Sheepdogs herding ducks display team boosts farmer's fortunes

A Welsh farmer’s idea to use his sheepdogs to herd ducks rather than sheep has helped keep farming alive in his family. Meirion Owen is flying high thanks to his Quack Pack display team, featuring border collies and farmyard birds. The 53-year-old’s intelligent and agile dogs can get a flock of Indian runner ducks to go through all kinds of obstacles.

Mr Owen, whose late father Ifor was a sheep farmer before him, now gets more than 130 bookings a year. He said: “My father and grandfather were both good with sheepdogs and I just followed the family tradition. We used them on the farm as well as taking part in competitions.
“The idea behind the Quack Pack came when I was asked to put on a display to promote sheepdogs and we decided to use a small bantam hen and six ducklings rather than sheep. The dogs love working any kind of livestock. Most people think they only herd sheep, but they’ve always played a role in helping return the poultry to a locked pen each night - so the fox can’t get at them. So as well as being a bit different, using birds for a display rather than sheep was easier in terms of transport.

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“I was surprised at how well it took off. I didn’t expect it to be such the success that it has been,” said the father-of-one, who lives in Rhos Yr Hafod, Carmarthenshire, with wife Glenda. Mr Owen, who has nine dogs and 90 ducks, has his dogs at his beckoned call thanks to a special whistle, which is used to make four different sounds. “I’m very lucky because farming is not what it used to be. This farm wouldn’t sustain a living on it’s own and like most farmers I’ve had to diversify.”