While we have chosen to raise both, there are some differences between chickens and Muscovy ducks. If you have the room, both are worth keeping. This post will be comparing the two based on my experience.
I will rank each according to several categories with a winner declared in each if there is a decided advantage held by one. I will rank them in these abilities/characteristics: Reproduction, Ease of Care, Hardiness, Uses, Taste, Self Sufficiency, Clearing Land, Growth Rate and Conclusion.
In my comparison chickens are heritage breeds that I keep
such as Buff Orpington, Barred Rock, Rhode Island Red, New Hampshire, Araucana, Dominique and Ameraucana. The majority of my chickens are mix of these breeds but I also keep small breeding flocks of purebred birds. I cannot compare something well that I don’t have first hand experience with, so I wanted to mention the breeds of chickens I am referring to. Our Muscovy ducks are the common Muscovy ducks you will find throughout Missouri.
Most of my poultry are allowed to free range throughout the day and return to large chicken tractors of an evening. Some of my comparisons will have judgements based on the suitability for such a setup.
Reproduction:
Winner: Chickens. The hands down winner in this category is chickens. While rabbits have a good reputation in this category chickens are the real replication machines. The average heritage breed chicken will lay an egg every other day for the majority of the year, if you choose to attempt to hatch these eggs you will have plenty of chickens to add to your flock. While chickens will slow down and lay fewer eggs in the winter and late fall, they do lay some eggs
all year. Muscovy’s lay well in the spring and early summer but taper off quickly. The Muscovy cannot compete in the number off eggs or length of laying.
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Ease of Care:
Winner: Chickens. While Muscovy’s are not hard to care for chickens are the clear winner in this category as well. For those that free range Muscovy’s are not as good as chickens about returning to their home of an evening. While they will often return home the habit is not as ingrained in Muscovy’s as it is in chickens. Muscovy’s also need a source of water, it wouldn’t be acceptable to just water them with chicken water nipples. Even with water that is fenced off allowing the Muscovy’s to dip their head but not their entire body in the water they will still produce a muddy mess. It is also more time consuming cleaning the water bowls and filling them than using an automatic waterer with chicken water nipples.
Hardiness:
Winner: Tie. Both birds are pretty hardy. I have had more losses of Muscovy chicks for some reason, but the adult Muscovys seem hardier than adult chickens. I have had very minimal problems with either.
Uses:
Winner: A tie. Chickens and Muscovys both have unique and common uses. Obviously both are edible, and both provide good meat and eggs. Chickens provide more eggs, the muscovy’s provide bigger richer eggs. Both can be used to scorch the earth clearing garden areas, and both work great in chicken tractors. They both control the buildup of table scraps, and both help to control insects. The ideal one will be depending on the conditions and personal taste.
Taste:
Winner: Muscovy’s. Taste is very subjective and individual, but my family prefers Muscovy to chicken. Chicken is well chicken, even the heritage breeds are still chicken. Muscovy is very similar to beef. It looks and tastes like beef, and I think the unsuspecting diner would be hard pressed to detect much difference. Muscovy is very different 
in taste from the ducks in the mallard family and even geese. If you have not tried Muscovy it is worth giving a shot.
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Self Sufficiency:
Winner: Tie. Both are able to be pretty self sufficient in my environment. Muscovy’s might have a slight edge being bigger and less of a target. Muscovys will beat many modern chicken breeds that have foraging bred out of them. When allowed to free range in a good environment Muscovy’s and chickens can feed themselves. Throughout the growing season we take advantage of this ability.
Clearing Land:
Winner: Undetermined? I have not used the Muscovys in this application long enough to judge them. They both seem to do a good job, the muscovys will make more of a mess especially in wet conditions.
Growth Rate:
Winner: Muscovy. The hands down winner here are muscovys. A muscovy hatches larger and easily maintains that lead throughout its lifetime. Muscovys grow much faster than chickens and will weigh much more as an adult. A muscovy will provide you with more meat quicker.
Conclusion:
This is easy, keep both. They usually get along fine and can be housed together so why not have both. Chickens are the overall winner, but I will have Muscovys for the foreseeable future.
In terms of pest control, I have read that Muscovy ducks are good for fly and mosquito control. I have also read that the cattle and the muscovy ducks can form a good relationship where the cattle allow the muscovy ducks to eat the flies right off of them as they rest. I’m curious to know if you have observed this?
I too have read that Muscovy ducks do a good job controlling flies with cattle. I had cattle right by the ducks and chickens several times this year and they didn’t seem to be interested. If there were fewer scavenging opportunities in the immediate farm yard they might hang around the cattle, but so far I have rarely seen them by the cattle even when the chicken tractor where the Muscovys live was in a cattle paddock.
The best poultry I have had for ranging inside paddocks with the cattle so far in my experience had been Old English Game chickens. We ended up with three of these small chickens when we bought another flock and they would always range in the cattle paddock scratching at patties.
I have noticed a few differences in foraging behavior in Muscovy ducks vs chickens. Muscovys love to eat by any water source as you would expect. They also ate frozen tilapia like it was a delicacy when the chickens didn’t seem interested.
Thanks for your site and valuable information. I am intent on building a tractor from your design where I plan to house both chickens and Muscoveys. If you have any additional pictures or design feature information you can easily send I would be very grateful. I have seen your design page and your you tube video which will be very helpful.
Another question, how do you get the Muscoveys to return to the tractor at night? I intend to buy 3 adults and maybe a dozen ducklings to get the flock started (primarily so I can get some meat in the freezer faster). I know I will have to contain all the ducks for several weeks before allowing them to roam. We are on 12 ac of oak forest and manzanita. I am in a mild climate with dry summers so grass dies in the summer. Any suggestions you have would be very valuable.
Thanks again,
David
I have found no great way to keep muscoveys returning home of an evening like chickens. Seems like there is always a rebel in the group that has to be herded back. Luckily they herd better than chickens, but I prefer not having to herd every evening. Best bet is to make the area you want them to return to as atractive as possible.
Sorry I have listed the best information I have on my design. I didn’t keep track well when I built it several years back.
I Love my Muscovy ducks. We started with 2 drakes and 9 hens and at times got up to 115 Muscovies. I sell them to many dairy farmers for fly control.
ALL My Muscovys are free roaming. But when I call them in at nite 99.9% do come in nearly 100% of the time. I started training my ducklings while with mom at feeding time. I would walk into the stall where I keep them for 3 weeks – and call… Duck – Duck – Duck – Duck and pour the duck feed down – I do the same with watering. Then since the hens know the call they go to the feeder and so do her babes. Usually by fall we are down to about 35 7 month old Muscovys and then I have all but my orig 11 processed – give or take a few hens……… I LOVE their eggs and the hens are better incubators than any man made machine. Yes – my ducks still all come in at night and some fly around and land at the barn door. THey can be trained and are only fed IN THE BARN at nite…… Duck … Duck…. Here Duck…….
Yes they are trainable, I had all my chickens trained to come when called. It makes life easier when you can easily get your birds to come. That is a lot of Muscovys you had. Of all the ducks I have tried the Muscovy is the best for my needs, and yes they are very good incubators.