1. They are great pest control.
They catch bugs in the air! As well as all the bugs they eat as they forage. It’s pretty cool to watch them roam around. They will eat all those pesky bugs you don’t want in your garden or flower beds.
2. They won’t ruin gardens or flower beds.
They use their bill to get down in the dirt… they don’t scratch as chickens do. We learned the hard way that when you have flower beds around your whole yard, chickens love to scratch and kick all the bark into the lawn. Ducks make zero mess of the flower beds. Be careful in the spring when plants are starting to come up as they will trample the baby plants just shooting up.
3. They all have different personalities.
I have never seen animals who talk more. They also flirt like middle school boys and girls, gossip, and never seem to get bored. There is always something for them to be doing, whether napping, catching bugs, waddling to their pool, swimming, preening, or eating.
4. Eggs. Enough said.
Chickens usually tap out of their egg production around three years old. They will lay eggs still, but it will be minimal. Ducks can lay longer than chickens. Some ducks can even produce eggs more regularly than chickens. Duck eggs are noticeably bigger, and I can attest that I don’t notice any difference in taste. They make my baked goods fluffier, which is always a win.
5. They are less likely to carry around yucky bugs. (can we get a hallelujah?!)
Ducks spend so much time in the water that they rarely will get mites or outside parasites. The little buggers will drown before trying to attach. This is SO nice because it’s the WORST when your chickens get lice or mites.
I hope you decide to get ducks! They are the best. We love sitting outside to watch them waddle around. Seeing them waddle through the snow in the winter makes the season a lot better. Our neighbors even comment on how cute they are! It’s a win in my book!
If you want to get ducks, I recommend My Pet Chicken; they have always delivered healthy, alive baby chickens and ducks to our local post office, where we pick them up and bring them home.
