With about 22 million ducks being produced in the US every year, more and more small farm operations are now adding to the whole duck industry. Aside from being a pleasurable experience in your yard as pets, ducks can give a source of high-quality meat for the market as a source of income.

Before you prepare the duck pen or purchase the ducks, you should do some research. Study the different breeds of ducks available and find the breed that suits your purpose. Some breeds are good for meat such as the Peking, some are for laying eggs such as the Khaki Campbell and some are for ornamental purposes such as the Muscovy.

Before your purchase or acquire the ducks, you should build the duck pen first. A small duck shade will give heat for the ducks on winter and cold nights. A used chicken coop or a small pen will be sufficient.

If you can afford it, you can give your duck a pond. Whether it is located in your yard, or just using a small kiddie pool, the pond or any swimming area will give your ducks the opportunity to glide through the water, which will provide them the opportunity to develop their physical and mental features. However, you should not allow your ducklings to swim just yet. During the early age, they cannot survive in the cold water and they might get pneumonia, which can be fatal for ducklings.

You should order eggs or baby ducks from a reputable breeder. It will be the basis of your new flock of ducks and the brood they develop in the future.

You should establish your breeding flock. Each group will consist of one drake and several females. It is best to divide the ducks during the fall so they can become acquainted with each other before the mating season in spring.

Prepare the eggs for incubation. You should make sure to mark the laying date on each egg to keep track of the time you will need to incubate. Then, wash any waste smudges off the shells to keep the incubator free from bacteria that are infesting the droppings.

Place the eggs inside a room with a temperature of 95 degrees Fahrenheit and with moisture at 60 per cent air humidity. Maintain the humidity of the incubator and turn the eggs at least two to three times a day and start incubating them before they are a week old.

Right after they hatch, transfer the baby ducks to a warm brooder pen as soon as they are dry. As they mature, you can slowly lessen the temperature. By the time they are about four weeks old, they will not need any artificial heat.

You can cover the floor of the brooder with old newspapers and change them constantly to maintain the cleanliness of the box. Remove any leftover or spilled water or feeds to avoid fungal inspection in your flock. Ducks are very vulnerable to fungal infection and some diseases can be fatal as a result of the infection.

Ducks are not very picky when it comes to their food; they just usually exploit the different food sources they can find around them, such as weeds, small aquatic plants, fishes, insects, slugs, and even snails.

Some breeds of ducks such as the smew, goosander and the ganders, are well-adapted to hunt and eat large fish.

Most ducks have the feature of a wide, flat bill that helps them in scouring for food, pulling plants, catching worms and small snails from the ground, hunting for small insects and other jobs such as grooming and defending themselves from predators.

Diving ducks and sea ducks hunt deep underwater. To submerge easily, the diving ducks are built heavier than the dabbling ducks, and they also have more difficulty in flying.

Dabbling ducks on the other hand feed on the surface of the water or on the shore, or as deep as they can submerge their bodies. On the side of the bill, there is a specialized structure, resembling a comb with fine bristles, used to strain the water spurting from the side of the bill and traps the food. This is called the pectin, which is also used to clean the feathers.

Ducks are basically monogamous, even though these bonds generally last for a specific period only such as a year or a season. Larger breeds and the more docile breeds are inclined to have a single partner for a longer time. Most breeds copulate at least once a year, during a certain favorable situations depending on the region they live.

Despite the popular notion, only the female ducks of most dabbling varieties "quack". For instance, the scaup, a diving duck, makes a noise that makes a sound like "scaup" (thus the origin of the name), and even among the dabblers, the males do not quack. Generally, ducks make a wide range of sounds or calls varying from whistles, and grunts. These sounds, also known as calls, may be loud displaying calls or subtle communication during the mating season.

Ducks have a broad-based distribution, occurring across most of the regions of the world, except in arid regions like Antarctica, and in most deserts. Most species can thrive in sub-Antarctic areas such as South Georgia and the Aucklands. Most ducks have also thrived to inhabit on oceanic islands such as New Zealand and the Hawaiian Islands, even though most of these species are endangered or have been declared as extinct.

A few duck species, primarily those breeding in the moderate climate regions are very migratory; those in the tropics are not. Some ducks, especially in Australia and New Zealand are nomadic because of the rainy season.

Ducks have different predators to look out for. Ducklings are very vulnerable since they cannot fly or run fast and they are basically food for large birds and large fishes such as pikes, and other aquatic predators such as crocodiles. The coop can be raided by land predators, and brooding ducks may be trapped on the nest by foxes, or predatory birds such as eagles and hawks.

Mature ducks can fly, but can be trapped on the water by large predators such as large fishes. In flight, ducks are safe from a few predators except from humans and hawks.

When a duckling is at the stage where they would now be living under a brooder or a hen, you should ensure that they have quick access to food and clean drinking water, to do this, you will need special feeders and a water basin. Keep the containers clean, also make it a daily habit to clean and replenish their food and water dishes. You should find these items with a special design to avoid the ducklings from toppling over. If this happens, your ducklings can drown inside the basin as they are not yet accustomed to swimming.

Adult ducks use special oils when they swim in water. However, they can only do this skill when they are already about six months old. This special oil can be transmitted to the duckling from their mother, thus, if they are being brooded, they don't have the means of getting this oil. Their feathers can easily get wet, and they can die because of pneumonia. Water containers with wire guards are also a great choice. Place the water containers over low, wire-guarded frames to keep them from getting inside. Also, this can decrease the mess they would make. Make sure to change the water containers with the suitable size as the ducklings grow.

In some farms, commercial producers have food pellets especially formulated for baby ducks. You should check with a supplier in your area for this. If the duck pellets are not available, serve your baby ducks with some chick starter first for at least 2 - 3 weeks. Place the food on egg container flats or any other dish with coarse materials: smooth surfaced materials can cause leg injury, as baby ducks are very active and they can always slip on the material when the surface is wet. After the starting period, you can give them duck pellets or chicken grower. You can also mix cracked corn and chopped vegetables. Always have food available to your ducks and give them grits as they grow.

Basically, ducks are easy to grow because they are durable and are not vulnerable to most typical bird diseases. The use of drug-enervated duck pellets is not necessary to boost their immune system. Very rare are additives that have been permitted for nutritional or medical purposes in duck pellets. Waterfowls such as ducks can be more sensitive to medications than other poultry. Improper use of specific medicated pellets designed for chickens can cause harm to ducks.

Most breed of ducks that are raised in the late spring and have access to green weeds in your yard basically are healthier. Although ducks are not as good foragers as geese are, they can eat some vegetables you may give and also, farm ducks are commonly permitted to roam the yard where they can find food. You can chop green feeds and give them to your ducks when they should be inside when there is a bad weather. Contrary to common beliefs, a water pond is not very important to raise ducks successfully.

Under marketing factors, Peking ducklings can be sold in the market when they reach 7 weeks. They can weigh 6-8 pound and have eaten 25-30 pounds of feeds. Rouen ducks kept under farm conditions can take at least 5 months to keep up with Peking duck weight. Muscovy ducks take rather longer.

Why raise ducks?

Basically, ducks are raised for commercial purposes. There are around 1 million duck farmers presently around the United States, and they are the main source for supply in the US market for duck meat. Ducks are also raised for their eggs, but they are not on a large-scale since ducks are not good layers as compared to chickens. Campbell ducks are copious layers but they are small so you can't get enough meat from a single duck.

Domestic duck keeping is gaining popularity as well. Most people find it relaxing when they watch a flock of ducks swimming through a small pond in their garden. Ornamental ducks, also called bantam ducks, are raised as pets. However, they are still edible.

Can you raise duck if you don't have a farm?

Of course you can. If you have a spacious room or a place that is dry, well-ventilated and free from predators, you can start raising ducks for family or domestic purposes. If you want to raise baby ducks as pets, you can get a shoebox - the size depends on the number of ducks you have. Some people in suburban areas now have pet ducks.

Do I need a pond to keep ducks?

No, you don't need a pond. Your ducks will grow healthy even if they don't swim in a pond. However, they will be happier when they can swim. You can use a plastic pool for their artificial pond. Many have found these to be very relaxing and a great addition to their yards.

How many eggs does a mother hen lay?

During their first year, layer ducks can lay at least one egg a day. After the succeeding seasons, the rate of egg-laying gradually decreases. If you raise ducks in a suburban home, you can't keep all of the eggs. If you decide to let them hatch, their number will increase to an unmanageable rate. Better, you can give them to your neighbors or your friend who also want to raise ducks from egg to adults.

Do hens need a drake (male duck) to lay eggs?

No, unless you are raising a duck farm. A drake is only needed to fertilize the eggs, but - just as with any other kind of poultry animals - the hens will lay eggs whether or not there is a drake.

Are duck eggs like chicken eggs?

They are similar, but they are not exactly alike of course. The size of duck eggs vary according to their breeds. Some eggs have the same size, while some are smaller. When you cook duck eggs, they are a bit creamier than chicken eggs and have a richer flavor.

Can I raise ducks with my usual pets such as dogs and cats?

Naturally, cats and dogs are predators. So, they will chase, even eat, your pet ducks. However, if your cats or dogs are trained, they will learn not to harm the ducks if you tell them not to do so.

If you have a small pond in your yard, it would be very enjoyable and relaxing if you have a small flock of ducklings swimming through its waters. For a good number of people, ducks are very beautiful pets. Watching them swim in a very serene way through the pond is very calming, and relaxing. Ducks are quite easy to raise, especially if you have the proper information on how to keep them.

Check and collect duck eggs frequently, assuming that you have laying ducks. If not, you can just buy fertilized duck eggs from some farms to begin with. Most duck raisers collect eggs every day when the matured duck hens begin laying. Ducks are not that good in prioritizing things and a layer will usually begin laying eggs before they can even build a suitable nest, leaving the eggs scattered on the ground. Collect these eggs wash them mildly and pat dry with a piece of clean cloth. Before the incubation, place the eggs in a box at room temperature. It is essential to shift their position at least twice a day, since mother ducks do egg turning naturally, even before she begins sitting on her eggs.

Prior to the incubation, preheat the incubator for at least a whole day. This is to make sure that it has the constant temperature of 90 - 100 degrees. You should constantly keep a room thermometer in the incubator and check it frequently. Moreover, provide the trough with enough water. This is very essential because the eggs require proper moisture to avoid dehydration.

Once the incubator is ready, place the eggs inside. When you have gathered a number of duck eggs, at least a dozen, you can now begin to incubate them. However, never store the eggs for more than a week before you put them into incubation. If you are thinking of adding some more eggs as they are laid, make sure that you put a mark on the eggs with the start date of their incubation. With this way, you will not be confused as to which will come first. You should remember that eggs may appear alike, and you may not remember what is the exact date you put each egg in the incubator. Some raisers place a batch of eggs at a time, especially if they have a number of layers. However, if you begin with a dozen or so originally, it is okay to place another dozen in a few days.

Do not forget to turn the eggs. During incubation, keep on egg turning at least twice a day, dabbing them with water at each turn. You can also use a spray bottle for moistening the eggs. This will keep the fetus from fusing to the shells. Keep on turning the eggs until about three days before they hatch, and then discontinue the egg turning. Right now, the fetus has settled into their hatching speck.

After about 3 weeks, begin listening to the eggs during the egg turning. They are very active when they are near to hatching, and they tend to chirp. If you can hear their faint bird singing, it is a very good indicator of a healthy baby duck.

If you want to keep ducks as pets, you should invest in their proper nutrition. This is an investment that will pay off handsomely, not just in profits, but also with the fact that you will have very healthy pets.

Whether they are raised for livestock or for domestic purposes, ducks are great animals to have. However, they have special needs when it comes to proper nutrition. If you do not feed them with the right kinds of food, then they will not grow healthy. Duck malnutrition can cause several illnesses and can also be a fatal case. The wrong diet can cause your pet to discard more waste, making your cleaning a harder task. Before you throw some grains or birdseed to your flock, here is what you should know in getting the proper nutrition for adult or fully grown ducks.

Begin by preparing the feeding equipment, clean and sun-dry the surface of the feeder. If there are sharp edges, you can use duct tape to keep your pets away from any dangerous risks, and then hang the feeder in a safe place near the ducks' habitat.

Pick commercial duck feeds that has the suitable amount of protein that is necessary for your duck's health. If your ducks are laying eggs, you should feed them with duck pellets which contain 15-20% protein. On the other hand, if they are non-laying, you can choose a pellet feed with 13-17% protein content. You should take note that too much protein can cause a health condition among ducks called as angel wing which causes the wing feathers to bond together. Inadequate protein in the diet can also cause a multitude of serious health problems, especially if your ducks are laying eggs. Thus, you should consider the condition of your pets before you give feeds with the appropriate protein content.

Aside from protein feeds, you should also give your ducks some green diet composed of chopped vegetables. If your pets are constantly roaming around your farm, allow them to eat some weeds or grass in your field. When you feed your ducks, you should ensure that vegetables or greens are part of their daily food intake.

If your ducks need additional health supplement, you can give them minced hard boiled eggs, garden worms or corn. However, you should avoid giving your ducks whole corn kernels especially if they are still too young, since corns are hard to digest. Give your ducks enough cracked corns especially in the winter, when they need more carbohydrates and proteins. Cracked corn contains at least 50% of the protein they need.

Always give them water during their feeding time. They use water to help them swallow and digest the food. This is very important since lack of water can cause choking. Water is also needed for your pets to clean and groom their beaks and feathers.

Always keep their food fresh. If you think you need to change the food in their feeder because your pets are not eating them then do so, since duck feeds can easily spoil and turn the feeder into a healthy environment for harmful bacteria and microorganisms that can harm your ducks' digestive system.

Perhaps the idea of keeping ducks in your suburban home is nearly impossible and would be quite a predicament. But, contrary to popular belief, this is very possible and can be very entertaining especially when you have kids. Your neighbors (and even your wife or husband) may find it a bit different, but soon enough they too will find it enjoying. Keeping duck is easy, if you have the patience. It is fun and can give you and your family an exciting and fresh activity to do together.

The first thing that you have to do is to acquire baby ducks. Basically, you have two choices, you can purchase from farms or you can search for an online store. The good thing about purchasing baby ducks from the internet is you will be guaranteed of their quality and get the kind of duck you want to raise. The disadvantage of online purchasing is you need to purchase a minimum number and you have to pay delivery charges. Three ducks is manageable, but the higher the number, the higher the mess they will produce. Ducks are naturally messy animals since they kind of play with their meals. It is suggested to convince a neighbor or a friend to raise ducks also and split the order.

Finding baby ducks locally is not an easy task. They can't just be purchased at your local pet store. They are seasonal pets. You should find a farm or specialized pet stores in your area that market ducks for domestic purposes. Normally, most types of ducks are hatched during spring. For their food, a local feed store is the best place where you can buy food pellets and proper materials for feeding and raising baby ducks.

When you have purchased your baby ducks, place them in a high-fenced plastic container with paper or cloth sheets in the bottom. Place this container near a source of light that can run about 40 - 80 watts, suitable to keep the area warm. If you have a lamp, you can use it, but do not use lamps with bulb more than 40 watts, since too much warmth can be harmful. You can observe their behavior when they are not comfortable with the heat. If they keep away from the lamp and keep pushing their legs from under, they feel too much heat. If they huddle closely together very near the lamp, the heat is inadequate.

If they are ready for outdoor fun, allow them to roam around your yard that is if you have one. However, you should keep them in at night to protect them from predators such as cats, raccoons and dogs. You should note that it will be difficult to raise ducks when your cat is not trained not to harm them.

Probably the most enjoyable experience with having pet ducks is swimming with them or at least watching them swimming your pool, even in an inflatable one. Duck have natural oil coating in their feathers that keeps them dry. You should take note that baby ducks acquire oil from their mother, so it is unwise to let them play in water when they are too young. They can get colds, or even get drowned.

Basically, to determine the sex of your ducks, check their feather colors. Whether you grow or own ducks for pets, or for meat and egg production, you should be well-oriented that there are different varieties and breeds that come with distinct colors. One of the most common types is the mallard duck. Like any other breeds, you can determine the sex by observing their color appearance. Males have a vivid color and their heads are green. They also have a white ring around their necks. On the other hand, females have varieties of speckled brown. This is true for most breeds of ducks, with the males being more vivid in appearance than the female.

You should try to determine the sex of your ducks when they are fully mature since they have different colors when they are ducklings.

Aside from the color, the size of the duck can also help you in determining the sex of ducks. Some types of ducks are very similar in size, whether they are male and female, but in some breeds, it can be a great solution in determining sex. In common breeds such as the Mallard, the males (strictly, the drake) are larger than the female ducks. If you have this breed or something of a hybrid, looking at the shape can establish their gender.

When the ducks are about 2 months old, there's a great solution in determining the sex. Look at their tails. In their bottoms, there will be a prominent single feather that typically coils down in a very significant curl. This is known as the sex feather that is placed on all drakes (male ducks). This feather is present even after molting. Thus, the weather or the season will not put off the determination of their sex.

Another way of telling their sex is to listen to their voices. Most sex of different types of ducks can be determined based on the intensity (volume) and pitch of their quacks. The Call and the East Indie ducks are well known for their voice ranges. The females have a very loud and distinctive quack that can easily surpass the quacks of the drakes. Drakes of this breed have a softer and harsher quack. It can even be mistaken to be a sound of a rooster. The variation in their quacks can be determined if the ducks are about a month old. This is one of the earliest known methods of determining the sex of a duck without using a vent.

Venting is a process of accurately distinguishing the sex of ducks that are only done by farmers and experts. This process is very difficult so they should not be performed by amateurs. To do this, you have to hold the ducks upside down and expose their genital vent. Female ducks will have cone-like genitals.

On the other hand, drakes have an extended or elongated organ. It takes a trained touch and eye to perform venting, and even trained farmers can be confused sometimes.

Whether you have freshly hatched ducks just out from their egg shells, or you have day-old ducks from a farm or a shop, raising and keeping them can be quite a very challenging task, and that's because they always need special attention and care. Nonetheless, with persistence, it should be fairly easy for you to keep and raise your baby ducklings until they are mature ducks.

The first thing you need to do is to find a warm and comfortable resting place for your baby ducks. When they are newly hatched, ducks are totally wet. Typically, it takes at least 3 hours for them to naturally dry, and before you can take them to a farm incubator, they need to be completely dry. Also, you should take note that a sudden removal of the baby ducks from the incubator can shock their young system.

A surrounding with room temperature is a significant change as compared to the comfort of the incubator that is around 85 - 90 degrees. Thus, if your baby ducks were hatched during spring, it is wise to have an incubator or a warm place where you can keep them temporarily. A small room, small enough to keep the needed temperature would be great.

A small box would be a safe place to keep your baby ducks. At first, you should keep them in a small place. To do this, you can use a sturdy cardboard box, with thick paper or cloths in the bottom. I would suggest putting a plastic sheet on the bottom too if you use a cardboard box to avoid the box from getting wet, when the baby ducks begin playing with water. You can use a small lamp, and place it near the box so that it can provide the needed warmth. Avoid using lamps that are brighter than 40 watts to avoid extra temperature.

At first, the baby ducks will huddle together because it is their natural instinct. They have the tendency to do this behavior during their early days in the incubator. Also, they will spend most of their days sleeping. If the baby ducks are hatched during summer, when the weather is hot, they tend to be more active.

In feeding baby ducks, you should give them starter pellets since they are well formulated to have all the needed nutrients that their young body requires. You can place their food in a small container such as a bowl. You should expect them to be unruly when eating; they commonly play with their food and splash water around.

Baby ducks need to have enough source of water. Like any pet, they need water to survive. However, they are not yet ready for swimming. Primarily, you should place a small container of water in their box. Avoid using large water containers since they can get drowned while playing.

After a few weeks, the baby ducks are ready to move out from the box. If the weather is fine, that means its warm; they can play outside, and start enjoying your yard. However, you should keep them initially in a small area of your yard because they are too young, and they are a potential meal for predators such as cats.

The Black East Indies is a decorative breed of domestic ducks. In spite of the breed's name, it was never developed or breed in the East Indies (now Southeast Asia). It was first bred in the United States in the early 19th century. Some raisers started to call it the East Indies and this particular breed is distinguished by its attractive appearance: jet black color, iridescent green feather coverings and dark bills.

The females can sometimes grow white tinge feathers as they mature. A bantam breed weighing around 2 lbs, Black East Indies are widely raised by hobbyists for exhibition purposes. Being small, they are known as good fliers. This breed was formally recognized by the American Poultry Association's Standard of Perfection in 1875. The Black East Indies duck is very popular among raisers, and the breed has a docile temperament, they are basically more passive and obedient than Call ducks.

This breed has been known as the Black East Indies as early as 1865, but has been widely raised with different names such as Buenos Aires Duck, Black Brazilian and Labrador.

The Black East Indies Ducks is a very remarkable duck breed and is very easy to differentiate from other breeds due to their plumage that is basically dark green. They have short black bills and their legs are either grey or black. Some female of this breed can have a white feather covering in the tail region, males can weigh about 5-7 lbs and the females can weigh about 4-5 lbs. As ducklings, they have a distinct black plumage, and gradually changes to green sheens as they mature.

This breed is very domineering and strong. They do not like to remain dormant for too long because they are very active. The striking feature about the Black East Indies Ducks is that their eggs are primarily heavy gray, but then changes to a brighter shade before they are hatched.

Most East Indies ducks are kept as pairs or trios, based on the drakes' level of energy. They can lay at least 100 eggs every year, and will not sit and brood their eggs if they are touched by humans. As they are very good fliers, they tend to fly and escape the coop so you can clip their wings or pinion them. However, before pinioning, you should consult a veterinarian as they should be administered when only necessary.

Like the Cayuga breed's solid plumage, the runners in the females will usually fade and white feathers appear as they age. However, they can still produce offspring. A white plumage in the Black East Indies Drakes can appear in the chest as they mature.

Like most duck breeds, the Black East Indies breed is very easy to keep. Most raisers keep this breed for domestic and ornamental purposes. They can also be raised in the suburbs because they are handy, but you should pinion them if you don't want them to escape. If you have a baby pool, you can use it for their swimming area. Most hobbyists raise the breed because they provide relaxation when they glide effortlessly through a pond or any water surface.