Does this plan hold water

[DaveTecolote]

This is a bit verbose but I'm hoping I can answer some questions up front.

I want ducks and chickens that lay a bunch of eggs and can't fly well. The forum seems to have good data for which ones should be considered.

My goals are, fun with fowl, insect removal, grass removal and eggs. I doubt that I could ever eat one of these pets. I've been reading this forum for a few years, planning and replanning. I'm ready to move to the construction phase. Please let me know if I am in left field with these ideas. I like the idea of starting with 3 ducks and 3 chickens with a little extra room for fowl math to be cautiously applied.

I have easy access to water for the ducks and insects and grass for the chickens. Our climate is mild, 40-85F most of the time.

I think I've gotten many great tractor ideas from the forum already. I plan to build a chicken tractor with a portable run for the chickens and a different tractor and run for the ducks because their requirements are so diverse. The idea is that I can move the ducks around the garden and the Citrus tree area and move the chickens independently. I don't think I want the chickens in the garden.

We have 32-4x8 raised beds in the garden area and 50 fruit trees around the property. The garden could use the ducks for bug control and the 10 Citrus trees need snails and slug removal. I just can't get ahead of the snails. I've come to the conclusion that ducks can help with snails and garden pests without damaging the plants plus I like them. I'm think the chickens have enough other grounds to keep them busy too.

Whew

 

[Callender Girl]

Regarding ducks that can't fly well but are good egg producers: I strongly recommend runner ducks. The best-ever flyer in my flock could get almost 4 foot high (the height of one of the chicken runs) but she'd would sink like a rock after about 2 seconds of being airborne. Runners' tiny wings just don't support flying well at all.

A 3-foot-high wire garden fence is an insurmountable obstacle for my runners, and the girls are prolific layers. I don't run lights in the winter, so they take a break from laying then, but for the majority of the year, I can count on 4 to 5 eggs a week from each girl, even those they are getting up in their years.

The first thing my ducks want to do every morning when they get out of their shelter is to hunt to earthworms, so I'm guessing they would enjoy snails, too. They are great foragers.

Sounds like you have some good projects -- and plenty of work -- ahead. Best wishes with construction and getting those birds to earn their keep!

 

[deer trail duck farms]

I personally love my anconas. they are very good layers. quiet and i have never even seen them attempt to fly... my khakis are good layers as well but they could fly if wanted.

 

[DaveTecolote]

This is a bit verbose but I'm hoping I can answer some questions up front.

I want ducks and chickens that lay a bunch of eggs and can't fly well. The forum seems to have good data for which ones should be considered.

My goals are, fun with fowl, insect removal, grass removal and eggs. I doubt that I could ever eat one of these pets. I've been reading this forum for a few years, planning and replanning. I'm ready to move to the construction phase. Please let me know if I am in left field with these ideas. I like the idea of starting with 3 ducks and 3 chickens with a little extra room for fowl math to be cautiously applied.

I have easy access to water for the ducks and insects and grass for the chickens. Our climate is mild, 40-85F most of the time.

I think I've gotten many great tractor ideas from the forum already. I plan to build a chicken tractor with a portable run for the chickens and a different tractor and run for the ducks because their requirements are so diverse. The idea is that I can move the ducks around the garden and the Citrus tree area and move the chickens independently. I don't think I want the chickens in the garden.

We have 32-4x8 raised beds in the garden area and 50 fruit trees around the property. The garden could use the ducks for bug control and the 10 Citrus trees need snails and slug removal. I just can't get ahead of the snails. I've come to the conclusion that ducks can help with snails and garden pests without damaging the plants plus I like them. I'm think the chickens have enough other grounds to keep them busy too.

Whew

Next Phase: After digesting the comments and reading more I am leaning toward starting with Ducks. I'm thinking of starting with all hens, 2-Indian Runners, 2-Golden 300's and 2-White Layers assuming I can find those. If I can't find some of these I like what I read about Welsh Harlequins, Buff Orpingtons, Ancona and a couple more.

Our property divides nicely into 5 roughly 3600 sq ft rectangles that I will rotate the ducks through. I was planning to use a 4' movable plastic fence and an existing fence for borders. Two of these are areas pretty thick with wildflowers that I don't mind the ducks working. One is the garden area and the last two are orchard trees. All have an abundance of slugs and snails except the garden. I have a small pond that can be shared by three of these areas and I can do a kiddie pool in the other 2. My plan is to dump the water as needed, (I'm expecting that to be daily and keep the ducks in a predator proof tractor house. Because of our mild climate I was only going to put a roof on 1/2 of the house and a corner of the roofed end. I have 3 grade school aged grand children that will enjoy watching and cuddling the ducks.

1) How often would you expect I'd need to move between areas?
2) Is this an ok idea to mix breeds?
3) Favorite source for babies
4) Any other advice is appreciated from this knowledgeable group.

 

[Callender Girl]

So, ducks first, huh? Congrats and best wishes on finding the ones you want. I've only ever bought mine from an area breeder who -- sadly -- is now out of the business.

Daily water dumping is a good idea, and I forgot to mention that runner ducks (the only breed I have first-hand experience with, aside from Mallards as a kid) have a long history of being used for pest control in orchards.

I don't have a lot of useful advice to any of your questions. But your plan for the half-roofed house sounds similar to the modified chicken tractor that houses my ducks at night. The entire thing is wrapped in hardware cloth for protection from predators. Winters here are NOT mild, so there are detachable poly-panels that I put up to keep out the snow and remove when Iowa's summers heat up.

BTW, your flowers are lovely. I never know which plants my ducks (chickens and geese) are going to leave alone and which ones they are going to eat until it's too late.

I enjoy reading about your plans and look forward to seeing how everything works out.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Next Phase: After digesting the comments and reading more I am leaning toward starting with Ducks. I'm thinking of starting with all hens, 2-Indian Runners, 2-Golden 300's and 2-White Layers assuming I can find those. If I can't find some of these I like what I read about Welsh Harlequins, Buff Orpingtons, Ancona and a couple more.

Our property divides nicely into 5 roughly 3600 sq ft rectangles that I will rotate the ducks through. I was planning to use a 4' movable plastic fence and an existing fence for borders. Two of these are areas pretty thick with wildflowers that I don't mind the ducks working. One is the garden area and the last two are orchard trees. All have an abundance of slugs and snails except the garden. I have a small pond that can be shared by three of these areas and I can do a kiddie pool in the other 2. My plan is to dump the water as needed, (I'm expecting that to be daily and keep the ducks in a predator proof tractor house. Because of our mild climate I was only going to put a roof on 1/2 of the house and a corner of the roofed end. I have 3 grade school aged grand children that will enjoy watching and cuddling the ducks.

1) How often would you expect I'd need to move between areas?
2) Is this an ok idea to mix breeds?
3) Favorite source for babies
4) Any other advice is appreciated from this knowledgeable group.

Your beautiful wild flowers will be no more. lol not that they will eat them all but trample them down.

 

[deer trail duck farms]

i personally love metzer they get all my business online.. and there ducks seem to always do better then hoovers.