Duck raising is slightly different from mainstream poultry farming. If you are already an avid poultry farmer, you will need to make slight modifications in order to succeed in duck raising.
You will realize that the ducklings grow pretty fast and before you know it, they will be consuming lots of feeds and ramping up your feeding costs. Because of the fast rate of growth of the ducklings, they will generally go out into the range much earlier than chicks.
However, the ducklings still need to spend some time in the brooders with some heat lamps and proper ventilation so as to start them off. Their webbed feet will also make a great mess of the poultry house and you need to learn how to manage this in order to maintain a semblance of order in the duck house.
The Duck Housing
Just like chickens, ducks need a decent shelter to keep them safe at night and protect them from any predators that may lurk nearby. However, unlike chickens, ducks are quite resistant to cold so you can afford to construct duck housing that has large ventilation spaces on the walls and at the top.
This will allow for optimal air circulation into the duck house and prevent a buildup of bad odor in the duck house. If the weather is cold outside, you may consider covering the windows of the duck coop with some warm cloth in order to keep the inside of the duck house warmer.
Will Your Ducks Need a Perch?
While a perch is generally essential in a chicken coop, it is unnecessary in a duck house. This is because ducks do not roost on bars or rods like chickens. Instead, simply provide straws where they can nest and keep the flooring dry. You can also add more straws in the corners of the duck house to encourage the ducks to lay more eggs and keep the eggs relatively clean.
Water
Water is essential for all poultry but it is particularly important for ducks. Just like chickens have the urge to roost, the ducks generally have this strong natural urge to dip their bill into some water.
Ducks also like to swim and preen their soft feathers in pools of water. While a pond or wading pool is not essential, try to provide some water that is sufficient for a bath. Generally, try to give your ducks as much access to a pond or a swimming pool as possible.
Food
Ducks are good at foraging and will generally find good food on their own so make sure you supply them with a good range or pen where they can forage for some food.
Additionally, you can supply the ducks with additional pellets that can supplement what they eat from foraging. The supplements will be essential particularly when the weather is not conducive for forage. However, you need to keep in mind that the ducks will generally do best when they are on a foraging diet.
There is always the urge to feed your ducks on food leftovers and crumbs but this is not the best diet for your ducks. Most of the duck’s diet should be based on plants and grass. Food such as bread adds very little to the duck’s nutritional needs and might end up causing wing deformity in the duck, lameness and bone growth issues. This is likely to make the duck more vulnerable to predators.
If it is growing season, you can feed your ducks plantain leaves, chickweed, smart weed or household salad greens, especially if the ducks are unable to forage for the bugs and greens in the range. Ducks gobble lots of insects and crawlies so raising ducks is an efficient ways of clearing the backlog of insects in your backyard.
Fencing
You can install a low fence around the duck pen or range area as many of the domestic duck breeds cannot fly. A low lying fence is sufficient to keep them in. However, if there are lots of predators in the area, consider installing higher fencing and chicken wire around the duck pen.
Eggs
Depending on the breed, ducks can lay anywhere from 100 to 300 eggs per year. The duck eggs are edible and can be used on a vast array of delicacies. In the Philippines, they are mainly used in cooking balut.