They cackle. They walk swinging. They swim. They eat. Caring for a duck as a backyard animal can become a noteworthy and relatively simple experience if you follow the easy tips in this article.
Steps
Step 1. Buy at least two ducks
Ducklings are the best choice as they will quickly learn where home is. You should have a few more, because ducks are social animals and feel safer and happier in groups. A good idea is to have four, as ducklings often have mental or growth problems and can die within a week, not counting the predators that eat them. So buy your ducklings from a breeder or a reputable shop. They should be awake, alert, bright and clear-eyed, as well as being able to walk alone easily.
Step 2. Build an area large enough for them to move
Ducklings should not roam free until they are two months of age, when they have passed the moulting stage and have new feathers. Until then, they should be kept in a barn, enclosure, shelter, or tub-like container, with free space and an area to sleep under a heat lamp. They should always have food and water available. Their space should be cleaned regularly and the water changed daily. Better cover the area they live in so they don't go out and nothing (including cats) can get in. A zero-cost and functional enclosure can be obtained by placing T-posts in a circle and wrapping them with wire mesh, covering the lower edges with bricks to prevent the ducklings from passing underneath. Better if the bottom of the fence is earth. As a cover we recommend the wire mesh so no animals can enter and the ducklings will avoid going out. If you also have a mother, leave her with the little ones. Remove the cover net during the day so it can fly out and, if you like, let it back in before closing.
Step 3. When you feel safe, let your ducklings out to play in the pond
In the late afternoon or early evening, bring them back to the pen. They still won't be ready to go out into the open without being in danger. Don't leave them out one at a time but always in a group.
Step 4. Ducks quickly learn to enter the pen if they are given good food once a day, especially if there are others following this habit
At the beginning, feed the ducklings whenever they need them but when they understand that fence = food, give it only once a day. If the ducks are still hungry after eating everything, give them slightly larger portions. If they don't run out, give them less.
Step 5. Check regularly
At mealtimes, examine your ducks for any health problems, as they will not look at you as cautiously at this time as they would otherwise. If you think there is a problem, you can gently hold them at the base of the neck with one hand and probe the body with the other to understand better. Try to keep the duck quiet. Don't let its wings unfold when you hold it, it sure will and if you don't hold it firmly (but kindly) it will probably hurt itself.
Advice
- Never leave a duck alone, you always need at least one playmate.
- Find out what kind of duck you prefer. You can get a musk, a Mallard, an American mallard or the traditional Pekingese. You can also have more varieties, just have the respective companions too. Pekingese usually stay with other Pekingese and so for each variety. They will maintain relationships with the group in which you will raise them.
- Muskies love to be in the water but also in indoor structures. They stay in the area where they eat longer than the others, hoping to get more food. They often fly.
- If you buy an adult duck, then in the first two days it will fly away. If this happens, you should look for her and bring her home or she will be left alone and a victim of predators. Try not to scare her and take her with a blanket. Hold it with both hands. It is usually a job for two people at least. When the duck associates food with home, it will never run away. If she stays alive, she'll be back quickly.
- Ducks also live well together with other poultry, including geese.
- Make sure the enclosure is closed on the top side. Predators must not enter. If you can, keep the duck indoors when it's raining, too hot, or night conditions are unfavorable. This will increase the chances of his survival and a happy life with you!
- Take care of your duck! If you don't, he may leave or he may not love you.
- Pekingese especially love water and the company of other ducks.
- Read everything you can about ducks. There are manuals and guides of all kinds to raise poultry of any breed. You can also buy newspapers that contain useful articles.
Warnings
- Ducks are prey, protect them as best you can when they are small, but once you release them you won't be able to do much about them. They will be safer near water than in the middle of a field.
- Don't feed your ducklings too much or too little. (See "Step 4" for food instructions.)
