Duck care
A common misconception amongst people setting up small farms is that ducks will keep the slugs out fo the vegetable garden and leave the vegetables. Let me tell you ducks will eat everything! Even a small flock will destroy a well vegetated dam! They are terrific foragers. They are better suited to an orchard than a vegetable garden, unless you put them in the garden, between crops.
You need plenty of water to keep ducks. Ideally a small dam, creek or swamp area they can hang out on during the day and be called in at night to a predator proof enclosure. If kept in a small area all day they will turn it to mud and a big mess, they love snouting around and making mud puddles!
Ducks are just as vulnerable as chickens to fox and dog attack. If you train them at young age to go in a night pen they will do it. Feeding them at night in the pen helps. If you leave water in pen at night it will be a constant battle to keep clean. Make sure they had a drink of water before bed and then lock them up dry (without water). DUCKS MUST HAVE WATER WHEN EATING. All water fowl need to clean bills after eating and prefer wet food.
The hens need a safe dry place to lay eggs. I find my hens lay all eggs at night and swim in the day!
Muscovys on the other hand are whole other kettle of fish. They are more tame and less busy but I find much harder to herd or to train, and they do fly. So you’ll need to keep there wings clipped or have them in full enclosure.
Muscovy DRAKES need to be kept away from other breeds ducks and geese as they can try to mate everything, although if the drakes have there own Muscovey hens they tend to stay focused only on them. The hens are sweet and quiet. Muscovy hens also need a nice place to nest. Do not disturb them once they start to nest and lay. They will lay a full clutch then sit reliably just like geese. Or you can take their eggs for eating and let them hatch something else. They do like to be mummas and are very persistent! Eggs take 30 to 35 days to hatch like geese.
FOOD: Ducklings need extra niacin. Lauke Mills duck goose starter and duck goose finisher is good. Check label of all duck food for added niacin as some brands are misleading. You can add brewers yeast or nutritional yeast when they are young to increase niacin and vitamins. I also give them boiled eggs and plenty greens. Many people give green frozen peas as they are high in niacin. I find this expensive for a large flock. You can also buy poultry supplements for your youngsters.
As ducks mature and before they start to lay you can add in layer pellets and give them soaked whole grain. Make sure ducklings and adults have shell grit and or sand for gullet digestion.
DUCKS NEED REGULAR WORMING like chickens. Also there are many duck diseases, so do some research!
If you are breeding with an incubator I recommend don’t hatch out more than about 8 to 15 in one batch. They are cute at first but then turn into eating pooing machines and get very wild.
I find raising ducks in small batches with chickens and turkeys make them much calmer. Ducks have to learn trust, they are born with a strong fright flight response.
Appleyard ducks are very quacky! If noise is an issue get Muscovy, or house ducks away from house they love to chat all night sometimes!
