gnipper 6,003 Posted February 23, 2016 Report Share Posted February 23, 2016 Do many people on here keep ducks for eggs? My only experience of ducks is when I was keepering and being covered in duck shit catching them up the little buggers so I was wondering if there's a way of keeping a couple of ducks without the garden becoming a quagmire? Cheers, gnipper Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Rabid 1,936 Posted February 23, 2016 Report Share Posted February 23, 2016 Ducks = shit. Simple as that really, but yes I do keep them for meat and eggs Quote Link to post Share on other sites
moxy 617 Posted February 23, 2016 Report Share Posted February 23, 2016 Do many people on here keep ducks for eggs? My only experience of ducks is when I was keepering and being covered in duck shit catching them up the little buggers so I was wondering if there's a way of keeping a couple of ducks without the garden becoming a quagmire? Cheers, gnipper Not without penning them in and sticking woodchip down regularly. But even then, if you get Aylesburys it will look like its snowed when they mault. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
stevo79 569 Posted February 24, 2016 Report Share Posted February 24, 2016 (edited) You can't mate... I've kept ducks and the make mess wherever. The smaller the pen the more mess. I don't think it's fair keeping ducks penned up the love searching for there own food come spring and summer there best kept free range. Atb? Edited February 24, 2016 by stevo79 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
gnipper 6,003 Posted February 24, 2016 Author Report Share Posted February 24, 2016 I'll keep scrounging them off my mate for now then, i might buy him some corn. cheers lads. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
PeskyWabbits 464 Posted February 24, 2016 Report Share Posted February 24, 2016 I built a 'duck tunnel' from mesh panels. I wanted to keep my hens and ducks separate as the hens are so daft they would drown in the selection of pools (baths). Both hens and ducks are separate from the veg patch as it is such naivety that they will just pick the bugs and weeds from between your plants. Hens or plants, or ducks or plants. That is the choice. I let mine out at a weekend, if I am working nearby. The hens go back in before dusk, the duck - oh my god... It can take a while to shepherd them all back in. I don't clip the wings so we have a trust thing going on. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
gnipper 6,003 Posted February 24, 2016 Author Report Share Posted February 24, 2016 Do the muscovy lay well? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
moxy 617 Posted February 24, 2016 Report Share Posted February 24, 2016 Do the muscovy lay well? Not the best for layers. More a meat bird. Aylesburys. Indian runners or khaki Campbell's are your main egg birds. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
PeskyWabbits 464 Posted February 25, 2016 Report Share Posted February 25, 2016 Do they lay well? Well that was the plan, meat and eggs. Reality... they lay for about 4 months of the year, some birds just seem to pop them out willy nilly However, I have too many males. They don't lay very much when they are getting shagged umpteen times a day. An easy fix, nobble the males. But I haven't mastered it yet. When I catch the bloody things, darkness is your friend, as is a blanket. Then it is bash them in or chop the head off with a hatchet and bag the stump to stop the spray. Then get a trug of hot water and dip and pluck. An earlier thread shows sensible people with a heated dustbin. Then carrier bag over my hand and pull the innards out - nice. What a palaver! So that is why I still have about 6 males and no eggs. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
skinner 348 Posted February 25, 2016 Report Share Posted February 25, 2016 Do they lay well? Well that was the plan, meat and eggs. Reality... they lay for about 4 months of the year, some birds just seem to pop them out willy nilly However, I have too many males. They don't lay very much when they are getting shagged umpteen times a day. An easy fix, nobble the males. But I haven't mastered it yet. When I catch the bloody things, darkness is your friend, as is a blanket. Then it is bash them in or chop the head off with a hatchet and bag the stump to stop the spray. Then get a trug of hot water and dip and pluck. An earlier thread shows sensible people with a heated dustbin. Then carrier bag over my hand and pull the innards out - nice. What a palaver! So that is why I still have about 6 males and no eggs. your name aint pete is it Quote Link to post Share on other sites
PeskyWabbits 464 Posted February 25, 2016 Report Share Posted February 25, 2016 Not Pete, is there some other soft smallholder? No qualms over shooting rats, though I have never tried to pluck them. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
skinner 348 Posted February 25, 2016 Report Share Posted February 25, 2016 Not Pete, is there some other soft smallholder? No qualms over shooting rats, though I have never tried to pluck them. just know a lad out your way that has same ducks on alotments Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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