We used to keep chickens. Now we keep ducks.
It wasn’t a quick decision, and for a time we had both. Over time, though, it became clear which suited this small piece of land better.
In this short video, I share a few of the reasons behind that shift — the practical realities, the trade-offs, and what ultimately works for us here at Point 6 Acre.
Watch the video here: YouTube Video
Sometimes it’s not about what’s ideal, but what fits.
We used to keep chickens. Now we keep ducks.
This wasn’t a quick decision, and for a time we kept both. What we’ve settled on reflects what works best for us on a small piece of land.
We started with three heritage breed chickens — a Bresse, a Bielefelder, and a Cuckoo Marans. They were the beginning of everything: the Chick Wagon, the Brooder Wagon, and our first attempts at managing birds using movable electric poultry netting.
We loved that small trio. Before long, we had fertile eggs under two broody hens, and a handful of chicks followed. One of them grew into a magnificent Barred Rock rooster — gentle at first, until he wasn’t. By the time he fully came into his own, we had already begun keeping ducks.
Our ducks — Saxony/Appleyard crosses — started as three hatchlings. Two of those original birds are still with us and we call them the Old Girls.
For a couple of seasons, we ran both systems side by side. Chickens, including batches of meat birds, were managed with larger runs of electric netting and the mobile chicken tractor. The ducks were housed more simply, in a repurposed dog house under a car shelter frame.
It was during the winter months that our preference became clear.
Ducks are, undeniably, wet. But they are also hardier. We dealt with mites in the chickens — particularly leg mites — and that alone made the decision easier. Treating for them is not something we miss.
But it wasn’t just about problems. We found we preferred the ducks. They have a quiet humour to them, and they are less destructive in the garden than chickens. They suit the space better.
On a small property — just 0.6 of an acre — everything needs to earn its keep. As the chickens aged and egg production slowed, the ducks continued to lay well. When we factored in the time spent moving fencing, cleaning, and managing different setups, downsizing to one species made sense.
That doesn’t mean ducks are without their own work. There’s water — always water — whether it’s seasonal ponds or tanks that need cleaning. But that same water becomes a resource, pumped into the garden beds.
On a small piece of land, every decision becomes a kind of quiet math — time, space, and what each animal gives back. For now, the balance feels right.
In our next video, we’ll show what that looks like day-to-day — how the ducks live here now, and why this system works better for us.
We won’t say never to chickens again. There’s something to be said for watching them scratch and bustle about.
But for this small piece of land, at this point in time, ducks are what work.
Warmly,
Brin
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Brin writes about the quieter lessons of small farm life – ducks in the morning, goats in the barn, and the slow work of tending a small piece of land. Between animal chores, soap making, and reflexology work, she reflects on what it means to live well, live simply, and discover what “enough” really looks like.
Some jobs on a small farm look straight forward.
Moving a pile of firewood from one place to another shouldn’t take long. But add a few curious goats, uneven ground, the the general unpredictability of animals, and even a simple task stretches out.
This short video captures one of those moments – a reminder that on a small farm, time doesn’t always move the way you expect it to.
Watch the video here: YouTube Video
Funny, silly goats! Sometimes it just takes as long as it takes.
Caring for animals.
Makes it sound like a job, and I suppose it is – but at the same time it isn’t.
We do it because we love them. No matter the weather, no matter our health. They depend on us and it’s our responsibility to care for them to the best of our ability.
At the moment, these sweet creatures: the ducks and goats, are a part of our lives. They matter to us. Because they matter, it is second nature to care for them. To get up at the crack of dawn to give fresh water and feed, to milk a goat, (or two), to clean out the duck house or the stalls and repeat much of the process again in the evening.
It’s a daily repetition which to many would become boring and dull. Not us.
To us, we do these “chores” with love and joy because the animals themselves bring love and joy. They fill us up with their zest for life, their individual personalities and quirks. In the doing of these daily tasks, we too grow with a quiet understanding of how interactions between species work and within this understanding, bonds develop.
Sometimes down-sizing is necessary in order to recoup energy, or finances, and these are wise choices which are often pondered and worked through while doing chores. This is where farm math can get tricky — attachments are formed, so decisions are never made lightly.
Quietly or otherwise farm chores get done. The ducks more often quack with enthusiasm and dash out for their breakfast or on Sundays come and check out the fresh bedding. The goats, given the opportunity, will climb into the wheelbarrow, chew on the pitchfork handle, chew on the shavings bag, and generally become busy-bodies who are underfoot most of the time. They are delightfully curious, clever creatures filled with personality.
It is during the morning and evening chores we notice changes in animal behaviour and we can isolate or physically check an animal if we feel it has been injured or needs specialist care.
If you follow our Daily Ducks on YouTube, you might have read a comment here or there about Stuart, one of the Cayuga drakes. He limped from the time he hatched.
Now, a year old, we had concerns his limp might be painful and took him to the vet. After a thorough examination, the vet concluded that there wasn’t a mechanical problem with the hip, but rather his leg and limp were due to a birth deformity. We decided to try a course of Metacam, an anti-inflammatory and pain reliever, to make sure sweet Stuart wasn’t in pain and to rule that out as a cause. After a week of giving oral medication, we couldn’t see a difference in his behaviour but are grateful we ruled pain as a symptom out. His best life is our priority.
We know animal care is made up of many things, repeated day after day. Feed buckets, fresh water, clean bedding, gates opened and latched, a hand laid on a back, an eye kept on the one who seems slightly off.
This is our world, and we wouldn’t have it any other way.
Warmly,
Brin
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Brin writes about the quieter lessons of small farm life – ducks in the morning, goats in the barn, and the slow work of tending a small piece of land. Between animal chores, soap making, and reflexology work, she reflects on what it means to live well, live simply, and discover what “enough” really looks like.