Raising Ducks & Keeping Ducks Organically as Pets or for Eggs and Meat

Raising Ducks: Duck breeds, duck eggs, duck care, duck feed, duck houses and duck diseases are some of the topics covered in our article on keeping ducks as pets.

People keep ducks for different reasons. Some keep ducks for breeding, others keep ducks for the meat or duck eggs, or both. Others may not even know why they are keeping ducks, except for the pleasure they bring to the family and their farms.

RAISING DUCKS: Overview

Keeping a duck is like any farm animal, you have to give thought to where they will be housed, their safety from predators during the day, swimming facilities, food and health, and any offspring that might come about during their duration.

Photo courtesy of Cepheus

RAISING DUCKS: Duck Breeds

There are many types of duck breeds about and as a novice duck owner-to-be you are probably overwhelmed as to which duck breed will best suit. Ultimately, your choice when raising ducks, will come back to the question you should be asking yourself, right from the start; "Why do I want to keep ducks?" If it is eggs you are after you can't go wrong with the Indian Runners which are probably the best egg-laying ducks around. They lay around 225-330 eggs a year. Others will say that the Campbell (Khaki) duck is the better layer, but they are probably even in egg production. The Campbell is a placid bird with fair mothering instinct, whereas the Indian Runners are a little nervous but make excellent mothers.

If you are raising ducks as meat birds Aylesburys, Pekins, Rouens and Duclairs make good table birds weighing in at 4-5 kg for an adult drake. Pekins are the fastest growing bird out of the 4 and Pekins and Aylesburys are the only 2 breeds that produce white meat.

If on the other hand, you are raising ducks for both meat and eggs, the dual-purpose Aylesburys win hands down, producing about 170 eggs a year and have the advantage of having a placid nature too. However, Orpingtons, Blue Swedish, Muscovies, Saxonys, Cayugas, Appleyards and Crested ducks can also claim the title of good dual-purpose birds.

Another factor to the duck breed will be how much space you can offer your ducks. If space is a premium then you should be looking at smaller breeds like Elizabeth ducks, or the Black East Indians. There are also bantam ducks now, the Silver Appleyard is one such example, as is the Miniature Crested duck.

A word of warning about bantams - because of their light weight they are great fliers and any new birds should be either clipped/pinioned/ or placed in a covered pen until they settle. They are also best bought as pairs as single pet females often fly in spring to find a mate. It is wiser to buy them as ducklings. As they grow up in familiar surroundings they are less likely to fly away as adults.

RAISING DUCKS: What to feed your Duck

Ducks are great foragers and are quite happy to eat the snails and bugs in your garden. Unlike chickens they won't destroy your flowers or your vegetables although they may nibble at your new pea shoots and seedlings and other leafy crops. However, if you can put up with that, the advantages of having them there in your veggie patch eating cutworms, caterpillars, slugs and snails far outweighs the slight damage to your veggies by having them there. In addition, they will be leaving behind their manure which is high in nutrients and nitrogen which will go back into the soil.

Ducks will also have a go at eating any fallen fruit in your orchard and this is a good thing too, because any fruit flies that may think of laying eggs will soon be preyed upon by your resident ducks.

However, foraging for food is not enough for a duck if you want it to be a good layer, and to be a fat bird for your table. You will need to feed your birds twice a day; early morning and late afternoon. Give each adult bird 180-200g of a good grain mix. This can consist of corn, wheat, barley and flaked oats. All will be warmly welcomed by your ducks. From time to time add cut up spinach and leafy greens to their diet if they are not getting that already from your veggie patch. Stale bread can also be given as a treat from time to time.

RAISING DUCKS: The Importance of Water

Ducks are waterfowl and need a pond or a bath of water to dip themselves into every day. In fact, ducks spend about 80% of their time on water and those that don't have access to water start showing abnormal behaviour. Not only that, but a duck that doesn't have access to water to clean its eyes on a regular basis will go blind.

Make sure that they have enough water to swim and play in, and where possible it should be cleaned out once a week and filled up again with clean water. Sinking an old plastic clam sandpit that your children have out grown is one way of recycling and providing water for a couple of ducks.

However, any pond built for your ducks must be constructed in such a way that all ducks and ducklings can get out easily. Therefore slanting the clam sandpit slightly allows for the ducks to get out safely. If ducks are unable to get out of the pond that you have created, they will tire themselves in trying to get out, and will in fact drown.

RAISING DUCKS: Duck Houses

Foxes are a duck's worst predator and your duck houses should be constructed in such a way that your ducks will be safe at night. This means that any fencing should be high enough to prevent a fox from jumping over or even climbing over - yes foxes can climb fences! And the fence should be buried at least 15-20 cm below the soil line to prevent him from digging his way into the duck pen.

The duck house should be sturdy, well-ventilated but not draughty. It should be water-tight and the opening should be facing away from the prevailing weather. Litter should be placed on the floor and removed once a month and included in your compost heap. Nesting boxes can be placed whereby they can be opened from the outside, which is very convenient for those collecting the eggs. Unlike chickens, your ducks do not need perches.

RAISING DUCKS: Duck Illnesses & Diseases

Occasionally when raising ducks they will fall ill, although they are quiet hardy, and illnesses are rather unusual. Most of the time problems arise when water has been allowed to go stagnant, when they have been fed rotten food scraps, haven't been fed the right diet, been wrongly dosed for worm medication or have been bitten by snakes, or stung by bees, wasps, spiders or ants.

To prevent your ducks from getting worms add a small amount Condy's crystals in the duck's drinking water once a week. The crystals line the gut of the duck preventing any parasites from sticking to it. Another excellent additive is a capful or two of cider vinegar. However, if you are adding cider vinegar to the water, make sure that the water is in a plastic container, and not a metal one, as the vinegar will cause the metal container to leach. A small amount of garlic given to your ducks from time to time is also a preventative against worms and parasites.

Your birds should be housed in sanitary conditions that are well-ventilated but not draughty. They must be released from their duck house every day. These should be cleaned weekly. Like all birds they can also be susceptible to mites and worms, and should be treated for these accordingly. Any serious illness should be attended to by your local vet.

Raising ducks is a rewarding experience, and if you are into permaculture, they are a vital player in your farm's ecology. They eat the snails, slugs and other nasty bugs in your veggie garden without destroying your greens. In addition, they provide great farmyard manure to enrich your soil. Depending on the breed, you will be provided with a clutch of duck eggs on a regular basis, and a bird or two will grace your dinner table from time to time.

The humble duck is a very worthwhile farm animal indeed!