[Womble]

We arn't mega egg eaters so the ducks would be primarly used for meat production.

What about geese instead then?  Easy to keep, eat grass as opposed to bought in food, and taste delicious!

[doganjo]

David I haven't let my ducks out in the front paddock yet, so they are very familiar with theri run and shed.Often thought I'd like a couple of gees - but they'd have to share the run and shed with my ducks.  So would a couple of geese live with 5 ducks?

[shygirl]

Shetland ducks - just escaped extinction and now in safer numbers.
Shetland hens - lay blue eggs
theres a breeder in Shetland if you are interested.

indian runners are delicious to eat and really bonny birds.
maybe some local bred stock - they will climatized to the weather in the way a show bird from uk maybe not be.

[HesterF]

So would a couple of geese live with 5 ducks?

We had our first pair of geese with four ducks and six chickens this time last year although they all had their own houses and it was no problem. We've recently got a second pair of geese and the gander goes for some of the ducks and chickens sometimes so I think it depends on the character (and how they've been raised). You'd have to let them out of the pen though - geese need a lot of grass so you'd have to brave letting them into the paddock!

[doganjo]

I've only kept the ducks in there because they are young and very skittish.  They'll be getting out soon, as I have a stream running through the front paddock - the main reason for getting more ducks, and also the main reason for taking the previous drake and his ladies down here with me when I moved.

[Clarebelle]

We might look into getting a couple of geese at a later date but we only have 2 acres and theres quite a lot I want to fit into that space! I'd prefer the grazing for a couple of north ronaldsey sheep, especially as our house comes with the rights to harvest kelp from the beach 100 yds away so thats quite a good feed suppliment for them!! I might try and get a couple of shetlands anyway and see what their carcasses turn out like.

[shygirl]

geese eat a suprising amount of grass. 
I wouldn't overstock with sheep or you will end up buying in hard feed, which I presume will be expensive. though id be surprised if it is much more expensive than our local harbro - which seems to sell all its feed at £10 minimum a 25kg bag , ridiculous prices.
how easy it to buy haylage around there? what are the prices?
I never knew houses could come with harvesting rights - how cool is that? do you get a certain amount of beach or seaweed by weight?
im sooo envious - how exciting !!

did you see landward last night? Orkney is the only place you can legally eat greylag! yum

[Clarebelle]

Yeah, I will be wary of overstocking on such a small area, I would only try the north ronaldsey because of its capacity to graze the seaweed.

The beach is surrounded by a stone wall with stone outcroppings, the house comes with the right to harvest the seaweed, lay it on the wall to dry then burn it in the kelp pits and ship it out. Really interesting, apparently someone locally tried to resurecct the process commecially but it was too expensive so stopped.

Yes, we watched Landward for the first time last night! We didn't know we could get it but managed to find BBC scotland. I was a bit gutted it was the last in series, at least we caught the Orkney one. Can't wait to eat some goose too!

[Marches Farmer]

Don't know - never kept them.  Only Khaki Campbells but fortunately sold them before last Winter.  If they don't have access to a pond they're a real menace in freezing weather.  They shake their beaks around in their water bowl and turn the area into an ice rink.