Eggs

[Blue Oaks]

No relation between the two but ................OK

Why would you say that?

 

[JRM]

Neighbor gave me 3 hens this weekend which puts me back to 5. Which is more than enough for the wife and I. The new hens thought they were going to establish dominance over the other 2 right out of the gate until Mr turkey which stands every bit of 4ft tall came to the rescue and flattened one of the new ones out with a sharp peck to the back. The others took note, fight over.

 

[StihlPotlicker]

Some people love them. I don't know enough about them to know if Some breeds are better than others. I had Pekins. They are messy. Crap everywhere much like a goose. I housed them with the chickens in the winter as they wanted in when it got cold. I have auto waters supplied by a rain barrel outside, they would sit there and play with the waterers non stop. The floor (dirt floor and sawdust) was thoroughly saturated. They are playful but mischievous. Always looking to get into something.

If you use your pond for drinking water it would obviously be a bad idea to bring in ducks. They will surely contaminate the water.

No, we don't use it for drinking, but it is spring fed. it is full of leeches too, I was hoping they would get rid of them?

 

[pdqdl]

It turns out that ducks and leeches are mutually predatory. Getting rid of the leeches might not be as as simple as buying a couple of ducks.

"Ducks have also been used to control leech populations, but an over abundance of ducks can create other more serious problems.In order to keep ducks near your area for leech control they will also have to be fed.Duck feed is high in phosphorus and travels rapidly through the duck's digestion system.A readily available form of phosphorus is then added to the lakes.If the lake is small and the ducks numerous, enough phosphorus can be added to the lake to cause algae to grow. Ducks are also an intermediate host for a number of parasites that may not be desirable in a swimming area."
https://www.maine.gov/dep/water/lakes/leech.html

I suppose it also depends upon what type of leeches you have. "Muscovy Duck Eye Leeches"

"These leeches are attached to the inside of the ducks' eyelids, but to avoid being scratched off, they are somehow finding a way to attach under their third eyelid."​

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Then there are duck specific leeches: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theromyzon

"Leeches of this genus parasitize birds and are sometimes called duck leeches, although their hosts are not limited to ducks. The Theromyzon species tend to feed in the nasal cavities of waterbirds in general, from ducks to penguins.​

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As parasites of birds, and in many cases migratory waterfowl, these leeches typically have a broad distribution range. Leeches of the Theromyzon genus have been observed in the Americas, Eurasia, and Africa."​

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You may wish to try this:

"A measure which can be successful in controlling leeches is bait trapping.A metal can with a reclosable lid (a one pound tobacco or coffee can is ideal) drilled with small holes (depending on the size of the nuisance species) and baited with raw meat may trap large numbers of leeches from a heavily infested area."​