Why Ducks are Better than Chickens for a Backyard Homestead

[@mjremy2605]

Very informative, thank you for all the tips! I like ducks better too! Nicer than chickens, they don't peck at each other the same way. One thing I have heard is that having black ducks among them will dissuade hawks from attacking. They think they are crows and don't like the crows ganging up and hounding them, so they don't attack.

[@saguaro_farm]

Very interesting! We need all the help we can get from the hawks around here. The Cayuga drakes have a beautiful black color with a shimmer of green in their feathers.

[@futurecaredesign]

Just did a few calculation as you so generously provided the numbers: Chickens lay up to 250 eggs per year at 150 calories. That's 37500 calories per year of chicken eggs. Ducks lay 350 eggs per year at 225 calories. That's 78750 calories per year of duck eggs. 78750 minus 37500 is 41250 calories. You get 41250 calories more out of ducks than chickens. That is insane!

[@alkalk8938]

...that's why they produce twice as much manure as chickens, they eat more produce more and expel more. Not a thing wrong with that, just that it's not like you're getting twice as much food for the same input

[@edelliott2170]

Bravo on an excellent, succinct, organized and informative video. Very helpful!

[@saguaro_farm]

Thank you! We’re trying to pass on our knowledge of ducks while we can!

[@dave_in_az]

Good stuff! Working through the videos... love this one!

[@saguaro_farm]

Thanks Dave! Hope you like them! Nice workin’ with ya!

[@dandavatsdasa8345]

Seems Promising! Have you developed water salvage, water storage and passive solar water distillers? In the long run trace impurities in water can be a health risk. A passive solar water distiller is a great hope for purifying water. However, if water is too much contaminated it probably needs to be filtered with charcoal and other filtering agents as much as possible. There are videos on KZbin regarding Rainwater collection and storage even in the desert. There are also maps giving information on the location of aquifers throughout the continental USA. Thank you for sharing informative videos!

[@saguaro_farm]

We have not but we would love to and plan on expanding our education on permaculture and utilizing our water the most efficient way we can in the desert

[@davidschmidt270]

@@saguaro_farm that's smart....keep seeing and hearing about how the water levels are dwindling ☹️

[@ironrose888]

I prefer ducks too. They are much more peaceful and the sounds they make sounds like giggling to me. My chickens are feisty birds but my ducks are really calm. When the ducks run out of water is the only time they get noisy.

[@saguaro_farm]

We agree! We think the ducks are nicer sounding too!

[@moneymike1178]

Heat lamp below 40 degrees(with chickens)???? I went all winter without one with temps in the low 20s and occasionally in the teens! I’m not saying I’m right but they seemed to get along well enough and I had read that I didn’t really need one unless it did get into the teens regularly, they ventured outside even from their indoor coop area(I did shut the window in their coop at night)

[@saguaro_farm]

I’m glad it worked! We don’t deal with cold very often where we are located but we found the hardiness of ducks is stronger than chickens in a comfort aspect. When you look at wild ducks versus wild chickens with no shelter, you see the ducks pushing into the northern latitudes more. To live as a wild chicken they need a more tropical climate like Hawaii sees. Chickens are less comfortable than ducks with falling temperatures so the recommended advice is you “should” use a method to heat them if they’re not in an enclosed shelter. From your post, it looks like your chickens had regular access to an indoor coop which is perfect because they can regulate their own body temperature through the winter as they need. Any domesticated chickens or ducks should have a shelter to get out of the elements.

[@moneymike1178]

@@saguaro_farm thanks for your response firstly, and yes they have an indoor coop they retreat to at night. The first cold days I was very concerned for the chickens well being I kept a close eye. I can see from what your saying though that even though they appeared to be ok their comfort level was probably not adequate. Thank you for your advice and I’ll make sure to take better precautions next winter. We recently added ducks to our flock and I’m excited to see them grow

[@melanietutor7713]

I love ducks. I only have 5 at the moment! Thank you for the great Info!!!

[@saguaro_farm]

It’s time to add more to your collection!

[@elatuscredo3880]

Heres a question, do you use duck manure in composting? Also chicken manure has arsonic in it which is toxic. Does duck manure? If not that eould make it better for composting than chicken poo....

[@ellenlefavour628]

I have three Pekins and three Muscovies. The muscovies are only a couple of months old, but they are quiet and friendly as I have handled them since they were hatchlings. The Pekins are friendly and the male plays regularly with my dog and goats. I love duck eggs and am looking forward to incubating some and having ducklings. Pekins aren’t good moms like Muscovy ducks are, but I’m going to try giving a few eggs just about to hatch back to her so she can hatch them and hopefully be a mother to them. In a few months the Muscovy ducks will begin to lay and hopefully increase their flock. Ducks are so much more entertaining than chickens, and the neighbor behind me has them so I get the benefit of their rooster waking me up every morning.

[@saguaro_farm]

I’m so glad that the ducks play with the other animals! We’re trying to get our ducks like that but they’re pretty big scaredy-cats. Our dog will run by them and they will kind of get angry and chase her in their little duck-way. We’ve heard our Khaki Campbell’s also make as bad mothers, but nevertheless we have a couple broody ducks right now. We’ve given them a few eggs to sit on but so far there’s no viability. It’s much more reliable when the incubation is human controlled, but maybe the Muscovy’s have it down! I wish you the best of luck with yours!

[@ellenlefavour628]

@@saguaro_farm It is a free for all in the front yard after they have finished breakfast and leap into play mode - everyone gets into the act - the two goats, the dog, the male Pekin and one male cat. It is hysterical. The dog and male goat are best friends and play together all the time, Bekka the dog always lodging her stuffed animals into Gabriel the goats horns as she tries to get him to throw them. They create the most interesting and funny mixed species games. My numbers are much smaller than yours, so they are more family than flocks or herds. As they expand their numbers, I am hoping the new additions will just naturally join right into the fun and camaraderie of being one big family created by God to live in peace and harmony, as we humans also were.

[@saguaro_farm]

@@ellenlefavour628 totally agree! We love everything to live together in harmony! The more species the better. Part of our inspiration is the bit documentary “The Biggest Little Farm” and they have quite as set up going on there as far as diversity! We want a mini version of that here too

[@alkalk8938]

Chickens certainly do not need a heat lamp below 40 degrees, that silly. We had several days below 0 south of Lincoln this winter, I gave my chickens no supplemental heat and they were just fine. During this time they even kept laying, although it was hard to get the eggs collected before they froze and cracked...the dogs ate good. I really want some ducks to go with my chickens but it seems like doubling the work to have both chickens and ducks.

[@saguaro_farm]

Yeah it definitely can seem like double the work. We’re planning to run some meat chickens this spring and we plan to do it completely separate from our ducks. We also just hatched 12 more ducks to be egg layers

[@cwavt8849]

Wow! I never knew that ducks were great layers

[@saguaro_farm]

Especially these brown Khaki Campbell ducks. They were bred specifically for that purpose and the breeding was successful!

[@jdw4807tube]

Great video and very convincing, we would love to have some egg layers of our own. Luckily one of our neighbors has chickens and we get an occasional gift of eggs on our porch. We are west of cave creek, those hills look familiar 🙂

[@saguaro_farm]

Wow! Hey neighbor! Haha, it’s nice to see local viewers of our videos! I’ve gotta say, having a pocket of egg layers and having farm fresh eggs every morning is REALLY a daily treat!

[@davidschmidt270]

Soo cool that you guy's also live in Arizona.....I live in Phoenix......well....you certainly got me thinking! Thanks for the video 😉

[@saguaro_farm]

You can do it!

[@nathanielraminimbi4402]

❤thankyou

[@saguaro_farm]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@cdinaz]

I was thinking about a small laying operation. My preference is ducks but my wife and son really prefer chicken eggs :( That aside, I'm currently in an HOA but was going to try and keep some in a corner not really visible to neighbors. How is the noise level with the hens? At the start of the video they seemed a bit noisy. Is there a breed that's on the more quiet side? I've read that muscovies are great meat birds, BTW

[@saguaro_farm]

Ducks still make noise for sure. The loudest they get is when the feel in danger, then probably when they hear us come outside. They get very excited because they know they'll be let out :) This is the only breed we have raised, so we can't speak from experience if there is a quieter breed. But a quick google search brings up Muscovy ducks as being very quiet.

[@SnowFoxPaperie]

Look into muscovy. They are not a true duck and dont make loud quack noises.

[@cccspwn]

How is the FCR for ducks vs Chickens? I heard that for most breeds, Chickens have better FCR, but Ducks produce meat and eggs with more calories and nutrition.

[@saguaro_farm]

We have not calculated the FCR for our operation, but we have calculated that each dozen eggs we get from them costs us $2 based on the feed purchase. I think chickens would be similar, if not slightly better, but for the most part I think you have a point in the FCR where the egg and meat are more nutritious, that would have to be calculated into the ratio. If you ever do any research on the subject, we’d love to know! Thanks for the comment!

[@tracystuder5910]

Chickens can do just fine at zero degrees F. with no heat. I don't know who told you they need heat below 40 degrees but that just isn't true.

[@saguaro_farm]

Their survival isn’t necessarily the question, it’s more the comfort of the animal and where you see feral/wild chickens in the tropical parts of the world, whereas you see wild ducks more in the northern latitudes. Chickens do lack the down feathers that ducks have to insulate them. Really any domesticated bird should have a shelter at a minimum to keep it warm though.

[@tracystuder5910]

​@@saguaro_farm They should absolutely have shelter to keep them out of the elements and especially to keep them dry and out of the wind. However, many chicken breeds have been bred to not only survive, but thrive in colder temperatures. They are a long way from wild fowl. Heat is much harder on them than cold is. And having heat is worse on then than not having it. Going from a warm (heated) coop, to below freezing outside temperatures is not good for them. They are much better off with no heat. There are breeds that were developed in places like Switzerland (Appenzeller Spitzhauben) and Russia (Russian Orloff) They are very cold hardy.

[@amcall]

My chickens definitely prefer cold to heat! They don't like a lot of snow, but if I shovel a path they're good! It gets well below 0 where I live for a few months a year and they thrive. I've never heard of a chicken needing a heat lamp either! I think they'd hate that!

[@YSLRD]

Common chicken breeds like a heated space in the winter. Below forty, they shiver all night. I haven't looked, but my guess is commercial breeders keep them between 50 and 65 because that's their ideal. And yeah, they suffer in the heat.

[@guysolis5843]

I agree with everything you said and even when you have ducklings they make a surprising mess. We had a few Cayuga ducks and they got very loud. All day that's all I heard were ducks squawking..Chickens also crap a lot but duck poo poo can be pretty bad..Good video!

[@saguaro_farm]

Definitely! Apparently the Muscovy breed is super quiet! I’m sure it’s still heavy on the poo poo though. Don’t think you can get out of that one

[@HeavyDemir]

@@saguaro_farm yup Muscvy only quack for alarm, every morning I am out feeding, it just makes my day, having coffee listening and watching them go about their business it is bliss. 😁 Oh number 800 hehehe

[@saguaro_farm]

@@HeavyDemir sounds peaceful! Maybe we ought to add some Muscvy's to our raft!

[@jmcabee7742]

Great video.You have convinced me to try my hand at ducks.

[@saguaro_farm]

We’re glad to read that! Give it a shot!

[@crowhouse4778]

Do you have to clip them to keep them from flying away?

[@saguaro_farm]

We’ve clipped their wings about a year ago as we didn’t want to take any chances with them flying away - since then their feathers have grown back, but we have found that even though they can fly small distances, they tend not to, and instead stay within the yard, with their mates. I’m sure if they really tried they could fly away from us, but it hasn’t happened even close yet.

[@saguaro_farm]

@Jesse Porter totally makes sense. Domesticated ducks can fly but they don’t fly away.

[@ahmedmadhih5508]

Very informative

[@saguaro_farm]

Thanks!

[@ashleydunn9965]

Thank you!

[@saguaro_farm]

Absolutely! We’re happy to help!

[@philw9120]

I am now leaning towards Ducks instead of Chickens too!!

[@LeoTheYuty]

I prefer chickens from what I've done so far, but I've only raised them in the same way as chickens (free-range in the yard and only in the run/coop in the morning and night), with my only change being adding a few plastic boxes with water for them to swim. They made way too much mess and would poop right at the door, attracting so many flies. Definitely planning to raise some Khaki Campbells someday though, since poultry in general are awesome.

[@saguaro_farm]

Mess is really really the hardest part about ducks. We’re getting some broiler chickens next month and we’re supposed to give them these tiny drip watering nipples which hardy use water. Compare that to ducks, where our 12 new baby ducks drink/use 5 gallons of water per day! It’s a wild difference.

[@LeoTheYuty]

@@saguaro_farm Definitely, although a pool system right outside of a garden is definitely a smart idea. I think ducks are really cool (and very adorable, although I'm not sure if I prefer them to chickens design-wise), so hopefully someday I can come up with a way to keep them without them attracting so many flies.

[@morehn]

I definitely want ducks but I'm concerned about how much maintenance they'll need with water since it freezes in New York. I don't have a clever solution yet.

[@saguaro_farm]

Yeah, we feel we’re still trying to solve some of the Duck problems too. Our biggest issue is their poop. Going to move them onto pasture soon to hopefully solve that issue. You may be able to use a livestock water warmer attached to a temporary tank during the cold months? Or put their water in a covered shelter so it doesn’t freeze? Make sure you have adequate drainage wherever their water goes. Otherwise it’ll be a muddy mess most of the time. Good luck!

[@morehn]

@@saguaro_farm I didn't know about a livestock water warmer but that might be the best idea for me. I know I'll get ducks eventually because they're too cute not to, but I want to be prepared as best as I can.

[@AuroraB-74]

I love ducks! I've never had a duck egg but heard they tasted better. We had a duck once that we did put in the pot. However, not a fan of duck meat. I remember that the duck would sleep right next to our Labrador Retriever LOL The only reason we didn't get more is because we had a small back yard and they are so messy for a small yard.

[@saguaro_farm]

Glad you had fond experiences with your duck! Many people have ducks as pets too which roam the inside of the house along with the other pets inside. I’ve never understood how the litter situation would work in that case, but it’s pretty common and really cute when you see ducks inside a home :D Ducks eggs are delicious, and very comparable in flavor to chicken eggs. I believe you’d have to be highly sensitive to pick up the differences because they are pretty subtle. Thank you for the wonderful comment

[@mariah5261]

Great vid! Love ducks!

[@saguaro_farm]

Agreed! Ducks are the best!

[@JohnnyFiction]

Chicken eggs have 70-90 calories each, not 150. Where did you get the 150 number?

[@ronalds271]

Very informative. Thank you.

[@chargermopar]

Muscovy ducks run wild around here. Winter does not exist here in south Florida. Muscovy ducks are also larger and tougher than Mallard derived ducks. Disease is rarely a factor with ducks, My ducks ate the whole lawn and they will eat the banana plants as well. Chicken wire is required around your bananas. However the duck poop has caused the banana plants to reach a height of 25 feet. I love ducks!

[@saguaro_farm]

Wow! How lucky you are to see Muscovy ducks out in the wild! We’ve found similar results with our ducks and their poop with our fruit trees! Duck 💩has amazing power

[@herringtonfarms5927]

Great video.

[@saguaro_farm]

Appreciate the compliment!

[@jezusova]

Thanks!

[@wolfboysadventures1039]

I agree with a lot of the points and are to my knowledge mostly correct but some critics I have are that chickens do not need a heat source if you have them in a good coop even if it gets below 0 degrees Fahrenheit and that while the male ducks are quieter than roosters from my experience female and male ducks are louder than chicken hens

[@saguaro_farm]

Definetly true! The good coop should keep the temps above freezing inside even without a heat source. We were mainly talking wild ducks vs chickens. Ducks are a little hardier with the cold, but you should keep any domesticated animals in a good shelter. 👍

[@wolfboysadventures1039]

@@saguaro_farm yes but if your saying for a farm or homestead I would automatically think domestic

[@sandybasslady1415]

I am thinking after watching you that I may get ducks. I do have chickens along with the noisy rooster. I am looking to bring in Chinese geese for security of my flock oh, 20 years ago I had geese I've had a 10-year absence of my geese. I have not raised ducks, if all I have to have is a couple kiddy pools that would be great. For the most part after geese chicks are grown they tend to take care of themselves and they eat whatever the cattle are eating and graze are ducks very much the same?

[@saguaro_farm]

We do notice our ducks grazing grass yes, however the self sufficiency is a little questionable for us due to our predators. We enjoy the ducks a lot! Actually a goose would probably make for a good companion to a raft of ducks as it may help ward off some of their natural predators

[@LilacDaisy2]

I want to switch to ducks and do away with all the nasty crowing, so this is PERFECT to show the family to convince them! More reasons than I knew! SO many reasons. Great video -- thank you! Subbing!

[@saguaro_farm]

Thank you! Hope you can convince them! Ducks are definitely quieter, especially the Muscovy breed which hardly even “talk” at all. No rooster crowing at 4:30am from these guys

[@katierobbins7962]

Is there a breed of duck that dosent fly? Or do you have to go out and clip your entire flock? Would love love to add ducks to my homestead. I think they are pretty stinkin cute as well 🥰

[@saguaro_farm]

All ducks can fly. “Runner” ducks are least apt to fly. You can clip the wings of a flock, but if you give a domesticated duck a good shelter and food, water, and satisfy their needs, they will have no reason to fly away from their “home” even if you leave their wing feathers intact. Ours’ wings are intact yet they don’t have a desire to get away from us, even when we let them out into the yard.

[@tpartisupporter]

I dont believe the pekins do, mine have not left the ground, too fat !!!

[@marcelklein3879]

Duck psychology is more complicated. I have these asian runner ducks. In the summer everything was fine but now it's winter and I kept them in a greenhouse for a week. Now they don't want to eat and drink anymore. Maybe they saw a rat eating from the food bucket. I don't know.

[@saguaro_farm]

They definitely seem smarter than chickens from our experience.

[@marcelklein3879]

@@saguaro_farm yes, they're definitely smarter, but also very sensitive to routine . If you change something they're immediately suspicious.

[@barelyfree9427]

Correction, chickens do not need a heat lamp at temps mentioned. We might put one up if below 30 for their comfort, but they can get through winter just fine when under 0F even. Honestly, have both.

[@pokemonmolapokemon]

Interesting, i have seen my chickens ate snails, but I'm not on w them scratching my plants. I'm thinking about changing or keeping a few ducks

[@saguaro_farm]

For the most part, female hens of chickens and ducks and live in harmony! I’ve heard when the inter-species males (Drakes and Roosters) get involved with the other species, that’s where most of the problems occur. You may however occasionally get a nice Drake or Rooster that can live in harmony with the other species.

[@pokemonmolapokemon]

@@saguaro_farm oh, i didn't know that, thanks. I do have a rooster to care for the hens and fertilize the eggs, but i think i can try keeping him separate or see if he is nice enough.

[@HegenerHomestead]

Chickens do not need heat under 40°....

[@NanetteNette]

Interesting video, subbed!

[@saguaro_farm]

Thanks! And thanks for the sub!

[@marjoriejohnson6535]

Unless you are allergic to duck eggs as I am. Until gold Shaw farm vlogger explained it I thought it was in my head..

[@saguaro_farm]

Gold Shaw Farm is great. It is possible! Don't feel obligated to answer but out of curiosity, are you also allergic to chicken eggs?

[@patty9265]

Was going to get chickens but now after seeing this info I think it will be ducks. Thanks

[@saguaro_farm]

We wish you the best of luck! Ducks are awesome!

[@krzysztofrudnicki5841]

I would love to have ducks but need small breed like runner od kc and I need them to get broody sometimes. I also read that someone made a worm farm in duck run/house just under ducks. Free feed.

[@saguaro_farm]

Great idea, worth looking into as feed costs are on the rise! We have a meal worm kit, that we need to get started on!

[@krzysztofrudnicki5841]

@@saguaro_farm Did you consider BSF larvae production? I heard that it's efficient. In my country sunchokes grow like mad so planting them in duck run would give feed and biomass for bedding.

[@jimgilbert9984]

You have only one pool for that many ducks?

[@saguaro_farm]

Actually, the kiddie pool is just what we use in the yard. We have a full time pond in their coop which is a little deeper than the kiddie pool 👍

[@jimgilbert9984]

@@saguaro_farm 👍

[@gonedeep43]

We have both. Chickens are more snuggley then Ducks. 😊

[@robertalynch5433]

I love ducks for all those reasons.

[@saguaro_farm]

We do too!

[@jbid9999]

Thanks

[@saguaro_farm]

Pleasure!

[@dreamsdestiny11]

I'm convinced! :) They are very cute too! Do they eat cockroaches?

[@aliensxist]

Ducks LOVE cockroaches! Chickens do too though to be fair! We have these mats that accumulate water/moisture under them, and when we move them away it exposes hundreds of tiny beatles and roaches, and the ducks go crazy for them!

[@duded2268]

If this is the case why don't you see duck eggs in the grocery store instead of chicken eggs, I've heard the exact opposite chickens lay more eggs

[@MrChangeordie]

Can you do a video on how u made the rock Gabion style wall? Thanks 😎👍

[@saguaro_farm]

Actually that wall came with the house! But we did do two Gabion pillars in the front yard for our gate using rocks from our land. We want to make another couple of those in the future, and we will definetly do a video on those!

[@AmericanRustWorker3369]

Chickens are wayyyy easier to maintain , ducks are messy as can be, but some ducks can become super friendly , when chickens typically don’t

[@saguaro_farm]

True that! People sometimes have a harder time converting the ducks to meat because they get attached easier than chickens. Our ducks seem afraid of us still after 2.5 years 😂

[@vkitty4743]

I had one Duck and she was so cool

[@saguaro_farm]

Such special creatures

[@vkitty4743]

Since everything is so expensive we are thinking about getting ducks but we rent. We have a nice enclosed backyard but its small. We just need to figure out a nice pen. Will they destroy the backyard?

[@saguaro_farm]

@@vkitty4743 biggest thing is they will make a huge mess, which might be considered destroyed by a landlord. Even without a pond (super messy) ducks will poop EVERYWHERE they go, so you’ll want to make sure to keep on top of cleaning it if you put them back there. But it can be seriously overwhelming the amount of poop that accumulates

[@joegriffith9585]

You need to put that water in your food gardens it works wonders

[@saguaro_farm]

Oh yes! You can see in our video here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/bJCcgp-fjNB8opo that we use this water on our fruit trees. We find they explode with intense growth in the spring and summer months here and we attribute some of that to this duck water. We’ve also used it on flowers in the garden beds. You may want to be a little careful using it on ground based or root based food crops which you’re going to be eating within the next 6 months because the raw duck manure in the water has a potential to transfer to the food. But it’s true, plants really love this stuff!

[@tamtrinh3154]

both, always!

[@saguaro_farm]

Agreed! We have some chickens coming soon too

[@hailsnover6214]

if ducks are better than chickens in almost every aspect then why is chicken so popular?

[@saguaro_farm]

We believe the biggest reason is because they're messier. Also a possibility is maybe some people think chickens are cuter.

[@Senbatorii]

I had to rehome my chickens after some got caught eating eggs, never had that problem with ducks

[@saguaro_farm]

We have seen this to be true too. Sometimes chicken keepers keep a smooth egg shaped rock in their chicken’s laying boxes so the chickens don’t “learn” to break open and eat their eggs. We haven’t had any similar issues with our ducks either.

[@theemeraldfox7779]

They're doing that because of the lack of calcium in their diet, you feed them crushed oyster shells for that,you don't get rid of them!!!!

[@saguaro_farm]

@@theemeraldfox7779 yes, that’s probably true. We also feed ours their own crushed up eggshells for a boost in calcium. When you make the shells a powder they don’t correlate the shell powder with their eggs.

[@iwantosavemoney]

Not bias at all 😆 but informative

[@JS-jh4cy]

Alot of quacks, lol

[@debc4788]

I am not a fan of chickens. They are loud when you go outside, they are screamers. I am loving the quail but thinking about ducks. Ducks seem loud to me too. Hope they are quieter. Thanks

[@saguaro_farm]

Ducks can certainly be loud too. However there is a certain kind of duck which hardly ever vocalizes. That is the Muscovy breed. They’re a little harder to find in North America, but their eggs can be obtained on eBay! They’re also decent egg lays and lay about 180 eggs every year on average.

[@kevinstreeter6943]

Just finished a video of "10 reasons not to get ducks". Your video is more convincing.

[@saguaro_farm]

We love to read that!

[@kevinstreeter6943]

@@saguaro_farm One thing that video brought that was a concern to me was that ducks drop their eggs randomly anywhere rather than in a nest. Is that a problem for you?

[@saguaro_farm]

@@kevinstreeter6943 it’s hasn’t been a problem for us at all. You get to know their favorite spots to lay them. Sometimes they cover up their eggs with bedding, but it’s pretty rare that we miss an egg when we check them every morning. In our coop toor video (here kzbin.info/www/bejne/bae5l2VmqMigp9U), our ducks prefer to lay their eggs mostly in their duck house, and if there’s a missing egg or two from there, they will usually be under the duck house in their pine shavings.

[@isatq6251]

Quack!

[@brianmatthews4323]

Why choose?😁

[@saguaro_farm]

Good point! We want to run some broiler chickens in the coming future!

[@IntentionalHomesteading]

Ducks are 50 times the work that chicken are. Much messier, do not recommend unleas you have at least an acre of land. They eat the garden and flowers. Also, ducks are smarter than chickens so you will be way less likely to feel OK converting duck to meat (especially if you have kids)

[@saguaro_farm]

Yes cleaning up after the ducks are a ton of work. That in itself is why most people get chickens instead of ducks.

[@Gillian-u9h]

This is great but there are several incorrect or misleading facts in your video. Chickens dont need heat outside and they especially dont need heat at 40°! Doing so will actually damage the chickens ability to adjust to heat and cold and make them less hardy. My girls were out in -20 with -45 degree winds this past winter and did fine

[@cooperstone110]

My chickens lay everyday of the year that’s 365 u just gotta feed em good stuff not cheap no nutrition feed

[@saguaro_farm]

Very nice! What kind of chickens do you have? Every chicken we have experienced has slowed down on their egg laying eventually. Typically during the winter months as the days get shorter. Sometimes people use artificial light to get them to lay more consistently throughout the winter, however, others say that messes with them in the long run. Agreed keeping the feed quality!

[@cooperstone110]

@@saguaro_farm I have Hylines and New Hampshire and a few Plymouth barrred rock I want to try to get about 10 Pekin ducks for meat and eggs but never had ducks before so kinda skeptical

[@saguaro_farm]

@@cooperstone110 oh very cool! My mom had a few Barred Rock when I was younger, along with a few other breeds - Rhode Island Red, Blue Andalusian. In the end, chickens and ducks are super similar, and both provide great food potential for any homestead. We just saw our local TSC had a bunch of Pekin ducklings. You can tell because the Pekins are the little yellow fuzzy ones. Super cute! But really all ducklings are. We’ve never tried Pekin meat, but have heard good things. We’re actually thinking about running some broiler chickens, like Cornish Crosses for meat production later on here. But Pekins are like the duck variety of broiler chickens they eat a ton, grow up FAST, get very BIG. I wish you luck with them when you get started!

[@debc4788]

@@saguaro_farm I have the Golden Comet / red sexlink and they layed all winter zone 8. The practicality lay everyday.

[@saguaro_farm]

@@debc4788 very nice! I’ve heard those chickens referred to as “Robo-Chickens” because they were specifically bread for laying and they do it with an efficiently on par to a machine!

[@Combat_Pyro]

Because you like your eggs to be laid willy nilly, wherever they group decide to that day! And because you like duck crap all over your sidewalks and driveways. Ducks definitely have pluses AND minuses!

[@saguaro_farm]

Completely agree! Their poo is a deal breaker for sure! We will never do a mess free brooder or coop with them because... IT DOESN'T EXIST!

[@joeygood3527]

Do khakis fly?

[@saguaro_farm]

Yes, they can fly (with effort) but they tend not to attempt to get away. They typically only fly for necessity because it seems a lot of with for them with their bigger domesticated bodies.

[@joeygood3527]

@@saguaro_farm thank you as I am near a strip of some other land which could be a problem . I have 3 heavier types which are great but liked your video a lot

[@julianserafica1411]

Ducks are discipline than by chickens

[@redsix0018]

I loved your video and disagree with some of the things! Chickens on average lay more eggs than ducks do! There are a few duck breeds that will lay a greater amount of eggs than chickens, but, on average you'll get more chickens that lay well over 200 eggs, and a few ducks will lay just barely at the 220 ish mark! The actual most used chicken for egg laying is the white leghorn, not really the rhode island red, the white leghorn can reach over 310 eggs per year, on average it's a little under 300. I do agree that ducks are typically less likely to catch diseases, I have about 25 ducks and around 50 chickens and I can say that I've had a bit more deaths with my chickens than ducks! I believe chickens and ducks both are at the same tolerance, my chickens love to be in the rain and out in the cold, and so do my ducks! I'd say ducks are a lot more maintenance than chickens because I find myself going outside every 2-3 hours to refill their water tub and to feed them, one thing's for sure is that they poop A LOT. Like a crazy amount 🤣, and chickens all you have to do is set up a big tub of water, give them some shade, and they won't bother you haha. One thing I agree with you guys is that you CANNOT have a garden and chickens at the same time lol, it's like saying I can eat 5k calories a day and not gain weight, so ducks are a lot better in not messing up your garden! P.S. I have 4 jumbo pekins, 10 rouens, 3 mallards, and about 8 or 9 magpies! then chickens I've got 23 white leghorn, 10 rhode island reds, 7 easter eggers, 5 blue-gold laced wyandonettes and 5 plymouth rocks!

[@saguaro_farm]

Great insight and perspective, and great to know! Thank you for the compare and contrast with your real experience! I know many breeds of chickens can produce large quantities of eggs, and as for the ducks there is only one main prolific layer breed. The ones we do have lay incredible amounts of eggs consistently though, so we are happy! But eggs tend to make all of us bird raisers happy! Sounds like you've got a lot of happy birds!

[@nicoleh6519]

Between female ducks and female chickens, which would you say is less likely to annoy neighbors? We are allowed a small flock of “poultry” where we live BUT there is a provision about them not being a nuisance. So roosters are definitely out. Just wasn’t sure how loud the quacks are vs clucks. Thanks!

[@adamnarkon9018]

There's a reason most grocery stores don't carry duck eggs

[@saguaro_farm]

There’s definitely a bias against duck eggs as far as commercial production. There are many theories as to why, but generally the chicken industry was commercialized instead of the duck industry. That doesn’t mean the egg quality is better in a chicken, nor can ducks produce a quantity comparable to chickens. I think at the end of the day, the public perceives eggs coming from a chicken, not a duck. I’m curious to know what you think is the reason?

[@coursecorrection870]

@@saguaro_farm It was probably easier to put multiple chickens into a small cage for industrial production, maybe thats why there became a bias towards chicken egg production.

[@saguaro_farm]

yes that probably is the reality of it.

[@Soilfoodwebwarrior]

Chicken will eat grubs but not the slugs

[@saguaro_farm]

True, I’ve seen the chickens pick apart nasty critters too. The ducks have the big advantage with snails

[@jada1564]

Yes, my chickens LOVE grubs. They also love crawfish too!

[@stevehughes240]

Funny, I just watched "10 reasons why I'll never keep ducks again". Messy...#1.

[@saguaro_farm]

Sounds like a common theme! Haha For us at least we can use their manure. I feel like that makes dealing with the mess a little better, to not make it a negative thing.

[@Balanced3645]

Ducks have webbed feet people , they are on the unclean side of the edible food list...👁

[@ellenlefavour628]

Ducks and geese are considered kosher - swans are not. If you read Leviticus 11, God identifies the clean and unclean animals. You do need to look at the Hebrew translation because sometimes the KJV or other translations make things up. The bird they translate as swan is also translated white owl. I researched all this when I became Torah observant and didn’t want to eat or, as much as possible, do anything contrary to the Father’s word.

[@Balanced3645]

@@ellenlefavour628 Ducks have webbed feet.👀

[@ellenlefavour628]

@@Balanced3645 Where do you get that? God is the only one that can identify what He created to be food (clean) and what is unclean (not food). Unless you can substantiate your position from His Word, you are placing yourself above Him, which isn’t a wise thing to do.

[@Balanced3645]

@@ellenlefavour628 Leviticus chapt.11

[@carolnorton2551]

I like the taste of chickens better. And prefer chicken egg taste. Duck egg is too strong.

[@saguaro_farm]

I’ve heard this. With our Khaki Campbell ducks, we and other people who’ve tried their eggs can’t tell a difference from chicken eggs as far as flavor goes. Maybe other breeds of ducks have stronger egg flavors though. I personally agree with the taste of chicken too. It’s all about personal preference. It’s a different kind of meat. The white meat versus dark meat. Duck is very dark and fatty which can be very flavorful, but prone to overcooking more than chicken.

[@Raghav-ww1bt]

I just don't like the taste of duck eggs.

[@saguaro_farm]

To us, and most people we know who’ve tried our Khaki Campbell eggs, we can’t tell a difference from chicken eggs. I’ve personally never tried a different duck breed’s egg to compare the flavor to though.

[@ieshavincechan7310]

My chickens eat slugs and snails

[@hgdon-homeiswheretreesare-9239]

I guess ducks‘eggs are bigger than chickens‘eggs too. But ducks are dirtier and stinker than chickens. Overall, ducks are better than chickens.

[@saguaro_farm]

You know, this comment sums it up pretty well 👍

[@carllyndonrosal8974]

Duck is messy if the owner is messy,,,,,duck is more easier to handle than chicken and duck is low maintenance mompare to chicken when it comes to their health

[@saguaro_farm]

Absolutely!

[@theemeraldfox7779]

I have both! This video is biased

[@saguaro_farm]

Maybe a little ;) we want to run some meat chickens in the future too!

[@baral6747]

Hi Thanks for your video I hope you will slaughter some birds soon 🔪🔪🐓👍

[@saguaro_farm]

We’ve actually got a video on that topic too