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In her book, Iva Wells writes about her regular experience with mail order chickens through the decades.

On a recent visit to our family farm, I encountered an autobiography written by Iva Wells, a neighbor and family friend.  She is a woman has lived in northern Minnesota and North Dakota of her life and has chosen to recollect some of her farming lifestyle memories throughout her years.  Of her many trials and triumphs living the agrarian ideal, Iva writes about purchasing, receiving, and raising chickens.  Here is an excerpt from her book Family Life on a Reservation Farm: The Autobiography of Iva Wells.

Chickens and Eggs

To supplement the income from the cattle, most farm women had a flock of chickens to raise and tend.  Every spring, one could walk into most rural post offices and hear the peeping of baby chicks, which had arrived through the mail.  The chicks were usually in groups of 25 within each of 4 compartments in a cardboard box with small holes for ventilation.  The chicks were a common spring sound in the post office as they waited to be picked up by the farmer.  They had probably been on the road from the hatchery for two days.  They would be in good condition with very few fatalities because they lived those first few days from the yolk of the egg, from which they were hatched.

Jim built a very nice “brooder house” for my baby chicks which would be their until fall.  This brooder house was kept warm by an oil stove with a metal skirt called a “hover” around it.  I always ordered 400 chickens every March.  As soon as I would get them home, I would take them into the warm brooder house and one at a time, I would dip their beaks in warm water and then let them run to a feeder where they would immediately begin to pick and eat food.

The chicks would gather and lay under the hover to keep warm.  The temperature had to be kept at a warm, even heat to prevent the chicks from crowding together in a pile and suffocating the ones on the bottom.  Since it was only March, we could and often did have some vicious snowstorms that had me worrying all night about those little baby chicks!  I would wonder if the stove was heating properly or if the strong winds had blown out the flame!

Some March storms were worse than others.  One year, I had many sleepless nights and I would get up, dress, and walk in knee-deep snow every 2 hours to check on the chicks!

A backyard chicken flock from some time ago

It is interesting to see the decades old tradition of mail-order chicks from a historical perspective.  The logistics and concerns of receiving chicks remains largely the same – chicks are hatched and shipped the through the postal service, their two-day journey is supported by the nutritious yolk, and warmth is the key for young poultry.  However, much of the technology has changed in the process – mail order catalogs are being replaced with eCommerce poultry websites, planes now fly many young birds to their destinations, and electric heat systems now take the place of coops heated by an oil stove.

The practice of raising chickens and other poultry has been a source of income, food, and fulfillment for countless generations.  As Americans look for ways to be more environmentally friendly, economically self-sufficient, and nutritionally more in-touch, examples such as these prove that we often need not look any further than the agrarian practices of the past to find guidance for the future.

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.

Do duck get along with other pets?  To put it briefly…not really.

While there are countless people who do in fact keep a myriad of pets together, including ducks, the potential for catastrophe always remains and should be respected at all times.

Scenes such as this are uncommon, but possible. Photo by Dok1

Most dogs and cats, and many other wild animals, instinctively view ducks as a food source.  In most cases, we do not recommend that you have both dogs/cats and pet ducks unless you are prepared to take the utmost care to ensure their harmony.

Many breeds of domestic duck lack the ability to fly.  Thus, they do not have their primary defense mechanism available to them when they feel threatened.  Furthermore, most pet ducks you will raise have been bred to be farm fowl (meat ducks, egg layers, etc.).

Also, ducklings must be protected from other ducks in many instances, specifically from males.  If you’re breeding ducks, do not isolate ducklings from their mothers, but be vigilant around the older male ducks, including their father.

Here are a few pointers if you are ready to travel down the road of duck and dog/cat coexistance -

• Always be vigilant around the animals.  A careful and active owner is the key to success in all aspects of pet duck ownership.
• Never simply allow your dogs and ducks to roam freely together, as animal instincts can surface at anytime resulting in serious injury or death.
• If you feel confident that you can directly introduce you duck to a cat or dog, hold the duck in your hands and be prepared to defend your animals and yourself at all times.
• Keep ducklings in a cage or fully enclosed box which will prevent access to any would be predators.
• Never assume your dog/cat and ducks are trained and conditioned to live in harmony, predatorial instincts may surface at any moment.

If anyone else has any tips to share on this topic, please do.  I am asked about ducks and other pets quite frequently, and I’m interested to hear what others are doing in regards to this endeavor.  Thanks!

UPDATE: 07/01/2009 – It has come to my attention that it is against NYC regulations to have a pet duck in the city.  I am not advocating the practice, I’m simply pointing out a humorous pop culture anecdote.  Both Joey Tribbiani and myself are sorry if anyone interpreted that as endorsing a pet duck in NYC.

More and more people are raising ducks as pets in urban areas and even city apartments. This practice gained lots of popularity from the 90s TV show “Friends”.

Many people ask us how to handle a pet duck during the winter months.  Given the outdoor nature of a ducks and other waterfowl, the winter can pose some threats to your pet’s well-being.  However, with some simple preparation and care, your pet ducks or even ducklings can thrive and love the winter months.

Here are some guidelines to follow-

• Shelter – Even in the harsh winter months, ducks are capable of being outside.  The key is that you must provide them the heat source which will allow them to get warm if they need to.  Essentially, you should either provide a shelter that the ducks can freely move in and out of (such as a Rubbermaid Shed), or you should bring them in every night into a garage or shed.

• Insulation – Any shelter you create should be well insulated, have adequate duck bedding , be windproof, and be waterproof.  Also, if you have a pen or shelter that the ducks will have free access to, the doorway should not be open.  A rubber flap or something in line with a doggie door works great stop heat loss due to draftiness.
• Shelter Size – Depending on the size of your flock, the size of the shelter should be small enough that the collected heat of the ducks will warm it, but large enough to provide the animals with freedom of movement and the ability to escape the heat should they get too warm.
• Heat Lamp – An artificial heating source such as a heat lamp works wonderfully to provide the ducks and other farm fowl with warming spot.  However, there are a few things to keep in mind when using this method -
  • LiveDucks recommends a 75-100 watt of the standard variety, ceramic type, or infrared type.
  • Ensure the heat lamp is out of all animals’ reach, and is not near any flammable materials.
  • Make sure the ducks can escape from the heat lamp area (without going outside), should they get too warm.
• Dryness – Even though ducks are inherently waterfowl, it is vital that they are capable of drying themselves to stay alive.  This is especially true during the winter time.  Again, it is key to make sure there is adequate, clean and dry bedding available for them.  You should change this often (once / day) to prevent mold buildup which is especially hazardous during the winter.
• Breed Hardiness – Many of the types of ducks that are available as pets are domestic breeds that are very hardy during harsh winters.  The Pekin Ducks or Rouen Ducks, for example, are large enough such that they will survive quite well.  If you have a smaller breed such as Call Ducks or Mallard Ducks, you may need to take extra winter precaution in colder climates.
• Ventilation - Make sure the air inside any shelter doesn’t become trapped or stagnant.  If you are using a smaller shelter this can be hazardous.  Small air holes combined with good insulation are key to achieving the right balance of heat and fresh air.
• Ponds – Pet Ducks will still enjoy bathing and splashing in ponds just like during the Summer.  There are some deicing solutions available which will keep your pond area liquid if you would like to provide this comfort.  Also, for small ponds, a pond heater may work wonderfully.  LiveDucks.com recommends a company called Pond Solutions for small pond heating and deicing.

Ducks still love the water in the cold, and they will love access to ice free water

Ducks and other waterfowl are like other animals in that they have adapted to their climate and to all weather that they are naturally exposed to.  However, keep in mind that your pet duck is most likely a domesticated breed.  Much of their survival characteristics have been bred out over hundreds of years to make them a strong farm fowl.

Finally, do not let a harsh Winter intimidate you or keep you from ordering a pet duck.  One of the main hatcheries eFowl.com uses is near the frigid Winters of the Canadian border, and the ducks still thrive as healthy as ever.  Like most aspects of pet ownership, simple research and preparation will trump any extreme conditions that you may encounter.