A TikTok influencer has gone viral after discussing an adorable addition she made to her garden that keeps slugs under control and protects her plants.
Ramona Jones, who goes by @monalogue on the video sharing app, keeps several Runner ducks in her cottage garden. As the birds are flightless, they stay in her garden and help out with a number of things.
She explained: "Here are some of the main reasons we got Runner ducks in our cottage garden - they are lovely pets but there are some practical reasons too.
"The first of which is slug control, and runner ducks are really good foragers. They will eat just about anything they can find, including slugs and snails.
"So if, like me, you like growing vegetables in your garden, they can be a really good organic pest control that saves you relying on other methods."
Ramona second's "probably quite obvious" reason was eggs. She continued: "Female Runner ducks are really good at laying - they lay most days of the year and take a few months off over the winter.
"The eggs are amazing. As you can see they have a really big yolk, which does take a while to get used to if you’re used to eating chicken eggs, but it’s really good for baking and scrambled eggs too."
Ramona's third reason, and the thing that has brought her the "most joy", is that they’re "tame - especially if you hatch them from eggs yourself". She explained she has raised some of her ducks from eggs, meaning they now follow her around and sit on her lap.
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She concluded her video by urging people to do their "own research" if they were considering getting Runner ducks as pets.
Reacting in the comments section, one person said: "I plan on getting Runner ducks one day." Another said: "This is the life I was meant to live." A third added: "Gigantic plus: they are the best guardians for house and garden!!! No matter who comes along, they will tell you someone is coming."
Another user asked what the difference is between Runner ducks and "normal" ducks, to which Ramona replied: "Runner ducks can’t fly, they have a longer neck and stand more upright. They lay slightly more than some other breeds do."