I love ducks. They get ecstatically happy when it rains. They taught me to love dark, dreary, wet days. They quack with exuberant joy in the rain. They love to eat slugs and snails which makes me ecstatically happy.
One property we lived on had a small stream behind the house with a small bridge. In those days, we only had three ducks and the kids, then young toddlers, called them Huey, Dewy, and Louie from the Donald Duck cartoon.
My kids were fond of the ducks. As toddlers, they could pick them up. The ducks would not let anyone else come close, usually not even me, or they would fly away. The boys and the ducks had a special relationship. It was cute to see a little boy carrying a duck almost as big as he was. The ducks remained patient and calm when being held and loved by the little boys.
The ducks mostly hung out near the stream and liked to stand on the bridge, which meant there were often duck droppings on the bridge. One day, I noticed one of the ducks eating a slug, which, in turn, was eating the duck droppings. Here was a microcosm of the circle of life. It was a small but profound insight.
Natural Farming involves the inclusion of animals. The ethics of Natural Farming involve offering animals food, shelter, comfort, and safety and loving them at the same level as children. Huey, Dewy, and Louie were part of the family, just like our dogs and cat, although they weren’t allowed in the house! They stayed outside, where they kept slugs and snails under control, fertilized the orchard, and kept the soil aerated with their bills as they slurped up worms.
You can be an ethical vegan and practice Nature Farming with animals. Even if large animals are not kept, small ones, such as worms and black soldier flies, are integrated into the Natural System. A big part of what animals do is keep organic matter cycling in the system. Food becomes manure becomes food. (Remember my ducks Huey Dewy and Louie and the slug on the bridge?) We want to honor the sanctity of life for all organisms, people, plants, animals, and microbes.
Animals make wonderful, loving companions. They also make great partners for the homestead. Animals can recycle materials on the land, improving fertility and promoting healthy ecosystems just like happens in Nature.
Animals in a Natural Farming system can also reduce labor overall. This may sound counterintuitive, so let’s explore what we mean.
First of all, let’s be clear that they can lessen your burden of labor not by working for you but by simply being what they are, doing what they do naturally. We are using animals as partners, not slaves. We offer security, comfort, healthcare, food, and water, and they give us back work just by being what they are.
Grazing animals, like cattle, sheep, and geese, can eat down weeds. Chickens and ducks control bugs and pests, slugs, and snails. Pigs and chickens can root and scratch and open up the soil. Dogs can protect livestock, the home, and the family. Cats and dogs can control vermin and be loving companions. Depending on their nature, different animals can process and recycle different organic material, and all animals can offer fertility through their manure.
Weeding is labor intensive, composting is labor intensive, and tools are expensive. Animals can do this work for you and so much more. Remember, if you can’t have large animals, small ones, like worms and black soldier flies, can recycle your organic waste and increase your fertility. Nature always has plants, animals, and microbes working together as a system. If you want to do Natural Farming, to mimic Nature, you should too. My favorite? I love ducks for KNF.
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