Not a dumb question at all. I’ve got ducks in a pretty similar setup and totally get where you’re coming from. A half acre is plenty of space for them to stay happy, even without a full pond. A kiddie pool will do the trick for splash time.
Food scraps work just fine, just like with chickens. Mine go nuts for leafy greens, peas, cooked rice, and veggie bits. Just skip anything too salty or moldy. The sunflower fodder is a great idea too, they’ll love that once it’s going.
You’ll probably want to supplement with a decent base feed, at least until your system is rolling. We started using a pelleted duck feed and it made a big difference. The ducks waste less and actually seem to prefer it. There’s a good write-up on why pellet feed works well for ducks here if you want to check it out.
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Other than that, we also toss them handfuls of chopped grass, clover, and weeds from the yard. They’ll nibble whatever they like and ignore the rest. Jumbo Pekins are eating machines but also super sweet. Sounds like you’ve got a good plan shaping up.
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