FowlBlog.com

Many avid gardeners consider their vegetable and flower patches as more than just hobby level agricultural endeavors.  Rather, one’s garden is a reflection of one’s natural self.  Thus, just as you don’t want to use harmful herbicides and pesticides on a large scale as it is unsustainably damaging to the environment, you likewise do not want to use the same practices in your own garden.

Pesticides are bad for a lot more than pests

How then can you control harmful weeds and pests from destroying your prized herbs, flowers, and vegetables without employing the very practices which you may be opposed to on a large scale?  One innovative solution is to keep ducks in your garden.  That’s right, ducks….quacking, waddling, goofy yet adorable waterfowl.  Ducks will literally take your garden pests and nuisances and convert them to natural fertilizer and eggs (which by the way are suitable for human consumption).

Gardener Amy Grisak of Grit.com wrote a piece on how she received such wonderful help and valuable work from her feathered friends.  She writes -

Ducks will eat just about any pest. Grasshoppers, which can decimate a garden in short order during heavy infestation years, are quickly gobbled up when in reach of a hungry duck and so are Japanese beetles, June bugs, grubs and even mice. Ducks will also chase and catch flies, and root their larvae out of fresh manure and decaying vegetables.

Using ducks as an environmental and low cost gardening and farming aide is nothing new.  Chinese farmers have herded Pekin ducks by the hundreds through their rice paddies for thousands of years.  These avid foragers would seek out and consume any pest or weed they could find, yet leave the more mature rice crop alone.  Furthermore, their droppings would serve as fertilizer for the plants and soil.  A recent episode of The Amazing Race featured a challenge where contestants were to herd large amounts of Pekin ducks, as an homage to this ancient practice.

Ducks are best used in your garden when there aren’t any sprouting seedlings, as they will likely tear up the ground enough and prevent the seedling from taking root.  Ducks should be allowed to forage when the plants are mature enough that they can survive some physical movement and won’t be hurt by some disruption in the soil.  Ducks essentially use their beaks as plows, and will actively seek out even buried pests and weeds.

Also, ducks can serve as a wonderful alternative to a bug zapper. Simply keep a light over their water supply and it will attract countless insects at night, which the ducks will gladly eat out of their water.  Thus, you will have a natural, environmentally sound, and fun alternative to an unsightly blue light and power consuming device.

Which breeds of ducks make the best for this innovative and green gardening solution?  eFowl.com recommends four key types -

• Runner Ducks – these wine bottle shaped ducks are far and away the most active foragers
  

  A type of avid foraging duck, the Black Indian Runner

• Khaki Campbell Ducks – not only are these birds great foragers, they’re also one of the most prolific egg layers of all ducks.
  

  Khaki Campbells are avid foragers and prolific egg-layers

• Cayuga Ducks – these ducks are a medium size, and very popular as pets for their unique iridescent green color, as well as their quiet demeanor.
  

  Cayuga Ducks are great for pets and great for your garden

• Swedish Ducks – who knew Daffy Duck was so helpful in the garden?
  

  Daffy Duck is modeled after a Black Swedish Duck

What are you waiting for?  Get some ducks and take green gardening to a whole new level!

Short answer - No, never.

A sign from Waneka Lake in Lafayette, CO

Long answer – You should never feed ducks bread, whether they are wild or domestic. It is very damaging to a flock, and potentially devastating to an overall ecosystem.

Here is the explanation of how feeding ducks bread is damaging, for both wild and domestic flocks

Wild – Wild ducks are not pet ducks.  They do not need to have human interference with their food sources.  Furthermore, they can easily become reliant on humans tossing them bread, and neglect their foraging skills to naturally acquire food.  This has to potential to knock an entire ecosystem out of balance, as the food chain will become altered by the introduction of a new food source.

Domestic – Obviously, your pet mallards are already reliant on you for their food.  While they may have foraging skills, they already depend on you for their sustenance.  Is bread okay then?  No, not at all.  The reasoning here is that bread is not an adequate source of nutrition for ducks.  It does not contain the protein levels and nutritional diversity that waterfowl need to thrive.

Furthermore, ducks have a trait which causes them to stop eating once they are full, they won’t overeat, regardless of how much actual nutrition they’ve acquired (perhaps it would be good if some humans developed this).  Thus, they’ll fill themselves up on bread, and ignore the other food available to them once they’re full.  This will yield an undernourished flock.

Now most of us grew up feeding ducks and other birds bread when we were kids.  It was an engaging and simple way to interact with wildlife.  However, as our conscious evolves to better understand our impact on the environment, it has become painfully apparant just how improper it is to feed wildlife.  We must ignore some of the fond memories that we’ve had with this practice, and learn to love and enjoy waterfowl and other animals through observation, not interaction.

So you’ve decided to raise some young ducklings and you’re looking for some tips on keeping them as safe, healthy, and happy as possible?  We’ve consulted a few experts and compiled 10 Tips on Raising Ducklings for people with limited knowledge of these wonderful animals.

1. First Drink: When you get your duckings or goslings dip their beaks in water.  Let them drink for 5 or 10 minutes then take the water away for a half hour or so.  This is so they don’t die from over drinking when they are too thirsty.  After you have controlled their drinking a a few times, you may give them full access to water.
2. Energy Boost: If they have had a hard trip and seem weak, a bit of sugar in the water will give them quick energy.
   

   Some sugar after a long trip can give a duckling extra energy!

3. Bedding: Do not use smooth paper for bedding as this may cause spraddled legs.  They need a rougher surface to get footing to stand.
4. Feed: Use non-medicated feed. A commercial crumble is best to start them out on.
5. Heated Space: If they huddle together under their heat source they are too cold, but if they are trying to get away or puffing they are too hot.  It is best to give them enough room to get away from the heat if they wish, but not so much room that they can’t find their way back to the warmth when wanted.
6. Dry Conditions: Wet conditions are deadly to young ducks and geese.  If kept on a floor they should have dry bedding sprinkled 2 or 3 times a day.
   

   Ducklings need a way to stay dry.

7. Predators: They must be protected from predators.  Animals like rats, stray cats, coons, mink, dogs, etc., should be kept out of their pens.
8. New Foods: When they get about three weeks old, grain such as cracked corn, oats, or wheat can be gradually added to their diets.  Also, grit or a bit of fine gravel needs to be provided.
9. Grazing: Goslings love grass and as soon as weather permits they should be allowed to graze.  Also, Ducklings are very good at catching insects and get a lot of protein this way.
10. Weather Shelter: Until they are feathered out, they need some protection from long or severe rain showers.