FowlBlog.com

Ducks are only good house pets as long as you can keep them comfortable in a large box or cage. As the ducklings mature to about 6-8 weeks of age, their care demands will change such that they need access to water, will become a bit messier, and will require more space.

Ducks are not meant to live in houses, despite some owner's best efforts.

Generally, we consider the 6-8 week old mark to be “pond ready”, when ducks can be released as primarily yard or pond ducks.  Granted, they’ll still need some type of duck housing, but their domain should move to a more natural environment at this age.

Now there are certainly exceptions to these guidelines as there are for nearly any bit of pet waterfowl care knowledge.  We receive many testimonials of pet duck owners who keep their friends primarily indoors, but most breeders and experts will agree that they need to be more of a yard pet.

While it may be uncommon for a dog and a pet duck to get along, it isn’t unheard of.  Check out the video below for some cuteness…

Raising poultry such as chickens and waterfowl is becoming an increasingly popular hobby in the United States.  However, many people who want to partake in a pet duck, have no idea where to begin in selecting one.

Breeding ducks has been a pursuit of many devoted farmers and bird enthusiasts for hundreds of years, yielding a wide variety of ducks with varying characteristics and traits.  Some ducks produce more eggs than others, some are excellent birds for their meat.  Which ducks make the best pets?  Meaning which birds are the best behaved, the most adaptable, the friendliest, and the most aesthetically pleasing.

Here is a run down of the four most popular duck breeds, along with their basic Pros and Cons -

Pekin Ducks – are the large white ducks (think Aflac commercials), they have a calm demeanor and relaxed temperament.  Pekin ducklings are the soft, yellow ducklings that you are probably used to seeing.  They are the most popular breed of domestic duck in the United States.

Pekins are the large, white duck people frequently see

• Pekin Pros - calm, sociable, very adaptable, unable to fly, easy to purchase
• Pekin Cons – unexciting coloration, can be loud

Rouen Ducks – are larger cousins of the mallard ducks, having the exact same beautiful coloration.  They are very calm and sociable, and bred to be a pet duck or farm duck.  They key difference between a Mallard and a Rouen is that Rouens are too large to fly, and you won’t have to worry about clipping wings.

Rouens are larger cousins of the Mallard

• Rouen Pros - beautiful coloration, calm, sociable, too large to fly, easy to purchase
• Rouen Cons – Rouens can have a cumbersome stature

Cayuga Ducks – are medium sized ducks (still too large to fly), which have a very unique iridescent green plumage.  They are the quietest pet ducks, and are often the choice for people who live in close proximity to their neighbors.

Cayugas are the quietest ducks

• Cayuga Pros - very cool coloration, great stature, very quiet
• Cayuga Cons – harder to find

Mallard Ducks – are popular as well because people frequently see them in the wild.  However, domesticated mallards will still retain the ability to fly, which makes them somewhat less suitable as pets as it may be necessary to clip their wings.

Mallards will be able to fly

• Mallard Pros - very cool coloration, great stature, very quiet
• Mallard Cons – will be able to fly, harder birds to ship

Wild and Domestic Ducks are inherently different, and must be fed appropriately.

You’re the proud caretaker of a new duck, and you face one of the most basic questions of pet ownership. What exactly do you feed a duck?

LiveDucks.com offers a great duck feeding resource, which we’ve summarized here.  This is a compliation of the knowledge of various avian veternarians, wildlife caretakers, breeders, and all around experts.

Make sure your ducks have access to water while they eat. They don't have teeth and use water to soften food.

One of the key things to avoid when feeding your pet duck is any food that is medicated, always use non-medicated foods. Poultry farms and commercial operations will use medicated foods to prevent communicable diseases in waterfowl.  This works for large scale operations, but not for personal pets.

A solid diet should consist of a solid staple food with some vegetable or fruit trimmings to provide complementary nutruition.  Here are some ideas for each of those food categories -

Staples -

• Non-Medicated Duck/Chick Starter for ducklings and growing birds
• Non-Medicated Pelleted Mash for adults
• Cracked Corn

Trimmings –

• Fresh Vegetables like shredded carrots
• Chopped, Hard-Broiled Eggs
• Tomatoes
• Cottage Cheese
• Garden Snails (only if you do not use pesticides or snail bait)
• Worms of all sorts

Ducks need a nutrition packed staple in their diet, like Non-Medicated Pelleted Duck Mash

Protein Levels – Striving to feed your duck an optimum level of protein is important.  At different stages of life, they need different levels.  Too much or too little may cause feathering problems.

• Duckings (0 – 3 weeks old) – 20-22% protein, easily obtained from Duck/Chick Starter
• Adolescents (4 weeks – fully grown) – 16% protein
• Adults (fully grown) – 14-16 % protein
• Laying Hens (fully grown) – 16-18%, easily obtained from store bought Laying Rations or Mash

Where do I get duck specific foods? A local farm supply or pet store is usually the optimum choice.  It can be expensive to purchase online due to heavy shipping costs, but there are a few places available.

What NOT to feed ducks -

• Bread – it’s NOT okay for wild ducks and it’s NOT okay for domestic
• Seeds and Nuts – these are too difficult to digest
• Fatty, Salty or Sweet Foods
• Chocolate
• Popcorn
• Anything that will fill up your duck without offering nutritional value

Bread is NOT okay for wild ducks in the park or domestic ducks, as it will make them fat and lazy.

Something about a mother duck and her babies invokes a sense of protection of the natural in an unnatural environment.  Here is a perfect example.