Anyone know anything about keeping ducks?

[Paul]

I'm thinking about maybe getting one. Or two.

Eggs is one reason (I've had a duck egg: it was beautiful). But I think it might also be fun.

Would I need a pond? Is this a daft idea? Might it/they just fly away?

[Wowbagger]

I don't have any direct experience with ducks. I do with hens.

I don't think they need a pond, although if you can dig one they take to it ... well, like one of those ducky things to a watery thing.

I have heard that they can transfer nasties to their eggs - but then so can hens, according to Edwina Currie.

[Jezza]

I'm thinking about maybe getting one. Or two.

Eggs is one reason (I've had a duck egg: it was beautiful). But I think it might also be fun.

Would I need a pond? Is this a daft idea? Might it/they just fly away?

It's a cool idea. I don't know anything about them, but I reckon a pond would be high on the list of desirable accommodation features for ducks.   

[alchemy]

You won't have any more problems with snails in your garden if you get one

[Cudzoziemiec]

Mrs Cudzo's parents had ducks when she was a kid. They don't have a pond, but do have a meadow with a stream at the bottom of it - but I think the ducks used to hang around the chicken yard mostly. They didn't fly off. They found the eggs not too tasty for eating as eggs, but great for cakes.

[mike]

My sister had some and switched back to chickens after about six months - they ignored the pond completely and just dug into the grass for worms and utterly trashed the garden.

On the plus side, she didnt need to use the lawnmower for about a year

I'd suggest finding someone selling eggs locally instead...

[Chris N]

I know nothing about keeping ducks but I once stayed at a B+B that had Indian running ducks, which looked lovely!

[mike]

I ran one of those over once in a tractor, its neck went right under the back wheel. 

I saw it happen and nearly shat myself (it was dads favourite duck, I was about 14) but when I'd gone forward a bit further and freed the duck it was absolutely fine - it got up and quacked indignantly.  I think the neck must have gone between the big treads on the tyre.  It lived for ages - only died about 5 years ago, I think.

[clarion]

Butterfly had ducks when she was younger.  You might want to PM her.

[tiermat]

We had ducks when I was much much younger, no more difficult to look after than chucks.

they do like to scrat stuff up tho, so dedicated run area would be the best bet (unless you want to replace your lawn!)

A pong is not necessary, in fact IIRC we used an old tim bath for them to swim about in.

They can move FAST, so make sure you close the run door when you go in to feed them!

[clarion]

...A pong is not necessary..

Do they provide that themselves?

[pcolbeck]

A friend of mine has several thousand ducks he keeps in big hanger like barns on his farm. Only for about six weeks untill several artics come and collect them. But I think that might not be the kind of duck keeping you mean ...

[Regulator]

Might I suggest a couple of geese instead of ducks? 

Three reasons for this:

1. No more next door's cat in your garden
2. No more foxes in your garden
3. Goose eggs are nicer tasting than ducks eggs.

[clarion]

4.  Eeeeenormous great piles of green poo on your lawn!

[Regulator]

4.  Eeeeenormous great piles of green poo on your lawn!

Same with ducks though....

[mike]

5. be scared to go out into your own garden

[Gattopardo]

Remeber if you get bored of them, you can eat them.

[Regulator]

5. be scared to go out into your own garden

Not at all.  Once geese know that you're 'theirs' they are very friendly.  We used to have three in the back garden (Cheese, Quackers and Pickles - named by my little sister) and they were very friendly.

They're a bit like dogs - you have to show them who's the leader of the pack and introduce new faces, but they are great fun.

[Paul]

My sister had some and switched back to chickens after about six months

Mrs Cudzo's parents had ducks when she was a kid.

Might I suggest a couple of geese instead of ducks? 

Great. I'll have 'Surrey with a fringe on top' in my head for the rest of the day now

Thanks for the replies so far. I'll admit that, in the cold light of day I'm not sure this is such a good idea, particularly as Suzy reminds me how very allergic I am to feathers, but I do think it might still be fun.

Plus, unlike dogs, a duck could be just for christmas

[Frenchie]

Duck fillets, hummm... 

[TimO]

Plus, unlike dogs, a duck could be just for christmas

You'd wander into the back garden and do Quakers in with a kitchen knife?

I remember visiting a place some years back, where they had a pet goose.  The guy who owned it said it was great for keeping the slugs, snails and other insects down.

Do ducks and geese need to be kept in small groups?  I know it's not really fair to have a single chicken, you need two or three at a minumum, I would imagine other fowl are similar?

At WWT Slimbridge, when I last visited it about ten years ago, the flamingos actually had mirrors around part of their enclosure, so they thought that they were part of a much bigger flock.

[Butterfly]

We had ducks. They don't need a pond, but do need access to water. They will be happier with a pond and turn a small pond into a muddy puddle. The eggs are lovely, especially good for baking, and have whites that make great meringues. They can have their wings clipped to stop them flying away (one wing, feathers only). After it's been done once they don't fly. They are cool. Not so smelly as hens, either.

[clarion]

I think ducks are pretty

[Cudzoziemiec]

You'd wander into the back garden and do Quakers in with a kitchen knife?

Yes, the shot gun is reserved for doing Catholics. 

[clarion]

You'd wander into the back garden and do Quakers in with a kitchen knife?

*gulp*

*hides*