re-native ducks for beginner

[broody rooster]

hello everyone sorry for reposting this but it dawned on me that this would have gotten more responses on the ornamental fowl rather then ducks but anyway for the past few days ive taken an interest in some of the native duck species here and have been looking around on threads and have noticed people keep alot of native species which suprised me because i thought the migratory bird thing didnt allow the keeping of them but it caught my attention so i have a couple questions that i wanted to ask but also keep in mind i have never had ducks of any kind and i have little experience aside from feeding my neighbors muscovies while she was out of town so to start is there some kind of permit necesary to keep native species? what are the dietary requirments of ducks in general? what are some good species good for beginners that are hardy and get friendly? any personal experience would be nice and the species ive taken a particular interest in are mergansers, teals, whistling ducks, redheads and a few of the shelduck species thankyou

 

[broody rooster]

those are just some species i liked any that you all think would be a good hardy species that bonds well to its owner, is easy to get and wouldnt cost an arm and a leg would be nice

 

[destinduck]

Those ducks are fairly easy to keep except for mergansers. When you buy the ducks from a breeder they should send the proper permit (3-816 i belive they are called) . For you to sell your stock if you choose later down the line you will have to apply for this permit as well.Its mainly just so the government knows you arent taking migratory birds from the wild. As for shelducks. most are kept alone or in pairs, With a big enough avairy you might be able to raise commons(europeans) The others are mean and do not do well in a community set up. A 16% chicken layer pellet is all I feed my waterfowl. With occasional protien boost bright before and during breeding season. I uue a gamebird feed for this.They get treats of greens now and again as well. Mandarins.ringed teal cape teal red crested pochards are easy birds to keep and do not require the migratory permits. One other helpful hint is to keep your water clean. I change mine anywhere from 4-7 days.Ducks are messy and if their pen and water isnt kept up it becomes a muddy breeding ground for disease and problems with sick ducks. I prefer sand as a medium for the ground covering. If youre thinking about pen size I reccomend 8X12 per pair as a general rule. Although a little larger will never hurt to be sure. Good luck!

 

[broody rooster]

thankyou ! are there any that get particularly friendly with there owners ?

 

[Buck Oakes]

It depends on how young u get them ( which its advised not to get them to young) and just how well they were socialized from the breeder

 

[destinduck]

Just spend time with them is really the key. When you feed em throw the food around you stay and hang out in a chair while they eat. Also just go inside and hang out all you can.The more time you spend with em the more they treat you like one of their own .