I Need Some Information On How To Raise Some Ducks!!❤️

[Olivekat07]

I am going to get a couple of ducks in like 4 weeks and I need some information on how to raise them!! Thank you for your information!!

 

[onaharley]

hi

Your best bet would be to order Storey's Guide to Raising Ducks. It's a great book and worth the money!

How old are your ducks going to be? What kind are you getting? Male or Female?

 

[Olivekat07]

hi

Your best bet would be to order Storey's Guide to Raising Ducks. It's a great book and worth the money!

How old are your ducks going to be? What kind are you getting? Male or Female?

My Dad and I are going to get 2 ducks from my dad’s cousin. We will probably get them in a few weeks. They are in the incubator right now, but Traci (my Dad’s cousin) didn’t tell us how long they have been in the incubator. It depends on what gender we are going to get. I think we are going to get females. We don’t plan on breeding, and we plan to get them when they get out the incubator.

 

[sylviethecochin]

Ducks need about the same feed as chickens. Here's Metzer Farm's nutritional minimums for ducks, if you're a math person, or at all interested in mixing your own feed--or just checking to see if your chicken feed can be given to your ducks (usually, it can. But pay attention to your niacin content--it's a type of B vitamin, and ducks need a lot of it, especially ducklings.)

Ducks need a waterer into which they can dunk their entire heads. They need this so that they can clean out their "nares," or nostrils. It also helps them eat. I use a rubber pan and flip it once or twice a day to get rid of the gross--ducks make a big mess with water.

Ducklings don't need as much heat as chicks do--I've raised them from four days old in seventy degree weather, with no supplemental heat during the day. (They did snuggle under a broody cochin hen at night.)

Male ducks can be evil rapists, especially if there are more than two of them. I strongly recommend getting at least three females per drake, if you plan on getting drakes.

Ducks lay before nine in the morning, and unlike chickens, if they aren't preparing to brood, they don't care where they lay those eggs. If you're getting ducks for eggs, plan your set-up accordingly.

 

[Olivekat07]

Ducks need about the same feed as chickens. Here's Metzer Farm's nutritional minimums for ducks, if you're a math person, or at all interested in mixing your own feed--or just checking to see if your chicken feed can be given to your ducks (usually, it can. But pay attention to your niacin content--it's a type of B vitamin, and ducks need a lot of it, especially ducklings.)

Ducks need a waterer into which they can dunk their entire heads. They need this so that they can clean out their "nares," or nostrils. It also helps them eat. I use a rubber pan and flip it once or twice a day to get rid of the gross--ducks make a big mess with water.

Ducklings don't need as much heat as chicks do--I've raised them from four days old in seventy degree weather, with no supplemental heat during the day. (They did snuggle under a broody cochin hen at night.)

Male ducks can be evil rapists, especially if there are more than two of them. I strongly recommend getting at least three females per drake, if you plan on getting drakes.

Ducks lay before nine in the morning, and unlike chickens, if they aren't preparing to brood, they don't care where they lay those eggs. If you're getting ducks for eggs, plan your set-up accordingly.

Will do! Thank you for your information!

 

[Olivekat07]

I have another question, do ducks HAVE to have water to swim in? (They are not going to live in a pond, we have a coop)

 

[sylviethecochin]

I have another question, do ducks HAVE to have water to swim in? (They are not going to live in a pond, we have a coop)

No--but they'd really like some. Ducks have a lot of fun in water. Can you get a kiddie pool? That would suffice.

Having water also improves fertility rates, but since you're not breeding, that's just a random fact I''m throwing out.

 

[PirateGirl]

Check out these sections on the website...

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/other-backyard-fowl-ducks-quail-turkeys-geese-etc.67519/

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/ducks-sticky-topics-index.256233/

 

[Olivekat07]

Thank you guys!!

 

[Olivekat07]

When I get them they will be babies:
When I put them in the brooder, what temperature should I set the heat lamp to?

When they grow up:
Should I introduce them like chickens? (at night)
Will they get picked on?