Chickens, Ducks or Geese?

[NoshowJones]

Back in the US, I built the hut because it was too cold for them to live outside.

Just a simple A-frame wood hut about 1m high and 1x1m base. Hinged back, and small door in the front, straw inside.

The chickens mainly laid the eggs in the hut, but not always.

No enclosure, they just wandered around the garden.

These birds all seem to learn where they live very quickly, and never stray far.

The chickens could fly over any wall, usually fly up to wall and perch, then fly down the other side.

Not often, but they would fly back before the evening.

Other people's dogs are more a risk than the birds escaping.

In the US a dog broke down my fence and killed the lot.

You can't keep a big dog out.

Thank you, that's what I'm worried about, the neighbours dogs.

Although they have chickens also running around in their land and sometimes come in to mine but the dogs don't seem to chase them.

Saying that I don't know if their dogs are used to their chickens but they will attack mine.

I was interested in keeping chickens for their eggs, but my dogs always kill pigeons, so they would probably also kill the chickens.

[NoshowJones]

How do geese get along with cats? I would gladly keep some geese if they could keep all of the neighbor cats away.

Grin

I love cats, no cats ever come near our house except our own, every time I see a cat, I just want to cuddle it. That will be me in Sheryls good books now.

[aboctok]

ducks are easy to keep you can tie them up like a dog you tie a piece of pork fat to a roll of string the duck will eat it and goes straight through shitting it out

the next duck will do same etc you can have 100 ducks tied up at the back door donnt need a yard

How do you deal with the inevitable tangles? Cut the pork fat off the end and (gently) yank the line back through all the ducks? Or snip your way through the flock?

[biplanebluey]

Chickens do not show any affection to humans. Ducks do, in very rear occasions. Geese can show really affection to people.

Chickens lay eatable eggs, ducks and geese do also, but not so many, more difficult to collect (they are protected by the birds)

Chicken meat is easy to sell.

Concrete floor I should choose. It is easy to clean. In case from a disease, you are able to clean the house much faster and better.

Geese, you also need a pond. They only mate in water, and only after mating they will lay eggs (what they really protect)

Thai say, "when you have geese on your property, you do not have snakes" I did not notice this, but maybe it is true?

I should choose the chickens, easy, to keep, easy to feed.

We have around 25 now (I know not the amount you are looking for) At night they enter their own ren. In the morning they lay their eggs (about 1 chicken 1 egg daily) in the afternoon we let them free, so they eat all flees, ticks, worms and caterpillars from our grass and plants.

When they are inside in the evening we lock the ren. Same process again.

Regards, Arjen (from M school)

2 INTERESTING POINTS TO MAKE HERE------

I once hatched out 8 duck eggs and they thought I was their mother,so I was treated like a mother figure and waddled after me everywhere I went.They never bothered to fly in their yound months but eventually they made it into the air after a lot of practice and we watched them with great excitement as they went round in circles and eventually landed back "home".This went on for a long time until eventually they started to get braver with wider and longer trips each day until finally they took off one day and were never seen again

My second point was just to say that with 4 geese I was equipped with the most marvelous burglar alarm,We got a "cattle grid" made to cover the entrance to our acre and the Geese had a free run 24/7,but god help anyone trying to come in un-announced---- they can look and sound quite fierce to strangers.

Don't just "keep" creatures---- use them and HAVE FUN------Good luck

[khaowong1]

Chickens do not show any affection to humans. Ducks do, in very rear occasions. Geese can show really affection to people.

Chickens lay eatable eggs, ducks and geese do also, but not so many, more difficult to collect (they are protected by the birds)

Chicken meat is easy to sell.

Concrete floor I should choose. It is easy to clean. In case from a disease, you are able to clean the house much faster and better.

Geese, you also need a pond. They only mate in water, and only after mating they will lay eggs (what they really protect)

Thai say, "when you have geese on your property, you do not have snakes" I did not notice this, but maybe it is true?

I should choose the chickens, easy, to keep, easy to feed.

We have around 25 now (I know not the amount you are looking for) At night they enter their own ren. In the morning they lay their eggs (about 1 chicken 1 egg daily) in the afternoon we let them free, so they eat all flees, ticks, worms and caterpillars from our grass and plants.

When they are inside in the evening we lock the ren. Same process again.

Regards, Arjen (from M school)

just to contadict you,,

ducks lay an egg every day, you get brown karki cambell duck, we have them here also peking ducks will lay well, better then chicken eggs,

now to your questions, i would start with karkis, build a run for them a little house to sleep they will lay there eggs in there, also they do tend to lay anywere so best to have them in a run, the eggs are brilliant my wife sells eggs everyday and has a waiting list for eggs,

we have geese but mainly for protection they make a bit of noise should anyone come around,

you can keep all together no problem, have a concreate floor in the house part,

here is a few pics of the new duck house i have just built still doing the run so cant post pics yet, the run will be 35mtr square,

there even put a pic of some of our pigs,,lol

we have alsorts costas,

pig are our main income, we sell between 20 and 35 a month at 100kilo,

like i sat we have the laying ducks

laying hens

peking ducks good for egg and better for meat,

geese,

even fish in the catch pond behind the pig pens,

plus we grow a little veg, we will grow more when i fully retire as i still go offshore to work,

youll enjoy it mate give it a go,

bloody hell forgot my pigeons and budgies,,lol

Love your chicken house, in-laws could even sleep there on a layover..

[khaowong1]

We have geese, ducks, guinea fowl and chickens of assorted shapes and sizes. It's really a zoo rather than any sort of farming, they're all pets, Wifey would never dream of eating her friends even the ruddy fish, (just getting to 'grill' size too).

Everyone seems to get on ok, roosting in their own favourite spot (chickens have a lockable house but everything else sleeps 'rough').

We do have a large secure garden so no issues with predators mind.

Crossy, thank you.

If I can ask you, how big is the lockable house you got for them?

What have you put inside?

Many thanks.

We have 30 Chickens lockable house 3 by 3 meter 2.5 metres high well ventilated 2 bamboo poles where they spend the night on, free roaming area ( fenced 2 meter high) 3 X 8 meter.

Collecting 22 to 27 eggs a day and they sell well her to the locals depending on size 3 and 3.5 baht for a daily fresh egg........................

We like to have Ducks as well they like to eat snails and we have a fishpond of 400 M2, however I am afraid if they eat the small fish ( no problem) the eggs will not have a good taste ???

Geese to noisy and shit a lot all over the place....

Good looking chickens and chicken coop..

[cameltrakker]

if you wanted a nice drake mate i could let you have one,

the only thing is them karkis dont go broody, so we have an inmcubator also we have moskovies to sit the karki eggs, we wait till a moskovie goes broody, take her eggs away and put in karkies, but there is a lady on the market wants to buy moskovies of us to cook and sell, my wife sold her 10 last week, so ive only got about 20 moskovies left,

we have about 40 karkis, we only have 6 peking at the moment, ive contacted a man for another 50 karkis and 50 peking,

Where did you find an incubator? It would be easier to hatch goose eggs. When you remove the eggs the old girl will usually keep laying until she is done for the season and the hatch rate is usually better

[ggt]

I have raised all three...chickens were the best for my personal use...easy to raise and maintain...more eggs and young chicks for the investment...

One rooster can maintain 9 hens...I know what a glutton...

The internet is filled with helpful information on building a chicken coop, roost, and nesting boxes...raising young chicks to adulthood, keeping your chickens health and predator protection...

Clean water is imperative...

Depending upon where you live...soi dogs and thieves may be your biggest problem...

I presently have nine grown chickens which lay on average 7 eggs per day...

Good luck!

[KonaRain]

Don't go too large..great advice above.My neighbors have all of them.

My wealthy neighbors fed them chicken feed and 'laying' food..?

Now there all at a coffee farm, running free.

Cats are fine but tiny baby foul will be chased and eaten..when bigger, should not be a problem..give ducks a laying roost also..fantastic eggs!!

[KonaRain]

Geese fend off everything as mentioned..

Aloha

[pigeonjake]

hi costas,

that me done for the morning feed and clean, 8,25,

ive took some more pics for you, i dont want to take over your thread by posting loads of pics of the jackson farm

but it gives you and other readers an idea what you can do out here, see we only have 2 rai, but if you make it work for you its enough,

i look at it this way, i chicken or duck will lay about 250 eggs a year, now thats about 1000bht a year, take off a little food,

thats about the same profit as a lamyai tree,,, and you need a lot of land for a lot of lamyai,, no so much with chickens of ducks,

we also have a pig area, at the moment we have about 80, but some are going this afternoon,

so you see you can do a lot with a little land if you think about it,

the one with the gander with babies, they arnt his they are 12 moskovies and 3 young karkies but hes took to them and guards them,,lol

and the reason i make all my sheds and barns out of block is i can do it myself and i want them to last, i dont want to do them with bamboo or yuka and have to re-do them every year or so, im not being flash i just want them to last,

hope you enjoy costas, i even think my wife got into one while collecting her eggs,

heres the pics i took this morning, allsorts mate, if you have any questions just ask mate

[Costas2008]

I would like to thank everyone for your valuable advice and effort.

Now I think I know a little more about chickens, ducks and geese.

Being an accountant, never before got involved into farming or live stock but as they say, never late to learn and try.

Yesterday, I visited the Agricultural College, near where I live, where they keep chickens and sell the eggs to help the college.

Just wanted some more advice.

They keep about 800 chickens, but what I saw made me feel sorry for the chickens.

I don't think I will ever try to keep them like that.

Took some photos for you to judge, although the teacher insisted that the chickens are quite happy there.

Anyway, thank you very much again, I really appreciated your answers.

Best regards

Costas

[pigeonjake]

battery hens mate,

i just cant see how they can be happy, chickens are ment to scape for things around the garden not be pened up like that, thats why in the uk i always bought free range eggs,(from my mum)lol, yes i bought them, she has to pay for feed,

i once bought my mum 12 point of lay pullets for mothers day,, and thats true, she was over the moon,

[EmptyHead]

The good lady and i are thinking of ducks. So just to clarify: they don't actually need water?

[pigeonjake]

they do to drink

[Crossy]

The good lady and i are thinking of ducks. So just to clarify: they don't actually need water?

I was always given to understand that ducks need swimming water (geese apparently don't). Our Pekins certainly like to swim and dive in their pond.

[grin]

How do geese get along with cats? I would gladly keep some geese if they could keep all of the neighbor cats away.

Grin

I love cats, no cats ever come near our house except our own, every time I see a cat, I just want to cuddle it. That will be me in Sheryls good books now.

Yep, I like cats just fine, always had a cat until I started to be away from home too much. Problem is that a neighbor is taking in strays and feeding them. And for some reason most of them want to go in our yard. The stench is awful and it drives my wife to tears trying to keep her garden clean of all the cat crap.

Some of the cats are approachable and will let you hold them but some are quite feral and I'm not too sure about trying to pick up a cat without shots.

Where are all of the Siamese cats? I would expect to see more here in Thailand.

Reading about the goose crap it seems if we got geese that we would just be trading goose crap for cat crap.

More on topic, I used to live on a lake that had swans hanging around pretty much year round. You wouldn't want to mess with them. I saw one chase away a German shepherd once and another time a group of young boys thought it would be fun to pester the swans. I still get a chuckle when I remember their faces when the swans charged at them.

Grin

[NoshowJones]

How do geese get along with cats? I would gladly keep some geese if they could keep all of the neighbor cats away.

Grin

I love cats, no cats ever come near our house except our own, every time I see a cat, I just want to cuddle it. That will be me in Sheryls good books now.

Yep, I like cats just fine, always had a cat until I started to be away from home too much. Problem is that a neighbor is taking in strays and feeding them. And for some reason most of them want to go in our yard. The stench is awful and it drives my wife to tears trying to keep her garden clean of all the cat crap.

Some of the cats are approachable and will let you hold them but some are quite feral and I'm not too sure about trying to pick up a cat without shots.

Where are all of the Siamese cats? I would expect to see more here in Thailand.

Reading about the goose crap it seems if we got geese that we would just be trading goose crap for cat crap.

More on topic, I used to live on a lake that had swans hanging around pretty much year round. You wouldn't want to mess with them. I saw one chase away a German shepherd once and another time a group of young boys thought it would be fun to pester the swans. I still get a chuckle when I remember their faces when the swans charged at them.

Grin

I had a Siamese cat about six years ago, and it died after about one year, I don't know why, my friend had two about the same time, and they also died. You hardly ever see any now.

[djayz]

We have geese, ducks, guinea fowl and chickens of assorted shapes and sizes. It's really a zoo rather than any sort of farming, they're all pets, Wifey would never dream of eating her friends even the ruddy fish, (just getting to 'grill' size too).

Everyone seems to get on ok, roosting in their own favourite spot (chickens have a lockable house but everything else sleeps 'rough').

We do have a large secure garden so no issues with predators mind.

Crossy, thank you.

If I can ask you, how big is the lockable house you got for them?

What have you put inside?

Many thanks.

We have 30 Chickens lockable house 3 by 3 meter 2.5 metres high well ventilated 2 bamboo poles where they spend the night on, free roaming area ( fenced 2 meter high) 3 X 8 meter.

Collecting 22 to 27 eggs a day and they sell well her to the locals depending on size 3 and 3.5 baht for a daily fresh egg........................

We like to have Ducks as well they like to eat snails and we have a fishpond of 400 M2, however I am afraid if they eat the small fish ( no problem) the eggs will not have a good taste ???

Geese to noisy and shit a lot all over the place....

Can you tell me what breed of chicken they are and, if possible, in Thai?

Thank you.

[djayz]

We have geese, ducks, guinea fowl and chickens of assorted shapes and sizes. It's really a zoo rather than any sort of farming, they're all pets, Wifey would never dream of eating her friends even the ruddy fish, (just getting to 'grill' size too).

Everyone seems to get on ok, roosting in their own favourite spot (chickens have a lockable house but everything else sleeps 'rough').

We do have a large secure garden so no issues with predators mind.

Crossy, thank you.

If I can ask you, how big is the lockable house you got for them?

What have you put inside?

Many thanks.

We have 30 Chickens lockable house 3 by 3 meter 2.5 metres high well ventilated 2 bamboo poles where they spend the night on, free roaming area ( fenced 2 meter high) 3 X 8 meter.

Collecting 22 to 27 eggs a day and they sell well her to the locals depending on size 3 and 3.5 baht for a daily fresh egg........................

We like to have Ducks as well they like to eat snails and we have a fishpond of 400 M2, however I am afraid if they eat the small fish ( no problem) the eggs will not have a good taste ???

Geese to noisy and shit a lot all over the place....

thanks for the photos. Can you tell me the what breed of chicken they are and, if possible, the Thai name?

Thank you.

[Udoth]

Basically got a 6m x 6m simple bamboo enclosure with that cheap khaki netting up and a basic corrugated iron roof.

How much did this one cost you, and do you perhaps have pictures of it? I need such an enclosure (or two) myself. I was planning to make one but I'm not really a builder ;p

[sabian]

They are khaki campbell ducks which produce the most eggs and probably the most common duck around, but nice ducks.

I previously had chickens, built a hut.

Just got a couple of ducks, no pond, no hut. They just sleep and lay eggs on the grass. Eventually I'll get round to a pond and hut..

Ducks are easier to keep, lay more eggs. and seem to fend for themselves better than chickens.

1 duck lays 9 eggs in 10 days.

1 chicken lays 2 eggs in 3 days.

Not to mention duck eggs sell for twice the price of chicken eggs (3-4bht each Vs 6-8bht each).

Each duck costs me under 10bht a week in grain and feed, so far.

I know nothing of geese.

PS

both my chickens and ducks were equally friendly. Follow me around the garden, sit with me, etc.

neither the chickens or ducks needed males to lay. Suspect geese don't either.

2014-11-14 17.19.38.jpg

I have no idea what breed these ducks are, a male was given to me, the female cost 100bht. Both 6 months old.

About to spend another 100bht for another female.

Boiled duck egg sandwich is great!

My gf recons' they taste different to chicken eggs, but I couldn't tell and taste difference.

Boiled duck egg a bit harder to peel than boiled chicken egg.

[sabian]

I keep a few ducks, Khaki Campbells, Abacot Ranger, Cayuga, Appleyards, Pekings, Magpies, Swedish Blue and the strangest of all I got last week which Thai people call "Superducks" because they lay very big eggs.