Raising Ducks

[WildWolf]

Does anyone know a lot about raising ducks? I'm thinking about raising them... and I barely know anything about them. I have a "few" :twisted: questions.
~Can you feed them completely naturally if you have a small yard, garden, and harvested greens from friend's yards? And possibly provided worms from the worm bin composer?
~Would they stay inside a small yard, or would I have to enclose them? (there is a city lake reservoir that backs up to my yard... they can't go there)
~I know they need to be "put to bed" at night... Can you have a permanent house and small run (with leaf bedding) and let them roam a small yard for a couple hours a day? Will they be able to eat naturally that way (I would give them harvested greens, just like the bunnies)?
~If you have a drake and 2 females (what do you call female ducks?) how can you collect eggs as eggs, and how do you go about letting them hatch?
My natural feeding would include: my and my friends' yards (all weeds :roll: ) harvested, worms, acorns, slugs/insects in my yard and garden (we have a major slug and mosquito problem. do they eat mosquitoes?) and grains. Is that good for them?
Thanks! I know this is a rabbit form, but I'm pretty sure some of you have ducks...

 

[Secuono]

You can, but grass will not sustain them. You will have to buy or breed many different insects and snails/slugs to feed them. There are feeds out there for chickens that are made of better quality and more natural. In a small yard, they will not find enough food to stay alive.

What breed of duck are you wanting? The Mallard and Muscovy may and can fly away. Others may be able to fly the fence. How tall is the fence?

You don't need to put them up for the night in a small yard, unless you have predators. Then you need a strong fence with a strong top. My ducks prefer very open buildings or they won't go in. Over winter, they stayed out, only sought shelter in very bad weather.

Ducks need pools of water, cup of water will not work. Either a small 4ft dog pool or one of the larger kids pools. Plastic preformed. They will poop, dump in mud and make it nasty fast. I have 8 ducks and 2 kiddy pools, every 2 days I dump them and refill them. That is a must. As soon as the water is so dirty you cannot see the color of the pool or you see any color other than a slight brown tinge, it should be dumped. I've had my pools turn blood red, green, lime green, black, dark brown on the 3rd day. Three days is as long as I go, I don't want the mosquitoes to take over and the water ends up way too filthy. Ducks will only drink dirty water, they will not swim in it until you dump it and add fresh water. Mine will actually swarm me, waiting for the pool to be dumped and then jump in as soon as I start filling it up.

Male duck is a Drake. Female duck is a Hen. You need a breed of duck that likes to hatch eggs or a broody chicken to do it for you. Ducks lay eggs where ever they stand or swim. I've only been able to train one duck from all that I've had to lay in a nest and that was complicated and the nest needed daily fixing. You will have an egg hunt every morning. Ducks lay very early in the AM, chickens lay midday.

Mosquitoes are far too tiny for them to eat them. Your yard should, at least in some areas, be left more on the over grown side where slugs, pill bugs and other critters will live for the ducks to nibble them up.

 

[Mary Ann's Rabbitry]

Male duck is a Drake. Female duck is a Hen.

That is not right. A female duck is called a duck.

Ducks will only drink dirty water,

That is not true. They love clean water.

__________ Sat Aug 04, 2012 3:30 pm __________

Ducks lay very early in the AM, chickens lay midday.

again that isnt right. Ducks lay at anytime of the day. So does chickens.<br /><br />__________ Sat Aug 04, 2012 3:32 pm __________<br /><br />

Ducks need pools of water,

Nope. They dont . They are more happy with swimming. They dont need the water. All they need is enough water deep enough to clean there eyes and nose.

 

[WildWolf]

ok... does anyone else have trouble collecting eggs? how large of an area does 3 ducks need to eat completely naturally?

 

[Secuono]

I am NOT wrong. This is what all of my ducks I've ever had have done.

 

[tm_bunnyloft]

I think every flock behaves a little differently. Mine like clean water but they mess it up pretty fast. My muscovys have a small pool but they rarely go in it. They lay eggs when it suits them and where it suits them. I have one nesting now.
I do not believe you will be able to raise your ducks all naturally. They will need to have some duck food or cracked corn. I live on 4 acres and have 4 ducks and still need to feed them every day.<br /><br />__________ Fri Aug 10, 2012 10:48 pm __________<br /><br />I have no trouble collecting eggs. If your hen is being crabby when you go to take her eggs she more than likely wants to sit. If you mean you are not getting eggs then I'm not sure what you have going on except maybe you have all drakes.

 

[WildWolf]

Oh, I don't have ducks now, I want to get them.
If they free-range, how can you collect all the eggs?
I think that ducks don't require large pools of water, but some prefer it. They might like clean and dirty water, just depends. And they lay "when it suits them and where it suits them" (thanks, tm_bunnyloft!)
Is there a way to feed ducks without buying anything? I really want to find a way to raise birds (particularly ducks) without spending money and find a way to be able to provide for them no matter what

I just had a thought- is it possible to collect wild duck eggs? where would they be?

 

[Piper]

Some wild ducks only lay 25 to 40 eggs a year and may not be legal to keep in your area. Do you intend on eating the eggs? Khaki Campbell ducks are said to out-lay most chickens.

 

[bucknercrestfarm]

We have kakis thwy lay more then chickens we love them but we do clip there wings they will take offoff we have a lil kiddy pool for them just keeps them happer and they dont play in there water as much tou have to give them grain

 

[Mary Ann's Rabbitry]

Is there a way to feed ducks without buying anything? I really want to find a way to raise birds (particularly ducks) without spending money and find a way to be able to provide for them no matter what

if you want any animals you have to spend some money to feed them.

 

[Piper]

For at least the first six months you should plan on having to supplimental feed. Then if you learn enough, you may find that you have enough grass and weeds to keep them happy. It depends on how much feed (grass, weeds, insects) your land actually has, that the ducks will eat - and how many ducks you get to eat it. There are also predators, that like a duck meal. Try it, if it does not work, send them to fc or sell them on cl. You will at least learn what will work for you.

 

[Secuono]

My Pekins lay every day all year round.
How do you collect eggs? You walk around looking for them. Some may lay in a similar area, others just where ever they are walking at the time. So keep grass short if you want to find them easily.
My ducks lay in the am, they are locked up at 8pm and not let out until 8-9am the next day. Eggs are always already laid, unless they are sick or new to laying.
None of my Khakis ever flew off, they can fly up like chickens, but I've never seen mine actually take off like my Mallard did. She flew 20 acres away and then made a big circle back around. Unlike the Khaki who walk around and I've never even had them 'fly' over a 2 or 3ft fence.


Maybe you should get geese instead. I've always heard they are far better for foraging on their own and the such.

 

[Mary Ann's Rabbitry]

Maybe you should get geese instead. I've always heard they are far better for foraging on their own and the such.

Now that is a good idea chickiesnbunnies. YOu dont have to feed them.They will keep your grass trim , J Unless you have a hard winter then you have to. And they like to stay out too.

 

[Dreamerz]

Does anyone know a lot about raising ducks?

I have raised ducks, chicken, quail, doves & a few other gamebirds for about 12 yrs now. I show & sell some, I have been a member of the USDA NPIP program for over 10 yrs & am listed on their web site. Some of my bird are pictured on Feathersite.com . I don't know if I know a lot .... but I know some.

~Can you feed them completely naturally if you have a small yard, garden, and harvested greens from friend's yards? And possibly provided worms from the worm bin composer?

This could make up a good part of their feeding, but I would still give some gamebird feed. Also ducks are major scrap hounds & can be fed kitchen leftovers (breads, pastas, veggies, rice, eggs, etc.) they also love other pet feeds like cat food (good protien for them), dog food, rabbit food, chicken feed.
Remember a lot of fresh clean water, the water must be deep enough for the ducks to put most of their face under water.

~Would they stay inside a small yard, or would I have to enclose them? (there is a city lake reservoir that backs up to my yard... they can't go there)

This depends on the bird not just the breed, some like to explore more then others. I would think the water would be a draw to them, so I would make sure they had their own water fun. You could also think about getting ducks that are pinionned (I wouldn't ... ouch) but just an idea.

~I know they need to be "put to bed" at night... Can you have a permanent house and small run (with leaf bedding) and let them roam a small yard for a couple hours a day? Will they be able to eat naturally that way (I would give them harvested greens, just like the bunnies)?

A house & run are a good idea, to keep them safe at night or when no one is around. They would forage for food when in the yard, but still would need more.

~If you have a drake and 2 females (what do you call female ducks?) how can you collect eggs as eggs, and how do you go about letting them hatch?

My ducks have always layed their eggs in their houses, before I ever start letting new birds free range I make sure they know their home. It makes it easier for me this way they know where to go at night & where to lay.
A female duck is a duck.

My natural feeding would include: my and my friends' yards (all weeds :roll: ) harvested, worms, acorns, slugs/insects in my yard and garden (we have a major slug and mosquito problem. do they eat mosquitoes?) and grains. Is that good for them?

This sounds like good natural feed (except the acorns ... can you say caught in throat). Yes, they will eat your mosquitoes if they can get the larve.
What type of grains were you thinking of giving them ? Depending on this you may be able to go without the gamebird feed or buy gamebird feed with the money you would put twards grain.


muscovies

2 Cayuga, 1 Blue Swedish & 1 Muscovy

 

[WildWolf]

"What type of grains were you thinking of giving them ? Depending on this you may be able to go without the gamebird feed or buy gamebird feed with the money you would put twards grain."

What would you suggest? I have no clue what type of grain they would need...
we already have oats, wheat, and barley for the rabbits. And we will probably have rye sometime.

 

[Piper]

1st - check out protein requirements for ducks, then you can use this thread
topic6809.html
to see how much protein 'some' different grains have.
- With 'chickens' these are required, (for both rooster and hen) too. Think about how the eggs will delete the female duck's calcium, on top of normal requirements.
-(for chickens again) Iodized Salt: 1/2 lb. per 100 lbs. of feed. -- Calcium and Phosphorus
- you might be surprised at how many of these things grass has, though.
Will do a check and see what I can find about ducks.<br /><br />__________ Sun Aug 12, 2012 11:43 am __________<br /><br />found a neat link - for ducks and geese
http://www.metzerfarms.com/FeedConversion.cfm

 

[WildWolf]

Thanks!!

 

[tm_bunnyloft]

Our muscovies get scratch feed right along with the chickens every day. And they get grass and all the bugs they can eat. Right now one of my hens is sitting on over 20 eggs. Yay!!!! And I have a bantam hen sitting on about a dozen eggs. Fall chicks in about 25 more days.

In the spring I intend to get some geese. I plan to turn them out in the horse pasture. They can eat up the weeds and add some "new" fertilizer. Birds don't require that much food. But will eat you out of house and home if you offer it. In one end and out the other,,,,, as the saying goes.<br /><br />__________ Fri Aug 17, 2012 8:31 pm __________<br /><br />Oh I forgot to add we will be eating all of those baby ducks when they get to size, and we eat all the bantam eggs unless someone sneaks a nest to sit.

 

[WildWolf]

geese would be easier to keep. We have wild geese all around here.