How to Raise Ducks on a Small Farm

Raising ducks on a small farm is a good way to add extra pest control to your gardens, eggs to your refrigerator and meat to your table. A male duck and two females will potentially produce a dozen or more ducklings a season. Prepare your property for the arrival of ducks before you introduce them to your land. Domestic ducks are bred to be too heavy to fly, so you do not have to worry about them traveling far from your property. However, because they cannot fly you do need to provide adequate shelter, food and water.

Things You'll Need

  • Housing structure
  • Waterers
  • Feeders
  • Plastic pool
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Instructions

    • 1

      Build a housing structure for your ducks. The structure does not need to be elaborate or complicated. A simple four-walled structure with a door you can open and close will suffice. Add windows for air circulation. Cover windows with chicken wire to prevent birds from escaping or predators from getting into the house. House your birds at night and let them out in the morning. According to Mother Earth News, ducks need about four square feet of space each when confined (See References 1, page 2). Birds should have access to water and food in their house. Use straw or other soft bedding on the floor as ducks are ground nesters.

    • 2

      Secure a water source. Ducks need access to water, but you do not necessarily have to have a pond, lake or creek. You can use a plastic pool or other structure as a water source. Be certain the ducks have a way to easily get in and out of the water, such as a ramp. The water should be deep enough for the ducks to submerge themselves in and float. If the water source is not naturally flowing you will need to change the water regularly to keep it clean.

    • 3

      Purchase your ducks or make arrangements with neighbors or friends to adopt some of their ducklings. If possible, get ducks when they are 21 to 24 weeks old, as these older ducks require less care than newly hatched ducklings, which will require heat lamps, a protected and enclosed area and special feed. (See References 1, page 2) If you want to breed ducks you need only one male to several females. If you are not interested in breeding you can fill your flock with only females.

    • 4

      Provide your birds with free access to waterers and feeders. You can purchase duck feed from a local feed store. If you have purchased ducklings you will need a special starter feed that they will eat until they are two weeks old (See References 2). To drink, ducks must be able to submerge their entire beak in water. Keep this in mind when selecting a waterer. Change waterers daily to keep the water supply fresh and clean.