Posts about the chickens and ducks.
Keeping ducks watered cleanly and sustainably is an ongoing learning process.
In this video, we share the evolution of our duck water systems here at Point 6 Acre — from kiddie pools to livestock tanks — and how the nutrient-rich water gets reused in the garden.
Keeping ducks watered cleanly and sustainably is an ongoing learning process.
Watch the video here. YouTube Video.
Systems evolve slowly — one adjustment at a time.
Ducks = a lot of water —and water that gets dirty fast!
Here at Point 6 Acre, our water comes from a well and it’s precious. We use it carefully inside the house and as needed for the animals. To be honest, they get priority – and rightly so!
So what do you do with all the filthy duck water from the kiddie pools, buckets, and now a large livestock tank?
In the past, the smallest kiddie pool was tipped out daily where it sat. The medium-sized one needed emptying every few days with a bucket, and that water went into the nearest garden bed or the climbing rose. Helpful, but limited. It never reached any of the veggie beds.
That changed when we added a used livestock tank holding 330 gallons of water. We wanted to harness that nutrient-dense water.
The solution? A sump pump!
We attached a short six-foot length of hose to the sump pump to avoid damaging the threads on the pump. From there, we connect a longer hose and move the water wherever we need it.
Plants in the veggie beds benefit. The soil improves, and moisture is better retained from the mulch we use from the duck house. The ducks get fresh water weekly, and the gardens get a deep watering at the same time. We call that a win-win!
Using a system like this prevents the water from becoming too dirty or smelly, and to be honest, it makes way more sense than tipping the water out of a kiddie pool. That always felt wasteful.
On a small piece of land, this is one of the ways we make things work to our advantage.
It’s not perfect, but it works.
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.
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
—
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.