Day 4 :: Ducks are the New Chickens
March 19, 2015
Dear Hettie:
I would like to have backyard chickens. Is it really as easy as people say? ~ Adrienne
Well, Hettie says, “Haven’t you heard? Chickens are out. Ducks are in! You should really get yourself some Ducks!” I know what you’re thinking, of course Hettie prefers ducks – she IS a duck. How do I know she’s not being partial to her species?
Well, that’s where I, Krista, come in, caretaker and guardian of dear Hettie Quackers. I have learned first hand the benefits of ducks over chickens especially in an urban setting.
Here are my top 5 reasons to prefer ducks
- Ducks love to eat slugs out of your garden.
- You can have a Drake (male duck) in the city for onsite breeding.
- Duck egg yolks are 3 times larger than chicken egg yolks (and yolks are where it’s at, yo!)
- Chefs prefer duck eggs for baking delicious rich desserts.
- Ducks are native in more places.
The downside of ducks :: the MUCK!
Ducks are muck-makers extraordinaire (there is even a special sound they make while making muck) which can be hard if they aren’t contained. They do tend to keep their muck making close to their water source though so one can kind of keep it under control. My method was to use lot’s of mulch in most areas and give the ducks a small area to make muck.
The bottom line is that keeping 3 ducks and a drake in the city will yield more nutrition (and deliciousness) than 4 chickens and you don’t have to buy eggs or chicks shipped across the country.
