Ducks

When it comes to raising livestock, birds have a lot to recommend them. They don’t take up nearly as much room as larger mammals, they produce a variety of useful products, and they are easy to handle. Everyone knows and loves chickens, but there are plenty of other domestic poultry species to raise besides them. … Read more

Birds are some of the most interesting animals to me. Apparently, I’m not alone based on the skyrocketing interest in keeping chickens and ducks, and also in birdwatching generally. Ducks in particular tend to be beautiful creatures, very colorful and certainly a lot of fun to look at. But we also see trends concerning their … Read more

If you’ve ever spent time around a lake, or any other sizable body of water, you’ve certainly seen ducks at one point. Maybe you’ve even fed them. Ducks are beautiful waterfowl, and there are many species found all around the world. You are just as likely to see them paddling across the surface of the … Read more

If there is any animal alive more adorable than a baby duck, I just don’t know what it is. And sure, cuteness is no good reason to get any animal, but if we’re being honest the appeal of ducks is just too hard to resist for some people. But as cute as they are, ducks … Read more

Everyone knows that ducks love the water, but it’s easy to question that love when you see ducks out in the middle of a lake or pond during freezing cold weather. Much of the time they’ll just be sitting out there like there isn’t a thing in the world wrong, even when it is cold … Read more

Making the decision to expand your flock the old-fashioned way when you raise ducks is always an exciting time. Placing the viable eggs in an incubator or letting their diligent mother sit on them and try to hatch them, it is definitely going to be an experience when they first pip and the new arrivals … Read more

Ducks have a language all their own. Learning how to interpret both the sounds they make and their behavior can provide keepers with a keen insight into how the ducks feel, what they need, and if predators are lurking about. The verbal language ducks use can vary widely by breed among both domesticated and wild … Read more

Learning the sex of ducklings can be a puzzling yet interesting endeavor. All of the cute little baby ducks in your brooder or incubator might look and sound identical at first glance, but there are slight yet distinct differences between the future drakes and hens. Duck Sexing Quick Comparison Table Feature Female Ducks Male Ducks … Read more

Feeding ducks should involve not only the use of commercially manufactured feed, but fresh greens, vegetables, and foraged protein from insects and tadpoles. Ducks are incredibly economical to feed while maintaining proper nutrition levels, especially if the flock is permitted to free range. Ducks, like chickens, are omnivores. They will avidly consume protein foraged while … Read more

Ancona ducks are both rare and beautiful poultry birds. These black and white domesticated ducks have unique and broken-colored feathering patterns that make them both easy to identify and engaging to watch. Ducks of this breed are classified as multi-purpose or dual-purpose because they are raised for eggs as well as meat. The beauty and … Read more

Raising ducks is practical as well as entertaining. Not only will ducks produce more eggs than chickens annually, but duck eggs are significantly larger. Duck hens lay well into their sixth to even ninth year of life – making them perhaps the most sustainable small livestock one could keep on a homestead for egg production. … Read more

As a child, I used to love feeding the ducks at the park. We would toss them slugs and earthworms and watch in delight as they chased their snacks around the lake. Of course, we also fed those ducks a great deal of snacks we had in our bags – things like bread, crackers, and … Read more

Farm-fresh duck eggs are creamy, and delicious, and are typically more durable than the thinner eggs laid by chicken hens. Raising ducks for eggs is not any more time-consuming or difficult than raising chickens for the same purpose. In fact, I truly believe it is actually easier to raise ducks for eggs – or even … Read more

Pekin ducks are one of the most popular breeds kept in the United States both in backyards and on homesteads across the country. Pekin is a multi-purpose breed, meaning it has traditionally been raised both for egg and meat production. The fuzzy and completely adorable little yellow ducklings you see during “Chick Days” events at … Read more

Welsh Harlequin ducks are a relatively new breed when compared with those top meat and egg duck varieties that have been around for centuries. Their newness to the marketplace, and somewhat difficult to find nature has not hampered the ability of Welsh Harlequins to become an incredibly popular breed. Members of this duck breed are … Read more

Incubating and hatching duck eggs is vitally important if you want to keep your flock growing should the breed you are keeping be excellent layers, but lousy sitters. Some duck breeds both lay and sit their eggs well, but that is definitely not always the case. In such circumstances, investing in a quality incubator and … Read more