Would you rather raise chickens or ducks?

Last Updated on March 11, 2024 by Michelle

I’m often asked if I’d rather raise chickens or ducks. Yes. . .  Let me explain. . .

Are there pros and cons to each kind of bird? Absolutely. Most days, if I had to pick only one to have on the farm, I’d pick chickens. But once in a while, I’d pick ducks. I imagine most people who own both would tell you they have a favorite. More often than not, simply based on my conversations I’ve had with others who raise both chickens and ducks, I would venture to say that most people would choose chickens if forced to choose just one.

Go here to see the products I recommend for raising chicken.

But if you don’t have to choose, why on earth would you?

But there are such redeeming qualities to ducks… The larger, richer eggs for starters. And their ability to keep on laying those rich eggs most of the winter, long after our hens take their winter break. (Mind you, we choose to not heat our coop. Our hens would give us eggs longer into the winter months if they had a heat source.) But, the hands-down #1 reason I like having ducks around? Their stinkin’ cute waddles and adorable personalities. I mean honestly, who can resist waddling duck butts heading off across the field?

What I love the most about having ducks?

I mean, hello! Beatrice Potter moment here! Who doesn’t wanna have Jemima Puddle Duck tottering nearby? I honestly wonder if one day the ducks will come shuffling around a corner wearing blue bonnets and chatting about Sally Henny Penny. But, yeah, the sheer fact that their presence makes our New England homestead feel a little like a farm on the English country side makes me glad we have the room and ability to keep some ducks on our farm.

But a few moments that occurred one evening last week made me so happy. Sure, I know it just looks like a few birds in my back field, but this right here is a picture of male birds–Mr. Big Fat, my rooster, and Winchester, the drake–doing what male birds do so beautifully. They have amazing natural instincts to care for their ladies.

Eagle has always been one of Mr. Big Fat’s favorites, so I wasn’t surprised to see that she was the hen in the picture I had snapped. Eagle has quite a story of her own, part of which you could read about in this post.

But the female duck is the main character of the story today. Lamie was always lame, from when we brought her home as a duckling with 2 other ladies and their drake. But as she grew, her disability became more pronounced. She tried oh-so-hard to keep up with the others, but she was always left behind. Her drake never cared to check on her or encourage her along, but was always fine with the fact that she was left behind and out of his range of protection. While she did become quite a loaner, even down to the fact that she was never able to lay eggs, she always seemed to be much happier when the others waddled back her way and she had some company.

---

This post gives you a rundown on 10 Fowl Facts you should know that I didn’t know when I first brought home our chickens. (You can pin that one here.)

This post explains how we trained our labradoodle to befriend our birds–maybe the most important accomplishment to date here on our farm. (That pin is here.)

And if you’re considering raising chicks, please read this post to avoid the horrible mistake I made that cost many sweet little lives. (This pin leads you to that mistake as one of a dozen I made that year.)

---

One day Lamie’s disability saved her life but left her totally empty.

The others had waddled off through the cow pasture one day, and they were carried off for a meal by a local fox. The drake, from the looks of the spewed feathers, had put up quite a battle for his ladies but had lost. It was tragic for us. I got the call during my long stay by my daughter’s side in the ICU, where she battled a rare and ugly neurological symptom during the worst, darkest summer of my life. Part of me had no energy to devote to feeling sad over the loss of a few farm critters, but another part of me was devastated at the news. Alone. Empty. Lame, in my own right.

So to have ducks waddling their cuteness around the homestead again feels extra good. You see, recently, a few new ducks came to live on our farm. But the evening I realized this I was elated…

While we were watching the sap boil, the chicken and ducks all came around. Well, first came Lassie. But our barn cat is always around…

Then I realized Lamie had a new lease on life.

Then came the ducks, the farthest we had seen them wander since moving in. And Lamie was with them! For the first time in a very long time Lamie has friends again. And she is like a new duck. They even patiently wait for her to keep up with them when they go on their wandering, waddling adventures. The new drake seems to be especially fond of Lamie. My heart leaped with happy when I saw this. That and the amazing aromatic maple steam that enveloped me, wow, I’m surprised I didn’t cry.

So, yeah, I’m often asked if I’d rather raise chicken or ducks. Yes.

Go here to see the products I recommend for raising your own.

If you’d like to meet our barn kittens, here’s a facebook live I shared recently over on my facebook page. Of course who wouldn’t? They’re stinkin adorable balls of just-born fluff.

If you already ARE a subscriber, just hop over to the Resource Library here and enter your personal password. (If you don’t remember your password, no fear, we always include a personalized reminder in every Thursday email, “Hard Work, Simple Joys.”)