Probably not, raising ducks is certainly not for everyone; however for the poultry lovers everywhere integrating ducks into a simple aquaponics system may be easier than you think. Ducks having their place in the garden is well documented. Ducks eat many of the pests common to the garden, and their waste fertilizes the beds. However the water required to provide them with a clean place to swim is immense and a real waste. Reusing this water is the key to creating a more sustainable environment for your garden. The idea is that the ducks would supplement or replace the fish in your system. The more muck the ducks create in your pools the more nutrients that are provided for your plants. The water loss for this system would be more than that of a typical aquaponics system; however it would be SIGNIFICANTLY less than the water waste you would have if your duck ponds are not being actively cleaned by the plants. In this way you can have clean fresh water for your ducks to splash around in and grow delicious food for you and your ducks!

For examples of this concept in action please see the links below:

Using Ducks in the Urban Garden

Duckponics

-written by Savannah Miller, Business Development Intern, Spring 2012