Duck

Overview

Ducks are easier than chickens in some ways and messier in all the others. They lay well, they eat slugs enthusiastically, they are hardier in wet cold weather, and they turn any water they are given into mud within a day.

Water is the requirement people underestimate. A duck needs water deep enough to submerge its head to keep its eyes and nostrils clear, and it needs it constantly rather than at bath time. A pond is ideal and a large tub works, but a chicken drinker is not enough for a duck.

Ducks kept as pets, with the imprinting and the flightless breeds, have their own page under Birds.

Temperament

Flock birds, calm and chatty. Ducks stay together and move as a group, and three or more is the sensible minimum, since a single duck is a nervous duck.

They are less inclined to be handled than chickens and more inclined to follow you about, especially if you are carrying anything. Drakes can be hard on ducks in the breeding season, which is why most keepers run more females than males or none at all.

Care and grooming

A waterfowl feed rather than chicken layer pellets, since the niacin requirement is different and ducklings on chick crumb can develop leg problems.

Beyond that, they mostly look after themselves. A duck with access to clean water preens and oils its own feathers and stays in good order. What needs watching is the ground: ducks make mud, mud gets foul, and the housing has to be moved or bedded generously to keep feet healthy.

Living and exercise

Four square feet of house each, at ground level rather than up a ramp, since ducks do not roost and do not want perches or nest boxes off the floor.

They are vulnerable at night and much less inclined to put themselves away than chickens, so shutting them in is a job somebody has to do. Fence against foxes rather than against the ducks, and expect the water to need changing constantly in summer.