I own small flocks of both, and a couple of sheep. As I work outside putting up fencing etc., they all follow me around. A few years back, a predator killed my duck flock, leaving one survivor. He moved into the sheep pen, sleeping on their backs for warmth. The next spring, I bought more ducks but my survivor, instead of joining them, hung with the sheep grazing alongside them all summer. Animals are so interesting and good company.
@@twatts1523 Yes, I keep ducks and chickens at night in fully protected enclosures. However, the main predators are smallish weasels. They can squeeze through anything larger than a 1-inch mesh. They maim and kill for the sake of killing. Awful. Just make sure you bomb proof your enclosure. If you get a visit, find and repair the opening and set out a baited trap to get rid of him. They will continue to raid your flocks, year after year, until you trap and kill them. In the summer, I let the ducks roam free and swim in a nearby pond. But to get them to return at night, keep them from feed during the day. Only hunger gets them off the pond and into their pens. Unlike chickens, they don't have this roosting instinct. Also, I keep trail cams around to see what is wandering about and set out inexpensive, solar, motion-activated sirens and lights.
I have ducks, the pool water is the best liquid fertilizer you can use. In drought times especially, I water everything with the 'duck water', and my property is green, green, green ! And yes, they are messy, but like he said, more fun and personality.
Waddayasay messy? Sit quiet at night, Go out in the morning, come feeding, wead until evening, make huge eggs, cloudy nests, marvelous kids, don't scratch around.......
A lot of good points, I keep both. A flock of about 80 chickens and 15 ducks. The 15 ducks are more work than all 80+ chickens combined. You need to replace their bedding 1/10th as often if you raise chickens. You need to replace bedding for mold and waste several times a day for ducks. I change it a couple times a month with the chickens. You can easily remove chicken poop from bedding, you cannot do the same for ducks and must replace their entire bed since they soak it in wet and runny poop. Chickens can easily be kept in smaller spaces and need less food, they drink less water and cost less money to keep. Ducks are better if you ignore all of the obvious downsides, for sure. Edit: Also, you can buy and feed about 3-4 chickens for the same price as feeding and buying 1 duck. So, Duck eggs being bigger is meaningless. If I have four chicken eggs and you have 1 duck egg, I have more food.
I appreciate the comment. All fair points, although there are likely a dozen reasons why chickens are better than ducks. Once the snow melts and I'm free ranging our ducks in the orchard I hardly change their bedding too, but in winter it gets nasty. Keep in mind too that i'm not saying ducks are better, these are just some ways ducks are better, but you do outline a script for another video for me of all the reasons chickens are better. Another thing about chickens is that they're easier to grab, trying to get a duck I usually need to corner them or net them whereas chickens I can just walk up to them and pick it up. Ducks are very enjoyable but so too are chickens. We have 17 ducks to 31 chickens, but we do a lot of meat chickens every summer too. Sounds like you're doing it right though with raising both of them. Cheers.
I have Muscovies. One benefit over chickens is that I can keep a male in city limits and let the ducks hatch out their own ducklings, thus giving me more meat/eggs. I can't keep a rooster in town.
Love your shirt. I've reading up on both birds, and I'm finding that I like ducks better (even though I prefer chicken meat over duck). A few notes, if I may... ...Ducks are prized by chefs not only for their meat, but also for their fat for use in frying. ...Duck down can not only help keep the birds warm, it can also be used to keep humans warm if put into quilts, comforters, jackets, etc. ..."Duck water" can be collected and stored in a large tank as grey water for use in the garden. Don't let that stuff go to waste. ...One of the reasons ducks are more resistant to exterior parasites is thanks to that water - they drown the parasites with their swimming. ...One of the reasons ducks are more resistant to internal parasites is due to their higher body temperature, making their bodies "inhospitable" to internal parasites. ...To help promote pastured duck (and chicken) health, you can plant medicinal herbs of the right kinds in the pasture. Just a few thoughts I wanted to share.
I gave my ducks a large kid pool because I Loved watching them swim underwater. But that water would get nasty before the end of the second day, and the ducks themselves would avoid it. Good thing I designed it so the drain plug would drain into a pipe the irrigated the garden. But like I said, it was a larger sized kid pool, meaning a larger amount of water. But being efficient as possible, irritating into the garden meant less watering the garden. I incubated some duck eggs so I could be the first thing they saw when hatching, because I wanted a whole line of duckies to follow me in a row😊. I'm a man, but I was their mommy
That’s so funny… "I’m a man but I’m there mommy!" 😊😊😊😊😊 that would be really cute to see… reminds me of my grandpa when I was a little kid watching him with a bunch of baby ducks following him around…
@@Megstervaz well, it's been just over a year since I last had my duckies. My family sold the property and I had to re-home 50 ducks and chickens. That was very hard on me because I Loved them all from the first crack in their shell. I'll be honest, the duck pool was a filthy job. Draining it included reaching my hand down to unclog the drain hole over and over and it was a filthy stinky job. I okie rigged some house gutters to direct the stinky water to the garden and it saturated a good quarter of the garden. About 1/16 of an acre. And I had to do that every 3 days because the ducks wouldn't even go near that water after day 2. But ohhhhh they Loved that fresh clear water when it was filling time again. Time to get it all nasty again. But It was a joy for me too
I've raised both ducks and chickens (hundreds on a homestead), and chickens are remarkably easier, and more cost effective. Ducks make a huge mess, and need constant clean up. Duck meat is good, but there is less of it. Even the most tender duck is more chewy than the average chicken. Duck eggs are larger, but also taste a bit different and they are a lot thicker. I've never liked a scrambled duck egg. But maybe you do. Duck eggs are superior for certain baked goods, but that's about it. Ducks need more water, and make a huge mess of it. They also make a mess of their food, and they prefer forage that looks an awful lot like our gardens. Chickens will scratch for grubs, ducks will scheme for your veggies. Ducks are a little better against predators, but only if you get something like a Muscovy (claws). Even then, they are only marginally better against a possum or racoon. I saw one large duck fight off a juvenile fox, and watched the fox walk away shocked it got scratched across the face so hard. But again, that was a Muscovy. I liked that duck. I don't raise birds anymore, but would say chickens should be the primary flock, with a few ducks in the mix if you really want them. Geese are just big ducks, with the same (bigger) issues. FWIW, chickens will sit on duck eggs until they hatch, but a broody chicken will sit on a rock if you let her. Ducks generally ignored the chicken eggs. The geese would sit on all three, and liked to break up fights among the "lower" birds. So they have that going for them. Edit: Ducks have more personality and are more likely to engage with you. They are generally friendly and will sit next to you for an hour. Some will let you scratch/pet them. Chickens are dumb as a rock and have the attention span of a three year old kid on meth. There is nothing "cool" about chickens. Ducks definitely have the cool factor down.
I can't argue with your points, they'll all true. Although I have solved some of the issues you mentioned such as building a no mess bulk feeder that only their heads can get into to eat and it holds 4 bags of feed. I honestly don't have to clean up a huge mess cause most of the year they're free ranging in our orchard and actually contribute by eating bugs and fertilizing the pasture. Thanks for the interesting comment.
@@HiddenSpringFarm I loved having the ducks - they free ranged all over, too. I wasn't trying to dunk on them. My thoughts are I just wouldn't consider them part of the "starter pack for homesteading". Maybe when you become a mid-level/early advanced homestead manager? Like, after you get the kinks worked out on water, feed and forage. We also had pigs, turkey, etc and sold into farmers markets after going through USDA certified processing. We stopped because it would never complete with our paid jobs, and we started traveling a lot. We did look at getting a few chickens this year, but then priced feed. Holy cow. It's about 4x more than it was just a few years ago. Makes Whole Food look cheap. Thanks for your videos. Fun to watch.
I agree with you that ducks are more work and more suited for mid level. I started with chickens but now my ducks are winning my heart. A buff orpington is the closest to a cute duck. @@FamilyManMoving
Hi! Great video! I'm a chef and I just want to clarify something about duck meat. Duck meat has two classifications: Scientific Classification and Culinary Classification. According to the Scientific Classification duck meat is "poultry" which makes it white meat, because the USDA classifies any livestock that walks on two legs as poultry. So basically any bird is poultry according to the Scientific Classification. However, to us chefs, duck meat is not white. According to Culinary Classification, meat that remains dark when cooked is considered red meat. It can be served rare like beef, venison, or any other red meat. Most birds are this way, and are therefore considered red meat in the kitchen; such as quail, pheasant, pigeon, etc. Turkeys and chickens are really the only "white meat" birds when it comes to cooking, because if you serve either of those rare, you could make someone sick! This being said, I've always thought chicken was healthier than duck, because in my head it's always been red meat, and we all know white meat is healthier than red meat, especially for men over 40 like myself. So I was very surprised at 4:42 when you said that duck meat is healthier than chicken meat! 30 years of cooking and I've been thinking it was the other way around this entire time! I'm glad I watched this video and learned something new today!
9:33 One thing that can help is instead of small baths, utilize keyline design and build pond aquaculture catchments on contour with your local water shed. This will let you coproduce water plants & ducks/fish/freshwater shellfish without over taxing your water budget by capturing ground water. Little duck pools are good temporarily but ponds built into their range lets you do more without the nastyness.
For many years, I did not want to raise ducks. We've always raised chickens. We moved to a new property four years ago and every year we have plague status grasshopper infestation. So my husband and I finally decided to try ducks. Guess what, I absolutely love them! We use the back to Eden style garden so there's no mud to be made with their swimming pools or water buckets. They free range in our veggie gardens and the rest of our yard. They have done an amazing job cutting down the grasshopper population. I don't find them to be that messy. And I prefer water over chicken dust. In the next few years, I plan to fade out of chickens and focus on the ducks. I love that they can be pest control in the garden without destroying it. I couldn't be happier with them!
I love my ducks. I love my duck eggs. They are messy as all get out, but their cuteness and great personalities makes it worthwhile having to deal with their issues.
@@guybartlett9587 I haven’t had that happen - they slow down at times and then pick up again. I butchered a duck once. It was a horrible experience. He is still in the freezer. One day if i have nothing else to give her, my dog will have him cooked in her food.
@@christaylor8337 I eat duck eggs, cooked many different ways, every day. This morning I had 22 grain bread duck egg french toast with homemade goat cheese and cherry tomatoes. I don’t eat meat and never miss it. I freeze and water glass excess eggs, so I will still have them when their laying slows down.
But they make very loud sounds always when someone is near to them, my uncle have white ducks on their farm, that noise is so pricky no one likes that noise, I don't know about khaki campbell how they are different in behavior from Pekin ducks...But they are of same species called duck so I think they would also be same noisy every time
@@abhijeetsinghchauhan3867 very true what you said but only when you get close to them. They are very skittish creatures. Chickens you can just walk right in and they are not scared of you. That being said if you have roosters in your flock chickens are much noisier than ducks. Maybe I’ll do a video on how chickens are better than ducks too.
@@HiddenSpringFarm No need of making chickens better than ducks, I am asking that I haven't seen khaki campbell and I have no experience about them, I was just asking that, khaki cambell vs Pekin ducks which makes more noise
Ducks are messy but honestly it’s so worth it to put in a pond!!! If you don’t have a pond I highly suggest it but keep it close by to your coop we would find eggs all around our pond
Hello im from Philippines, i choose Muscovy duck because in Philippines we have 6 months raining season every year, and duck love when it's raining season amd a wet duck is a happy duck, they also play outside while raining, and duck eggs in Philippines is very popular because of salted egg and balut, and Muscovy duck in Philippines only eat weeds, insect, any kinds of leafy vegetables and Muscovy duck lay there eggs to hatch and pest resistance
Your ducks must be doing a great job for you. Muscovies are a very quiet duck too. My wife is from Laguna and I’ve been to the Philippines many many times. I even have a video about how we make our own balut. Thanks for the comment 😎
I personally don't like ducks as much as chickens, but these are some great points for ducks. It's now understandable to me why some people would like them more. But here are reasons why I don't like ducks in case anyone cares to hear the other side. They will destroy your ground. Whenever it rains or there is water around they make pot holes in the yard. Water foul smell much worse then chickens or turkeys. I and many others can't stomach duck eggs unless they are prepared in a way to hide their flavor. (Duck eggs are superior for baking purposes due to the larger yolks) The meat is all dark meat, which is a pro to some but very much a con to me. Regardless of my unenthusiasm for water foul this is a great video. Very informative and enjoyable.
We had both when I grew up. My dad also didn't believe in using tractors for the farm work either, so I learned how to drive a team of horses as young as I can remember. I feel lucky to have grown up that way.
Try “Standard Size Old English Game Chickens”. They’re extremely cold hardy, they don’t require a pen and can free range all day without a pen. Mine fly away from predators and chase hawks if a hawk approaches their babies. In addition, they live at least 15 years and they go broody easily. They’re extremely intelligent.
@@markm8188 They LOVE their home… and ALWAYS return to their nest boxes to lay eggs, eat additional food that is available to them and roost at night. Sort of analogous to homing pigeons
Us too both is the best of both worlds. Free ranging the ducks is the way to go...no mess. Plus no food or water in their house. Their run is what gets nasty, but honestly when I clean out the straw inside the house I just spread it out in the run and they flatten it all out and it becomes soil. Chickens have their own kind of mess, plus their poop is toxic. We can never get away from all the poop on a homestead eh. Appreciate you commenting. Thanks, Chad.
Good to know that you can plant a garden in a duck run. Straight on w/o being damaged by 'hot' manure. I am planting some vegetable seeds in a weed free duck pen today. Wait and see how it does. Will put a divider if I notice the ducks pulling out the seedlings. Thank You for your video.
Ducks will strip that blind, and ignore most of the bugs until after your seedlings are gone. Let them loose near your garden, and you'll have happy ducks...and a clear space to plant new "duck forage", next season.
Love this. We had two ducks come in for food. The mom is pregnant and they found our yard safe. So came here to learn. Thank you soooko much quack on!!
edit: ive kept indian runner hens now and i change my mind. ducks are gangster In my case ducks are way more work as they seem to eat almost twice as much as my laying hens and are an absolute pain in the butt when it comes to collecting eggs. I mean, ~250 eggs a year is great and all, but it doesn't really mean much when they make me go on an Easter egg hunt every day. Cleaning out their stinky pool every day is also something you would have to consider (this isn't about being lazy, more so water restrictions and/or droughts). Considering the fact that they're so hard to pluck and process, I'm going to have to resort to just selling them to the next unfortunate individual that gets to keep them.
Most people say chickens are better to keep than ducks as do I, cause they are. There are probably a dozen reasons why chickens are better. Keeping ducks can be simplified though and I don’t even feed them when they’re free ranging in our mini orchard. They only get fed when back in their duckie bunkie. Duck eggs are scattered yes AND they’re always so dirty, chickens eggs are much cleaner they don’t even need washing a lot of the time. I need to do a quick video on why chickens are better eh 😆 Ducks always need an area to get nasty 😝
@@HiddenSpringFarm You could make one video comparing ducks and chickens explaining which bird is better at what to help people be more informed on both birds in a single video rather then two separate videos praising one bird while making the other look less appealing. I think it would reduce confusion for some people and help others just be more informed. I'd definitely watch it. I'm not a big duck fan but this video was great. Keep up the good work. Even as a previous duck owner I definitely learned a couple of things from your video.
Ive had chickens in Texas die of heat stroke. Heat is an issue here. Thats with shade, dust available, water available…but when you have 40 days over 100, it can take a toll.
We have both chickens and ducks housed together and they are hilarious! I don't regret getting both. I have not been adventurous enough to try ducks eggs yet but I have baked brownies with them so far. Lol just found your page and I love it!
The hardest thing to do is kill weeds for a garden. The absolute best preliminary step to starting a homestead garden is to keep chickens on the dirt for a year. You Want the Chickens to Kill the grass. You Want Destruction. Chickens are great destroyers and great garden tools.
I live on the Gulf Coast, so Muscovy ducks are our ducks of choice. They can fly some, but they don't make a lot of noise. They are pretty good layers also. I like a combo of these ducks, a few chickens, and some rabbits.
Me as well! I've tried to keep some mallard related breeds and they get picked off by predators. The Muscovy ducks don't generally. Also they don't quack, so do not attract predators.
You didn't mention pest control. I know from experience that ducks love to eat snails and sometimes slugs but my chickens have never been too crazy about them. Do ducks keep other insects under control like chickens do?
When I'm in my chicken run, my chickens pluck mosquitoes off of me before they have a chance to bite. I've never seen a duck do that but they both eat insects so I don't think there is much difference either way. I have noticed my chickens wont eat isopods though.
Yes. The only ducks I raise are muskovy ducks (too much problems with predators and the mallard genetic breeds, which is all the other duck breeds). Muscovy eat all kinds of bugs, including but not limited to mosquitos, ticks, flies, spiders, etc. they aren't diggers so don't eat grubs unless the chickens unearth them. They also are very quiet...they don't quack. I love duck meat...I almost never roast it. I filet the meat off the bone into thick medallions and cook them rare. They are delicious and tender that way. I love duck eggs as well. My feed bills are low because I ferment it. I also cook them legumes which they love and it really fills them up. My barn & barn yard are insect free zones in summer due to the Muscovy ducks. Mine make little mess because I have a fast flowing stream running behind the barnyard, to which they have access. They love that stream.
I completely agree. We raise ducks and chickens. Our chickens are 45 day chickens (we dress them after 45 days so we can sell locally). Our ducks are great for eggs and they don't crow in the middle of the night!!!! Continued Success! Greg - The American Expat in The Philippines
You're right about manure, the area where I live in Virginia agricultural is a very big deal and the farmers here use poultry mature in the fields (poultry farmers are everywhere in the Shenandoah Valley) instead of concentrated fertilizers so I totally agree with you man! 👍
i'm at that point at life where i think about going in the country side... Saving to buy to some little terrain, make a little house on it and hopefully have a vegetable garden and some animals ... I wanted some chickens (not for meat) just for the eggs. I thought the idea of having a nice pet that gives me eggs evryday would be really cool. But after seeing this, i'm really thinking about ducks instead.
I grew up with chickens and ducks (Khaki Camels) and the are so funny and they do love the wet climate of the Pacific Northwest, and on that note, they also love to eat slugs and snails from the garden.
Duck eggs are larger total size, larger % of yolk and the yolk is richer and better tasting, there is no way to argue this point! Ducks can fly but the ducks won’t leave the yard if you keep them happy my parents sucks never flew off. Ducks are messy pooping in the pool but that can be sorted with a cut down ICB and open the valve and broom and hose out
Love our ducks! Have a mix of runners and pekins. Out of 18 ladies, we get an average of 15-16 eggs a day 9 months out of the year, a little less in the winter. Have not got the wife talked into raising meat birds, I like duck meat. We run a filter system on the pond, it reduces having to to clean it up so often. Our poop does get sent to the garden, including water. It does take a little not to be too attached, as they have personality. I always try to remember they are livestock.
One duck isnt worth getting, you gotta be larger scale to make it worth the investment. The duck house and everything costs money....start making money yourself. Paper routes and mow grasses....work for your money.
😊 Call ducks are cute ya know . Hope your mom get you one I'd pray for ya. I went through it before my mom didn't want me to have any pets when I was young. But now I ended up with having 8 chihuahuas and 1 scottish shorthair. ❤
Your dry run is essential! (Fist winter I had ducks ) One day In the winter I went out and seen bloody foot prints everywhere. my ducks splashed water from the bucket and the feet would freeze to the ground and peeled the skin off the feet. I treated the feet and immediately changed how I water in the winter and keep plenty of pine shavings on hand.
I use to get Duck & Goose eggs at the local Organic Food Store in Helena, MT. They were about two & three times the cost of the free-range Chicken eggs. So, I think I can add reason No. 7 to your list: You get more Money per Egg. I'd like to know if Ducks are better at dealing with Racoons? Both my neighbors here in Kentucky are getting ransacked by Racoons. Nice video. Cheers,
Hey brother, love your octagonal chicken coop/runs. Thank you for the awesome idea. You are a genius. We are getting ready to build a new coop for our: Chickens, Turkeys, Ducks and Geese. We have been ready to separate them more efficiently as well as have a proper nursery (so our hens can brood thier own). Thanks again brother.
I don't eat duck meat. and I find the ducks hands down the messiest of all animals. I prefer my chickens hands down. but My heart belongs to my goose the most!
Yeah the goose will do it to ya. When I first started with ducks I fed and watered then in the house cause that’s what I thought they needed. No food and water inside makes a big different. Chickens poop on everything though whereas ducks only on the floor.
I have both. I love ducks but chickens are surprisingly affectionate. The best fit really depends on your situation. Wet vs dry bird. You NEED lots of fresh water and a pond or pool for the ducks. Less maintenance with chickens. ❤ love the shirt.
Appreciate the video Chad, great info and as you said yourself, you can't beat having both of them. Do your cats pay much attention to the ducks? Would you say the ducks are rather aloof to the cats or wary?
Thanks. The cats sometimes comes to the orchard with me, but they usually keep their distance. BUT when they hear the little peeps from the baby ducks their ears perk up and are on the hunt so I gotta protect the little ones. I'd say these ducks are pretty much scared of anything. They always flock together away from me or the dogs or the cats. I guess they got used to the geese a bit but the two still keep some distance.
IF....IF you have natural water, ducks (especially Muscovy) are the BEST! HANDS DOWN! NO QUESTION! BUT..... Most people do not have a pond or stream, and frankly it is not fair to the duck to have it in an environment without a constantly moving large body of water to SWIM in, not just submerge their head.... and therefor chickens for the waterless masses!
You have a beautiful set up for your animals. I agree with you that ducks are easier to raise, they have less disease and the meat is so delicious! I used to raise chickens and ducks and my chickens would die during the winter, but not my ducks. Love duck eggs too! Thanks for sharing!
We raise so ducks and a few chickens since ours doesn't know how to hatch their eggs so we leave it to the chooks. Dicks are very beneficial as they're not picky eaters. They eat snails which are a big problem on our ricefield. They don't damage rice plants as well as they roam around the rice paddys and fertilizing the soil at the same time by their droppings. Climate here in the Philippines is best suited for these quackens🥰
Oh yes Philippines has a great environment for ducks. I’ve been there more than 20 times since my wife is from Laguna and it’s so hot and humid. Ducks in the paddies is awesome 🐣
“If you’re in a tropical country, or on the west coast, where it always rains…” wait a minute Jokes aside, love them ducks and chickens ❤ thanks for sharing
No dumb questions here bud. Easy, domestic ducks can’t fly. Ours can get only a few feet off the ground, they prefer to forage. They’re far too plump to fly unlike wild ducks they are more slender and have better wing development.
Ducks are great unless you stomach doesn't tolerate their eggs. We have Muscovy ducks who free range 24/7 (no predators in my country) on our 11 acres and they are fantastic for bug control, I just can't eat their eggs.
water fowl don't have sphincters so there's nothing holding in the poop lol. Once it's ready to burst they just release. I'm sure if a duck was to get pet-like treatment it would be attached though, but you can't stop the poop lol.
We have 20 ducks, so we don't treat them like super cuddly pets, but if you grab one they'll sit on your lap for hours. However you DEFINITELY NEED A TOWEL!!!! They will 100% poop on you every time!!
hi built a small pond about 8' round because little plastic pools were too much work and very messy. so I built my pond with a sewage enector pump that delivered the nasty water into 2 IBC totes tied together. About 500 gallons. then I added a small pump that hooks to a hose to pump water to my fruit trees. I pump out the pond and water my trees weekly on my day off. it's true that it can make your day a true joy especially.when you have little ducklings swimming around. you definitely need to prepare for muddy quarters unless you have a good plan to keep it under control
I have 4 ducks and 1 goose. About to get 5 more ducklings(Welsh Harlequins) and another Sebestopol gosling. Their pen with their hut is muddy and messy but they free range on our quarter acre during the day. Love em to bits
Ducks dont need swimming hole. They can live normally without it. Not all ducks are loud. Muscovy breeds are quiet. Idk where u are basing that chickens are smarter than ducks. Ducks have more disease tolerance. Both have pros & cons.
Love the Taj mahal of coops! It's killing me cause I just watched your vid, winter just started and I want to go out and build a similar setup. I will be busy in the spring for sure! Great vid!
i agree 99 percent of what you said. I have 100 ish ducks. BUT i have a 7 ft tall fence that they fly over daily and on to the roof top. The chickens are in a 6 ft fence and stay put.
I used to raise exotic birds but had a few silkies as well. I freak out over predators and silkies are mostly defenseless, so I kept them in a large aviary in my basement. They lived into their teens. This year, I have raised 5 ducks and a goose and I've really enjoyed them. I have them in a run outside and I don't know what to do with all the eggs! I'm giving them away or feeding them to the dogs. The only predator I've run across was a black snake, who got tangled in bird netting. I was able to rehome the snake but neither the ducks or goose seemed particularly concerned. Chickens would have killed it I'm sure. ??? Absolutely love Henry, my Buff Goose! Something about the way a handraised goose looks at you.
I think another big plus is that you never have poop to clean up since it's so much wetter, you could just wash it out and dilute it. In a way, it's messier, so it's a minus, but it's also a plus because you don't have to clean the coop the same way like with chickens.
I LOVE my new muscovy hens and im getting them a drake very soon. The only ducks I want to keep at the moment because they are quiet and domt quack and yap all day long and super loud! 😅
Sunday, June 11, 2023 Cool, these are all fun facts about ducks! 🦆 Chad, there is another super important reason that ducks 🦆 are cooler than chickens. 🐓 Ducks are quiet! 🦆😀 I watched a video with - Filipina Shay Travels. She grew up in a neighborhood with lots of chickens and roosters. 🐓 It was common to hear roosters crowing during the day, and that is such an annoying sound! 😕 I have seen several videos with folks in The Philippines, and it is common to hear an annoying rooster, 🐓crowing in the background. Shay said her goal is to own a house, with a nice garden, 🌾🌻🥕🍎🍅🥬🥒🫑and a few ducks, 🦆 but no chickens. 🐓
Practically everyone has a rooster in the Philippines. My wife is Filipina and I've been there more than 20 times and yes you will hear roosters all the time lol. Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment.
Ducks are great for kids too. We raised a wild abandoned mallard duckling when I was a kid. We could pick her up and pet her. Ducks can bite but they don't peck like chickens and it doesn't really hurt because their bill is pretty flat and smooth. They are much more laid back than chickens.
I truly enjoyed this video. I have a few quail, and think I wouldn’t mind trying ducks next…. Just a few to start with. I think I’d love it actually as I truly enjoy going to feed the ducks and geese at several of my favorite parks.
He's correct about the chicken feces. Chicken poop is excellent for sowing into the ground where you intend to plant corn. Corn LOVES nitrogen and uses loads of it. A dozen chickens can create enough poop to handle a pretty large plot of corn every year. That being said, it's not the most ideal feces to use across the garden. If your plant doesn't use a lot of nitrogen, it can burn the roots of your plants and make it hard to grow your crops.
You got a lot of space, that's beautiful. Greetings from Germany, where gardens are usually much smaller so you got to pack everything much tighter together (vegetables, herbs, flowers, trees, birds, playing ground for your kids, barbeque area etc). Here most people argue that the messiness is much more of a problem than it seems to be the case in your environment. Also I hear a lot of complains about ducks always finding new hiding places for their eggs -> lot of work, you lose some or you find eggs that are much older than anticipated. Of course neighbours are much closer and I often hear the argument that ducks have a higher constant noice level. Also the law restricts how many of these birds private people can have in Germany, most of the time it is 20 max (without having a business). If you can barely make enough eggs over the year for your family you may not wanna lose 20% by not finding them or finding them to late. It's fascinating to see this from your perspective, especially because I like ducks much more. They are just lovely animals.
Raising both ducks personality are More entertaining our male duck protected our entire heard of birds! We just started raising turkeys and they are pretty awesome too
I watched a permaculture doc produced in the UK. They kept a specific type of duck because they found they were the best sluggers. I don't remember what the breed was but they were a brown colored duck that was smaller in size than the average duck. Guinea fowl are the best for insect control because they eat so many without damaging your plants. If you have a problem with tick's get guineas, they will clear them all out plus they are excellent watch dogs. They always alert to any stranger's coming around.
@@bruceparker6142 That is probably true. People coming and going, just a lot of activity, your guineas would be squalling all the time. They are LOUD, Which is why their good for security but at the same time can be a problem. Also they are very stupid. Was told that they will hold their heads up in the rain and drown themselves. So they can be a lot of work.
I started with 8 to 10 chickens about 8 years ago and have raised from egg 15 Khaki Campbell, 28 Rouen, 15ish Silver Appleyard, bought several those gentle beige, name slips my mind, a few Black Orpintons?, and 17 Muskovie ducks in the last 12 years. At one time, I had about 70 chickens, but over 10 acres to free range. I had suck strong predation that I have about 40 chickens in a coop that free range and 5 ducks left. I now have 5 120 lb dogs that have stopped the predation on the chickens, but a couple months ago the 23 ducks I had left started disappearing. The chickens must have a better sense of survival or something. Oh, and the ducks don't scratch up the yard, they find the smallest puddle and turn it into large puddles. My flat yard is now filled with dips, but to be fair, it stays fairly wet throughout the winter and early spring.
No plans but I put together this video of the whole build maybe it can help. Building a 7 Coop Octagonal Chicken House - Start to Finish th-cam.com/video/nWd7V3iuOwc/w-d-xo.html
Yes, that why we always say, "cool like a duck", .. they look calm n unflustered even swimming in big fast flowing river, ... though when u look below the water surface, u could see them paddling like crazy, ...
I own small flocks of both, and a couple of sheep. As I work outside putting up fencing etc., they all follow me around. A few years back, a predator killed my duck flock, leaving one survivor. He moved into the sheep pen, sleeping on their backs for warmth. The next spring, I bought more ducks but my survivor, instead of joining them, hung with the sheep grazing alongside them all summer. Animals are so interesting and good company.
Very interesting to read. That one poor duck probably has trauma ptsd from the first flock lol so it stays with the sheep.
I’d like to get ducks, but I’m worried about predators. Do you put them up ay night?
@@twatts1523 Yes, I keep ducks and chickens at night in fully protected enclosures. However, the main predators are smallish weasels. They can squeeze through anything larger than a 1-inch mesh. They maim and kill for the sake of killing. Awful. Just make sure you bomb proof your enclosure. If you get a visit, find and repair the opening and set out a baited trap to get rid of him. They will continue to raid your flocks, year after year, until you trap and kill them. In the summer, I let the ducks roam free and swim in a nearby pond. But to get them to return at night, keep them from feed during the day. Only hunger gets them off the pond and into their pens. Unlike chickens, they don't have this roosting instinct. Also, I keep trail cams around to see what is wandering about and set out inexpensive, solar, motion-activated sirens and lights.
I have ducks, the pool water is the best liquid fertilizer you can use. In drought times especially, I water everything with the 'duck water', and my property is green, green, green ! And yes, they are messy, but like he said, more fun and personality.
Yeah our greenery loves the poopy water
Oo nie widziałem, dobra rada
Waddayasay messy? Sit quiet at night, Go out in the morning, come feeding, wead until evening, make huge eggs, cloudy nests, marvelous kids, don't scratch around.......
Yuck.
No boo boo
ducks, please.
Geese are pretty awesome.
Depends.. ; mine are.... tamest(?), nice to keep, ten
A lot of good points, I keep both. A flock of about 80 chickens and 15 ducks. The 15 ducks are more work than all 80+ chickens combined. You need to replace their bedding 1/10th as often if you raise chickens. You need to replace bedding for mold and waste several times a day for ducks. I change it a couple times a month with the chickens. You can easily remove chicken poop from bedding, you cannot do the same for ducks and must replace their entire bed since they soak it in wet and runny poop. Chickens can easily be kept in smaller spaces and need less food, they drink less water and cost less money to keep. Ducks are better if you ignore all of the obvious downsides, for sure. Edit: Also, you can buy and feed about 3-4 chickens for the same price as feeding and buying 1 duck. So, Duck eggs being bigger is meaningless. If I have four chicken eggs and you have 1 duck egg, I have more food.
I appreciate the comment. All fair points, although there are likely a dozen reasons why chickens are better than ducks. Once the snow melts and I'm free ranging our ducks in the orchard I hardly change their bedding too, but in winter it gets nasty. Keep in mind too that i'm not saying ducks are better, these are just some ways ducks are better, but you do outline a script for another video for me of all the reasons chickens are better. Another thing about chickens is that they're easier to grab, trying to get a duck I usually need to corner them or net them whereas chickens I can just walk up to them and pick it up. Ducks are very enjoyable but so too are chickens. We have 17 ducks to 31 chickens, but we do a lot of meat chickens every summer too. Sounds like you're doing it right though with raising both of them. Cheers.
Lmao look at this guy who buys bedding for his ducks instead of open pasturing them and having them eat mostly grass
True, but duck eggs have more nutrients in them.
I have Muscovies. One benefit over chickens is that I can keep a male in city limits and let the ducks hatch out their own ducklings, thus giving me more meat/eggs. I can't keep a rooster in town.
@@Robohead-z6z And I've heard people that are allergic to chicken eggs can often eat duck eggs just fine.
I agree. Ducks are comical and make my heart smile. And bringing joy into someone's life is a treasure.
YES!!!
LOL@@HiddenSpringFarm
Love your shirt.
I've reading up on both birds, and I'm finding that I like ducks better (even though I prefer chicken meat over duck).
A few notes, if I may...
...Ducks are prized by chefs not only for their meat, but also for their fat for use in frying.
...Duck down can not only help keep the birds warm, it can also be used to keep humans warm if put into quilts, comforters, jackets, etc.
..."Duck water" can be collected and stored in a large tank as grey water for use in the garden. Don't let that stuff go to waste.
...One of the reasons ducks are more resistant to exterior parasites is thanks to that water - they drown the parasites with their swimming.
...One of the reasons ducks are more resistant to internal parasites is due to their higher body temperature, making their bodies "inhospitable" to internal parasites.
...To help promote pastured duck (and chicken) health, you can plant medicinal herbs of the right kinds in the pasture.
Just a few thoughts I wanted to share.
I gave my ducks a large kid pool because I Loved watching them swim underwater.
But that water would get nasty before the end of the second day, and the ducks themselves would avoid it.
Good thing I designed it so the drain plug would drain into a pipe the irrigated the garden. But like I said, it was a larger sized kid pool, meaning a larger amount of water.
But being efficient as possible, irritating into the garden meant less watering the garden.
I incubated some duck eggs so I could be the first thing they saw when hatching, because I wanted a whole line of duckies to follow me in a row😊.
I'm a man, but I was their mommy
That’s so funny… "I’m a man but I’m there mommy!" 😊😊😊😊😊 that would be really cute to see… reminds me of my grandpa when I was a little kid watching him with a bunch of baby ducks following him around…
I would love to see your set up for draining the pool to the garden
@@Megstervaz well, it's been just over a year since I last had my duckies.
My family sold the property and I had to re-home 50 ducks and chickens.
That was very hard on me because I Loved them all from the first crack in their shell.
I'll be honest, the duck pool was a filthy job.
Draining it included reaching my hand down to unclog the drain hole over and over and it was a filthy stinky job.
I okie rigged some house gutters to direct the stinky water to the garden and it saturated a good quarter of the garden. About 1/16 of an acre.
And I had to do that every 3 days because the ducks wouldn't even go near that water after day 2.
But ohhhhh they Loved that fresh clear water when it was filling time again.
Time to get it all nasty again.
But It was a joy for me too
I've raised both ducks and chickens (hundreds on a homestead), and chickens are remarkably easier, and more cost effective. Ducks make a huge mess, and need constant clean up. Duck meat is good, but there is less of it. Even the most tender duck is more chewy than the average chicken. Duck eggs are larger, but also taste a bit different and they are a lot thicker. I've never liked a scrambled duck egg. But maybe you do. Duck eggs are superior for certain baked goods, but that's about it.
Ducks need more water, and make a huge mess of it. They also make a mess of their food, and they prefer forage that looks an awful lot like our gardens. Chickens will scratch for grubs, ducks will scheme for your veggies.
Ducks are a little better against predators, but only if you get something like a Muscovy (claws). Even then, they are only marginally better against a possum or racoon. I saw one large duck fight off a juvenile fox, and watched the fox walk away shocked it got scratched across the face so hard. But again, that was a Muscovy. I liked that duck.
I don't raise birds anymore, but would say chickens should be the primary flock, with a few ducks in the mix if you really want them. Geese are just big ducks, with the same (bigger) issues. FWIW, chickens will sit on duck eggs until they hatch, but a broody chicken will sit on a rock if you let her. Ducks generally ignored the chicken eggs. The geese would sit on all three, and liked to break up fights among the "lower" birds. So they have that going for them.
Edit: Ducks have more personality and are more likely to engage with you. They are generally friendly and will sit next to you for an hour. Some will let you scratch/pet them. Chickens are dumb as a rock and have the attention span of a three year old kid on meth. There is nothing "cool" about chickens. Ducks definitely have the cool factor down.
I can't argue with your points, they'll all true. Although I have solved some of the issues you mentioned such as building a no mess bulk feeder that only their heads can get into to eat and it holds 4 bags of feed. I honestly don't have to clean up a huge mess cause most of the year they're free ranging in our orchard and actually contribute by eating bugs and fertilizing the pasture. Thanks for the interesting comment.
@@HiddenSpringFarm I loved having the ducks - they free ranged all over, too. I wasn't trying to dunk on them. My thoughts are I just wouldn't consider them part of the "starter pack for homesteading". Maybe when you become a mid-level/early advanced homestead manager? Like, after you get the kinks worked out on water, feed and forage.
We also had pigs, turkey, etc and sold into farmers markets after going through USDA certified processing. We stopped because it would never complete with our paid jobs, and we started traveling a lot. We did look at getting a few chickens this year, but then priced feed. Holy cow. It's about 4x more than it was just a few years ago. Makes Whole Food look cheap.
Thanks for your videos. Fun to watch.
Lone male geese will follow and protect broody duck mamas and their babies! A great use for any males that lose their mating female
I agree with you that ducks are more work and more suited for mid level. I started with chickens but now my ducks are winning my heart. A buff orpington is the closest to a cute duck. @@FamilyManMoving
A 3 year old on meth 😂😂😂😂
Hi! Great video! I'm a chef and I just want to clarify something about duck meat. Duck meat has two classifications: Scientific Classification and Culinary Classification.
According to the Scientific Classification duck meat is "poultry" which makes it white meat, because the USDA classifies any livestock that walks on two legs as poultry. So basically any bird is poultry according to the Scientific Classification.
However, to us chefs, duck meat is not white. According to Culinary Classification, meat that remains dark when cooked is considered red meat. It can be served rare like beef, venison, or any other red meat. Most birds are this way, and are therefore considered red meat in the kitchen; such as quail, pheasant, pigeon, etc. Turkeys and chickens are really the only "white meat" birds when it comes to cooking, because if you serve either of those rare, you could make someone sick!
This being said, I've always thought chicken was healthier than duck, because in my head it's always been red meat, and we all know white meat is healthier than red meat, especially for men over 40 like myself. So I was very surprised at 4:42 when you said that duck meat is healthier than chicken meat! 30 years of cooking and I've been thinking it was the other way around this entire time! I'm glad I watched this video and learned something new today!
Red meat is healthy.
9:33
One thing that can help is instead of small baths, utilize keyline design and build pond aquaculture catchments on contour with your local water shed.
This will let you coproduce water plants & ducks/fish/freshwater shellfish without over taxing your water budget by capturing ground water. Little duck pools are good temporarily but ponds built into their range lets you do more without the nastyness.
Hopefully one day I can build one.
@@HiddenSpringFarm
I believe in you.
As a wise man once said;
“You can dooo eeiiit!”
Do You Have a link for creating one? Thank you
Would you still be able to use the pond for swimming or will it be too nasty/dangerous to swim in if there are ducks in it?
For many years, I did not want to raise ducks. We've always raised chickens. We moved to a new property four years ago and every year we have plague status grasshopper infestation. So my husband and I finally decided to try ducks. Guess what, I absolutely love them! We use the back to Eden style garden so there's no mud to be made with their swimming pools or water buckets. They free range in our veggie gardens and the rest of our yard. They have done an amazing job cutting down the grasshopper population. I don't find them to be that messy. And I prefer water over chicken dust. In the next few years, I plan to fade out of chickens and focus on the ducks. I love that they can be pest control in the garden without destroying it. I couldn't be happier with them!
That’s very cool, thanks for sharing your story 🦆
With that method, do you not need to have a water source for them to groom and play and what not?
back then, our farmers usually release the duck in rice field before planting to eat all the snail. Natural pesticides.
Great information! I'm curious, how do you keep them from flying away?
@@jacob007fromGodi saw in another video, the owner would manually trim a few feathers.
I love my ducks. I love my duck eggs. They are messy as all get out, but their cuteness and great personalities makes it worthwhile having to deal with their issues.
What do you do when they stop laying, do you kill them?
@@guybartlett9587 I haven’t had that happen - they slow down at times and then pick up again. I butchered a duck once. It was a horrible experience. He is still in the freezer. One day if i have nothing else to give her, my dog will have him cooked in her food.
That's how I am. So is it worth having ducks if you can't eat them?
@@christaylor8337 I eat duck eggs, cooked many different ways, every day. This morning I had 22 grain bread duck egg french toast with homemade goat cheese and cherry tomatoes. I don’t eat meat and never miss it. I freeze and water glass excess eggs, so I will still have them when their laying slows down.
Ducks don't crow in the morning, disturbing your neighbors.
So very true lol.
But they make very loud sounds always when someone is near to them, my uncle have white ducks on their farm, that noise is so pricky no one likes that noise, I don't know about khaki campbell how they are different in behavior from Pekin ducks...But they are of same species called duck so I think they would also be same noisy every time
@@abhijeetsinghchauhan3867 very true what you said but only when you get close to them. They are very skittish creatures. Chickens you can just walk right in and they are not scared of you. That being said if you have roosters in your flock chickens are much noisier than ducks. Maybe I’ll do a video on how chickens are better than ducks too.
@@abhijeetsinghchauhan3867 The girls can be loud, the boys are rather quiet.
@@HiddenSpringFarm No need of making chickens better than ducks, I am asking that I haven't seen khaki campbell and I have no experience about them, I was just asking that, khaki cambell vs Pekin ducks which makes more noise
Ducks are messy but honestly it’s so worth it to put in a pond!!! If you don’t have a pond I highly suggest it but keep it close by to your coop we would find eggs all around our pond
Hello im from Philippines, i choose Muscovy duck because in Philippines we have 6 months raining season every year, and duck love when it's raining season amd a wet duck is a happy duck, they also play outside while raining, and duck eggs in Philippines is very popular because of salted egg and balut, and Muscovy duck in Philippines only eat weeds, insect, any kinds of leafy vegetables and Muscovy duck lay there eggs to hatch and pest resistance
Your ducks must be doing a great job for you. Muscovies are a very quiet duck too. My wife is from Laguna and I’ve been to the Philippines many many times. I even have a video about how we make our own balut. Thanks for the comment 😎
I personally don't like ducks as much as chickens, but these are some great points for ducks. It's now understandable to me why some people would like them more.
But here are reasons why I don't like ducks in case anyone cares to hear the other side.
They will destroy your ground. Whenever it rains or there is water around they make pot holes in the yard.
Water foul smell much worse then chickens or turkeys.
I and many others can't stomach duck eggs unless they are prepared in a way to hide their flavor.
(Duck eggs are superior for baking purposes due to the larger yolks)
The meat is all dark meat, which is a pro to some but very much a con to me.
Regardless of my unenthusiasm for water foul this is a great video. Very informative and enjoyable.
We had both when I grew up. My dad also didn't believe in using tractors for the farm work either, so I learned how to drive a team of horses as young as I can remember. I feel lucky to have grown up that way.
Ducks are horrible gossips and make fun of you behind your back but I love them! 😍
A few chicken will wipe out an acres worth of ticks in a few days in my book that makes them Numero Uno.
Try “Standard Size Old English Game Chickens”. They’re extremely cold hardy, they don’t require a pen and can free range all day without a pen. Mine fly away from predators and chase hawks if a hawk approaches their babies. In addition, they live at least 15 years and they go broody easily. They’re extremely intelligent.
Oooh! I like the sound of that.
So how do you keep them from flying away, permanently? 🤔
@@markm8188 They LOVE their home… and ALWAYS return to their nest boxes to lay eggs, eat additional food that is available to them and roost at night. Sort of analogous to homing pigeons
Always fun, quirky, and entertaining. Thanks for being you. Becky from Kansas City
You rock!
Yes Love your chicken house, is Awesome. Love n Hugs to you and yours, Ducks n Chickens..thank you for your story..Barbie..
I have both and I like them both for different reasons. Ducks are ten times messier and more maintenance to me
Us too both is the best of both worlds. Free ranging the ducks is the way to go...no mess. Plus no food or water in their house. Their run is what gets nasty, but honestly when I clean out the straw inside the house I just spread it out in the run and they flatten it all out and it becomes soil. Chickens have their own kind of mess, plus their poop is toxic. We can never get away from all the poop on a homestead eh. Appreciate you commenting. Thanks, Chad.
@@HiddenSpringFarm we do free range but do lock them up at night and it is a lot less mess. When they are babies though 😁
@@rachelsneddon5133 oh ducklings r the nastiest 😆
@@rachelsneddon5133 u have experience with khaki Campbell’s?
I really like how your pets live - so much space and options of water and green. It looks perfect
Aww thanks, so far so good 😁
Good to know that you can plant a garden in a duck run. Straight on w/o being damaged by 'hot' manure. I am planting some vegetable seeds in a weed free duck pen today. Wait and see how it does. Will put a divider if I notice the ducks pulling out the seedlings. Thank You for your video.
Ducks will strip that blind, and ignore most of the bugs until after your seedlings are gone. Let them loose near your garden, and you'll have happy ducks...and a clear space to plant new "duck forage", next season.
Love this. We had two ducks come in for food. The mom is pregnant and they found our yard safe. So came here to learn. Thank you soooko much quack on!!
A pregnant duck?
edit: ive kept indian runner hens now and i change my mind. ducks are gangster
In my case ducks are way more work as they seem to eat almost twice as much as my laying hens and are an absolute pain in the butt when it comes to collecting eggs. I mean, ~250 eggs a year is great and all, but it doesn't really mean much when they make me go on an Easter egg hunt every day. Cleaning out their stinky pool every day is also something you would have to consider (this isn't about being lazy, more so water restrictions and/or droughts).
Considering the fact that they're so hard to pluck and process, I'm going to have to resort to just selling them to the next unfortunate individual that gets to keep them.
Most people say chickens are better to keep than ducks as do I, cause they are. There are probably a dozen reasons why chickens are better. Keeping ducks can be simplified though and I don’t even feed them when they’re free ranging in our mini orchard. They only get fed when back in their duckie bunkie. Duck eggs are scattered yes AND they’re always so dirty, chickens eggs are much cleaner they don’t even need washing a lot of the time. I need to do a quick video on why chickens are better eh 😆 Ducks always need an area to get nasty 😝
Ducks are so loud all day long
@@HiddenSpringFarm
You could make one video comparing ducks and chickens explaining which bird is better at what to help people be more informed on both birds in a single video rather then two separate videos praising one bird while making the other look less appealing. I think it would reduce confusion for some people and help others just be more informed. I'd definitely watch it.
I'm not a big duck fan but this video was great. Keep up the good work. Even as a previous duck owner I definitely learned a couple of things from your video.
Love it!! I love ducks now! Thks for an informative video on ducks. Yay!
There was so much fun watching this. Humorous and very informative as well.
Right on! 🤙
Ive had chickens in Texas die of heat stroke. Heat is an issue here. Thats with shade, dust available, water available…but when you have 40 days over 100, it can take a toll.
Just here, 10 months late, to say what an amazing chicken house you have!
Haha never too late 😂 Thanks for the comment ☺️
We have both chickens and ducks housed together and they are hilarious! I don't regret getting both. I have not been adventurous enough to try ducks eggs yet but I have baked brownies with them so far. Lol just found your page and I love it!
The hardest thing to do is kill weeds for a garden. The absolute best preliminary step to starting a homestead garden is to keep chickens on the dirt for a year. You Want the Chickens to Kill the grass. You Want Destruction. Chickens are great destroyers and great garden tools.
That’s good advice 👍
I live on the Gulf Coast, so Muscovy ducks are our ducks of choice. They can fly some, but they don't make a lot of noise. They are pretty good layers also. I like a combo of these ducks, a few chickens, and some rabbits.
Awesome, I’ve heard that Muscovies are really good mothers too and like to sit on the eggs
Rabbit eggs are too soft and mushy for me personally.
@@Shoop... I don't know about you, but I do like Cadbury Eggs 😆🤣
Me as well! I've tried to keep some mallard related breeds and they get picked off by predators. The Muscovy ducks don't generally. Also they don't quack, so do not attract predators.
You didn't mention pest control. I know from experience that ducks love to eat snails and sometimes slugs but my chickens have never been too crazy about them. Do ducks keep other insects under control like chickens do?
Our ducks have eradicated slugs so they forage for all kinds of insects all day long but I figure they are pretty equal to chickens in that regard.
When I'm in my chicken run, my chickens pluck mosquitoes off of me before they have a chance to bite. I've never seen a duck do that but they both eat insects so I don't think there is much difference either way. I have noticed my chickens wont eat isopods though.
@@Tearodis dont isopods just eat dead plant matter? like millipedes
Yes. The only ducks I raise are muskovy ducks (too much problems with predators and the mallard genetic breeds, which is all the other duck breeds). Muscovy eat all kinds of bugs, including but not limited to mosquitos, ticks, flies, spiders, etc. they aren't diggers so don't eat grubs unless the chickens unearth them. They also are very quiet...they don't quack. I love duck meat...I almost never roast it. I filet the meat off the bone into thick medallions and cook them rare. They are delicious and tender that way. I love duck eggs as well. My feed bills are low because I ferment it. I also cook them legumes which they love and it really fills them up. My barn & barn yard are insect free zones in summer due to the Muscovy ducks. Mine make little mess because I have a fast flowing stream running behind the barnyard, to which they have access. They love that stream.
I like your videos and how you explain everything!! THANK YOU 😊 🙏🏽 😊 🙏🏽
I would love to hug all your little animals!) Thank you for your cute content!) All blessings from Ukraine✨
Much appreciated 😊
I completely agree.
We raise ducks and chickens.
Our chickens are 45 day chickens (we dress them after 45 days so we can sell locally).
Our ducks are great for eggs and they don't crow in the middle of the night!!!!
Continued Success!
Greg - The American Expat in The Philippines
You're right about manure, the area where I live in Virginia agricultural is a very big deal and the farmers here use poultry mature in the fields (poultry farmers are everywhere in the Shenandoah Valley) instead of concentrated fertilizers so I totally agree with you man! 👍
Because of your video, I decided to give up chickens and have ducks. Thanks for this great video
i'm at that point at life where i think about going in the country side... Saving to buy to some little terrain, make a little house on it and hopefully have a vegetable garden and some animals ... I wanted some chickens (not for meat) just for the eggs. I thought the idea of having a nice pet that gives me eggs evryday would be really cool. But after seeing this, i'm really thinking about ducks instead.
Or both, best of both worlds. Sounds like a great plan, that’s how we started with a dream and a plan. Best of luck.
I grew up with chickens and ducks (Khaki Camels) and the are so funny and they do love the wet climate of the Pacific Northwest, and on that note, they also love to eat slugs and snails from the garden.
Duck eggs are larger total size, larger % of yolk and the yolk is richer and better tasting, there is no way to argue this point!
Ducks can fly but the ducks won’t leave the yard if you keep them happy my parents sucks never flew off.
Ducks are messy pooping in the pool but that can be sorted with a cut down ICB and open the valve and broom and hose out
Love our ducks! Have a mix of runners and pekins. Out of 18 ladies, we get an average of 15-16 eggs a day 9 months out of the year, a little less in the winter. Have not got the wife talked into raising meat birds, I like duck meat. We run a filter system on the pond, it reduces having to to clean it up so often. Our poop does get sent to the garden, including water. It does take a little not to be too attached, as they have personality. I always try to remember they are livestock.
I really want a duck but my mom won’t let me 😢, so I’m trying to convince her by writing an essay for why I should get a duck.
Use a chat bot or chatGPT
I'm praying for you.
They're so much fun.
Chickens are easier to raise in some ways, but I transitioned to mostly ducks because I find them cuter.
One duck isnt worth getting, you gotta be larger scale to make it worth the investment. The duck house and everything costs money....start making money yourself. Paper routes and mow grasses....work for your money.
@@EternallyGod for all you know, he might be 50 years old 😂
😊 Call ducks are cute ya know . Hope your mom get you one I'd pray for ya. I went through it before my mom didn't want me to have any pets when I was young. But now I ended up with having 8 chihuahuas and 1 scottish shorthair. ❤
Your dry run is essential! (Fist winter I had ducks ) One day In the winter I went out and seen bloody foot prints everywhere. my ducks splashed water from the bucket and the feet would freeze to the ground and peeled the skin off the feet. I treated the feet and immediately changed how I water in the winter and keep plenty of pine shavings on hand.
I use to get Duck & Goose eggs at the local Organic Food Store in Helena, MT. They were about two & three times the cost of the free-range Chicken eggs. So, I think I can add reason No. 7 to your list: You get more Money per Egg. I'd like to know if Ducks are better at dealing with Racoons? Both my neighbors here in Kentucky are getting ransacked by Racoons. Nice video. Cheers,
Thanks!
Thanks a million for your kind gesture. Cheers.
Hey brother, love your octagonal chicken coop/runs. Thank you for the awesome idea. You are a genius. We are getting ready to build a new coop for our: Chickens, Turkeys, Ducks and Geese. We have been ready to separate them more efficiently as well as have a proper nursery (so our hens can brood thier own). Thanks again brother.
I don't eat duck meat. and I find the ducks hands down the messiest of all animals. I prefer my chickens hands down. but My heart belongs to my goose the most!
Yeah the goose will do it to ya. When I first started with ducks I fed and watered then in the house cause that’s what I thought they needed. No food and water inside makes a big different. Chickens poop on everything though whereas ducks only on the floor.
I have both. I love ducks but chickens are surprisingly affectionate. The best fit really depends on your situation. Wet vs dry bird. You NEED lots of fresh water and a pond or pool for the ducks. Less maintenance with chickens. ❤ love the shirt.
Appreciate the video Chad, great info and as you said yourself, you can't beat having both of them. Do your cats pay much attention to the ducks? Would you say the ducks are rather aloof to the cats or wary?
Thanks. The cats sometimes comes to the orchard with me, but they usually keep their distance. BUT when they hear the little peeps from the baby ducks their ears perk up and are on the hunt so I gotta protect the little ones. I'd say these ducks are pretty much scared of anything. They always flock together away from me or the dogs or the cats. I guess they got used to the geese a bit but the two still keep some distance.
IF....IF you have natural water, ducks (especially Muscovy) are the BEST! HANDS DOWN! NO QUESTION! BUT..... Most people do not have a pond or stream, and frankly it is not fair to the duck to have it in an environment without a constantly moving large body of water to SWIM in, not just submerge their head.... and therefor chickens for the waterless masses!
You have a beautiful set up for your animals. I agree with you that ducks are easier to raise, they have less disease and the meat is so delicious! I used to raise chickens and ducks and my chickens would die during the winter, but not my ducks. Love duck eggs too! Thanks for sharing!
Great video 😊
Hey thanks 🦆 🐓
This guy is COOL !!!When it comes to information I got a LOT of helpful stuff from this chap, Thx. Guy, Ducks it is from now onwards .
We raise so ducks and a few chickens since ours doesn't know how to hatch their eggs so we leave it to the chooks. Dicks are very beneficial as they're not picky eaters. They eat snails which are a big problem on our ricefield. They don't damage rice plants as well as they roam around the rice paddys and fertilizing the soil at the same time by their droppings. Climate here in the Philippines is best suited for these quackens🥰
My apology for some typo errors haha
Oh yes Philippines has a great environment for ducks. I’ve been there more than 20 times since my wife is from Laguna and it’s so hot and humid. Ducks in the paddies is awesome 🐣
@@vesterii4201do you guys raise fish in the rice paddies too?
@@williamburke9947 Not anymore, after harvesting the rice we sometimes get catfish or tilapias
“If you’re in a tropical country, or on the west coast, where it always rains…” wait a minute
Jokes aside, love them ducks and chickens ❤ thanks for sharing
Dumb question: What keeps the ducks from just flying away?
No dumb questions here bud. Easy, domestic ducks can’t fly. Ours can get only a few feet off the ground, they prefer to forage. They’re far too plump to fly unlike wild ducks they are more slender and have better wing development.
Geese and ducks are different
Domestic ducks are bred to be heavier and more often than not are bred to have wings that are shorter than their wild counterpart which is the mallard
This is amazing, let me start saving so that I can start Duck commercial farming ❤
Ducks are great unless you stomach doesn't tolerate their eggs. We have Muscovy ducks who free range 24/7 (no predators in my country) on our 11 acres and they are fantastic for bug control, I just can't eat their eggs.
That's interesting to note it goes both ways, because suddenly I couldn't tolerate chicken eggs anymore, but duck eggs were no problem.😉
Thank you for the information and l appreciate lots of the comments - so thanks to all contributors.
I have a pond that some ducks would be killer to watch in. I wonder if you hatch them and they consider you mom if they would crap in lap.
water fowl don't have sphincters so there's nothing holding in the poop lol. Once it's ready to burst they just release. I'm sure if a duck was to get pet-like treatment it would be attached though, but you can't stop the poop lol.
We have 20 ducks, so we don't treat them like super cuddly pets, but if you grab one they'll sit on your lap for hours. However you DEFINITELY NEED A TOWEL!!!! They will 100% poop on you every time!!
hi built a small pond about 8' round because little plastic pools were too much work and very messy. so I built my pond with a sewage enector pump that delivered the nasty water into 2 IBC totes tied together. About 500 gallons. then I added a small pump that hooks to a hose to pump water to my fruit trees. I pump out the pond and water my trees weekly on my day off. it's true that it can make your day a true joy especially.when you have little ducklings swimming around. you definitely need to prepare for muddy quarters unless you have a good plan to keep it under control
How many ducks do you keep?
duck food expensive than chicken
Wow! That is a really gorgeous coop for have for them. I love my chickens! I'd like to have ducks and geese someday.
I have 4 ducks and 1 goose. About to get 5 more ducklings(Welsh Harlequins) and another Sebestopol gosling.
Their pen with their hut is muddy and messy but they free range on our quarter acre during the day. Love em to bits
That’s the best way. Give em a grassy area and you’ll have less mess, but water fowl definitely need an area to get nasty. Good going 👍
@@HiddenSpringFarm yeah and I can keep the rest of my yard clean! 😆
Wow adorable and amazing.
Ducks are way louder, way dirtier, way dumber and the hassle of maintaining their swimming hole is out of control. Chickens almost need zero care
Truth. He’s out of his mind.
Are you blind chickens are extremely fertilized than ducks
All chicken owners assembled on this cmt lol. I'm sure there are positives and negatives to raising both stop clutching your pearls so hard.
I used to own both, and you are 100% correct on this.
Ducks dont need swimming hole. They can live normally without it.
Not all ducks are loud. Muscovy breeds are quiet.
Idk where u are basing that chickens are smarter than ducks.
Ducks have more disease tolerance.
Both have pros & cons.
Love the Taj mahal of coops! It's killing me cause I just watched your vid, winter just started and I want to go out and build a similar setup. I will be busy in the spring for sure! Great vid!
i agree 99 percent of what you said. I have 100 ish ducks. BUT i have a 7 ft tall fence that they fly over daily and on to the roof top. The chickens are in a 6 ft fence and stay put.
I like ducks.
And love there duck and chicken house..Love you all Barbie..
I used to raise exotic birds but had a few silkies as well. I freak out over predators and silkies are mostly defenseless, so I kept them in a large aviary in my basement. They lived into their teens.
This year, I have raised 5 ducks and a goose and I've really enjoyed them. I have them in a run outside and I don't know what to do with all the eggs! I'm giving them away or feeding them to the dogs. The only predator I've run across was a black snake, who got tangled in bird netting. I was able to rehome the snake but neither the ducks or goose seemed particularly concerned. Chickens would have killed it I'm sure. ??? Absolutely love Henry, my Buff Goose! Something about the way a handraised goose looks at you.
I think another big plus is that you never have poop to clean up since it's so much wetter, you could just wash it out and dilute it.
In a way, it's messier, so it's a minus, but it's also a plus because you don't have to clean the coop the same way like with chickens.
GREAT VIDEO ... This is Educational ..very important and detailed INSTRUCTIONS 💯 keep page Alive
you are great!!!! I have never laughed so much on a video.🤣I thought 1-2 would be great for the slugs, thanks
Our Khaki Campbell duck lays eggs all winter (one per day) with no supplemental light. Our chickens need light. I found this interesting
I LOVE my new muscovy hens and im getting them a drake very soon. The only ducks I want to keep at the moment because they are quiet and domt quack and yap all day long and super loud! 😅
That’s awesome, Muscovies are well known to be the quietest duck breed so you’re right on.
Sunday, June 11, 2023
Cool, these are all fun facts about ducks! 🦆
Chad, there is another super important reason that ducks 🦆 are cooler than chickens. 🐓
Ducks are quiet! 🦆😀
I watched a video with - Filipina Shay Travels. She grew up in a neighborhood with lots of chickens and roosters. 🐓 It was common to hear roosters crowing during the day, and that is such an annoying sound! 😕
I have seen several videos with folks in The Philippines, and it is common to hear an annoying rooster, 🐓crowing in the background.
Shay said her goal is to own a house, with a nice garden, 🌾🌻🥕🍎🍅🥬🥒🫑and a few ducks, 🦆 but no chickens. 🐓
Practically everyone has a rooster in the Philippines. My wife is Filipina and I've been there more than 20 times and yes you will hear roosters all the time lol. Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment.
Ducks are great for kids too. We raised a wild abandoned mallard duckling when I was a kid. We could pick her up and pet her. Ducks can bite but they don't peck like chickens and it doesn't really hurt because their bill is pretty flat and smooth. They are much more laid back than chickens.
I truly enjoyed this video. I have a few quail, and think I wouldn’t mind trying ducks next…. Just a few to start with. I think I’d love it actually as I truly enjoy going to feed the ducks and geese at several of my favorite parks.
He's correct about the chicken feces. Chicken poop is excellent for sowing into the ground where you intend to plant corn. Corn LOVES nitrogen and uses loads of it. A dozen chickens can create enough poop to handle a pretty large plot of corn every year. That being said, it's not the most ideal feces to use across the garden. If your plant doesn't use a lot of nitrogen, it can burn the roots of your plants and make it hard to grow your crops.
Such a great video!! ❤😀❤️😀 I subscribed right away! 🎉
You've sold me. I foresee myself having ducks!😊
You got a lot of space, that's beautiful.
Greetings from Germany, where gardens are usually much smaller so you got to pack everything much tighter together (vegetables, herbs, flowers, trees, birds, playing ground for your kids, barbeque area etc). Here most people argue that the messiness is much more of a problem than it seems to be the case in your environment.
Also I hear a lot of complains about ducks always finding new hiding places for their eggs -> lot of work, you lose some or you find eggs that are much older than anticipated. Of course neighbours are much closer and I often hear the argument that ducks have a higher constant noice level. Also the law restricts how many of these birds private people can have in Germany, most of the time it is 20 max (without having a business). If you can barely make enough eggs over the year for your family you may not wanna lose 20% by not finding them or finding them to late.
It's fascinating to see this from your perspective, especially because I like ducks much more. They are just lovely animals.
Raising both ducks personality are
More entertaining our male duck protected our entire heard of birds! We just started raising turkeys and they are pretty awesome too
good points, we have chickens in our urban homestead. it accompanies our backyard food forest. I show the food forest part on my channel.
My goodness, these duck is in heaven!
I watched a permaculture doc produced in the UK. They kept a specific type of duck because they found they were the best sluggers. I don't remember what the breed was but they were a brown colored duck that was smaller in size than the average duck. Guinea fowl are the best for insect control because they eat so many without damaging your plants. If you have a problem with tick's get guineas, they will clear them all out plus they are excellent watch dogs. They always alert to any stranger's coming around.
I heard you can't have neighbors if you have guineas.
@@bruceparker6142 That is probably true. People coming and going, just a lot of activity, your guineas would be squalling all the time. They are LOUD, Which is why their good for security but at the same time can be a problem. Also they are very stupid. Was told that they will hold their heads up in the rain and drown themselves. So they can be a lot of work.
Thank you keep up the good work I am learning so much and you are funny also Blessings
Thanks for great info. I tried many times to raise duck farm but every time deases killed my maximum ducks I faild I stopped
I started with 8 to 10 chickens about 8 years ago and have raised from egg 15 Khaki Campbell, 28 Rouen, 15ish Silver Appleyard, bought several those gentle beige, name slips my mind, a few Black Orpintons?, and 17 Muskovie ducks in the last 12 years. At one time, I had about 70 chickens, but over 10 acres to free range. I had suck strong predation that I have about 40 chickens in a coop that free range and 5 ducks left. I now have 5 120 lb dogs that have stopped the predation on the chickens, but a couple months ago the 23 ducks I had left started disappearing. The chickens must have a better sense of survival or something. Oh, and the ducks don't scratch up the yard, they find the smallest puddle and turn it into large puddles. My flat yard is now filled with dips, but to be fair, it stays fairly wet throughout the winter and early spring.
Great video brother! Really happy I found your channel.
Awesome, welcome to the farm
Great video. Do you happen to have the blueprint/dimension of the chicken coop along with were the duck and pigs are at?
You are an amazing wood worker! Impressive!!
Aww thanks 😊
This is exactly the sort of info I need!
I LOVE YOUR COOP!!!! Do you happen to have plans on how to build that? I would love to build something very similar!
No plans but I put together this video of the whole build maybe it can help. Building a 7 Coop Octagonal Chicken House - Start to Finish
th-cam.com/video/nWd7V3iuOwc/w-d-xo.html
@@HiddenSpringFarm Thank you so much! I'll check it out! Masterful work!
Tl;dw:
1. Heartiness
2. Eggs
3. Leaner meat/nutritional value
4. Ducks don't scratch up yard
5. Eggs
Well done 👍👍👍. Thank you for sharing. Be safe 🇨🇦
Thanks, will do!
Plus, you can’t beat a duck parade to the pond 👍😎😁
Interesting take on duck eggs. Great video!
Yes, that why we always say, "cool like a duck", .. they look calm n unflustered even swimming in big fast flowing river, ... though when u look below the water surface, u could see them paddling like crazy, ...