Duck in garden.

[Primrose]

For nearly a week now we've had a female mallard in our garden. On the first occasion she arrived with a drake but he's now disappeared and she seems very content just to stay, potter and churn up the water in our mini pond disturbing the tadpoles. As I'm not familiar with the ways of wild ducks, is she likely to stay or just suddenly fly off again? Apart from feeding her brown bread and lettuce (which I'm sure is not very suitable food) we're enjoying her company but not sure whether we should be doing anything else for her. We've don't really have any suitable nesting sites if her boyfriend returns, except under a couple of clumps of rhubarb.

[Monika]

A clump of rhubarb might suit her very well, but be warned, they make an awful mess of your garden with their thick webbed feet. They also turn any pond into a murky syrup by proddling about in the vegetation. With you feeding her, she might very well stay and be joined by her mate again!

[PLUMPUDDING]

Interesting comments about the mess ducks make Monika. A friend has asked me if I would like her two Khaki Campbell ducks and a drake. I have some hens, but thought I could keep the ducks in a different part of the garden near the pond and vegetable garden. It is a large pond, but I haven't taken her up on her offer as I was worried about the impact three ducks would have on the water, pond life, and the vegetable patch.

If you have any first hand advice on keeping ducks in a garden I would be very grateful.

[Primrose]

Plumpudding - I can only comment on the meanderings of our visiting duck in our vegetable patch. Most of it is still unsown at the moment because of the cold weather, but she has meandered all over it with her size 10 webbed feet and pecked at our remaining row of Swiss Chard, so I can only hazard a guess what damage she would have done if I'd had lots of rows of seedlings coming through. You have probably made a wise decision unless you could permanently restrain the ducks, otherwise they'd be flying over any fence into your vegetable patch in no time at all. Also, I cannot believe how much poo one duck can deposit into a pond quite apart from the fact that she's eaten all the oxygenating plants. I'm sure she's done our tadpoles no good at all. I'm beginning to hope our visitor will soon find pastures news. The reality of the havoc she could cause is starting to sink in.

[PLUMPUDDING]

Thanks Primrose, You've made my mind up for me - NO DUCKS.

[Primrose]

Oh dear, I'm such a mug. She's back again looking all expectant and I've just been out and thrown her a handful of dry oats which she's gobbling up greedily. I'll no doubt be back here posting in due course whinging that she's gobbled all my lettuces.

[PLUMPUDDING]

You are quite fond of her really aren't you. Like you say - until she eats the lettuce.

[Primrose]

She's still here! And yes, I am getting rather attached to her although I suspect she comes from a very aristocratic environment. Won't touch our next door neighbour's white sliced bread, but is very partial to a crumbled slice of Vogel wholgrain loaf!

[gardenaholic]

I have ducks and would not be without them. They give me eggs, lots of liquid fertiser and great mulch. I find that once the garden is established that they do very little damage in my veggie patch which has raised beds. They clean up all the insects and unlike chickens that scratch and make a mess the ducks put their beaks through the mulch to get to any insects so all you see is little holes everywhere. They are easy to train. I feel that they are under-rated. Hope this might change your minds about keeping them.

[Johnboy]

Hi Gardenaholic,
I wholeheartedly agree with you. Ducks do very little damage in the vegetable patch. They act as 'Hoovers' and are great eaters of Flea Beetle.
I never fail to laugh at them when they eat a snail. You see the snail go in the beak and then this bulbous thing appears in the neck and slides down.
Ducks should not be allowed near seedlings as they will flatten them but anything with a bit of age will be fairly safe.
JB.

[Di]

My mum's neighbours have a pair of ducks who have, for several years now, paused for a week in their garden pond before moving on to their summer home. They enjoy the visit, presumeably the ducks do too.

I was also told by a staff member at the Main hospital in bath that a duck regularly raises a brood in an enclosed courtyard - one very safe, predator free home. The staff have to help the ducklings leave though as its a steep flight out of the space... course that might have been a wind up.

[Primrose]

Well, Jemima Puddle Duck (as we've named her) has just disgraced herself. Yesterday I spotted her gobbling up one of the few newts we have in our pond. If ducks eat slugs and snails I'm wondering whether I could entice her away from this habit by providing her with small amounts of tinned meat-based cat food? Any duck owners out there who can advise?

[pongeroon]

Di, we have the same duck situation at Worcester hospital, and the courtyard adjoins the canteen, so they do very well for themselves.

Primrose, ducks also taste lovely...

[PLUMPUDDING]

It is good to hear some favourable reports about ducks too, and I would always protect the seed beds, but how about ducks messing up ponds?

Do you think three ducks would spoil a 21ft x 16ft pond with their droppings, and do they eat tadpoles? We have some quite large fish in the pond too which breed. Do ducks eat small fish?

I think they are really cute, and can do with any help available to tackle the slug and snail problem, but don't want to replace one problem with another.

[Primrose]

Plumpudding - yes, I'm pretty sure ducks eat tadpoles. There were lots before the duck arrived and when I checked this morning, I could find just two (although others might have been lurking at the bottom of the pond.) But I can't find any newts at all now, which I'm really upset about. And previously the pond was pretty clear. Her paddling about has stirred up all the sludge at the bottom and the water is just a murky brown. Oh, and she's eaten all the oxygenating plants too! As you can guess, the novelty is starting to wear off a little, despite the fact that we enjoy seeing her waddling around our lawn.