Raising Ducks vs Chickens in Your Backyard Flock

What’s the difference between raising ducks and chickens? They’re both poultry, lay eggs, and have beaks, wings, and feathers, so what's the difference?

Differences and Commonalities of Ducks and Chickens

Eggs

Both ducks and chickens are excellent egg layers; however, the difference lies in how they are laid. Unlike chickens, most ducks will lay eggs regularly all year, whereas chickens are seasonal and usually don’t lay eggs in the winter. One advantage of chickens is that they lay eggs earlier. Chickens lay eggs when they’re 4-5 months old, while ducks only start laying eggs when they’re 6-7 months old, and continue to lay eggs for more years than their chicken counterparts. Also, chicken and duck eggs are different. For example, duck eggs are larger which means they’ll contain higher levels of fat, protein, cholesterol, and omega-3, which is something to consider when making a decision.

Housing

Regarding housing, ducks, and chickens can adapt to confinement or free-range, however, chickens do better in confinement than ducks. Despite this, chickens are more prone to boredom and bullying when bored. Ducks are more challenging to keep confined due to needing access to water and being messier. Ducks prefer a free-range lifestyle and can efficiently forage for most of their food, though even if they are free-range, you’ll still need to provide shelter for them to reside in at night. When it comes to using a pasture, ducks are the better choice -- due to being less destructive, ducks won’t turn your pasture into a barren wasteland the same way chickens do. The worst they’ll do is dig small holes while looking for bugs, otherwise, ducks are content to simply graze the pasture for food.

Predators

Regarding predators looking for food, ducks and chickens can be popular choices. However, ducks are slightly more susceptible to being preyed on than chickens due to domesticated ducks' inability to fly well and slower walking (waddling) speed. Because of this, ducks need slightly more predator protection than chickens. Having a cover over the fencing can help protect both from aerial predators. When using fencing to keep predators out and your poultry in, chickens tend to require higher fences due to their ability to fly and their love of causing chaos.

Coops and Houses

Regarding shelter, both ducks and chickens need predator-proof shelters that are cleaned daily. Chickens often stay in coops, whereas ducks are kept in duck houses. Both shelters must have good ventilation and the necessities needed for raising chickens or ducks. In terms of necessities, chickens need more than ducks -- chickens require roosting bars and nesting boxes, while a duck house only needs litter and a water source, which should be kept outside as ducks are extremely messy with their water.

Space

Both chickens and ducks need space to be active and healthy. Typically, ducks require more space than chickens. Since a duck house doesn’t contain nesting boxes or roosting bars, it's easier to get sufficient space. With housing, both chickens and ducks need ample space, but ducks do require a water source, which can complicate matters.

Environment

When raising chickens, you need to consider the type of environment you live in and choose what breed to raise accordingly. Chickens should also be kept in dryer conditions, unlike ducks, which flourish in wet conditions.

Diet

Ducks and chickens have very similar diets, with only a few differences. While chickens will forage for food, they do better with a steady feed such as Henhouse Reserve® Feed for Chickens.

Health

When it comes to health, chickens are usually more susceptible to diseases than ducks. Both chicks and adult chickens have to have their immune systems built up gradually for them to resist different diseases and pathogens found in their natural environment. Ducks and ducklings are both more disease-resistant than chickens. However, keeping ducks healthy is complicated due to their need to have access to water. Unlike chickens, which only need access to clean drinking water, ducks need access to water for playing and dunking their heads in, adding a layer of complication to caring for them.

Choosing Between Raising Ducks vs Chickens or Both

Deciding between ducks and chickens when picking what to raise is a difficult decision you shouldn’t make uninformed. Some key questions to ask yourself are: What type of climate do I live in, do I have a lot of space, do I have access to a water source or the materials to provide one? With these questions in mind and the information you just learned, you’ll be ready to confidently choose between raising ducks or chickens. 

Explore Chicken and Duck Feed from Kalmbach Feeds

At Kalmbach Feeds®, there are various feeds for ducks and chickens, and even some that work for both. For chickens, you can choose from multiple options: Organic, non-GMO crumble, non-GMO pellets, all-natural pellets, and crumbles. You have many of the same options for ducks due to many of the poultry feeds being duck-friendly. With Kalmbach Feeds, we have different options to ensure you get the correct feed for your flock.