Keeping Ducks For Eggs

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Brad93

Brad93

Well-Known Member
Thinking about using a bit of waste ground with a pond for some ducks.
(unfortunately the pond does dry out in summer, perhaps this could be rectified?)

Never kept poultry although a friend down the road does.

Would an area of around 40m x 20m be large enough.
Presume it would need stock fencing to keep the predators out.

A couple of moorhens currently occupy the pond along with a pair of visiting mallard.

The other issue is Avian Influenza. Can the ducks ran free in this pen? Do I need to exclude wild birds with netting?
 
Maybe consider Indian Runner Ducks? They have stacks of personality, require some access to water, but are generally less dependent on larger volumes/depths of water. Good layers too
 
You'll need to exclude wild birds and their droppings if you want to be truly compliant.

Ducks are very messy. Runner ducks probably a better option.

Can trim feathers after each moult to prevent flying.
 
They will need a house for the night, otherwise unless you have a very good fence the foxes will get them. Avian flu area you will have to have a top on your pen and water and food sheltered so that wild birds can't get at. Duck eggs are better than chicken eggs but they do lay them all over ass the mood takes them. they like a pond but will sh*t it up so you'll have to clean it out regularly.
Duck or at least my ducks never went in their house in the evening like chickens, so had to be 'persuaded' !!
 
Just doing some research and it seems Runner ducks or Khaki Campbells will be a good choice. I'll see if I can buy a book on the subject.

A guy I know does livestock fencing so will look into cost for that.

Fresh water is available about 100m away so won't be an issue to dig a trench and stick some blue pipe in. I see many people just have a shallow paddling pool for the runner ducks.
 
Released ducks reared on the pond and fed regularly will stick around, assuming all predators and nuisance causers (such as foxes and dogs) are kept at bay. But the number of ducks need to be fairly well regulated to prevent them mucking up the pond. Ideally a stream feeding the pond (piped or otherwise) and an outlet for the water will help there. An island (or two) is a good idea too. Make it a haven for them and eventually you'll maybe see them procreating. Of course without netting, your ideal duck pond paradise will attract wild ducks, so you'll have to consider whether you want that or not. And of course any pond even vaguely near any sort of water way has the likelihood of attracting mustelids sooner or later who can create havoc and potentially wipe out your stock. All good clean fun!
 
Ducks have a reputation for laying eggs anywhere if free to wander and that can include in places where the eggs are in foul ground. This is what DOGMAN56 cautions. So do be careful that such eggs may not be wise to eat. In the meanwhile get a decent air rifle as kept ducks, or kept poultry will bring rats. Which may not make you popular with neighbours.

My late grandfather was trained after being war blinded in WWI by St. Dunstan's as a wood turner and egg farmer. Indeed they set him up with a place in Huggate in Yorkshire. At my parents' house there was also a chcken run and chicken house. Bigger in fact...by four times the length and two times the width than the garden of where I live presently. So this is advice re chickens but might apply in some aspects to duck egg prodiction?

The money is made, some say, from selling the slaughtered birds rather than from the eggs as the sale price of the eggs merely covers the cost of the feed. With hens some work a three leg band system. After three years for sure they'll eat but lay badly. Red, white, blue. First year red, second year blue, third year white. In year four kill all the red birds and tag that year's new birds with those red bands. In year five kill all the blue birds and tag that year's new birds with those blue bands.

But the main thing is that you won't make money but at best break even and what (now little) profit there is in in the slaughtered birds. That and you'll get rats. Sorry to be pessimistic...or is that realistic? My advice in your 40m x 20m try hatching pheasant eggs under hens (using one hen on a 1metre x 2 metre moveable enclosure with nesting box) and trade the poults to a small local shoot. Number of such enclosures needs to be half the area you have so they can be moved to fresh ground every so often.
 
Ducks are great entertainment to keep if you have the right environment. I keep khaki Campbells and Indian runners and they lay right through the year. They don't fly so do need security from predators. Fantastic eggs.
 
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