Ducks vs chickens. Who’s messier?

[muffin_p]

Hello! We recently moved to a ranch (well about like a year ago) and Ive been wanting to get more farm animals. I’m 17, still live with my parents. They have chickens, sheep, goats, dogs… I just have a few rabbits and a dog. I had wanted sheep for awhile and my dad said I could buy them (with my own money) but that id have to buy/build my own enclosure for them. I didnt end up getting the sheep due to it not being convenient at the time.
A bit more to the point, my boyfriend and I have been looking into getting ducklings recently and raising them for meat, eggs, and profit. We found a pretty good deal on this used, large chicken coop and we bought it right away. When my dad found out what the coop was for, (we bought it for ducks)he was pretty mad and said I couldn’t get them because he doesn’t want them and that they’re super messy. He doesn’t have to pay a single cent and id be the one taking care of the ducks though.

So my question is: are ducks really dirtier or messier than chickens?
I’ve looked online and most of the articles say that they’re messy because they splash around a lot and make mud everywhere. The thing is, We have sandy soil. It’s all just straight up sand, no dirt. So there wouldn’t really be any mud made. So if there’s no dirt for mud, would they still be messy?

on a side note , I was planning on keeping them in the coop at night and then letting them roam in a large exercise pen that I sometimes use for my rabbits and then I’d add swimming pools and stuff for the ducks inside the pen

 

[ikoCRO]

Ducks are very messy! Even if you keep them on concrete, they will soon make mud! That's just the way they are!

 

[CloneFly]

Hello! We recently moved to a ranch (well about like a year ago) and Ive been wanting to get more farm animals. I’m 17, still live with my parents. They have chickens, sheep, goats, dogs… I just have a few rabbits and a dog. I had wanted sheep for awhile and my dad said I could buy them (with my own money) but that id have to buy/build my own enclosure for them. I didnt end up getting the sheep due to it not being convenient at the time.
A bit more to the point, my boyfriend and I have been looking into getting ducklings recently and raising them for meat, eggs, and profit. We found a pretty good deal on this used, large chicken coop and we bought it right away. When my dad found out what the coop was for, (we bought it for ducks)he was pretty mad and said I couldn’t get them because he doesn’t want them and that they’re super messy. He doesn’t have to pay a single cent and id be the one taking care of the ducks though.

So my question is: are ducks really dirtier or messier than chickens?
I’ve looked online and most of the articles say that they’re messy because they splash around a lot and make mud everywhere. The thing is, We have sandy soil. It’s all just straight up sand, no dirt. So there wouldn’t really be any mud made. So if there’s no dirt for mud, would they still be messy?

on a side note , I was planning on keeping them in the coop at night and then letting them roam in a large exercise pen that I sometimes use for my rabbits and then I’d add swimming pools and stuff for the ducks inside the pen

Ducks are unfortunately veeeery messy. Besides splashing, they poop everywhere and love to track it around... They also tend to have lots of issues health wise. For laying hens, prolapse is always an issue, and drakes will brutally attack the girls- especially if there isn't enough of them. Ducklings/ducks are quite cute, but after reading some threads on here about them, I've firmly resolved to not get any. Just wayyy too much drama.

As for money making, that's a great idea! I'm just a few years older than you, so I do get how you feel about saving up. My advice would be to buy yourself a flock of chickens or turkeys. The former, you can raise for meat and eggs while the latter would likely be for meat and show. They're a bit easier to care for and since your folks already have some chooks, you'll likely be more familiar with them as well. You could also do quail which are relatively easy to care/raise for the same purposes as the chickens. Alternatively, goat milk and meat tend to be in demand (depending on where you are ofc.) And, you can sell any extra kids to make an extra profit. All of this depends on where you are and what's the local 'market'.

Hopefully some of this helps. I hope you two are able to figure some thing out

 

[Canadian Wind]

Ducks are unfortunately veeeery messy. Besides splashing, they poop everywhere and love to track it around... They also tend to have lots of issues health wise.

I would have to disagree with this. In my experience, and from what I've read from other duck and chicken keepers, ducks are much less prone to illness.

 

[CloneFly]

I would have to disagree with this. In my experience, and from what I've read from other duck and chicken keepers, ducks are much less prone to illness.

My apologies then. I keep reading over and over about duck hens having prolapse which honestly sounds scary...
I only have a gander personally. Thank you for clarifying!

 

[Canadian Wind]

That being said, they ARE messy. Not just the water splashing, but their poop is very watery and gets everywhere. But, I still prefer them to chickens, especially my Muscovy.

Sand may help as the liquids will go through, but it can also harbour pests and parasites. You'd have a lot of cleaning up to do after them. An alternative would be to put down a thick layer of wood chips or mulch over the sand, spot clean when possible, and turn it over frequently. It'll give you some nice compost as a benefit.

Ducks also eat more, so are more expensive to keep unless you free range and allow them access to grass/weeds and bugs. I only fed mine a bit last summer/fall, but there was no garden or lawn by the end of it.

 

[Aunt Angus]

Ducks are the messiest things. I find they don't lay as often as chickens, either. The amount of water they need and the amount of mud they generate is quite impressive and not something to take lightly. They will devinate any lawn or landscaping you have in an enclosure. But I absolutely adore them! I can't imagine life without them.

Maybe Muscovy might be a better choice? I don't have any experience with Muscovy, but I hear excellent things about them. Or even geese might work? Geese need lots of space to wander, but they don't tear things up the way ducks do, and they only lay seasonally.

 

[CoriM]

Books will say ducks are more hardy than chickens, illness wise, but I have had so many problems with my ducks, and others say the same. You have to be aware that that part of duck keeping can be very expensive - first aid supplies, vet fees. Also, they will need grassy areas to roam in, eat bugs, etc. and they probably will be very hard on those areas since they use their beaks to dig into the grass. I have a lot of grass for my ducks and it's a mess - but grass and water are two things ducks love and need in my opinion. Unless you're on a well also consider the cost of water as you'll be constantly changing and cleaning their pools and water dishes. I love my ducks, and I've never had chickens, but I do see friends with chickens and they seem like less work and mess.

 

[Aunt Angus]

Books will say ducks are more hardy than chickens, illness wise, but I have had so many problems with my ducks, and others say the same. You have to be aware that that part of duck keeping can be very expensive - first aid supplies, vet fees. Also, they will need grassy areas to roam in, eat bugs, etc. and they probably will be very hard on those areas since they use their beaks to dig into the grass. I have a lot of grass for my ducks and it's a mess - but grass and water are two things ducks love and need in my opinion. Unless you're on a well also consider the cost of water as you'll be constantly changing and cleaning their pools and water dishes. I love my ducks, and I've never had chickens, but I do see friends with chickens and they seem like less work and mess.

See, my chickens have far more health problems than my ducks. I have one duck with significant health issues compared to multiple chickens.

And I'm wondering if that will be a huge issue if they are bred for meat.

 

[CoriM]

Yeah, probably everyone's experience is different. If they're bred for meat they won't last long enough to have problems most likely.