Getting started with ducks - Tracy from Sunny Corner Farm

Tracy: My garden and farm is situated in a very pleasant valley outside of Tamworth, NSW. We have lived here for over 15 years but my heart has been in the area much longer as it is where many of my forebears are from. The climate ranges from hot, dry summers with temperatures reaching into the mid-40s to very cool winters with snow occasionally and frosts often. The garden is quite substantial but I always have ways of extended it in mind. I have an orchard of over 60 fruit trees too. My blog is what I call a no-niche blog, a little bit of everything about our life on a small-holding. The good and the bad.

The first ‘livestock’ we kept were a couple of bantam chickens back when we lived in the suburbs of Sydney.

The first real livestock we kept were sheep which we started keeping in 1999. We are registered Suffolk sheep breeders. We also have Scottish Highland cattle, chickens and bees. Up until this April we also had turkeys but lost our whole flock in a brutal attack by a quoll. I’m just now considering keeping them again along with some geese.

I first had ducks as a child. Just some run of the mill ducklings from the markets. I knew I wanted ducks in general and black Indian Runner ducks in particular after reading an article and seeing a picture of the Indian Runner ducks owned by Prince Charles. They are just stunning. We have had ducks on the farm now since 2005.

Farmer Liz: Tell me about your ducks, how many do you keep and what breeds? What do you keep them for? (meat, eggs, other?)

T: The ducks I keep are Indian Runner ducks. The number I keep varies depending on the time of year. Currently I have seven. The number will increase once their laying season starts and we hatch out some new ducklings.

Indian Runner ducks are renowned egg-layers and can lay up to 200 eggs per year. Not everyone likes to eat duck eggs but they are very good for baking. I find the shells are stronger than chicken eggs and the yolks are larger.

We do eat the meat from the birds too but their long, slender build really doesn’t lend itself to meat production. I’m thinking of taking the next step of keeping a meat breed too.

FL: What sort of housing do you provide for your ducks? Do they free-range? Do you have to lock them up at night?

T: My ducks free-range all day but are locked away in a pen at night for their own safety. They have a large night pen with a small shed which they can go in and out of. Generally they choose to sleep outside of the shed but if the weather is particularly inclement, they will take cover.


FL: What sort of water do you provide for your ducks?

T: Ducks love water. It goes without saying. My ducks have a couple of water drums in their pen which are changed twice a day because they really do make it muddy. They also have access to a dam during the day which they sometimes paddle in. If its particularly hot, I also give them a kids paddling pool full of water.

It is not essential for them to swim but they do like to sometimes. As long as they can submerge their heads somewhat, they will be happy. Having said that, it is very entertaining to watch them take a dip in a newly discovered puddle.

FL: What’s the best thing about keeping ducks?

T: The fresh duck eggs are wonderful but in all honesty the best thing for me about keeping my ducks is the element of fun and beauty that they bring to my farm and garden. They are excellent controllers of pests such as slugs but contrary to what some say, they will eat your garden vegetables too. Particularly leafy greens.


FL: What do you wish you knew about ducks before you got them?

T: I wish that I knew that they were such fun. I would have had them earlier.