeease please ... don't assume that because you have got high walls, a fox can't get over them!

 

They can, and do jump 6' fences (or walls), if a cat can get over it then so can a fox! You may be lucky and not have any foxes in the area, but do be warned that high walls won't necessarily protect your feathered friends.

 

sorry to sound negative, but I see a lot of people making this assumption; not trying to put you off, they will enjoy supervised free-ranging and be very happy in the run as well. Let us know what you decide on!