Running ducks against snails: tips on keeping

The keeping of runner ducks is becoming increasingly popular. You can find out here how to use ducks against snails and what to watch out for when keeping them.

Snails are a ubiquitous nuisance in just about any garden. Our native snails and especially house snails are not the biggest problem, but immigrant Spanish slugs (Arion vulgaris) love to grab everything that grows in the garden with a lot of appetite. The duck creates (Anas platyrhynchos f. domestica) definitive remedy. But the whole thing is not that simple, because ducks also have their needs. The animals need care and sufficient space. But if that is not an obstacle, ducks can be an asset to your garden.

Running ducks against snails

Runner ducks come from Asia, which explains the common designation as Indian runner ducks. There the animals were made from common wild mallards (Anas platyrhynchos) bred. The similarities are obvious. The animals are often adorned with the same plumage as mallards wear. But there are also ducks of different colors, such as black or white-spotted ducks. In contrast to their wild relatives, the animals can hardly fly, but they can run fairly quickly. Originally they were kept for their excellent eggs, but now they are particularly popular as snail fighters. And who knows, maybe a troop of ducks will soon move to beds in your garden to fight the nudibranchs?

You have to keep this in mind when keeping ducks

The keeping of runner ducks and chickens does not differ significantly. It is not for nothing that both species are often kept together. The top priority is, of course, species-appropriate husbandry - and that means, first and foremost, plenty of space and sufficient feed. Be aware that animals depend on you and that you are responsible for their well-being.

The perfect enclosure for ducks

In addition to a stable that protects the ducks from predators such as foxes and martens at night and also from severe freezing temperatures in winter, ducks absolutely need a bathing opportunity. Like all ducks, runner ducks enjoy a swim in the refreshing water. This can be easily solved by using tubs filled with water. Better, but not always feasible, is of course a large pond. But be careful: ducks manage to muddy pretty much any pond. So a bathtub might be a better alternative after all.

Feed running ducks properly

Even if the ducks have enough space to search for and find insects, snails and worms, you should always offer them some additional food. This should contain various cereal grains and limestone. The animals have to consume the lime in order to be able to produce the shell of the eggs. If there is a lack of lime, the shell is thinner and, in extreme cases, the egg may even be left without a shell. Do not save on food, especially if there are currently not so many other food sources available. By the way, ducks are also excellent recyclers. They consume dishes that are hardly seasoned or salted with devotion. Avocado alone should not be fed under any circumstances.

There is no question that more than enough clean water should be available for the animals to drink. If there is only too little or none at all, running ducks can suffocate on snails!

Sufficient exercise for runner ducks

In principle, a fence with a height of 80 centimeters is sufficient as a fence, because ducks do not like to fly. However, the meshes should be tight, as the animals with their slender bodies can fit through surprisingly small holes. And if the fence is not directly on the ground, there is also a welcome opportunity here. The ducks need sufficient space within the fence all year round. Running ducks want to run and so 500 square meters is not too much for a duck couple. Under no circumstances should it be less than 100 square meters per duck.

But ducks not only have material needs. They are social animals and therefore need at least one partner with whom they can explore and chat about their surroundings. You can keep ducks as a couple or as a larger herd, for example. In the case of a larger herd, it is advisable to have more females than males, as the females will then be less bothered during the mating season.

tip: Do not forget the legal conditions when purchasing the ducks. The animals must be reported to the veterinary office.

What should you watch out for when keeping ducks?

• Stable as protection from predators and freezing temperatures
• Bathing opportunity
• Always enough fresh drinking water
• At least 100 m² of space per duck
• Always provide additional feed
• Safe fence
• Society for the animals

Advantages and disadvantages of keeping ducks

Running ducks are wonderful animals. With their wobbly gait on their big feet, they look extremely bizarre. But they are not only quite interesting to watch, they also bring even more life to the garden. In most cases they are kept to fight snails. But they also have numerous other advantages. For example, these are the tasty duck eggs, many of which the chattering fellows produce, up to 160 eggs per year and duck. This is particularly worthwhile for people with egg allergy because they can often get duck eggs Consume undisturbed - but here too you should test yourself for possible cross-allergies beforehand permit. In addition to their use as egg supplier and snail eater, runner ducks are also charming pets. Many a duck can become so tame with a lot of love that they can be picked up with enthusiasm.

Of course, with all the enthusiasm for running ducks, one should not forget that the animals also have their demands and are not only there to please people. The problem with the animals is that they are so intelligent that they will find it almost anywhere there is a hole in the fence. And if, of all things, the delicious lettuce or freshly planted young plants are behind this hole, then soon there will be nothing left of them. They also need to be adequately protected from predators. So you should make sure that the animals go into the barn at night. On cold winter days with lots of snow, predators sometimes even venture into the gardens with chickens and ducks during the day because of hunger.

Do ducks help against snails and co?

The question of whether running ducks help against snails and other pests can definitely be answered with yes. They even particularly like to consume the annoying pests. But one should not hide the fact that ducks also like to eat a head of lettuce as a nice change or, to the annoyance of the grower, new plantings and seedlings. If you are not eaten as a small plant, you will still be exposed to the large duck feet, which mercilessly trample over you. So the motto “Ducks in the garden and everything is fine” does not quite apply.

It is therefore advisable to permanently fence off a sufficiently large area in the garden, as a base camp, so to speak. The stable, the feeding station and the bathing area are located here. Between late summer and spring, when the lettuce has already been harvested and there is not much left in the garden, the ducks are given free space until spring. During the summer months you can then offer the animals space on a meadow. Another variant is to use a mobile fence to let the animals in beds that have already been harvested or to fence out beds that have not yet been harvested. The ducks are not in the bed during the main growing season.

Running ducks against snails

Of course, there is no direct control of snails during the growing season, but in autumn, when the snails lay their eggs, the ducks reduce their offspring for the next Year. In this way, the snail population can be reduced significantly. Over the summer there are significantly fewer snails in the garden. And with these you finally know how to get rid of them: Into the duck pen!

If you would like to let your ducks in the beds in summer too, you should at least keep the ducks away when the vegetable and ornamental plants are still very young. Later you can carefully experiment which plants your ducks leave untouched and where the ducks bite in an unobserved moment.

Running ducks against the boxwood moth

But ducks not only help against snails. They also love to eat the Box tree moth. No wonder, because the two animal species have certainly met each other in their homeland in Asia. The Boxwood (Buxussempervirens), on the other hand, leave them untouched - an excellent combination.

Do ducks help against snails and co?

• Running ducks effectively remove snails all year round and their eggs in autumn
• Salad and young vegetables like to end up - next to snails - in ducks' stomachs
• For the effective use of running ducks, you should plan when and where the ducks are allowed to go
• Running ducks also help against Box tree moth

If you are looking for other methods to Fighting snails you can find our article on the subject here.

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