Ducks in the garden are becoming increasingly popular. Tough on pests and easy on plants, ducks have won the hearts of many gardeners.
Why Ducks?
With their cheerful faces and happy quacks, it’s easy to see why many people fall in love with ducks, but their sweet nature isn’t why many gardeners have employed ducks.
Ducks are excellent at pest control and, if given the opportunity, will rid a garden of slugs, Japanese beetles, and other harmful pests.
Many gardeners prefer keeping ducks versus chickens as ducks do not scratch up tender vegetation like their chicken cousins.
Safety First
Before allowing ducks to free-range in the garden, consider these safety tips.
- Only allow ducks out to graze when you are there to supervise them directly. This eliminates the chance of a predator attacking your flock.
- Consider setting up a puppy playpen to prevent ducks from wandering too far from the garden. Small animal playpens also work well for this. However, playpens are not predator-proof, so only use them in the garden when you’re with the flock.
- When working in raised beds, surround the perimeter with portable fencing to prevent ducks from falling or jumping out of the garden. This is important as ducks can easily injure or break their legs when jumping.
- If you allow ducks to overwinter in the garden, housing them in a chicken tractor during daylight hours will benefit your garden soil while keeping your flock safe. Attaching predator skirts to prevent digging predators makes the experience even safer.
- Do not allow ducks in a garden that has been sprayed with pesticides, insecticides or harmful fertilizer.
Choosing a Garden Companion
All duck breeds enjoy helping in the garden, but some breeds are exceptional at removing pests. Ideal breeds for the small backyard gardener include Ancona, Indian Runner, Khaki Campbell, Pekin and Welsh Harlequin.
Of all the breeds listed above, the Pekin is the most recommended. While Pekins are often overlooked for pest control, these darling ducks are exceptionally good in the garden as they don’t stray too far from home, like to stick close to their favorite human and are excellent at bug control,
However, if your garden has expanded into a several-acre plot or orchard, choosing a more active breed, such as an Indian Runner or Swedish, is advised.
Indian Runners are a common choice for large garden plots, while Swedish ducks are a popular choice for orchardists. Both breeds love to forage and are happiest when allowed to free range, trimming weeds and grasses and feasting on harmful pests.
Note: Swedish ducks can fly, so their wings need to be trimmed to keep them close to home.
Keep Away Slugs
Gardeners keep ducks in the garden for many reasons, but slugs are among the most popular. Slugs destroy the garden by chewing holes in plants and leaves, weakening the plant. Plants attacked by slugs often die or produce fewer fruits and vegetables.
When allowed in the garden, ducks happily devour any slugs they can get their bills on. Their ability to rid the garden of slugs has made keeping ducks in the garden popular in Great Britain, where wet conditions result in slug infestations.
However, if you want to rid the garden of slugs but prefer to keep ducks out, building a slug trap can quickly resolve a slug problem.
Making a DIY slug trap is an easy and effective way to remove slugs from your garden. Lay a piece of cardboard, patio blocks, or untreated wood around the perimeter of your garden, paying close attention to areas with high slug infestations (think lettuce and strawberries).
Check the traps for slugs and other bugs every morning. To feed, use a trowel and scrape the slugs into your ducks’ food bowl. Set the food bowl down and watch your ducks enjoy a feeding frenzy.
Protecting Plants From Webbed Feet
Protecting plants from webbed feet has never been easier. Ducks are much easier on plants than chickens. Unlike their chicken cousins, ducks don’t scratch through newly planted vegetation, destroying all plant life.
When working in the garden, our ducks usually nibble on the lettuce and other leafy greens, but their main focus is looking for bugs. However, we always keep the ducks out of the garden until plants have matured enough to withstand trampling from webbed feet.
Using portable fencing is another great way to fence ducks into a small portion of the garden, or it can also be used to fence off any vegetation you don’t want your ducks getting into.
Keep Water Out
The best way to prevent ducks from destroying the garden is to keep water out. Ducks love water and can quickly turn a beautiful garden into a muddy mess.
Avoid watering the garden for several hours before allowing ducks access. Place a water bucket for your ducks to drink from at the garden’s edge where they can easily access it without destroying plant life.
Goodbye, Beetles
Junebugs, Japanese beetles and Colorado Potato beetles are just a few of the beetles ducks love to eat. Allowing ducks supervised free-ranging time will help reduce harmful beetles feasting on the plants.
Have some beetles that are out of your duck’s reach? Simply handpick the beetles and store them in a freezer-safe bag in the freezer. Once the bugs become sluggish, remove them from the freezer and feed them to your ducks. You can also feed completely frozen beetles to ducks.
Companionship
Nothing beats spending some garden time with your favorite web-footed friends. Even weeding the garden is more fun with a flock of ducks by your side. Ducks will keep you entertained with their happy chatter and antics while removing harmful pests from plants and the soil.
So, next time you pull weeds or pick beans, why not let the ducks out to help you?
This article about ducks in the garden was written for Hobby Farms magazine. Click here to subscribe.
