How many ducks do I need?

The most accurate answer is, of course, “it depends”. What I can do is tell you what works for us, where we are, on the land we have, and give you variables to consider so you can work out the number of ducks you need.

OUR CONSIDERATIONS

Our priorities

• slug control (crucial)
• egg production (important)
• consume leftover food (would be a nice bonus)

Our property

• Area: The area they are patrolling for slugs is around 700 square meters (7,500 square feet).
• Neighbouring property: We are next to a forest, so more slugs than you would expect for the area.
• Rainfall: 850-900mm (35") per year. Most of the rainfall is during May, June, July,  August and September. This means that the weather is perfect for slugs all through the growing season.
• Temperature: The warmest month is July with a day/night average of around 18°C (65ºF). January is the coldest month with day/night average of -4°C (25ºF).
• Soil: Heavy clay. The surface stays damp for days after it rains, meaning even more slugs than what you would expect.
• Vegetation: We like to leave our grass longer and other vegetation less restrained than most gardeners. Again, this means more damp shade for the slugs to breed and hide in.

OUR DUCKS

We have two female Indian Runner ducks. They have slightly more Mallard (like the ones you see in ponds, rivers and lakes in the temperate zones) in them than most Indian Runners.

OUR OUTCOMES

• Slug control was insufficient during most of the first growing season. Now, during the second growing season, it is perfectly adequate.
• Egg production is 1 egg per duck per day, for nearly all of the year. We try to eat as many eggs as we can, but we still end up giving them away.
• Leftover food is something we don't throw out much anyway. The majority of what we do throw out we are able to feed to the ducks.