Ducks are a group of species of water birds – relatively small in size and with shorter necks than their close cousins of swans and geese. Along with their longer necked cousins, they make up the biological family of Anatidae. Humans have had a long relationship with members of this family by being economically and culturally important to us. Ducks, in particular, have been domesticated to be exploited for their feathers, eggs and meat.
Ducks have been domesticated as pets and farm animals for more than 500 years, and all domestic ducks are descended from either the mallard or the Muscovy duck. Mallards, especially, are easy to crossbreed with other types of ducks, and mallards often hybridise with all types of ducks at local ponds.
Ducks are used by Balinese farmers to seek and eat snails in their rice fields. This treats the snails as a food source, an input into duck farming, rather than an expensive problem to be treated with chemicals. It is a traditional agricultural technique which is consistent with permaculture.
