TRAVIS COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) — As the price of eggs continues to rise, backyard farmer Trisha Peterson said raising her own flock of ducks has kept costs low for her household.
As the avian influenza, or bird flu, has contributed to rising egg costs, Peterson said she’s taking precautions to keep her ducks safe.
Peterson said she started raising her flock of 10 duck hens two years ago. She said she has spent that time keeping a close eye on the cute quackers and learning each one’s personality.
Peterson said she initially wanted to raise chickens, but further research led her to consider ducks. She said she finds ducks to be “heartier” than chickens, and their eggs are larger.
She described the taste of duck eggs as heartier than chicken eggs, with a slightly stronger egg flavor.
Every day, Peterson changes her duck’s drinking water and cleans their splash pad. She said keeping their communal spaces clean is key to keeping her flock healthy.
“I am changing their water minimally once a day. Their pool water as well. I do have cameras on the property so I can observe the ducks during the day. That’s recording 24/7 and I do periodically look at those cameras to make sure there’s not been any interaction with other wildlife,” Peterson said.
Greg Archer is a professor and extension specialist in Texas A&M Agrilife’s poultry department. He said wild ducks have some of the highest risk of contracting and spreading bird flu because of how far they migrate.
He says while that risk is lower for backyard flocks, he recommends that flocks are kept in an enclosed coop when unsupervised and are kept away from spaces where wildlife may be such as communal bodies of water.
Along with their daily cleanings, Peterson keeps her ducks in a coop to reduce the chance that they’ll encounter other wildlife. She said she plans to expand their residence in the near future.
