Author Topic: Ducks - daft idea? (Read 4204 times)

YorkshireLass · « **on:** November 01, 2011, 10:25:21 am »

Mulling over various ideas, so opinions and experiences welcome.
The veg/fruit garden is more or less planned and underway (waiting for spring!!).
Now I'm pondering poultry. I love duck eggs, and gather that indian runners are good layers and don't need vast amounts of water.
Would it be fair to keep a female pair of runners just in the garden? In terms of housing, there is an outbuilding about the size of a stable that could be bedded down and they could be kept "indoors" in really wet weather (to save the garden more than the ducks

). I can chop the door in half/mesh it over so plenty of light and air gets in.... Obviously with appropriate water provision, "toys" etc
Or do they eat vegetable seedlings and ignore slugs?

Thanks

Sylvia · « **Reply #1 on:** November 01, 2011, 11:33:43 am »

White Campbells are the best layers and, yes, they will eat everything, grass, seedlings, the tops off your carrots, everything. Your best plan would be an enclosure that you could divide into two or, better still,three. It needn't be huge, then you can rotate and let them into the garden when you have nothing much in it to worry about. You can help them find the slugs, they soon learn the game

and will wait for you to turn over that bit of wood or move that plant-pot.

Penninehillbilly · « **Reply #2 on:** November 01, 2011, 10:02:19 pm »

Quote from: Sylvia on November 01, 2011, 11:33:43 am

You can help them find the slugs, they soon learn the game and will wait for you to turn over that bit of wood or move that plant-pot.

trouble is, they can't wait to get in there, the times I've just missed beheading mine when digging the veg patch!

(call ducks, much more fun and cheeky with it)

Heather · « **Reply #3 on:** November 02, 2011, 10:43:13 am »

ducks are a bit messy. Chicken poo is easier to deal with, and you would find your chicken's eggs much more tasty than ones from the shop. But they would attack your veg as well. Mine had a lovely time in the broccoli patch this year!

doganjo · « **Reply #4 on:** November 02, 2011, 12:31:25 pm »

I have so much grass and a broken ride on mower that I have gladly let my 5 ducks loose on the front paddock! With luck and a fair wind their run just might dry up a wee bit!

goosepimple · « **Reply #5 on:** November 03, 2011, 06:14:40 pm »

We made a pond about 1.5m x 1.00m for our 3 runners and 4 campbells but I wouldn't do that again - it was ok but nothing compared to the proper huge pond we have now - they just loved our real pond it was so obvious that's what they're meant to be on - I just wouldn't consider a make do, that's all it is really, a make do. They like running, moving water. Ducks are great though, messy or not, they're social antics are superb fun.

YorkshireLass · « **Reply #6 on:** November 03, 2011, 08:22:42 pm »

Hmm....cute as they are, maybe my garden is too small

I've had hens before in another home, and the eggs were nice but not "oh wow". Now duck eggs, they are "oh WOW" !
I might see how the land lies in April

or nip to a local animal shelter for a hedgepig

ambriel · « **Reply #7 on:** November 03, 2011, 09:33:14 pm »

We've been thinking of getting a few runner ducks.

I'm going to have to make some serious land drainage improvements next year and it'd be great to lay the land drains so they directed the water into a duck pond.

Am I right in thinking you're supposed to get planning permission for a pond now though?

doganjo · « **Reply #8 on:** November 03, 2011, 09:48:48 pm »

I think it depends on the size of the pond and the individual council whether you need planning consent or not. Either go ahead and do it and cross your fingers

or contact them in advance and follow their request.

Womble · « **Reply #9 on:** November 04, 2011, 09:24:39 am »

Quote from: goosepimple on November 03, 2011, 06:14:40 pm

I just wouldn't consider a make do, that's all it is really, a make do.

Yes, let's admit that baths and sandpits and the like are basically a make do. But I don't think that means you can't have ducks.

We have four (was five

) runners in our orchard area, who have a dog bath for a pond (seconds quality - check Ebay). OK, it's not as big as I'd like it to be, but given the water needs to be changed every 1-2 days, I'd dread to think how disgusting even a reasonably sized permanent pond would become very quickly indeed.

I have let ours out into the main pond on occasion (not often, because I feel sorry for the local newt population!), and yes they do love it. However, I still think they have a great life where they are. They're also a lot easier to keep in one place than chooks, as they don't tend to think of flying over obstacles or fences, so I reckon you could use a temporary fence to keep them out of any areas with seedlings etc. Oh, and they LOVE slugs!

As for the mess, yes they do stir up the mud a bit, but actually it's the bits I walk on, like by the gate that are by far the muddiest. As long as you don't try to keep too many in a small area, I still think you should be ok.

jaykay · « **Reply #10 on:** November 04, 2011, 01:48:25 pm »

My runners love the pond in the beck and also rootling about in soggy muddy patches (of which there are may here

)

If I were planning a duck area in a garden/orchard I would want a pond big enough for them to do their 'ducking under water' washing in. I'd want this pond to have a permanent feed in and use the outflow then to create a muddy bit.

reidi · « **Reply #11 on:** November 06, 2011, 07:45:58 am »

Hi when i hatched ducks earlier this year i gave the broody and ducks limited access to the garden pond (keep them in garden for first 4 week) whilst they did enjoy it the plants were eaten but recovered remember they will cloud up the water. The broody Duck did clear the marginal plants. I will give them limited access again this year as it was a real novalty with visiters, and great to watch.

Andy

Dizzycow · « **Reply #12 on:** November 06, 2011, 08:47:43 am »

If any of you are interested I have four white Indian Runners for sale, a drake and four unrelated ladies. All about a year old.

I love my runners, although the poo is definitely one of the downsides! I love their eggs as they're a gorgeous blue colour. Although everyone says they don't need a pond, we dug out a pond and the runners and KC'S are in heaven, and spend all day swimming, so I wouldn't have ducks without at least a little pond. I'm also selling our plastic pond which we don't need any more!

northfifeduckling · « **Reply #13 on:** November 06, 2011, 11:41:44 am »

all poultry is devastating to a veg plot. (I will not mention to what is left of what used to be my lawn

) Fence it off and give them slugs, snails and veg scraps as YOU choose

. HF-Whittingstall let a few ducks into the plot to see if they got the slugs in last week's program and guess what - they had eaten the slugs but all the lettuce, too, not to mention the devastation where their big feet had trodden. I had to laugh so hard, just couldn't help it