[Kate and her Ducks]

On the noise front I have also founf Campbells very noisy in addition to being pretty nervous. The Welsh harlequins I have are fairly quiet and small and great foragers.

[binghamd]

Sadgit, combining poultry and veg growing. I read an article by an American where she spreads hay over the veg plot in th e winter and lets her poultry free range on it. Clears the plot of weed seeds and slugs and turns it over. My idea of gardening.
Heres the link http://www.themodernhomestead.us/article/current-feeding-practice.html
if you are interested. I think it is a great thought provoking site for anyone growing veg and animals for food

[Jane-M]

My hens and ducks have the run of the veg patch in winter. they love it. the strawberry plants get flattened but they always bounce back!

[Epona_4]

mine have the run of the veg plot during winter too, they are really friendly and tame i dont think they are a specific breed just your bog standard white mongrel ducks....possibly white campbell in them somewhere i think! Heres a pic Rodney the drake is the poser on the left!

[Manoir51]

We keep both chickens and ducks, they all share the barn at night and I actually prefer them to the chickens.  They wander around the garden quite happily during the day and spend warm afternoons under the trees.  If you are going to keep poultry you can’t avoid a bit of poo unfortunately, it goes with the territory and although your chooks may make a bit of a mess in the garden they also do a lot of good as well, keeping down the snails and slugs not to mention the weeds - chicken and duck poo is also a great garden fertiliser. Good luck.

[Sadgit]

poo I can cope with.. the problem I always have with free roaming hens, was they kicked all the dodo (inc stones) from under the hedges onto the grass.. which made cutting it a nightmare.. stones flying all over the shop

And pumping out the pond (well part of it) will be a bonus as the new veg patch will be next to it.. easy fertiliser. Thanks for all the replies and this is going to happen and defo looks like Aylesbury ducks, bigger but quieter...  getting my mojo back, as allotment and everything else is just getting on top of me.. This way I can ditch the lottie and have a nice sized veg patch at home again.

getting excited again. Shame I won't get ducks till Sept, but hey ho

[Kate and her Ducks]

Glad you are getting ducks! They are fab and you can't be too down with ducks about. I think mine ARE my mojo!

[AL Hathaway]

these are my baby ducks they are so sweet khaki campbell

[Sadgit]

oh come on!!! stop showing me pictures of ducklings!!! I was wanting ducks not ducklings... how hard are the ducklings to raise?

[Kate and her Ducks]

Very easily with a heat lamp and some chick crumbs and a high tolerance for A LOT of poo!

[Sassy]

Need to be chick crumbs without an anti-coccidio :)stat (sp). Products containing it usually have ACS on the bag.

[Sadgit]

Well our girls have been given to a farm.. place is so empty without them, but they will be happier.

So not long till Sept till we can get some ducks (don't want them just yet as we go back to Zimbabwe for 4-5 weeks over the summer).

So, fish pond = duck pond (poo pond)... will the fish be ok? just good old gold fish.. I know I will need to do "water changes" but am used to that with having a marine tank and this will be much easier.

Ducklings, seriously tempted, but might breed some next year.. Thoughts on getting Aylesburys? bad or good choice? I know they are a large duck.. Thanks again