I wish I had thought of keeping ducks!

[Wifezilla]

Duck poop is only a problem if you over crowd. When I was letting my ducks roam free in the back yard, I would just go out and hose down the poop. Took less than 5 minutes since it just disintegrates. Not only do my ducks fertilize the lawn, they are released in to the garden beds periodically in fall after harvest, over winter and in to spring right before planting to eat bugs and their hidden eggs along with a lot of weeds. Now you don't want them in the garden while things are growing because they will eat those too, but off season they will fertilize and debug the garden happily. I first got in to ducks because I have a serious slug problem. Since I got the ducks I hardly see any at all now. Also their poopy bedding makes a great mulch and soil builder.

If you have a large yard, start with 2 or 3 and see how they do.

One more thing... people mention runners and khakis for egg production but people always seem to forget about Welsh Harlequins. They lay as well as the runners and khakis, but are less flighty than the runners and more friendly than the khakis. They also still have the broody instinct.

 

[AnaD]

We hardly ever have a dormant season here in N Ca and our food is growing all over the place and not just in the garden, in flower beds, along the sidewalks, in pots on the patio, we have a pea teepee in the grass. But I think well placed fences and chicken wire coverings might do the trick. We also have a bad slug/snail problem and we thought sure that the chikens would eat them...but I guess not.
Here is some pics of our yard from December...

There is more yard behind me about 35' by 20' grass and blackberry bushes.

The garden and the chickencoop was in progress way at the end of the grape arbor. We will be making a chicken run from the grape arbor to the fence.

*sigh* maybe the yard is too small for 7 chickens and two ducks.

 

[JenniferK]

We now have ducks as well as chickens, and in spite of the sloppy poop, the ducks are the ones who get to free range in the yard when we are home (if we're not home, or in the house, they tend to hang out on the doorstep waiting for us, and I'm much less OK with poop there than throughout the yard). I figure the chickens poop everywhere too, and although it's not quite as messy, it's still poop. And the big strike against the chickens is the scratching and digging. Concrete surfaces in our backyard are covered in any loose dirt, rock, bark within a day of chickens being out, and while the ducks will make a mud hole if they find a nice wet place to do so, it's far less of a mess to me.

By the way, we are also in Northern CA and we got our ducklings from Metzer in one day -- and they will ship a minimum of two, although you end up paying a lot extra. We got a Blue Swedish, Khaki Campbell, and Welsh Harlequin. I would say our WH is the quietest, but doesn't have as much personality as the other two.

 

[katlovesaandw]

We have a 1/4 acre lot and have 14 chickens and 3 ducks on it. I have raised veggie bed gardens but they are all in the same area, so we fence them off during growing season.
Plus we have kids and I run a daycare so we have to have part of the yard for toys, etc.
We have worked it out quite well and as long as my veggies are safe.....I am good with it.
I am sure if you sat down, you can figure out a way to add ducks to your group!

 

[AnaD]

Quote:
I think I've convinced SO today!!!!!!
I told him we'd cull our illegal roo and sell two hens at point of lay (to keep animal population down for everyones sake).
We have an old cement hole in the ground which at one time was a small fish pond (4x6 I think). I hope we can find plants or some sort of cheap filter system to help keep the water clean so I don't have to bale it out by hand all the time. (Anyone have ideas about that?)

Now to pick breeds!
Oh yippy I'm excited!

 

[DuckLover179]

Quote:
I think I've convinced SO today!!!!!!
I told him we'd cull our illegal roo and sell two hens at point of lay (to keep animal population down for everyones sake).
We have an old cement hole in the ground which at one time was a small fish pond (4x6 I think). I hope we can find plants or some sort of cheap filter system to help keep the water clean so I don't have to bale it out by hand all the time. (Anyone have ideas about that?)

Now to pick breeds!
Oh yippy I'm excited!

Picking breeds can be hard for some people. Everyone has different opinions about all the breeds. As soon as I saw pekins, I fell in love! They are my first ducks, but they are so gentle, and sweet, and they LOVE to snuggle! I know there are a LOT of breeds that would do the same, but I just ADORE pekins. So, you can go on metzer farms, and they have breed comparison, so you can find your perfect breed!

 

[TLWR]

Quote:
Yes, give up now

Plants won't filter the duck poop (and the ducks will likely decide to eat the plants anyway). You will need to find a filter that can deal with solids, or it just won't work. They make them, but won't likely come cheap.
But don't let the DH know about that until after the ducks are there. Play dumb

 

[AnaD]

Quote:
Yes, give up now

Plants won't filter the duck poop (and the ducks will likely decide to eat the plants anyway). You will need to find a filter that can deal with solids, or it just won't work. They make them, but won't likely come cheap.
But don't let the DH know about that until after the ducks are there. Play dumb

SHUT IT!!!!

Guess I'll be bailing water then...and then dragging it all the way to the garden to water the plants. It shouldn't matter to him if I'm the duck/chicken caretaker, right? I mean Right!

 

[katlovesaandw]

RIGHT!!!

Congrats on convincing SO!

We have a kiddie pool that we will be putting in the ground and making some sort of drainage underneath for it so I can pull a plug and let the gunk go bye. Unless hubby thinks up something before that!

Though we may bail it and water veggie garden with it.......

 

[thekid]

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