Ducks are a great addition to any backyard flock. They are friendly, economical, and beautiful. However, they do have some unique needs that must be taken into account when raising them. This guide on raising ducks for beginners will discuss some of the most important things you need to know about ducks before bringing them home.
Many people don’t consider ducks when they decide to raise backyard poultry, but they can actually be very good starter pets. Ducks are very personable and tend to be heathier and more hardy than chickens.
Learn More: Ducks vs Chickens: 10 Incredible Pros and Cons for Raising Each
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Why Should You Keep Ducks?
Ducks are a great addition to any backyard flock for many reasons. They are:
- Friendly: Ducks are very friendly and love to interact with people. They will follow you around and come when you call them.
- Economical: Duck eggs are larger than chicken eggs and have a richer flavor. They also sell for a higher price than chicken eggs.
- Beautiful: Ducks come in many different colors and patterns, making them a beautiful addition to your backyard.
- Hardy: Ducks are very hardy and can tolerate colder temperatures better than chickens.
- Dual-purpose: Large duck breeds grow quickly enough to be used for meat, but can also be raised for egg laying and will breed true.
Ducks can best be described as comical as they waddle around the yard, eating bugs out of the mud. One of their favorite snacks is mosquito larvae, which can significantly decrease your mosquito population.
Female ducks are known for being prolific egg layers, laying an extra large egg a day through most of the year. Duck eggs are highly prized by bakers, but are also a popular eating egg. I have written a separate guide for Raising Ducks for Eggs if you'd like to learn more about adding ducks to your laying flock.
If you're interested in raising ducks for meat, large duck breeds such as Pekins rival chickens for meat production. They are usually ready for harvest at 8 to 10 weeks old. Their meat is comparable to roast beef, making them one of the more flavorful birds to raise for meat.
Ducks are also known for being very hardy birds. They are not prone to many diseases that afflict chickens and tend to live much longer lives than most chicken breeds.
Before getting ducks, it’s important to understand the best ways to house, feed and care for your ducks. Doing your research ahead of time will help eliminate a lot of the trial and error you experience.
Now that you know some of the reasons why you should raise ducks, let’s discuss some of the basics in this beginner's guide to raising ducks.
What supplies do you need?
It's important to be prepared with the necessary supplies before buying baby ducklings. This will help ensure that your ducks have a comfortable and healthy home.
Some of the supplies you will need include:
- Brooder
- Absorbent bedding
- Ceramic heat lamp
- Feeder for brooder (remove the top as they get bigger)
- Waterer for brooder
- Duckling starter feed or Non-medicated chick feed
- Brewer’s yeast
- Rubber dishes (for food & water)
- Concrete mixing pan (for swimming)
How many ducks do you need?
Similar to chickens, ducks are flock animals and need at least one other duck to keep them company. If you’re only interested in getting ducks, consider getting a pair of baby ducks instead. This will help keep them from becoming lonely and will also give you a backup if something happens to one of them.
If you are interested in raising ducks for eggs, consider how many eggs your family eats in a day. Laying ducks will lay an egg a day (180-200 eggs a year), so most families find 4-6 ducks to be plenty to fulfill their needs.
If you want to use your ducks for meat, you will want to consider the amount of freezer space you have available. You can also plan to start new ducklings every 8 to 10 weeks so you have a steady supply of duck meat.
Ducks are Messy
The most common complaint I hear when anyone asks about raising ducklings is that they are messy. While they can certainly make use of a good mud hole, a little management and pre-planning will ensure your ducks enjoy a dry pen and you can continue to enjoy green grass.
Ducks do not do well in small spaces. Besides needing plenty of space to properly forage, they can easily turn a small pen into a mud pit.
It is recommended that you have at least 15 sq ft per duck in their outdoor run and 4 sq ft per duck in their enclosed coop.
They do a lot of splashing when swimming, so don’t be surprised if half of the water from the pool ends up on the ground around it.
Their poop is also very watery, which adds to the ground saturation. Bedding may only be a short term solution. Mulch, straw and shavings will prevent the ground from drying out and make for a very smelly mess. All bedding will need to be raked up and replaced regularly.
Of course, allowing your ducks to free range solves most of the issues with small space, but it isn’t completely problem free.
Ducks have hard bumps on their bills that allow them to dig in the mud for bugs. They love to dig in soft mud to find food. Their digging can quickly turn your front yard into a mud puddle.
Fence free-range ducks out of any areas where you do not want them to dig. If you have a large enough run, you can also regulate them to only free-ranging during certain days or times.
When you do allow them to graze, free-range ducks will help keep your yard and garden free of mosquitoes, snails, slugs, and grubs.
Learn More: Natural Pest Control for Gardens with Ducks
Ducks need a safe house
Duck housing is very important, as they need a dry and draft-free place to sleep. A small shed or doghouse works well for housing ducks. It should be large enough for them to stand up and turn around in, but not so large that it becomes difficult to keep warm.
Your duck house does not have to be elaborate, but it should be well-constructed and weatherproof. It’s also important to make sure the house is predator-proof.
Ducks are not as observance-oriented as chickens. They also tend to be slow runners. Foxes, raccoons and other predators love a good duck dinner as much as we do.
You will need a secure house where they can be protected from predators at night. Focus on a solid house with hardware cloth over any ventilation openings. Avoid any openings large enough for a racoon to reach through (approximately 1” or larger).
Ducks need a home that is well ventilated and dry. Ducks like water and their poop is mostly liquid, so sealed homes have higher chances of mold and mildew. A duck house with good air flow and dry bedding will allow more moisture to dry and help keep the house clean.
Duck flooring should be raised from the ground and allow drainage, but it will need a low ramp so ducks can walk into their house.
Give young ducklings a warm brooder
Ducklings require warmth in order to thrive. Their feathers take several weeks to develop. While the ducklings grow, they need a warm, dry brooder that is safe from predators and drafts.
You can buy a special duckling brooder, or you can use a large plastic container with a source of heat. A good, inexpensive source of heat is a heat lamp with a ceramic bulb made for reptiles. It doesn't have the risks of fire or broken glass that glass bulbs are associated with.
The brooder should be kept at 90 degrees Fahrenheit for the first week after the ducklings hatch. The heat lamp can be raised so the temperature decreases by 5 degrees each week until the brooder is 70 degrees Fahrenheit. At this point, it is considered to be the same as the ambient temperature of the room.
The brooder should be large enough for the ducklings to move around and enough space for them to get away from the heat. Plus, ducklings make a mess with their water. Ducklings need approximately 1 sq ft of space per duckling in their brooder.
It is important to keep the brooder clean and dry to prevent young ducklings from getting sick. Ducklings need to be able to submerge their bills into their water, so not giving them a pan of water isn't really an option. You can create an elevated platform for their food and water, but you should still plan to change their bedding every day.
Ducklings should remain indoors until they are 7-9 weeks old. They should be fully feathered by this point so they are able to regulate their body temperatures.
Note: You will need a separate brooder if you are also raising baby chicks. Ducklings are too wet and messy, while chicks need an entirely dry environment.
Ducklings and Niacin
Niacin is a very important nutrient for all ducks, but especially ducklings. Niacin deficiency can result in lethargic behavior, trouble walking, and even death. Adult ducks can usually fill their nutritional needs by foraging, but young ducklings living in a brooder do not have those green leaves and bugs available to them.
If you can find a food specifically designed for ducks, it should have the proper amount of niacin in it. I’ve found that many feed store employees are not even aware that ducklings have different nutritional needs than chicks and often recommend chick starter for both.
If chick starter is all that is available to you, then you’ll need to add a niacin supplement to their diets. I add brewer’s yeast because it’s a great source of B vitamins (including niacin) and is cheap and easy to acquire. I just sprinkle a little bit over their food every day.
Ducklings and chicks require 20% protein in their starter feed. Avoid high-protein feeds intended for meat chickens or game birds, as they may induce wing deformity known as angel wing syndrome.
Angel wing syndrome is a deformity that happens to the last joint of the wing. It occurs when the flight feathers grow too fast and push against the underlying wing structure. This makes the last joint of the wing twist outward. When the bird matures, the affected wing will stick out instead of folding against the body.
You should also avoid feeding medicated chick feed to ducklings. This feed is designed to prevent the uptake of thiamine so that coccidia cannot multiply in the gut. Thiamine deficiency causes neurological symptoms in ducklings and can lead to death.
Ducklings can remain on non-medicated chick feed until they are 4 to 5 months old. Female ducks can be switched to 16% protein layer feed as they can close to laying age.
Domesticated Ducks are NOT Good Swimmers
While wild ducks are known for their swimming abilities, their domestic cousins are not. Yes, they can swim; however, they are heavier and not as agile as wild ducks, which puts them at a disadvantage to predators in the water.
Many domestic duck breeds are flightless, which also puts them at a disadvantage to predators. Care should be taken if you live near a body of water to protect your ducks from predators in and near the water. Domesticated ducks should have at least one area that is sloped to easily get in and out of the water. They should have shelter nearby, and should be locked in a predator-proof duck house at night.
Here in Florida, our most common problems around water are alligators and raccoons. If you have alligators in your water, I recommend fencing the ducks off from the water since there really is no way to protect them. Raccoons typically only present a threat at night, so ensuring your ducks are locked up at night is crucial.
Ducklings can drown very easily when they are first hatched. Again, they are not wild ducklings and are not born with the same waterproofing and endurance as wild ducklings. Their down can become waterlogged and actually pull them under the water. They can also tire quickly and stop paddling, which will cause them to sink.
Ducklings should not be allowed in water deeper than they can stand up in. Short, supervised swim time in the bathtub or sink is ok. I typically give my ducklings a dog bowl of water in their brooder so they can play and strengthen their legs.
Ducks Cannot Climb
Ducks are not designed for climbing, which means housing, food, and water need to be kept low to the ground. If ramps are necessary, make sure it’s a very gradual slope with lots of traction so their webbed feet don’t slip.
We’ve found that a coop just a few inches off the ground works best for housing. We keep the food and drinking water in black rubber dishes on the ground.
Do not keep food and water inside of the coop. Not only will the ducks make a mess of their bedding with the water, but spilled feed will invite predators and rats into the coop.
All food should be picked up at night to prevent rats and mice.
Ducks also need a pool with short sides. We’ve found that a plastic concrete mixing pan works very well and lasts longer than a plastic kiddie pool. We tried using a low Rubbermaid water trough because it’s only a couple inches taller than the concrete pan, but they wouldn’t use it. The concrete pan has sloped sides and is easy for them to get in and out of.
Ducks Need Water
You’d think that it would be a given that ducks need water, but I never realized just how much. First of all, your typical chicken waterers will not work. They need a water source deep enough to dip their whole heads in.
Ducks use the water to clean their eyes, nostrils and bills. Ducks can develop eye infections without the ability to wash debris out of their eyes. They also need water to keep their nostrils clear.
Water helps ducks eat their food. Dry food can make ducks choke, so they need their food moistened or a water source nearby. You’ve never seen messy until you’ve watched a duck take a bite of food, dunk their bill full of food in water, then go back for another bite.
As a result, ducks go through a lot of water. However, ducks can become dehydrated without water, and dehydration can look a lot like vitamin deficiency.
You’ll also need to know how to keep their duck pool clean. Dump and rinse all water sources daily. You should also scrub them out with bleach water at least monthly to kill algae and bacteria that will build up on the surface.
Learn More: Backyard Duck Pond Ideas
Final Thoughts
Raising ducks can be an enjoyable solution for the homestead. Their needs are fairly simple and the rewards are numerous. They are friendly pets, economical eaters and many breeds can be used for both eggs and meat. They are also beautiful and relatively free of disease.
It’s been years now since we got our ducklings, and I couldn’t imagine our little farm without them. They require certain allowances, but they have turned out to be extremely easy animals to raise. You’ll find that some farmers have given up their chickens in favor of ducks.
So, next time you see a few cute, fuzzy ducklings available for sale, consider adding them to your backyard flock. You’ll be surprised how quickly you get attached.
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This is a great guide for beginners! We've been considering ducks for the homestead. It'll be a ways down the road, but I'm saving this guide to help!
My son starting raising ducks a few years ago, and some of these tips would have been helpful to him back then!
Thank you for the great tips for beginners! We recently bought 10 acres which includes a large pond (about 1 1/2 acres). There are existing coops. We are considering ducks, but there is also an in ground pool. Do you have any suggestions for keeping the ducks out of the pool without fencing it? Will the pond be more attractive to them with the weeds and bugs? The pond is alongside the house, pool and coops, so keeping them on the opposite side of the property isn't an option. We want to free range as much as possible for bug control. We are considering Muskovies as first choice, Welsh Harlequin or Saxony as second choices. Thank you for your insights!
Honestly, the pool might be more attractive because predators tend to hang around natural ponds. I think your best bet is going to be either fencing them away from the pool or creating an enclosure for them.
I'm wondering where to find recipes for preparing Pekins? I attempted to google it and all I got was Peking Duck. If the meat is like roast beef, does that mean it can't be cooked like chicken? Does it TASTE like roast beef? I'm tempted to give it a chance, but Pekins are literally my favorite duck ever, so I don't want to butcher one if I don't know what I'm doing with it. Thank you!
There are a few ways to eat duck. I usually roast mine slowly for a few hours. You can turn it every hour and prick the skin so the fat renders off of the bird. It makes a crispy skin and the meat doesn't end up greasy. This is a good example: https://juliasalbum.com/how-to-cook-duck/
I also like seared duck breast. I sear the skin side in a cast iron skillet, then finish it in the oven.
There are also some recipes for cured and smoked duck meat in the charcuterie book I own, but I haven't tried them yet.
The meat is definitely more rich than chicken. Roast beef is probably the closest comparison. The fat is like butter and is great for sauteing vegetables or flavoring popcorn and roasted potatoes.
Do u think a 30x25 open area with a pond big enough space
How many ducks? How big is the pond?
I have 8 ducks and the pond I not sure how big or deep to dig it
I have 6 pekin ducks. I have a 20ft by 20ft pen they live in, they are not free range. They have a large house and the pen is completely covered with chicken wire. Do I need to lock them in their house at night, or will they be okay just locked in their pen? If I do lock them in their house, do they need food and water and how do I keep that from becoming a mess? Looking for my ducks to be happy and healthy. Thanks!
It's probably best to go ahead and lock them up at night. Birds often like to sleep against the wire at night, and predators can actually reach in and kill them through the wire. Also, chicken wire isn't the strongest fencing in the world. Many predators can break right through it if they're motivated enough. I wouldn't put their food and water inside the coop though. It will make a mess and attract mice and rats. They'll be ok overnight. Just give them food and water when you let them out in the morning.
Wonderful. Thank you for the information!
I have four ducks and recently they have wondered and are now crossing the road in our area. We do have a pond for them but they seem to be more content to wonder off and our neighbors have seen them at their house and also crossing over the road to the other neighbors. This is a major road and I am so afraid that they will get killed. How can I keep them from wondering without penning them up? They have always been free to wonder around our property before. We now have them penned up in our barn and feel bad for them so they were free to roam before.
That's tough. Unfortunately, I can't think of any good way without some kind of fence. We also have large livestock, so the parimeter of our property is fenced, in addition to cross fences for paddocks. What kind of ducks are they? How much space do they have? Mine have a smaller pen that they're penned in at least overnight. They don't tend to wander far when I let them out. In fact, I wish I could get them to go over to my garden so they could take care of the slugs and mosquitoes. You could try penning them in the barn overnight, then start letting them back out to range during the day. Feed them in the barn at night. Unfortunately, it's going to be difficult to break since they've already started wandering.
Hi Bonnie! What do you do with your ducks on rainy days or on mornings just after it's rained, since they like to create puddles? Do you provide water at night? If so, is there a specific waterer that you recommend and/or type of flooring that keeps the house floor from molding?
We plan to get two ducklings late this spring - a Welsh and either an Appleyard or a Pekin. We live in the suburbs on 0.2 acres fenced with neighbors behind us and to our right and left. We've been thinking that we'll allow the ducks to forage in our entire yard on dry days (with our Pyr keeping watch) and on rainy days will keep them in their run. They'll go in their house at night to protect from predators. Should we try to make the run large enough to also keep grass in there or just give up on that idea from the get-go and just give them adequate space? I keep hearing a range of experiences from "my yard has never looked better" to "it's going to be a mud pit no matter what you do!"
I don't provide water inside of their coop. If there is water, they create a mess, and they need to have a dry place to stay warm and prevent disease. Ducks aren't generally hard on lawns as long as they have plenty of space. Depending on the size of your yard, I don't think two ducks will be that much of an issue. Just have a pool outside of their house that they can swim and dunk their heads in. My ducks' favorite time to free range is when it's raining. I do have a difficult time keeping grass in their run though because they do like to eat the grass. It will probably depend upon how much time they are locked in it vs being free in the yard. We get rain almost daily in the summer here in Florida, so it's difficult for me to keep mine out of the rain. LOL
I recently acquired 2 ducklings that have been neglected and lived in a filthy stock waterer. When they where out they where chased by a puppy and have fallen in a 3 ft window well several times, two that i know of. One duckling is doing okay but the other one wont walk or even try any more. I put him in a kiddy pool yesterday and he tried swimming, when i took him out he just layed there and didn't move at all i had to pick him up and put him in his kennel for the night. I found your site by accident on pintrest. I hope it has answered my questions. I hope the brewers yeast will help him and im going to try comfrey tea if his little legs are bruised or injured in any way. I know they are not broke because i've seen him running before after his falls down the window wells. Thank you for your site. I hope he or she gets better. By the way how do you tell if they are female or male. I dont even know the breed. One is yellow and one is a dark brown, but they still have their baby down, but they are getting their feathers. Than you again for your site.
How is the duckling doing now? I'm sorry to hear they had such a rough start. I hope he feels better soon.
As for telling them apart, earliest I've been able to tell is around 8 weeks old, although it can vary by breed. The females will have a loud quack while the drakes will get almost like a raspy voice. Then as they get a little older, the males (for most breeds) will get what is called a "Drake Curl." A couple of their top tail feathers will curl up. They may lose the curls when they molt, so their voice is always the easiest way to tell.
Hi, quick question. I have Niacin in powder form. Can I sprinkle that on the ducklings food?? Or should I get Brewers Yeast??
Thank you
Yes, you can absolutely use straight niacin. I just recommend brewers yeast because it can be easier for some people to find. I know it was for me.
Hi, I have 6 Rouen ducks, 1 male. The male picks on one female constantly. She is by herself a lot. Is this normal? Should I re-home her? They are our pets. I just feel bad for her.
That's a tough one. Easiest solution is to either rehome her or the drake. If the drake shows any other signs of aggression to others, I would consider rehoming him instead. Aggression can be an inherited trait. If he's young, he may also settle down as he gets older. How do the other hens treat her? Is she different in some way? Birds have a way of singling out any that are different. They could also sense an internal issue with her. Growing up, I had a neighbor who had 4 Pekin drakes and 3 of them ganged up and killed the 4th one. It deterred me from wanting ducks for a while. Thankfully, I've been pretty lucky in that regard. Only issue we've had is a hen who drown, by what I suspect was some overly enthusiastic breeding by one or more of the boys.
Hello,
I am in Minnesota, I am about to get 2 Cayuga ducklings and 3 barred Plymouth chicks coming up in March & April. We have our coop and duck houses taken care of. We are a very active couple and have a lot of acreage for our future chickens and ducklings on our farm. I would like for the animals to be free range within reason but caged up at night to not allow for predators.
My questions are these:
Being active, is it possible to have chickens and ducks but have a life on the weekends? We have a cabin 15min away and 2 hours away.
What is the rule of thumb for summer vacations and being gone for determining if we need to find someone to feed and clean the houses?
Or do you have any advice... Should they just be in a large pen?
Hi, thanks for stopping by. They won't need too much space since you're only getting a few, and free range time will give you more flexibility with the size of the pen you'll need for them. For example, they would need a larger pen if they were going to live in it full time versus only being in it at night. The ducks will need a water source that they can dip their heads into, and eventually a pool of some sort. Their water sources can get quite dirty and usually need dumped and rinsed out every day.
Part of your question will be based upon your local predator load. Do you have predators in your area who would take advantage of you not being home? In my area, we have issues with coyotes and fox, even during the daytime. It drastically reduced our ability to free range. I've also had stray dogs come onto my property. They weren't able to get to my birds, but they did kill one of my goats.
If you aren't home, you will probably at least want someone to check on your birds and feed and water them once a day. My chickens and ducks are let out and fed every morning, then they will put themselves up at night so I just have to close the door. My ducks are pigs and would probably eat all of their food in one day if I tried to give them enough for two or more days. The good news is birds are fairly easy to care for, and you can usually find a neighbor who is willing to help in exchange for any eggs collected that day.
I hope that helps. Let me know if you have any additional questions.
I am in California, and I would absolutely love to have a pair of ducks, that would live inside our house, and outside in our yard;two areas for them. I have questions about your Duck Keeping for beginners guide, and questions I just have already. I'll let you know that the area we live in is not purely rural,it's more suburbs. We board a horse out in the close rural area, but have no intensions to move there. and in that area there is a feed store that does sell ducklings, I would need to go over and check what breed.
1) What breed would you recommend for a beginner, who will keep them as companions, rather than meat ducks?
2)Would a cage that is L: ~36 inches x W: 24inches x H: ~25 inches work as a brooder and house for them?( I would keep a tiny dish of water for the ducklings to play in, like you mentioned, and then let them have a larger pond as they grew. I could have a heat lampon top, and have towels or cardboard around it for privacy) This cage is actually for rabbit(they have a larger area now was too hard keeping them in two different spots), from a company named KW Rabbit Cages. http://www.kwcages.com I could not find the exact cage I have on there, but if you would like to have an idea of what it looks like, go to the website and look up their Metro Condo Cage, Two Story. the size is 36x 24 x 34. Reminder OUR cage's height is 25in.The height is from the bottom of the cage to the top. the living space inside is raised 2 inches, so they would have 23inches of height space inside. is this alright for grown ducks? I thought I could take some pliers to remove the second story.I would like to keep that cage for them all their life, mainly just for their early brooding, and from then on, just to sleep or to stay in while we're away. I also remind you that this would be kept in side, and they would only be let in the yard when we are home to watch them. If you recomend any other housing, please let me know. I'll take a look at the website you shared in the above response (:
3) At what age would they be allowed to swim in deeper water, rather than water they would just be able to stand up in? As much info as possible about this please 🙂
4)Where can I buy niacin, and where to I put it?
5)How do I allow them to forage? What kind of materials and plants would I need?
6) would I need to have their feathers clipped so they don't fly? info please (:
I'm sure I'll come up with more questions, but for now let's leave it at this. I need as much information as possible, so we can adapt their living spaces to our suburban home. We have a large backyard, if I were to let the ducks(s adults) roam, I would set up a large enough caged area for them. I'll comment/email a photo of our kwcage we have so you can see it. If you don't mind, i would like to see a picture of the housing and area you have for your ducks, just so I can get a good idea on what mine could look like. I should also say that we have many golf courses around our neighborhood, and there are many ponds around them, where mostly mallards and coots live. for about two months or so last year, there was a domestic duck that lived there. not sure how, not sure what happened to him, but he seemed to do quite fine. I've already looked into having ducks as pets in this area of town, and could not find anything. but if someone down the street can have a huge pig that squeals a few times a day, then I'm sure two ducks that only quack would be fine.
Thank you SOO much!!I am sorry this comment is super long, but I'm just a person who needs all the info she can get. we've had many animals over the years and they've all made it to old age. If you have any questions for me, please feel free to ask, the more info for both of us, the better!
Glad to help. I did get your pictures, thank you. A visual definitely helps. I think that cage could work as a brooder, but it will be much too small for most adult ducks. Ducks actually get quite tall and wouldn't be able to stand up or walk through the door of the cage. And you'd be amazed how difficult it can be getting an adult duck in and out of a cage. They're worse than taking a cat to the vet. LOL I think a better option would be a dog house in the back yard. If you're worried about predators, you'll want something with a door so you can close them up at night. If you have your heart set on ducks that live inside, look into call ducks. They are like bantam chickens, very small and well suited for living in cages. You would have to closely monitor them when they free range though because they are easy prey for predators.
As for the cage, I have found that ducks really don't do well on wire cages. Ducklings tend to have trouble walking anyway and don't balance as well as chicks. The carpet is an option, but they are much messier than chicks and you may find that keeping the carpet clean is much more difficult. I have seen some people put a small cookie sheet in the floor of their brooders which would give a flat surface that's easy to clean. It will also help contain the water they will inevitably spill everywhere.
Size that they can be trusted in water depends on the breed and how quickly they grow. I have Pekins and Saxony, which are both large breeds and are close to full grown at 10-12 weeks old. They can usually hold their own around water at that age. They have more adult feathers than down and it helps keep them from getting waterlogged. Still, I have had the occasional teenager who couldn't figure out how to get out of the pool and I'll find them hours later cold and waterlogged. At that point I have to bring them in, towel dry them, and warm them up before I put them back outside. I usually stack bricks inside and outside of their kiddie pool to prevent that from happening.
Niacin is a B vitamin and is commonly found in brewer's yeast. I buy a big back of brewer's yeast from Amazon and sprinkle it over their food. They mostly need it when they're growing. They'll usually get it from plants as they get older and start free ranging. There aren't really any plants in particular that ducks like. Herbs like oregano and mint are good for them and boost the immune system. Otherwise, mine just go after grass.
As for clipping wings, most breeds of domestic ducks don't fly, although there are some like muscovies that can. Mostly the light to medium weight breeds. I know my Pekin and Saxony ducks can barely make it in and out of their pools. LOL But I do have a Saxony mix male who is about half of their size and he can hope over a short fence if he's motivated enough (usually if breakfast is late). In general, you won't have to worry about them flying away. Some concerns could be the wild ducks flying in for a visit and bringing in diseases. Another concern would be your ducks finding their way down to the pond. A lot of predators like raccoons like to hang around water, but domestic ducks make easy prey because they can't fly away like their wild cousins.
I hope I answered all of your questions. I'll try to get some pictures of our duck enclosures this weekend and email them to you. Let me know if there is anything else I can help you with.
I am in Alabama. I have 8, yes eight, 4 week old Khaki Campbells. After we didn't do so well with chickens (I have a terrible fear of them but thought raising some as day olds would get me past that). Let me just say this, I grew up with chickens (and other farm animals), harvested many an egg when I was young and our Buffs and Doniniques were actually very awesome!! They actually wanted my boys to pet them like puppies. Unfortunately, I choose to also get some bantam BB Old English Game and one turned out to be a rooster that ruled the roost and ME!! So my husband needed up saying they all needed to go. On to the ducks...
Our last name is Camobell and and through my research I discovered the Campbell breed and benefits, searched for some for years. We live in a development but have over three acres and a 1/2 pond. My concerns are housing plans. Everything here in the states I have found is actually more for a chicken coop and I want to know is there somewhere I can find some plan ideas more suited for my ducks needs? Also, do I need to have a net or covered enclosure due to worrying about Hawks or owls or other huge birds of prey? I am super excited and hope that these ducklings are backyard pets for years.
I haven't had an issue with hawks or owls going after my adult ducks, but ducklings would be at risk. It will also depend on your hawks and owls. I have barred owls and red shouldered hawks, which are fairly small and tend to go after smaller prey like mice, lizards, and baby chicks. Larger raptors like great horned owls and eagles can take larger prey and will often take adult birds, cats, and small dogs. The predators I've had the most issue with have been fox and raccoon. You may also want to check local ordinances because some areas require covered duck pens to avoid domestic ducks interacting with wild duck populations. Most domestic ducks can't fly, but there's a chance wild ducks could fly into your enclosure. Bird netting works well as an inexpensive covering.
As for the coop itself, they're fairly similar to chicken coops except that duck housing needs to be lower to the ground and does not require a roosting bar. I haven't written any posts about duck housing *yet,* but my friends at The Cape Coop just shared a good post on building duck housing in this week's Homestead Blog Hop. http://www.thecapecoop.com/make-duck-house/
Thanks for stopping by. Let me know if there is anything else I can help with.
this is Illinois ////// what do do with a duck in the winter. 2. also . which ones for laying eggs 3. is their poop always runny
Welcome!
1) Ducks are very well insulated, so they can actually over-winter pretty well. Give them access to draft-free shelter with dry bedding. Keep any pools and waterers outside so they don't soak their bedding. Make sure the bedding stays dry and clean. Some people do the deep-litter method in the winter, but make sure you add fresh and turn it frequently because duck poo is so watery.
2) If you're only looking for egg production, you probably want to consider a light or medium weight breed. Cayugas, Swedish, Buffs and Campbells are especially known for egg production. Cayugas lay an almost black colored egg. Heavy breeds are also good egg layers as well as being good meat birds, but they eat more so aren't as efficient if you're just looking for an egg laying breed.
3) Unfortunately, yes. The best option is to give them plenty of space so they don't make their runs and housing a muddy mess.
I saw your website through pinterest and we have bought 2 baby ducks abut a month ago now and I am looking for tips foe a outside pen. I have the pen and the house already taken care of but I'm wondering what to put down on the ground inside the pen they will not be free range too many predators and we both work all day. I have heard that you cAN use sand but will that get too muddy? and aslo you say that shaving are not a good choice but thats what ppl recommend any tips?
I apologize for not replying sooner. We use mulch in our pens and it works great. If they have a large enough pen, you shouldn't have too many issues with mud. We also can't free range our ducks because of predators. Well, that and because our Great Pyrenees likes to play tag with the birds.