Raising ducks is different from raising chickens, although you can successfully raise ducks and chickens together. There are a few changes to keep in mind when raising ducks, and ducks bring a new dimension to your homestead.

Ducklings usually arrive at feed stores and hatcheries later than chicks. Ducklings are cute little fluffy troublemakers. Soon after you bring them home, you'll find that they make a big wet mess with even a small amount of water. Those cute little webbed feet can spread quite a bit of water around their brooder. You need the best tips for raising ducks.

Ducklings grow incredibly fast, and soon they consume a huge amount of starter feed. The good news, and the more realistic reason for having ducklings later in the spring, is that ducks lay more eggs for the hatcheries to incubate. Ducks do lay eggs year-round, but they lay more eggs during the natural mating season from March to June. Once you bring home a few ducklings, you'll be happy about two things.

Ducklings grow very fast​

Because ducklings grow quickly, they can go outside earlier than chicks. Since they hatched later in the spring, the weather is warmer and the ducklings can go outside earlier.

You will be very happy when they are big enough to go outside to their duck enclosure and coop. If you have been housing them in the bathtub in your house, you will be glad to have a bathroom again. If you kept them in a toddler pool, you'll be glad to no longer have to clean it three times a day. (Or more!)

Moving ducks to the great outdoors​

Ducklings are a great addition to your homestead. Ducks lay eggs reliably, are easy to keep, and are great at foraging for duck grubs, snails, and slugs, among other insects and weeds. They are happiest when they have time to forage freely each day, but can also be kept successfully in a large enclosure as long as you provide them with a varied diet of grasses and insects. Dried mealworms, watermelon, and salad greens are popular treats that also provide valuable protein and nutrients.

Housing​

Ducks need secure housing, especially at night, to protect them from predators. Since ducks are extremely cold tolerant, your structure can have large vents on the tops of walls, and be covered with hardware cloth. This allows maximum air circulation to prevent odors from building up in the coop. In the coldest part of winter, you can cover the "windows" with plastic to keep the coop warmer.

Do ducks need a perch?​

Perches are not necessary as ducks do not roost on a perch like chickens. Providing straw for nesting and to keep the floor a little drier is helpful. You can pile more straw in the corners to encourage the hens to lay eggs there. This keeps the eggs out of the way of traffic and keeps them cleaner.

Water​

Water is extremely important for ducks. They need to be able to submerge their entire bill in water. They also love to swim in water and preen their feathers. You can do without a wading pool or small pond for them to swim in, but occasionally they need enough water for a bath. That said, I recommend giving the ducks as much access to a pool or pond as possible. The ducks will love you for it!

Feed​

Ducks are excellent foragers and can find good food on their own. You can supply additional pellets for them, free choice, to supplement what they find while foraging. If the ducks cannot forage because of weather or other reasons, they will naturally eat more of the pellets. Ducks are very good foragers by nature. While ducklings are generally easy to care for and resistant to disease, there is another possible but rare complication called Limberneck in ducks. This is a form of botulism that is usually transmitted through infected fly larvae or moldy feed.

No bread​

Regardless of the age group of ducks you feed, you should not feed them bread. The majority of a duck's diet should consist of grasses and plants. Feeding bread does not contribute to their nutritional needs and can lead to wing deformities, bone growth problems, and lameness, which in turn can make it easier for a predator to catch the duck.

During the growing season, you can add chickweed, bird grass, grass clippings, plantain leaves, and lettuce from the household or garden if the ducks cannot forage for greens and bugs on their own. Raising ducks is a great way to reduce insect life in your garden or yard.

Fencing​

Many domestic duck breeds are not good at flying at all. They can fly low over the ground, but rarely take off into the air. Fencing does not have to be high to keep ducks in. The only reason for a high, covered run would be to allow you to stand up in the covered run.

To protect your ducks from predators, consider a taller fence and cover the duck run with more wire fence.

Eggs​

Depending on the breed of duck, ducks lay between 100 and 300 eggs per year. The eggs are edible and can be used for breakfast or any dish that requires eggs. Many people prefer the slightly stronger taste of duck eggs. Duck eggs are great for baking because they have a slightly higher fat content and are richer.

Raising ducks is just plain fun on your farm. Tell us about your backyard ducks in the comments! We'd love to hear how you raise your poultry.
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