Thinking Of Getting Some Ducks

[kabar 14]

I've already got chickens but I'm thinking of getting a couple of ducks for eggs, any suggestions with what type and housing?

Edited April 6, 2013 by kabar

[pauly58 12]

Chiltern's if you want eggs, they hardly miss a day. Don't underestimate the mess ducks make. We have ours in a run of 50 metres of poultry mesh, & the mud bath they make is something else. On a small scale you may be better keeping them on concrete or a gravel area. A small dog type kennel is fine to lock them in at night.

[pauly58 12]

Chiltern's if you want eggs, they hardly miss a day. Don't underestimate the mess ducks make. We have ours in a run of 50 metres of poultry mesh, & the mud bath they make is something else. On a small scale you may be better keeping them on concrete or a gravel area. A small dog type kennel is fine to lock them in at night.

[kabar 14]

Cheers Pauly, I'm only going to get a couple. I kept one some years ago when I had a smaller garden and the mess was considerably more than the chickens as you say. But I've got a bigger bit of land now so I'm hoping they wont be quite so noticeable.

I was thinking of putting an old hen hut at the end of the chicken run which is paved with slabs and keep them with the chickens, are they likely to use it or just sleep and lay in the run?

[pauly58 12]

We only have two. They don't go in to roost at dusk like hens, & just drop the eggs where they happen to be. We have a plastic bath for them & it's not unusual to find eggs in there.

[the_stig 6,614]

ducks are messy feckers --- if you`ve got plenty of room there fine if you`ve got a small plot 2 ducks will turn it into a shithole in a few weeks ......

[Bootsha 1,306]

khaki campbells, an egg a day, always by 10 am or so ducks normally lay, and with these, if you havent got a pond, a plastic bowl with water in will suffice them, as long as they can preen and f**k about in it lol. big beautifull eggs.

[leegreen 2,222]

  On 06/04/2013 at 00:20, kabar said:

I've already got chickens but I'm thinking of getting a couple of ducks for eggs, any suggestions?

 

 

Stick with chickens.

[KingKong 44]

Iv got 12 ducks and mine arnt to bad iv dug a hole and stuck a baby bath in it for them they need cleaning out more than the chickens but there easier to put away at night just follow each other in a line no probs

[kabar 14]

Thanks for the replies, found some khaki Campbell's but I'm going to have a look at the local market tomorrow to see if they've got any there first.

I'm wary about the mess but they've got about a 1/4 of an acre which I'm hoping should be enough to stop them churning it up.

I've split the hen run into two for now with a sheep hurdle between the two in the hope that it'll reduce the amount of fighting once I take the hurdle down and loose them into the garden.

Cheers

[kabar 14]

Two Khaki Campbell's, in With the chickens, 1 Egg off them every day since. cheers.

[kabar 14]

Khaki Campbell's are laying better than the hens, two ducks = 2 eggs a day.

They take them selves into the hut I put in the chicken run at night and so far haven't made too much mess.

They are though escape artists, crawling under fencing and squeezing through sheep fencing and eat like horses.

Very impressed with them.

[Bootsha 1,306]

told ya !!

[kabar 14]

Spot on, ta.