Introduction to Raising Ducks on Pasture

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Introduction to RaisingDucks on Pasture

• Ruth McDaniel
• Forty Days Farm

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Why Ducks

• Control of aquatic weeds
• Ease of containment
• Eggs and meat
• Pest control
• Manure provides nutrients for garden areas

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If it Quacks Like a Duck

• Egg type ducks
• Meat type ducks
• Dual purpose ducks
• Wide variation in foraging ability

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Egg Type Ducks

• Smaller
• Better flight ability

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Meat Type Ducks

• Larger
• Very little flight ability
• Genetics and nutrition affect size

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Practical Issues

• Odor
• Noise
• Proximity to water supply

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Odor

• Ducks will produce a lot of wet manure
• Use deep bedding in holding areas
• Manure will build up around watering and feeding
  areas, so make these mobile or use deep bedding

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Holding Pen With Deep Bedding
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Quack Quack Quack Quack

• Ducks are noisy!
• Do not locate ducks where they will disturb you
  or your neighbors

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Like a Duck to Water

• Ducks use water to
• Groom, preen, and bathe
• Drink
• Help swallow food, especially dry food
• Breed

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Water

• Ducks consume a lot of water
• Change water frequently
• Locate watering areas close to a source of water

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Water

• Swimming area not required, but helpful
• Bathing helps a duck maintain the oil coating on
  their feathers
• Ice on ponds need to be broken if pond is the
  main source of water

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Welcome Home Ducklings

• Locate brooder away from flock in a protected
  area
• Brooder needs to be preheated
• Consider odor when deciding on brooder placement

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Access to Water

• Ducks scoop water with their bill
• Watering device must have opening larger than a
  ducks bill
• Water should be located close to food

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Water Basics for Ducklings

• Make sure the ducklings can get their bills in
  the water, but nothing else!
• Change water often to protect against harmful
  bacteria and reduce spread of disease

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Water Hazards

• Young ducklings can drown, especially those not
  naturally brooded
• Wet ducklings can get too cold and die
• Shallow pools of water can get very hot in the
  summer and breed harmful bacteria

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Brooding

• Brooder temperature suggested is 95 F for first
  5-10 days
• At 5-10 days switch to a brooder with DEEP LITTER
  and a heat lamp
• I have used chicken tractor type structure with
  a heat lamp in warm weather

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Outdoor Brooding Pen With Duck Impostor
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Going To Pasture

• Begin by providing access to pasture as well as
  sheltered area with heat source
• Age for starting on pasture will depend upon
  weather
• Heavy ducks need a much lower fence than lighter
  ducks

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Moving The Flock

• Dont expect ducks to want to go everywhere you
  want them to go
• A border collie may become your new best friend!

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Big Duck Water Rules

• Consider excluding ducks from ponds during very
  cold weather
• Small pools will freeze quickly and need
  refilling often, so locate them where you have
  easy access to water
• Rinse small pools often, especially in the summer

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Feeding

• MEDICATED POULTRY FEED WILL KILL DUCKS AND GEESE
• Use a crumble or mash for ducklings, I have been
  very happy with a gamebird starter/grower crumble
• Adults can use a crumble, pellet, or mash
• Whole grains should be cracked or rolled

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Foraging

• Ducks will eat land and aquatic plants, small
  insects, larva, slugs, etc.
• Prefer to forage when the ground is wetideal to
  put them in pasture areas which are too wet to be
  grazed
• Ducks will sift through horse and cow manure,
  consuming bugs and larva and helping spread manure

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Lame Duck

• Thorns, brambles, and burrs can puncture foot and
  lead to infection
• Pasture areas should be free of thorny plants if
  possible
• Holding areas MUST be free of thorny plants

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Predators

• Crows, raccoons and rats will eat duck eggs
• Hawks will eat duckling and small ducks
• Have overhead protection
• Fox and coyote will prey on ducks
• House near a dog at night if possible

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Harvest

• For eggs, ducks will begin laying at 16-24 weeks,
  depending upon genetics, diet, and season
• For meat, I have used ducks from 14 weeks to 18
  months. For planning purposes, Id suggest
  looking at a window from 12-18 weeks.

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Biosecurity

• Maintain isolation area for all incoming animals
• Remove and isolate any animal that appears to be
  sick
• Use footbaths at entry and exit areas
• Assume that any visitor could carry contaminants

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Duckling Sources

• Chick Days at local feed stores
• Mail order

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Checklist for duckling arrival

• Brooder is clean, disinfected and heated to 95 F
• NONMEDICATED crumble or mash feed is ready
• Ducklings can get entire bill in water

• Ducklings cannot get their bodies in the water
• Someone can check the brooder a few hours after
  ducklings have arrived

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Resource List

• Storeys Guide to Raising Ducks by David
  Holderread