Why do you keep your ducks?

[waynec1955]

We have four Pekin drakes and five hens. Our hens will start laying soon and we will use the eggs. Our ducks are great for pest and insect control and they are just fun to watch. I would like to eat a couple of the drakes, but my wife would probably shoot me.

 

[Going Quackers]

I went with "other" because foraging/pest control wasn't on the list. There seems to be some misconception that because one doesn't eat the birds they are pets? no, their are other traits that make ducks useful for more than just the table.

Anyways, i do have a couple who are "pets" that would be my calls, the main flock is here for the pest control/foraging and eggs purpose. I can handle them if need be and some are leaning more to "pet" than others but overall they are not my pets, they don't eat of my hand, they don't follow me about and so forth, nor do i have a desire for them too.

 

[cosbackyard]

As others have mentioned:
Pest control
Manure for compost
Eggs

And because they're hilarious. Honestly if all you want is eggs you're better off with chickens. Ducks are sooo messy that you have to love them for other reasons.

 

[Carcajou]

Pest control, eggs, and they wound up becoming pets. I immensely enjoy their chatter, antics (particularly getting as muddy as possible during wet weather), curiosity, timidness, and taking care of them. I have a big enough lawn and enough water around here that their incessant pooping is not a real issue. And I do like to watch and listen to them let the big yellow barn cat from up the road know that this is their turf and the cat's!

 

[canard]

Carcajou,

I thought I would be raising livestock with a little personality & we hoped they would eat mosquito larvae too. Their chattery, outgoing, friendly nature & funny antics won me over too. I don't think people who don't own ducks understand just how smart, hilarious & pet-like they are.

I love it when they get really excited & pitter patter & play tag in the mud. Our Runners we used to pitter patter around the mud the most.

 

[Carcajou]

Mud loving ducks!

 

[Carcajou]

Does anyone have ducks that stage their own jet-ski races?

 

[Pilze]

Sorry off topic, Is that a spring-fed, constructed pond? My wife and I want to build something similar to handle drainage.


Originally, my wife wanted to raise duck for the table and I was very uninterested. We got a pair of Pekins. One had a bum leg and needed a lot of help so I took care of her and really fell in love with ducks. Every night, when I carried her to bed, she would give me a "hug" by resting her neck and bill around my shoulder. "Lucky" is no longer with us, but we have 3 Pekin hens and a mallard drake and 10 White Hybrid ducklings shipping from Metzers on Tuesday. My duck "aviary" is right out the window so I can talk to them.

 

[Carcajou]

Sorry off topic, Is that a spring-fed, constructed pond? My wife and I want to build something similar to handle drainage.


Originally, my wife wanted to raise duck for the table and I was very uninterested. We got a pair of Pekins. One had a bum leg and needed a lot of help so I took care of her and really fell in love with ducks. Every night, when I carried her to bed, she would give me a "hug" by resting her neck and bill around my shoulder. "Lucky" is no longer with us, but we have 3 Pekin hens and a mallard drake and 10 White Hybrid ducklings shipping from Metzers on Tuesday. My duck "aviary" is right out the window so I can talk to them.

They do endear themselves to us, don't they? My pond is indeed spring-fed with a very good spring. I had a friend with a dozer dam up the spring overflow to make the pond. It is just a few feet from the house and close enough that we can talk to our ducks and take pictures through the windows or from the porches.

 

[DuckyGurl]

I have three Call ducks, and I keep them because they are SO darn cute (so pets!)! I'm also hoping to breed them this Spring, and hopefully not fail like last year.

I am also getting an order of WH's and some "mystery" ducks this Spring, going to keep probably 5-6 and sell the rest. Those will be for eggs(who am I kidding, they will totally be spoiled pets).

Love the "races!" haha!