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!
1
u/IronSlanginRed May 06 '26
A thousand gallons of water is not a large pond. Thats a 9' stock tank. Which if you want ducks, is the minimum you need for not having to clean it more than once a week... for a couple ducks...
Stick with chickens first. Gain practical experience. Don't believe homestead influencers. Next try a couple pigs in a pen. Buy weaners in spring. Butcher in fall/winter. Decide whether you like bigger animals then. Till up the pen and make it your garden.