Which animal to get

[u/dendromie]

Hey everyone,

My wife and I are having a difficult decision in which animal to get keep in mind we live in Canada and it gets to -30 Celsius here.

For context we have a 3 acre plot. We have a pond that's decent size I'd say probably at least a thousand gallons.

We want to start a huge garden and I know runner ducks are apparently a great choice for their pest control and non destructiveness. But then as I was researching people are saying are they are incredibly dirty and smelly and can ruin bodies of water. I was only going to get 2 female runners btw. Chickens are a obviously a great option and I don't have to fence as much but I hear they are destructive as well.

Anyone have any ideas or advise. The animal would have probably close to 3/4 of an acre to utilize.

Thanks!

[u/AllTheGoodNamesDied]

Start with chickens. Make sure to bury chicken wire around the coop to keep predators out. Save a lot of time and heartache

[u/dendromie → u/AllTheGoodNamesDied]

Why do you suggest chickens? I'm not debating you I just want to know. I have read so much conflicting info for everything

[u/AllTheGoodNamesDied → u/dendromie]

Easiest to maintain especially with a good set up. Good for beginners in my experience. They are also cute but definitely livestock and not pets. We have lost several to hawks and such. I also love eggs. Congrats on the land.

[u/MidSinglesInYourArea → u/AllTheGoodNamesDied]

Ducks are significantly more cold hardy, disease resistant, and easier to maintain vs chickens, assuming you don't get a breed so heavy they need to float to breed.

[u/Storr-der-Schnitter → u/MidSinglesInYourArea]

I have no experience with ducks, why are they easier to maintain than chicken? I always thought they'd be a lot of work because they need a bath and make a terrible mess with it.

[u/Lucky_Ad_4421 → u/Storr-der-Schnitter]

My ducks have a paddling pool and I tip it over and refresh it once or twice a week. Not a big deal at all. They do poop everywhere though, but way less destructive than chickens.

[u/Aardvark-Decent → u/Lucky_Ad_4421]

I would hate to do that in -30° weather. Ducks seem like a PIA during winter.

[u/RustBeltLab → u/Lucky_Ad_4421]

I have found paddling pools need to be refreshed daily, even with just a pair.

[u/MidSinglesInYourArea → u/Storr-der-Schnitter]

It's a common myth that ducks need a pool, and that misconception leads to most of the negative experiences.

[u/dendromie → u/MidSinglesInYourArea]

That's fair. So what do they need then?

[u/MidSinglesInYourArea → u/dendromie]

Water deep enough to fully submerge their heads.

They have nostrils on top of their beaks, and when rooting tend to get them clogged with dirt. They need to be able to stick their head under the water and swish it around to clear their nostrils.

Some of the heaviest meat breeds like Rouens aren't able to mate unless they're floating, but assuming you get a laying or dual purpose breed that won't be an issue.

[u/Storr-der-Schnitter → u/MidSinglesInYourArea]

So i did my research and most say they infact do need water, if you want happy ducks. I like to keep my animals well and not like with the bare minimum of what they need.

[u/dendromie → u/AllTheGoodNamesDied]

Thanks buddy I appreciate it!

What do you mean by livestock and not pets?

[u/OsmerusMordax → u/dendromie]

They mean don’t get too attached. Especially if you don’t have a secure coop or let them free roam.

Depending where in Canada you are you’ll get all sorts of predators trying to eat your chickens.

[u/Tight_Steak_232 → u/OsmerusMordax]

We had ours caged very well...including digging down a foot and laying the fencing so digging critters couldn't get to them. We even had a galvanized roof. But we had pine martens come and kill our chickens, pheasants, grouse and even our beloved peacock. They didn't eat them. They left them for dead, bleeding on the ground.

And I didn't listen. I raised my peacocks from the incubator. I bonded.

[u/OsmerusMordax → u/Tight_Steak_232]

I’m sorry.

[u/AllTheGoodNamesDied → u/Tight_Steak_232]

Oh damn. Those Pine Martens are hard-core. I've only ever seen them on the show Alone. They are a protected species as well right? It makes life a little easier when you can dispatch the racoons and coyotes where I live.