A POOL FULL OF DUCKS
INTRO
Ducks come in all sorts of sizes and colors. Ducks can be raised for exhibition, pets, eggs, and meat. The skin should be yellow or a pinkish white for birds raised for meat. Males are usually more colorful and have a little curl at the end of the tail they are called drakes. Female ducks are called ducks, not hens.
DUCKLINGS
They can be brooded like chicks except that they need ½ of a square foot for two weeks that should be doubled every two weeks until four square feet. Temperature should be 90 degrees F three inches above the litter. Place the ducklings under the heat source. After ten days reduce the temperature by 5 degrees F slowly or they might die. They must stay dry and clean with fresh air in their brooder without drafts and they mustnt get too wet for three weeks. Put rags or burlap bags on the ground for the first weeks if they are on a wire floor. If they are raised on wire floor use 3/8 of an inch, dont put small and bantams on it. The bedding shouldnt be fine because they risk ingesting it. Give free access to food and water and make sure its large enough for their heads. Do not feed medicated feed, use a starter mash that you can find at the local feed mill. Feed starter for the first three weeks, then change to a grower mix. You can give small amounts of grit and small greens when theyre three weeks old. After six weeks they should be able to be free range.
HOUSING,PREDATORS AND PARASITES
Housing
Duck require four to five feet per bird. Geese require five to six feet .One nest holds four-five hens. One idea for a nest is a barrel with one side open as long as it is secured to not roll.
Predators
They can be avoided with fencing and storing feed in metal storage bins. But if you have hawks attract crows with dog food and honey.
Parasites
External Parasites like lice and mites can be removed by washing the birds with a lice shampoo or dusting them with a product designed for that purpose.
Internal Parasites like tapeworms can be removed with wormer.
CLASSES OF DUCKS
Heavy
Medium
Light
Bantam
DUCK BREEDS
Heavy
Class: Heavy
Breed: Gray Rouen
Weight:
Old drake: 10 lbs Old duck: 9 lbs
Young drake: 9 lbs Young duck: 8 lbs
Disqualifications:
Bill: clear yellow, blue, lead colored
Neck: white ring for ducks / no ring for drakes
Wing: white in primaries
Recognized: meat, ornamental
Flight: no
Eggs: 40-60
Characteristics: yellow skin, large deep keel
Class: Heavy
Breed: Silver Appleyard
Weight:
Old drake: 9 lbs Old duck: 8 lbs
Young drake: 8 lbs Young duck: 7 lbs
Disqualifications:
Bill: solid blue, lead colored
Recognized: meat, ornamental, eggs
Flight: no
Class: Heavy
Breed: Blue Muscovy
Weight:
Old drake: 12 lbs Old duck: 7 lbs
Young drake: 10 lbs Young ducks: 6 lbs
Disqualifications:
Head: smooth
Wing: more then 10 percent white in the bow and bar area
Recognized: meat /eggs
Flight: Yes
Eggs: 60-120
Characteristics: red warty face, voice less hiss
Medium
Class: Medium
Breed: Blue Swedish
Weight:
Old drake: 8 lbs Old Duck: 7lbs
Young drake: 7 lbs Young duck: 6 lbs
Disqualifications
Bills: yellow
Brest: no white
Plumage: more then ¼ thats not blue
Recognized: Ornamental
Flight: no
Eggs: 60-100
Characteristics: blue plumage, white breast
Class: Medium
Breed: Buff
Weight:
Old drake: 8 lbs Old Duck: 7lbs
Young drake: 7 lbs Young duck: 6 lbs
Disqualifications
Plumage: is not buff or seal brown
Neck: white ring
Recognized: ornamental, meat
Flight: no
Eggs: 60-100
Characteristics: buff plumage
Class: Medium
Breed: Black Cayuga
Weight:
Old drake: 8 lbs Old Duck: 7lbs
Young drake: 7 lbs Young duck: 6lbs
Disqualifications
Body: white
Recognized: Ornamental
Flight: no
Eggs: 60-100
Characteristics: green sheen
Light
Class: Light
Breed: White Runner
Weight:
Old drake: 4 ½ lbs Old Duck: 4lbs
Young drake: 4 lbs Young duck: 3 ½ lbs
Disqualifications
Plumage: not White or creamy
Recognized: ornamental, eggs
Flight: no
Eggs: 100-150
Characteristics: tall upright
Class: Light
Breed: Khaki Campbell
Weight:
Old drake: 4 ½ lbs Old Duck: 4lbs
Young drake: 4 lbs Young duck: 3 ½ lbs
Disqualifications
Bill: yellow
Plumage: White seeable from out side cage
Recognized: eggs
Flight: no
Eggs: 200-300
Characteristics: seal brown plumage
Class: Light
Breed: Black and White Magpie
Weight:
Old drake: 5 lbs Old Duck: 4 ½ lbs
Young drake: 4 ½ lbs Young duck: 4 lbs
Recognized: ornamental
Flight: no
Eggs: 30-60
Bantamn
Class: Bantam
Breed: White Call
Weight:
Old drake: 26 oz Old Duck: 20 oz
Young drake: 22 oz Young duck: 18 oz
Disqualifications
Plumage: not white or creamy
Recognized: ornamental
Flight: yes
Eggs: 20-50
Characteristics: small, round
Class: Bantam
Breed: Black East Indie
Weight:
Old drake: 30 oz Old Duck: 24 oz
Young drake: 26 oz Young duck: 22 oz
Disqualifications
Plumage: white seeable from outside of cage
Recognized: ornamental
Flight: yes
Eggs: 20-50
Characteristics: green sheen
Class: Bantam
Breed: Gray Call
Weight:
Old drake: 40 oz Old Duck: 36 oz
Young drake: 36 oz Young duck: 30 oz
Disqualifications
Plumage: not similar to the wild mallard
Recognized: ornamental
Flight: yes
Eggs: 20-50
Characteristics: similar to the wild mallard
This was a 4-H project
INTRO
Ducks come in all sorts of sizes and colors. Ducks can be raised for exhibition, pets, eggs, and meat. The skin should be yellow or a pinkish white for birds raised for meat. Males are usually more colorful and have a little curl at the end of the tail they are called drakes. Female ducks are called ducks, not hens.
DUCKLINGS
They can be brooded like chicks except that they need ½ of a square foot for two weeks that should be doubled every two weeks until four square feet. Temperature should be 90 degrees F three inches above the litter. Place the ducklings under the heat source. After ten days reduce the temperature by 5 degrees F slowly or they might die. They must stay dry and clean with fresh air in their brooder without drafts and they mustnt get too wet for three weeks. Put rags or burlap bags on the ground for the first weeks if they are on a wire floor. If they are raised on wire floor use 3/8 of an inch, dont put small and bantams on it. The bedding shouldnt be fine because they risk ingesting it. Give free access to food and water and make sure its large enough for their heads. Do not feed medicated feed, use a starter mash that you can find at the local feed mill. Feed starter for the first three weeks, then change to a grower mix. You can give small amounts of grit and small greens when theyre three weeks old. After six weeks they should be able to be free range.
HOUSING,PREDATORS AND PARASITES
Housing
Duck require four to five feet per bird. Geese require five to six feet .One nest holds four-five hens. One idea for a nest is a barrel with one side open as long as it is secured to not roll.
Predators
They can be avoided with fencing and storing feed in metal storage bins. But if you have hawks attract crows with dog food and honey.
Parasites
External Parasites like lice and mites can be removed by washing the birds with a lice shampoo or dusting them with a product designed for that purpose.
Internal Parasites like tapeworms can be removed with wormer.
CLASSES OF DUCKS
Heavy
Medium
Light
Bantam
DUCK BREEDS
Heavy
Class: Heavy
Breed: Gray Rouen
Weight:
Old drake: 10 lbs Old duck: 9 lbs
Young drake: 9 lbs Young duck: 8 lbs
Disqualifications:
Bill: clear yellow, blue, lead colored
Neck: white ring for ducks / no ring for drakes
Wing: white in primaries
Recognized: meat, ornamental
Flight: no
Eggs: 40-60
Characteristics: yellow skin, large deep keel
Class: Heavy
Breed: Silver Appleyard
Weight:
Old drake: 9 lbs Old duck: 8 lbs
Young drake: 8 lbs Young duck: 7 lbs
Disqualifications:
Bill: solid blue, lead colored
Recognized: meat, ornamental, eggs
Flight: no
Class: Heavy
Breed: Blue Muscovy
Weight:
Old drake: 12 lbs Old duck: 7 lbs
Young drake: 10 lbs Young ducks: 6 lbs
Disqualifications:
Head: smooth
Wing: more then 10 percent white in the bow and bar area
Recognized: meat /eggs
Flight: Yes
Eggs: 60-120
Characteristics: red warty face, voice less hiss
Medium
Class: Medium
Breed: Blue Swedish
Weight:
Old drake: 8 lbs Old Duck: 7lbs
Young drake: 7 lbs Young duck: 6 lbs
Disqualifications
Bills: yellow
Brest: no white
Plumage: more then ¼ thats not blue
Recognized: Ornamental
Flight: no
Eggs: 60-100
Characteristics: blue plumage, white breast
Class: Medium
Breed: Buff
Weight:
Old drake: 8 lbs Old Duck: 7lbs
Young drake: 7 lbs Young duck: 6 lbs
Disqualifications
Plumage: is not buff or seal brown
Neck: white ring
Recognized: ornamental, meat
Flight: no
Eggs: 60-100
Characteristics: buff plumage
Class: Medium
Breed: Black Cayuga
Weight:
Old drake: 8 lbs Old Duck: 7lbs
Young drake: 7 lbs Young duck: 6lbs
Disqualifications
Body: white
Recognized: Ornamental
Flight: no
Eggs: 60-100
Characteristics: green sheen
Light
Class: Light
Breed: White Runner
Weight:
Old drake: 4 ½ lbs Old Duck: 4lbs
Young drake: 4 lbs Young duck: 3 ½ lbs
Disqualifications
Plumage: not White or creamy
Recognized: ornamental, eggs
Flight: no
Eggs: 100-150
Characteristics: tall upright
Class: Light
Breed: Khaki Campbell
Weight:
Old drake: 4 ½ lbs Old Duck: 4lbs
Young drake: 4 lbs Young duck: 3 ½ lbs
Disqualifications
Bill: yellow
Plumage: White seeable from out side cage
Recognized: eggs
Flight: no
Eggs: 200-300
Characteristics: seal brown plumage
Class: Light
Breed: Black and White Magpie
Weight:
Old drake: 5 lbs Old Duck: 4 ½ lbs
Young drake: 4 ½ lbs Young duck: 4 lbs
Recognized: ornamental
Flight: no
Eggs: 30-60
Bantamn
Class: Bantam
Breed: White Call
Weight:
Old drake: 26 oz Old Duck: 20 oz
Young drake: 22 oz Young duck: 18 oz
Disqualifications
Plumage: not white or creamy
Recognized: ornamental
Flight: yes
Eggs: 20-50
Characteristics: small, round
Class: Bantam
Breed: Black East Indie
Weight:
Old drake: 30 oz Old Duck: 24 oz
Young drake: 26 oz Young duck: 22 oz
Disqualifications
Plumage: white seeable from outside of cage
Recognized: ornamental
Flight: yes
Eggs: 20-50
Characteristics: green sheen
Class: Bantam
Breed: Gray Call
Weight:
Old drake: 40 oz Old Duck: 36 oz
Young drake: 36 oz Young duck: 30 oz
Disqualifications
Plumage: not similar to the wild mallard
Recognized: ornamental
Flight: yes
Eggs: 20-50
Characteristics: similar to the wild mallard
This was a 4-H project
