Keeping ducks.

Hi everyone.

Yesterday evening I found a duckling in my garden. As my cats jaws were around his body and with an audience of the other cats just waiting to step in I thought it best to put it in the porch to rest overnight. (I did walk around the area looking for its parent but no luck)

The cat catches a bird every so often but with this one being a duckling I decided to take it to the RSPCA this afternoon.

Problem is, I got quite attached to the little thing and now that it's gone I'm feeling that maybe it'd be nice to have kept it. I know I did the right thing and it'll be going to the RSPCA Wildlife Hospital in West Hatch but it's left a hole.

I've always wanted ducks but really don't know much about keeping them. Does anyone here keep them?

Ant.

 

Have kept ducks in the past Anthony. All sorts, Moscovis, Indian Runners, Kharki Campbells, Silver Appleyards and Geese as well. Lovely for the eggs. Ducks are quite simple to keep but you do need a fox proof pen for them and preferably a pond or failing that an old bath sunk in the ground so they can have a swim about. They do wreck a garden - fortunately we had some spare land with natural pond as well. We used to augment their daily diet of whatever they could sift from the mud at the edge of the pond and the grass they ate with a meal.

 

have a look herehttp://www.omlet.co.uk/guide/guide.php?view=Ducks although i have to agree they wreck the place best ones i had were a pair of wood ducks in a huge avairy they were hard work but well worth the effort

 

Moyra & Matt.

Thanks so much for the advice. I'll have a good read of the Omlet website, do a bit more reading of some other sites i've found, and will no doubt be asking some more questions. In the meantime here's a picture of my duckling. (even though it was only for a night!)

Quack quack!

Ant.