Super Ducks! Learn about Raising Ducks
Ducks are joyful hobby farm additions. Find out if adding a feathered friend is right for you!
By Cherie Langlois
Don’t Diss Duck
Humans have devoured domestic duck for over 4,000 years, and today
this bird remains a popular dish in countries like Asia and France.
In the United States, however, chickens hog the limelight and shelf
space, while their web-footed relatives are generally shunned as laden
with fat and calories by a diet-obsessed populace. Not so.
According to the USDA’s National Nutrient Database, a 100-gram
roasted duck leg with skin has 217 calories and 11 grams of fat, about
the same as a broiler leg (216 calories and 11 grams of fat).
The same amount of skinless, roast duck breast has only 140 calories
and 2.5 grams of fat compared to 165 calories and 3.6 grams fat for a
broiler.
Like other meats, duck supplies high-quality protein along with
important nutrients like iron, zinc and selenium. And this rich-tasting
meat is no more difficult to cook than chicken, insists duck raiser
Jenifer Morrissey of Waldon, Colo.
And duck eggs? Yes, they do contain twice as much cholesterol as
chicken eggs (884 mg. vs. 423 mg.) and a bit more fat and calories (14
grams fat vs. 10 grams fat and 185 calories vs. 147 calories); they also
look a little odd with their oversized, thick yolks and firm whites.
Still, eaten in moderation, duck eggs are a great source of protein
and they generally have a similar flavor to chicken eggs, depending on
the bird’s diet. |
A frequent visitor to zoos and farms during his childhood, Dave
Holderread loved animals as much as (or more than) the next kid.
But according to his parents, birds captured his attention more than any other creature--especially birds with webbed feet.
“If I disappeared at the zoo, they knew where to find me: At the duck
pond,” says Holderread, a waterfowl breeder in Corvallis, Ore., who has
raised ducks for over 40 years and is the author of
Storey’s Guide to Raising Ducks.
“I remember as a little boy I was just amazed at these birds that
could walk and swim and fly. They’ve got the best of all worlds and
their versatility still fascinates me.
Just call them Super Ducks.
They float and dive, waddle and fly (well, sort of). They can swallow
a slimy slug in a single gulp. Lovely and amusing, farm ducks can
provide protein-packed eggs and tasty meat, feathers for comforters and
crafts, plus mowing, fertilization and
pest control services. What’s not to admire about such talented and useful creatures?
Introducing the DuckWith
the exception of an odd South American native called the Muscovy, most
domestic duck breeds flocking around farms are descended from the
mallard, a familiar wild duck abundant on wetlands throughout North
America and commonly raised in captivity.
Mallard males, or drakes, are hard to miss: They flaunt shimmering
green heads, chestnut breasts and flashy blue wing bars called
speculums. The female duck also brandishes a blue speculum in flight,
but her subtle, penciled brown plumage provides superb camouflage while
she incubates her eggs.
Mallards and their domestic descendants received the nickname of
dabblers because they normally forage at the surface of a shallow water
body, often tipping tails-up to snatch freshwater plants and mollusks.
Through years of selective breeding, many mallard-derivative breeds
and varieties have emerged in a charming mix of colors, sizes and
shapes. They range in size from bantam breeds likethe vocal Call duck, a
1½-pound mini-dabbler once used by hunters as a living decoy, to
heavyweights such as the Pekin, a white, 9- to 10-pound duck originating
in China that’s popular on farms--and on the menu of Chinese
restaurants.
More unusual breeds include the athletic Runner, a lanky, upright
duck featured in the movie “Babe,” and the Crested, a dabbler that wears
a large, feathered cap on the back of its head. If you long to add a
splash of color to your farm, ducks will do the job nicely: While some
domestic breeds and varieties resemble the mallard in color and
markings, others have been selected for plumage in black, blue,
chocolate, lavender, pied, buff and more.
Ducks differ in more than just appearance, however. While most
domestic breeds are unable to fly, some--like the bantam Australian
Spotted--can. Do you want lots of eggs to sell? Then a super egg-laying
bird such as the Campbell, which can produce up to 340 eggs annually,
would be a good bet. If you’re looking instead for a pro at sitting and
mothering, the Call might be your duck. Planning to raise meat birds?
You might want a hefty, fast-growing fowl like the Pekin or Muscovy.
Ducks in NeedIf
the thought of raising ducks appeals to you, why not consider
conserving a heritage breed? The American Livestock Breeds Conservancy,
an organization dedicated to keeping over 150 breeds of livestock and
poultry safe from extinction, lists 13 duck breeds on their Web site.
Here’s a sampling of five quackers in need (sources: American Livestock Breeds Conservancy, www.albc-usa.org and Storey’s Guide to Raising Ducks by Dave Holderread).
* Ancona (Critical): Developed in Great Britain, the
hardy Ancona averages 6 to 6.5 pounds and lays 210 to 280 eggs annually
in white, cream or blue. This dual-purpose, medium-sized breed has
tasty meat and possesses variable plumage of white mingled with
lavender, black or other colors.
* Cayuga (Rare): This medium-weight breed named
after a lake in New York generally weighs 7 to 8 pounds and lays an
average of 100 to 150 eggs a year.
Reputed to be one of the hardiest domestic ducks, Cayugas have calm
personalities and lovely feathers of black with a green sheen.
* Campbell (Watch): Ms. Adele Campbell developed
this active, lightweight (4- to 4.5-pound) breed in the 1800s. The
Campbell comes in four varieties: Khaki, white, dark and pied. These
super layers produce a whopping 250 to 340 eggs a year.
* Welsh Harlequin (Critical): A 5- to 6-pound
lightweight, the Welsh Harlequin lays nearly as many eggs as the
Campbell between 240 and 330 annually. Its stunning but
difficult-to-describe plumage bears a resemblance to the mallard, with
males and females patterned differently.
* Silver Appleyard (Critical): Reginald Appleyard
developed this large 6- to 8-pound breed in England. Appleyards lay
plenty of white eggs, make good roasting ducks and beautify farms with
their silver-frosted, mallard-like plumage. |
If
you’d like a well-rounded duck, check out some of the threatened
heritage breeds. Jenifer Morrissey, who operates Turkey Trot Rare Breeds
in Waldon, Colo., wanted ducks that excelln’ed at producing both eggs and
meat. After discovering she couldt keep up with the Khaki Campbell’s
enormous egg production, she began raising two multi-purpose heritage
breeds, the Silver Appleyard and the Ancona. “I chose rare breeds
because I’m interested in sustainable agriculture, and these breeds
often have characteristics, like adaptability and hardiness, that make
them work well in such settings,” she says.
Cat Dreiling, of The Ruffled Duck Farm in Deerfield, Kan., also found
herself drawn to an uncommon breed, the Welsh Harlequin, while looking
for a self-sufficient egg-layer. “My philosophy is that every animal on
the farm should provide for itself as much as possible. The Welsh are
extremely efficient foragers, and because they’re in the light duck
class, their feed requirements are less than that of a heavier breed,”
she explains. “They’re also capable of laying a substantial number of
eggs and are equally willing to set a nest and hatch their own young.
They’re one of the most attractive breeds of duck, in my opinion!”
Dabbling in DucksNow,
before you bolt to the feed store, where you’ll surely be smitten with
the first fuzzy ducklings you encounter, let’s talk more about the
duck’s admirable qualities-–and those few characteristics that can drive
a farmer to distraction. As kindred farmyard fowl, ducks have much in
common with chickens: For instance, both species provide meat and eggs
while adding beauty and interest to our farms. But ducks differ in a
number of respects from their clucky cousins.
“Ducks are more adaptable and disease-resistant than chickens,” says
Holderread, who currently keeps about 45 duck breeds and varieties at
the preservation center he operates with his wife, Millie. He became
impressed with the duck’s hardiness while participating in a teaching
and research program on poultry production in Puerto Rico. “We literally
never treated a duck for anything--internal or external parasites or
any disease--in the four years I was there.
The chickens were a
constant fight.” He’s quick to add that this doesn’t mean ducks never
have health troubles; in fact, they’re more prone to leg problems than
chickens, so they should never be caught and carried by the legs.
Rather, when well-managed and kept in uncrowded conditions, they’re less
affected by disease and parasites than other birds.
Both chickens and ducks eat a varied diet that makes them handy for
pest control,
but ducks crave creepy-crawlies that chickens will ignore. “Ducks are
just wonderful as slug and snail exterminators, and dabbling ducks are
great on mosquito larvae,” says Holderread. “We’ve also worked with
people who raise livestock that have problems with liver flukes [a
parasite]; they’ve been able to eliminate them with ducks.”
As far as management, waterfowl generally require less elaborate
housing and fencing than other poultry. Anyone experienced with chickens
knows these birds can jump fences and they’ll scatter in every
direction if you attempt to herd them inside for the night. Ducks, on
the other hand, are easy to confine and shepherd around. According to
Holderread, one person can easily herd a flock of 500 ducks and keep
them in with a barrier only 2 to 2 ½ feet high. Got a flying breed? No
problem. Just clip the primary feathers on one wing once a year, he
says.
Although some drakes and mother ducks can be cantankerous, these
birds usually have gentle dispositions and pleasant personalities. “If
managed properly, they’re rarely aggressive,” says Dreiling. “They each
have their own personality and are joyous over something as simple as a
fresh pool of water.”
It’s true: Ducks are naturally passionate about water, which can make
them even messier to keep than chickens. Dabblers drink plenty of it,
which in turn produces large amounts of moist, smelly droppings, and
they constantly cloud water containers by swishing their beaks in them
during and after mealtimes. Enthusiastic bathers, ducks congregate in
and around pools, splashing and muddying the ground.
“Maintaining a clean pen when you combine ducks and a constant source
of water is a problem, especially when the weather is cooler and water
doesn’t evaporate as rapidly,” says Dreiling. “The Welsh are dabblers,
so if even an ounce of water is spilled from the pool, they’re instantly
eye-deep in the mud drilling for goodies!”
Duck Care BasicsAs
with any farm animal, ducks demand and deserve care on a daily basis
throughout the year, no matter what the weather or how harried one’s
schedule happens to be. Fortunately, tending a small duck flock isn’t
difficult, terribly time-consuming or very expensive. Here’s what you’ll
need to give your quackers:
1. Ample, relatively-clean water to drink and bathe in.
Contrary
to what many people believe, domestic ducks can get along fine without a
pond. In fact, an improperly-designed and hard-to-clean pond poses a
health hazard to your feathered friends and quickly becomes an odorous
eyesore as mud and droppings accumulate. At minimum, ducks need drinking
water deep enough for them to dip their heads in so they can keep their
eyes and nostrils clean. Of course, they’ll be happier and healthier if
they have water to swim and bathe in as well.
Plastic wading pools provide a simple way to give your flock a
swimming hole without going to the trouble and expense of building a
pond: They’re easy to scrub and move from place to place before a messy
mix of mud and duck manure surrounds them. To combat mud problems,
Holderread spreads a long-lasting layer of pea gravel in pens, followed
by sand and then a skin of sawdust, which he replaces each
year.
2. Forage and balanced feed (including supplemental grit and calcium, if needed).
Ducks
relish hunting for slugs, succulent grasses and other fare, and
allowing your flock to grub for some of their own food will save money
on your feed bills while reducing your pest population. A bonus: They’ll
fertilize as they forage, which makes them great for garden patrol if
you can protect your young plants from those flat feet and rooting
bills.
In confinement situations or to complement forage, you’ll need to
provide your ducks with a balanced, nutritious feed. Commercial
waterfowl rations are available in some areas, but if your local feed
store doesn’t carry one, you may have to mix your own (see Holderread’s
book,
Storey’s Guide to Raising Ducks for detailed information
on duck nutrition) or go with a commercial gamebird or unmedicated
chicken ration. Traditionally, chicken feeds have been deficient in
niacin, a nutrient that ducks–-especially ducklings-–need in larger
amounts, Holderread says. “Today, the manufacturers usually add more so
it works out okay for ducks.”
Keep in mind that a duck’s nutritional needs change with age and at
certain stages of its life. Growing young birds, for instance, shouldn’t
receive a calcium-packed laying ration or, unless you’re raising meat
ducks, a high-protein diet that promotes fast growth. Throughout the
year, Morrissey gives her flock three custom-mixed feed rations based on
Holderread’s formulations: A breeding ration from February to June; a
laying ration from June to September; and a holding feed the remainder
of the year.
3. Shelter and protection from predators.
Although
they don’t necessarily require the sort of snug quarters many folks
construct for chickens, dabblers do need shelter from heavy rains, snow
and sun, as well as protection from dogs, coyotes and other predators
with a taste for fresh duck. An insulated house will help keep laying
birds more productive, while a secure perimeter fence can safeguard
ducks from hunting canines. Confining your flock in an enclosed pen at
night helps ward off nocturnal attacks from raccoons and owls. Some
raisers also use large guardian dogs to provide round-the-clock duck
protection.
4. Good health and flock management.
“I’ve found
that the best way to raise healthy ducks is to provide them with plenty
of space to exercise, access to good nutrition and adequate water,”
Dreiling says. “Also, keep a mindful eye of drake-to-duck ratio; no less
than three ducks to one drake helps prevent needless stress on the
females.”
Many raisers find their hardy birds seldom need vaccinations,
deworming medications or routine veterinary care when well-managed on a
small scale. Unfortunately, ducks can and do contract diseases like
avian influenza and fowl cholera, so it’s important to stay alert for
ruffled feathers, changes in food or water intake, lethargy, bloody
diarrhea and other signs of sickness. Some common-sense health measures
will go a long way toward keeping disease from decimating your flock:
Quarantine any avian newcomers; separate and treat ill individuals
promptly; try to reduce your ducks’ contact with wild birds; and notify
an avian veterinarian if you experience sudden, unexplained deaths in
your flock.
Give them the care they need and your dabblers will thank you in
their own cheerful, quacking, tail-wagging duck fashion. “Ducks
recognize patterns of feeding and care and let you know how excited they
are to be let out to their pond each morning or get their evening
feed,” says Morrissey. “They are absolutely the happiest animals one
could have on a farmyard.”
About the Author: Cherie Langlois is a freelance
writer and former bird keeper who has raised Muscovy ducks on her
Washington hobby farm for 12 years.
Original Post: http://www.hobbyfarms.com/livestock-and-pets/raising-ducks-26820.aspx
More
and more people are adding a small flock of chickens, ducks, and other
species of fowl to their own backyards, and for great reasons: fresh
eggs, free fertilizer, and fewer bugs, to name a few. A common question,
though, is this: Can multiple species, such as chickens and turkeys,
coexist in the same space without causing problems?
The Benefits
