Ducks vs. chickens: You have probably heard many backyard flock enthusiasts refer to ducks as the “new chicken.” Ducks and chickens are not birds of the same feather; learn more as we dive into what makes ducks genuinely unique.
Family Matters
Did you know ducks and chickens are not related? That’s right. Ducks are members of the waterfowl family (think wild ducks, geese, swans and loons) and chickens are members of the pheasant family.
Water Lovers
One of the most noticeable differences when comparing ducks vs. chickens is a duck’s love of water. Unlike their chicken cousins, who detest getting wet, nothing makes a duck happier than splashing in a kiddie pool.
Ducks require a bucket to submerge their heads daily to clean their eyes and airways. They also require swimming in a kiddie pool several times weekly to keep their feathers clean.
Duck vs. Chicken Fact: Did you know? Mature laying hens drink an average of one pint of water daily, while adult ducks drink as much as one-half gallon of water. Both species require clean drinking water changed twice daily for optimal health.
A Messy House
Ducks are notorious for turning a clean, dry coop into a wet, messy disaster overnight. Unlike their chicken cousins, ducks can’t go without water overnight, so duck owners have no choice but to deal with a messy coop.
Duck vs. Chicken Fact: A duck’s messy lifestyle is not ideal for a chicken. Wet living conditions can make chickens ill, so housing the two species separately is advised.
Nutritional Differences
Ducks require different nutritional needs than chickens. Laying ducks require more protein, crude fat and niacin than chickens to lay eggs. Adult ducks’ nutritional differences can often be balanced by allowing them access to green pastures and supplementing their diet with Brewer’s yeast to ensure they receive enough niacin.
Ducklings also require more nutrition than chicks to grow healthy and strong. The best way to ensure your duckings stay healthy is by feeding them feed formulated for ducklings.
Duck vs. Chicken Fact: Ducklings require twenty percent more niacin than chicks.
Predator Protection
Just like chickens, ducks need protection from predators. The best way to protect your duck flock from a predator attack is to cover the run sides, roof, and coop windows with a half-inch 16-gauge hardware cloth and attach predator skirts to deter digging. Leave no gap bigger than ½ inch in either your coop or run. House all poultry in a coop with a wooden or cement floor.
Only allow ducks to free range if directly supervised by an adult.
Duck vs. Chicken Fact: Unlike chickens, ducks can’t fly into a tree to avoid a fox. They also lack sharp beaks and spurs that many chickens use to attack a predator.
Eggs, Eggs, Eggs
Duck vs. chicken eggs is a popular debate among backyard flock owners. Unlike their chicken cousins, ducks usually lay their eggs in the morning, saving you from needing to search the run for eggs. While duck eggs are significantly larger than chicken eggs, the egg size comes at a price. Each duck requires two cups of feed daily, compared to one-half cup per chicken.
Ducks generally produce more eggs than laying hens; however, both species should stop to molt and overwinter before resuming laying in the spring.
Duck vs. Chicken Fact: An average duck egg weighs between seventy and eighty grams. Meanwhile, a chicken egg weighs between fifty and sixty grams.
Noise Please
Are ducks quieter than chickens? Ducks don’t sing an egg song or crow, but a duck cutting loose with a loud quack can carry a far distance and even echo.
Ducks are usually quieter than chickens, but this largely depends on the breed, as some are noisier than others.
Duck vs. Chicken Fact: While roosters are loud, drake ducks have a soft quack. However, a female duck’s deep quack can be very loud.
Ducky Behaviors
Ducks vs. chickens behaviors vary greatly. From bobbing their heads and hours spent preening to stunning courtship displays, ducks continue to fascinate us with their behaviors. But why do ducks do these behaviors?
Courtship Displays
Drakes perform courtship displays to attract a mate, but they will also perform them for their favorite humans. Drakes twist their bodies in various movements, splash water with their bills, and whistle, showing off their curly tail feathers and wing speculums (the blue wing patch found on Mallards and other gray ducks like Rouens).
Most courtship displays occur when ducks are courting in the fall and winter, but some drakes will perform year-round.
Duck vs. Chicken Fact: Unlike a rooster with a flock of multiple hens, many drakes prefer having only one female.
Preening Time
When watching ducks vs. chickens preening, the difference is astounding. Chickens spend minutes a day preening, while ducks spend hours. As members of the waterfowl family, ducks must protect their feathers with a sticky oil found in the gland at the base of their tail. This oil protects ducks from the elements, including waterproofing them.
Duck vs. Chicken Fact: Chickens also have an oil gland at the base of their tails, but their feathers are only water-repelling.
Head Bobs
Ducks bob their heads to communicate with other ducks. What they say to each other depends on how high their heads are positioned and how fast or slow they move their heads. Let’s break down some common headbobs.
Slow Two Duck Headbob: When two ducks slowly bob their heads up and down at each other, this behavior signifies a courtship display.
Fast Bill to the Ground Headbob: When a duck performs a fast bill to the ground headbob, the duck is angry. This behavior is usually accompanied by aggressive quacking and is only performed by female ducks.
Submissive Headbob: Female ducks perform a submissive headbob when greeting ducks higher in the pecking order or their mate.
Ducks may not be the “new chicken,” but they offer backyard poultry enthusiasts as many eggs and countless hours of entertainment as their chicken cousins. So, if you’re comparing duck vs chicken for your flock, why not try both?
This article was written for Chickens magazine. Click here to subscribe.
