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Should You Get Ducks? Duck Pros & Cons

Should You Get Ducks? Duck Pros & Cons
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Look at this face – who wouldn’t want a duck??? They might be super cute, but are ducks right for you? Let’s take a look at the Duck Pros & Cons

Should you get ducks?

Duck Pro: Duckling Cuteness!  

All baby animals are irresistibly adorable, but honestly, ducklings have to be right up there in the top five of Cutest Baby Animals Ever!  The sweet way they always look like they are smiling, their too big for their face bills and too big for their body flappy feet. The way they snuggle perfectly into your hand and imprint on their caretakers.  They are pretty darn adorable!

Should you get ducks?

Cons:  Ducklings grow  

Really fast.  Within two weeks that sweet tiny duckling is over SEVEN times its original size.  Still cute of course, but leaning more towards awkward, gangly pre-teen years than an adorable infant.  All that growth means they are tiny eating machines – and what goes in is going to come out.  Ducklings are a special kind of messy.  They are on a whole other level of messy from any other baby animals (including humans!) that I have cared for.  They are lucky they are so cute.  Ducks can live for 8-10 years or more, so be ready for the commitment long after those super cute 2 weeks of duckling time is up.  Click here to read more about duckling care

Pro:  Adding ducks to an existing flock is easy

Not counting hormonal, territorial drakes; female ducks are pretty chill about welcoming newbies to the group.  If you have a group of all ladies and want to get more, most ducks think the more the merrier.  If you have experience with chickens, you know it can take weeks or even months for a flock to get used to a new addition.  Click here to read more about adding ducks to your flock

Con:  Ducks are loud

If you don’t have close neighbors this isn’t a problem, but if you are backyard farming in a suburban neighborhood it could be a problem.  I have more chickens than ducks, but the duck noise in my yard is definitely more than the chicken noise (even with a couple roosters).  Especially in the morning, they like to splash around their pool, quacking loudly.  When they are out free ranging, they like to talk to each other, often from across the yard.  One will quack, another will quack several times back, another one will join in.  Most of the time, it’s happy, excited quacking, but they quack for tons of reasons whereas the chickens generally just make noise when they are laying eggs.  I don’t mind the duck noise, but it could be a problem with neighbors.

Should you get ducks?

Pro: Drakes aren’t as aggressive as roosters

If you want to be able to hatch out ducklings, or just have a drake around because they are cool looking they are not as aggressive as roosters.  They are not great protectors like roosters, but that is a bonus in my book because that means they are not charging after and attacking me, my kids, or my guests.  Not only are they nicer to humans, but they are also quieter.  Unlike chickens, male ducks are quieter than female ducks.  Drakes have a quiet, raspy quack that will not send the neighbors knocking on your door at dawn like a rooster’s crow could! Drakes can be notorious maters, however, so be prepared and make sure you have at least 4-5 females for each male! Click here to read more about keeping drakes

Con:  Cleaning & Maintenance

Compared with other backyard birds, ducks are a bit more work.  You have the standard feeding & cleaning up poop chores, but with ducks, there is the additional chore of emptying & filling their pools. Keeping ducks in clean water can feel like a never-ending battle.  Not only will they dirty their pool, but they will try to swim in any available water including their water bowls.  All that splishing and splashing also leads to a lot of mud and muck in the pen area.

Should you get ducks?

Pro:  They are SO fun to watch!  

Chickens are nice and relaxing to watch as they peck around the yard or flap in their dirt baths, but ducks are downright amusing!  Watching them swim and dive around a small kiddie pool is hilarious.  There is something just so endearing and pure about how happy they get when you fill the pool with fresh water. Watching them interact with each other is also fun, they are very expressive with their body language and love to “talk” to each other.  Turn on your garden sprinkler or show them a puddle and you’d think they won the lottery.

Should you get ducks?

for live action duck fun – check out this really short clip of my ducks on a recent unseasonably warm January day when they got some much missed pool time! 

Pro:  Tons of eggs!  

The average duck will out lay the average hen over the course of her life.  Most breeds of ducks raised for eggs average 200-250 eggs per year.  That is pretty similar to a laying chicken.  But chickens will only lay at those levels for two, maybe three years before their productivity takes a sharp decline.  Ducks remain productive even into old age; 6, 7, even 8 or 9 years old.  Ducks are also more productive layers during the short winter days, while many chickens take the winter off.   Plus duck eggs are awesome for making baked goods light & fluffy!  Click here to read my post on duck eggs

Duck eggs are HUGE! Chicken egg on left, duck egg on the right
Duck eggs are HUGE! Chicken egg on left, duck egg on the right

Con:  Not everyone likes duck eggs

They do have a slightly stronger “egg” flavor.  Not noticeable when used in baking or cooking, but you might notice if you scramble them up or make an omelette.  Before getting ducks, try to find some duck eggs to see if you like them.  If you decide you want ducks even though you don’t like their eggs (totally reasonable!) you can always cook the eggs up for animal feed, sell them, or barter them with someone who enjoys them.

Pro: They won’t tear up your garden

Chickens are constantly scratching and digging.  They don’t care if it’s your lawn, your prized roses, or your tomato seedlings….if they are awake they are scratching stuff up.  Ducks are not nearly as destructive.  They might nibble on your lettuce, but for the most part, they don’t destroy things or make a mess of the garden.  And they are every bit as good at catching bugs and pests!  Now all bets are off if there is a puddle in the garden – a muddy mess is pretty much guaranteed to happen in that case.

Should you get ducks?

I really love my ducks.  They are a lot of work and can make a mess of things, but they are an awesome addition to my little farm!  Shhhhhh, don’t tell my chickens, but I think the ducks are more fun to keep around 🙂

Should you get ducks? Duck Pros & Cons


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Calvin Coeling

Monday 15th of May 2023

should I get a pet duck? yes or no?

Liz

Wednesday 17th of May 2023

I always vote YES for people to get ducks!!

Calvin Coeling

Monday 15th of May 2023

Ducks are SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO much better than chickenssssssssss!!!!!!!!!!!

AJ

Wednesday 14th of April 2021

I am trying to convince my mother if i can have some ducks! There are plenty of pros to having ducks! She loves chickens and going out to get eggs so how many ducks and what breeds would be good for beginners?

Liz

Wednesday 14th of April 2021

Fun! I would suggest a minimum of 3 for a beginner flock. Be sure to get pre-sexed female ducks, if you have a small flock you don't want a male in the mix because of mating issues. Pekins are an awesome large duck for beginners! You can read more about backyard duck breeds here: https://thecapecoop.com/great-backyard-duck-breeds/

Jelly

Saturday 2nd of January 2021

Hi Liz, I want to get ducks, but before I do, I just want to find out if ducks will eat dog poop? One concern someone had was about dogs eating duck poop.

Regards Jelly

Liz

Saturday 2nd of January 2021

You asked this in two questions so I'll try to answer both lol. first will ducks eat dog poop? Unlikely, I have never seen my ducks try to eat my dog's poop. Second will dogs eat duck poop - more likely. I have never seen my dogs eat duck or chicken poop, but I heard from lots of farmers that their dogs do. So I suppose that is up to your dog. If your dog turns out to be a poop eater, I would recommend you keep them separated so your dog doesn't get sick (and so his breath won't be terrible!). You can separate out a duck side of the yard with some simple wire fencing.

Renae

Thursday 12th of November 2020

Hello. I have had two female Cayuga ducks for the past five years. I believe they are between 7-8 years in age. They were sisters hatched from the same batch of eggs and were never apart. Both had special needs which is why I took them in five years ago; they were going to be killed. After taking them to the vet, he determined that one has tumors and can no longer lay eggs ( she gets warm epsom salt in her bath water everyday), the other had chronic sinus infections. Her face would swell up. Even after two rounds of antibiotics it wouldn’t go away, so I’ve put apple cider vinegar in her water Everyday which seemed to help. All this to say my sweet baby girl with the sinus infections was killed a few nights ago in their kennel. A night predator somehow clipped through the materials and pushed a piece of the fencing over. This is my theory anyway as there was a very, very small gap in the back of their kennel area. It looked like it made just enough room to reach in an arm and kill her because that’s the only explanation and I can think of. Her body and my other female were still inside the kennel when I went to let them out in the morning, and no other signs of a predator. I’ve been a wreck since it happened...mama guilt has me in its grips. In addition to that, my other female is now alone. My son and I spend as much time outside with her, but I worry that she’s still lonely. With her advanced age and special health condition, though, I do worry about introducing a new duck. Wow. I didn’t realize how much I needed to get all of this out, so I apologize for the lengthy comment. Any insight or suggestions would be appreciated.

Liz

Sunday 15th of November 2020

Awww that is so sad!! These little guys really do make their way into your heart, especially when you are giving them such special care. It is heartbreaking to lose one of them. I am so sorry for your loss. I've written an article about dealing with death on the farm that you might find comforting: https://thecapecoop.com/dealing-with-death-on-the-homestead/ Don't beat yourself up, you definitely gave her the best life she could have hoped for. Predators can be super resourceful when they are hungry. It sounds like whatever got her could only reach in and get her, but couldn't pull her body out. Poor girl. Ducks definitely do like to have constant companionship. They only time I recommend people keep a single duck is if the duck is living in the house with you (don't laugh, lots of people do that, they make duck diapers just for that purpose lol). You will likely want to get her another friend. If possible, I would suggest that you get two. She is getting into advanced age, so when she passes, if you have two other ducks at least they will have each other and you won't be in this same situation. I would suggest you not get a male duck, with her age & special needs she doesn't need the mating concerns and possible injuries that can come with mating. Maybe reach out to your local rescue and see if they have any older lady ducks that need a home? I've found that ducks that are raised together since ducklings always have a special connection, but they certainly will accept other ducks into their flock. Good luck

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