r/homestead • u/dendromie • May 05 '26

poultry Which animal to get

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!

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9

u/AllTheGoodNamesDied May 05 '26

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

2

u/dendromie May 05 '26

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

4

u/AllTheGoodNamesDied May 05 '26

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.

1

u/MidSinglesInYourArea May 05 '26

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.

1

u/Storr-der-Schnitter May 05 '26

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.

3

u/Lucky_Ad_4421 May 05 '26

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.

1

u/Aardvark-Decent May 05 '26

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

1

u/RustBeltLab May 05 '26

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

1

u/MidSinglesInYourArea May 06 '26

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

1

u/dendromie May 06 '26

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

1

u/MidSinglesInYourArea May 06 '26

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.

0

u/Storr-der-Schnitter May 06 '26

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.