Are you interested in raising ducks on your homestead? Here’s how to raise ducks- from ducklings- successfully!
Many years ago I asked my husband to stop and get chicken feed on the way home from work. He came home with a feed bag over his shoulder and a little box in his hand.
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The kids, who know the look of an chick box when they see one, came running. But on this day it wasn’t chicks in the box, instead inside were 2 little ducklings- the ultimate impulse buy!
Those 2 ducklings, Jill and Bill, taught us a lot. Like how ducks love each other- it was heartbreaking when Bill got sick and Jill refused to leave his side. When he passed she was frantic. But after a brief depression, she decided to turn her back on being a duck and became a chicken instead.
Even to this day, old Jill spends her life in the chicken coop. Following the rooster around and completely ignoring the other ducks outside her fence.
Ducks are a wonderful addition to any homestead. I think I might actually prefer them over chickens. So how exactly do you raise ducks? And how does raising ducks differ from raising chickens? Let’s talk about that.
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How to Get Started Raising Ducks
The easiest way to get started is to head to your local feed store in the spring and purchase yourself a few ducklings- at least 2, just like most animals ducklings do not like to be alone! Most of the time ducklings will be sold straight run- meaning they are unsexed and you won’t know if you are getting a drake (boy) or hen (girl).
You can also purchase ducklings from an online hatchery or a local farmer.
Wait, let me back up a minute. Before you get your ducks, you should probably decided on a breed of duck and know what your goal is.
Are you raising ducks for meat? You probably want a Pekin.
Raising ducks for eggs? I wholeheartedly recommend the Khaki Campbell. Remember Jill? She laid an egg a day for over 2 years and then continued to lay less often for a few more years after that. Seriously she was a machine.
Just want a duck for a pet? Get which ever ducklings you find cutest!
Okay, back to bringing home your new ducklings. If you have ever raised day-old chicks, raising ducklings is much the same, with a few exceptions. You need to have a nice brooder area for your ducklings.
This includes:
- A heat source. Most commonly a heat lamp with red bulb. Like chicks, they need about 90-95 degrees at the start and then reduce the temperature 5 degrees until they are feathered out and the brooder temp is the same as the room temperature.
- Bedding- we use pine shavings for the chicks, but I recommend a pelleted bedding for ducklings since they are SO messy
- Food- a good chick food crumble will suffice. We use a product called Super Breeder for our little ones and it is good for all ages of poultry. Make sure your feed is unmedicated.
- Water– NOT an open pan. Ducks drink a lot. So the quart sized mason jar waterers aren’t usually enough. Go for at least a gallon.
Play with and handle your ducks often so they aren’t scared of you. Ours absolutely love mealworms for a treat and came running when they saw the red bag. Red is still their favorite color!
I sense you might have some questions, let’s pause for a little FAQ:
Frequently Asked Questions About Raising Ducklings
Can you raise ducklings and chicks together?
No. While you can raise ducks and chickens together, I would not recommend keeping the babies together. Ducks are very messy and will get the bedding of your brooder pretty wet.
These conditions could cause a chick to get too chilled and potentially die. Ducklings also grow faster than chicks and can trample them as they grow.
Just how messy are ducklings?
In short, Very. Ducks like to rake their beaks through their bedding and their water. They will get their water everywhere- on themselves, on their food, on their bedding.
This is why I recommend a pelleted bedding for ducklings. We use a compressed wood bedding that is very absorbent and will more than triple in size when it gets wet.
This keep the brooder drier longer. We also set their water on top of a wire covered bowl. This way most of the spilled water goes down into the bowl and not in the bedding.
Ducks are water birds, right? Can I give them a bath or a pool to play in?
It’s true that ducks love water, but these are domesticated ducks. In the wild the mother duck will provide the oil for her ducklings.
Incubator hatched ducklings do not have this oil covering and their own oil glands will not be fully working until they are older.
Once they are about 5-6 weeks old you can let them play in the water a little- we let them play in our bathtub with warm shallow water- and place to climb out of the water, while we cleaned out the brooder. If it’s very warm outside you can let them play outside supervised for a bit too.
Related Reading: What Do Feed Your Backyard Ducks
How to Care for Your Ducks
Once your ducks have outgrown the brooder and are fully feathered, they are ready to move to their coop. Like, chickens ducks need a safe place and shelter from wind and rain.
Once they are large enough, they can share the chicken coop if you like, but since they will always be messy you might want to separate duck house for them.
Make sure your duck house is secure from predators at night.
Ducks love to free range. They are great hunters and will search out all sorts of worms, grubs, pests, and even mosquito larva.
The more grass and bugs they have access too the less feed they will consume (and give you healthier eggs!). Plus the more room they have to roam, the less muddy their run will be.
Proper nutrition is a must for ducks. A good laying pellet (not crumble) works well for ducks. You may need to give them supplemental Niacin, this is as easy as sprinkling nutritional yeast on their food.
You can learn more on my article on about What to Feed Ducks.
Raising ducks really doesn’t take much. Food. Water. Shelter. The biggest things to remember when raising ducks has to do with water.
- Drinking water must be available at all times. Ducks cannot swallow their food without water so they need it close by especially at feeding times.
- Ducks need to be able to fully submerge their heads in water. This keeps them healthy, their nostrils clear and their mucous membranes moist.
- Ducks will find water. This includes your kids’ wading pool, your goat’s water trough, and your chickens drinking water. They make it a tad difficult to keep any water sparkling clean!
The most asked question I get about raising ducks: Do ducks NEED a pond?
The answer is no. They don’t need a pond. All they must have is water deep enough to submerge their head in.
That said, they will thank you if you give them water to play in. We have a few larger tubs for our ducks and have used a kids’ plastic wading pool in the past.
They LOVE the water and it is pretty entertaining to watch them!
As your ducks grow, you will start to see- and hear- a few changes. After about 10 weeks you might be able to tell if you are raising drakes or hens. Here are a few tips on how to tell the difference between a male duck and a female duck:
- Hens are LOUD! They have a loud, almost laughing quack.
- Drakes have more of a hiss, no loud cock-a-doodle-do here!
- Drakes will get a small curl on the back of their tail
- In some breeds, beak and leg color can tell you the sex.
- Drakes tend to have darker heads or more color than females
Want to see ducks in action? Check out this Facebook video of my daughter feeding her ducks!
Raising Ducks for Eggs
Your hens will start laying eggs at about 20 weeks of age. Like many other poultry, proper nutrition, low stress, and light can affect a duck’s laying.
Ducks do not need nest boxes and often prefer to make their own nest in dark corner of their house or in under brush in the yard. We use straw for bedding in our duck house since it makes for a nice egg nest.
Ducks tend to lay in the early morning. We keep our ducks locked in their run until about 10 am every day, that way we don’t have to go on an egg hunt all over the property to find eggs.
Many egg production breeds will lay an egg a day provided they are getting about 17 hours of light (either natural or supplemental).
We love our duck eggs! They are rich and have more protein than chicken eggs!
-> Want to know more about duck eggs? Read Duck Eggs vs Chicken Eggs: What’s the Difference
I think that about covers it. If you raise chickens, you will have no problem adding in ducks. And they are so much fun to watch and play with! Do you have a question I didn’t cover? Post it in the comments!
Interested in other poultry too? Check out these articles:
Quickstart Guide to Raising Guineas
5 Types of Poultry to Raise that Aren’t Chickens
Do I have to keep the female ducks away from male ducks so I can eat there eggs?
No- you can eat fertile eggs as long as you collect daily and don’t let them sit.
What breeds of ducks do you recommend for tropical countries, for example in Goa, India which has a four months rainy season and about 8 months dry season. April and May are hot at +/- 35 degrees Celsius, even reaching 40 degree Celcius.
i am at a loss!! I am new to raising ducks and I don’t know what to do if none of the eggs have hatched and it has been close to 35 days and she is still sitting on them. What do I do? Will she go into a depressive state if I pull them all?
Are they fertile? Most of the time broody birds will leave the nest when they can tell the eggs are not viable. You may want to take one or 2 out to candle to look for movement or signs of eggs gone bad- exploding eggs on a broody bird nest is no fun! Also what breed is this? Muscovy can take closer to 35.
If you are worried about her being sad about losing all her eggs, there are wooden eggs that can be used for broody birds. They can’t tell the difference and it gives them some comfort over a lost nest.
I get my pet duck for Easter when I was 10. Lucky was a white Pekin who quit laying eggs when she was about 7 or 8 years old. Then she rolled a rock in the nest and sat on it for months. I got 3 brown fertile eggs from the chicken farmer. Lucky hatched 1 – the cutest brown chick she would stuff under all those white feather. But she wouldn’t let us get near it and it eventually died. Lucky passed away the next winter while I was away at college.
At 71, living in a home with no community restrictions, 2 acres of land and a great fenced in back yard, I’m ready for Lucky II.
Since ducks are messier than chickens, how often do you change the bedding? How much space do they need in their duck house?
This was great information, thanks!
That was so helpful! Thank you!
Great post! One quick question though: why the niacin supplement?
Thanks for sharing!
Great story. Love the picture of your flock too. As for pets, one suggestion I’d make is to get a calm breed, especially for children. For instance, I love Indian Runners, but they are definitely active and hyper and in my opinion wouldn’t make the best pets for kids. The worst problem I’ve ever had with ducks is predators. I have had to keep mine (I just have chickens now) in a pen, preferably with a top because of hawks, which are in my opinion the worst predator. On land, ducks are literally “sitting ducks”. To some degree a chicken can run for cover. But not a duck. It’s certainly true that even domestic ducks can feed themselves by foraging, but I’ve never been able to let them do so because of predators, especially hawks. I’d love to get more (maybe someday), but right now all we have room for is chickens, and I’m grateful for that. Because of the water mess issue, ducks definitely need more space than chickens like you said. I’ve raised Indian Runners, Pekins, Rouens, Blue Swedes, Black East Indies and Mallards over the years, and Muscovies as well. All have their pros and cons, depending on your goals, but I enjoyed all of them and was successful with all of them.
Can I free range my ducks without them running away ?
My chicken hatched an egg then she deserted the chick, we took her in with all the proper heatlamps and everything but didn’t want her to be alone, so we got 3 ducks! They tend to kinda protect her and make her one of them, Is it absolutely necessary to separate them? How crucial is it they don’t be raised together?
You may not plan it that way, but you have bonds formed between a small number of birds, and I wouldn’t change anything. They will probably hang around together for the rest of their lives. :D
We got chicks and ducklings at the same time. And raised them in the same brooder. They live together now outside in the same coop. They think they are the same flock and stick together for the most part all day.
The only issues we had were in the brooder. One was that the chicks slept on a roosting pole and the ducks slept under it so they got pooped on a lot. They got baths about 2 to 3 times a week which they loved. We used blow dryers to get them dry and warm after before putting them back in the brooder. The other was the ducks playing in their drinking water and getting all the chips wet. Eventually we got a aluminum tray and a rack from Dollar Tree and put their water on that. Didn’t kept it all dry but helped. They were also able to dry from the tray if the ducks splashed it all out.
Why don’t they fly away?
Most domesticated ducks can’t fly. The have been bred out of the habit and into heavier bodies.
Do they eat mosquitos and larvae?
I have duck eggs in an incubator. They are at 21 days. 38 C . When do I lower the temperature and or take them out of the incubator? In addition to having water under them and having them turned automatically I have been misting for 5 days. What and when do I do the next phase? This is my first hatching. Help please!
Ducks take about 26-28 days to hatch. The incubator should be about 99F at all times. You may have to turn the temp down in the last few days to keep this temperature as the ducklings will start to increase the temperature. Once they are hatching you can keep it closer to 98F (last couple of days) In the last 2 days, stop turning (take out any automatic turner) add water to the tray in the bottom and then don’t open the incubator again until they have hatched.
Ever since my ducks found our pond it’s impossible to get them to go into their fenced in duck house at night. So far they have managed to avoid predators. How can I get them to go into their duck house at night?
Do you ever worri about salmonella poisoning? I. Buying ducks for my backyard n I read an article saying to be careful bcuz they carry salmonella, and to wash your hands when handling and wear different clothes. Is this true ?
I don’t. Chickens carry samonella as well. As long as you follow good washing practices you will be fine. You should wash the eggs before eating like you would any egg, and wash your hands after handling like you would any animal.
Plz help. Nobody helping even called a vet!! My ducks have most of their feathers they r eating drinking & then they act like they r drunk some r dying in r hands. We hold them under the heat lamp they r wet from drinking the water from a 3 gallon container we tried a smaller container. Vet said take away food & water as soon as they r done. Doesn’t work. Was told try corn crumble. They r on non-medicded
Since water will get dirty quickly, do you have to constantly change it?
I have 6 ducks now and I just love them!! 4 mallards and two Peking. I have a 60′ pond and a large duck house and an enclosed pen on it. The pen is actually for the rabbit that lives in the house too! She has her own space til the ducks go out during the day, than the rabbit has the run of the house and pen. I feed the ducks in the pen and they were trained that supper is at the house so they come home for dinner. They are such fun!!
Thank you for the article! We just got 5 ducklings (2 khaki, 2 hybrid and 1 blue runner). I am wondering about housing now! We need an easy inexpensive duck house. How big should it be for 5 ducks? We have pallets and would like to use those. Can it be on the ground?
Do you have to cut ducks flight feathers, they were raised as pets( Easter)then abandoned….They free range now but they are definitely Imprinted on people and follow us around
We have three male Pekins who are about a year and a half and very large and three female anconas that are about 4 months old. We have them separated still but put the females in an fenced area outside during the day where they can interact with the Pekins but not roam together. We’re not sure when we can let the females free from their own space since the Pekins are so large. Any suggestions?
Can I use alfalfa for ducklings as bedding
If you have a large pond will the ducks come off the pond to their coop in the evening?
I found using a milk jug and cutting a space in one side, large enough for a couple ducks to stick their head in , makes a great food and water container. It also helps to keep the food dry when it is raining. Our ducklings are three and four weeks old and they do not get in the container and play
Hi, how do you do your ducklings to start using a floating duck house?
When do you recommend moving ducks to live with chickens?
Mine have done fine once they are past the brooder stage and are on the ground. I just don’t recommend raising chicks and ducklings together in a contained space because of how wet the ducks make things. Once the birds (and the water) is outside, it’s all good.
Will my ducks fly away?
I have 2 Pekin ducks that just hatched some ducklings. I had a tall waterbowl for the parents and an automatic waterer for the babies. I am not sure, but I think one of the chicks got into the bows and either fell back out, was pulled out by the duck, or was stepped on by it and got wet from the parents using the bowl. I don’t know what exactly happened, but the baby was wet and cold, had some other injuries and died despite bringing it in the house, putting antibiotic on the wound, and putting under heat.
How in the world do you give the parents enough water to submerge their heads that does not allow the babies to jump in?
I do not find on anyone’s site that this is addressed.
Also, the drake is a huge clod and keeps stepping on the babies.
Keep younger ducks separate until they are able to hold their own with the big kids. We use a kiddie pool with chicken wire secured around it for those awkward tweens when they are not under supervision.
i have three ducks that i have purchased from a retail outlet here in wisconsin. I have never raised ducks but have raised chickens. they ar free roaming and are flying but always come back to our chicken coop but don’t sleep in the coop at night. we have noticed that the hen is laying eggs all over the property. we anticipate new ducklings as three of our hens are sitting on eggs. we are concerned for the weather here is getting cooler. any word of advice for us??
Get a few heat lamps ready. Fall flocks happen. As long as you can keep them warm till their feathers come in, they’ll make it. Do some research on keeping a brooder in the fall vs. spring. There are Pinterest blogs on people who prefer it.
If you have a mixed group, how do you know which egga are fertilized or not?
hi my ducks hachted 13 duckling , they are free range. but sadly 12 have died ,not sure why exactly . on watching the last one i noticed it getting pushed and stood on . so i have move the 2 othe adult ducks out. also they were happy swing in the small pond ,but maybe the got cold . our tempurature is between 10 at night and 15-17 in the day . can you give me any suggestions / i just fee kibbled maise and theres lots of grass, .. thanks kay .new zealand. spring
We have a running joke here about the duck laughing at our jokes. Our female duck is very vocal anytime we are talking. She has to get her say in.
I want ducks to clean up a bug infestation can I have two drakes for this purpose.Surly there will be no eggs but can they live together?
I have had drakes live together just fine. It will of course depend on their personalities, but in my experience if they are raised together and no hens for competition it should be fine.
I have 3 hens and 1 drake and they are free range on the farm. I feed them and lock them in a confined space at night. They are about 19 weeks and we hope they will start laying eggs soon. Do they need a small house/coop and darkness to start lay eggs?
Absolutely need a coop, pen, house etc,
Overnight safe bedding area is mandatory. Your raising domestic birds that cannot fly. Thus you need to protect them as an investment.
Ducks produce all year long regardless of light unlike chickens which slow in winter, when ducks prepared to lay and become broody on light and temp to ensure spring large egg production for natural duckling brood in spring temps. Regardless of latitude.
Hello. First time duck owner here. We have 4. We purchased them at our tractor supply locally so they were unsexed. Lately we have had 1 duck picking on other. Ive tried seperating them but it still seems to be not so nice to the others. To the point he make 1 ducks little wing bleed. Ive raised chickens but never ducks so this is all new to me. Any advice? They are around 10 weeks old
Most likely have 2 drakes. That’s why you shouldn’t buy straight runs.. 1 drake to cover 8-15 ducks.
Maybe not the issue but most likely.
You may also want to simply cull the aggressive drake. I highly doubt it’s a overly aggressive duck. Not sure if yout raising for egg, meat or backyard pet production.
But I would deal with as needed.
I have a baby duck about 2 or 3 weeks old
It seem to have an issue with its poop shooter, meaning it is sticking and drying up in that area! What should I do?
how old should our ducks be if we want them to free-range? Also, should they be a certain age to be allowed to swim and hunt unsupervised? We have a large canopy of trees overhead but wasn’t sure if that was a safe idea.
I have 5 ducks..we built a coop for them where they spend the night. What is the best bedding to use and does it need to be changed often or do we just add additional bedding over old? Also do they need access to water all night? The water makes such a mess in the coop. Thanks in advance.
Can you use the bedding from the ducks pen when you clean it out to compost and use for fertilizer?
Is it best to clip the duck’s wings so they don’t fly away, or will they stay put in their home?
I’m new to raising ducks, but I have extensive experience with raising chickens though. I have rescued an adult pekin drake. I am so glad that my husband has brought him home to live with us and I have been reading all the things that are printed on this site. My husband and his friend have been doing some work for a couple who are living in an apartment with a few chickens and a sharpei adult dog who I believe has had some sort of a fight with the duck. It breaks my heart to hear how this duck has been living and how he was treated, but I honestly believe he was meant to be with us for a reason and I am so grateful that my husband has brought him home to give him a better life and a better future with us. Hes got a slight limp in his left leg and he’s got some very deep wounds under both of his wings which seems to have gotten a lot better in the past few days and as soon as I got him a lukewarm to room temperature bath filled up he was so happy that he almost couldn’t contain himself! I am very grateful for all the other comments I have been reading and I’m praying for him to have a speeding recovery process so I am looking for a house for him that is heated and ready for him to live in but until then I’m just keeping him safe in the house for now and he has as much space as he needs and wants and I am using puppy training pads to help with the wetness and the playing in his water bowls and he has several different bowls of water all over the kitchen that is a laminate floor and very easily to clean up and I have not taken him outside of the house to play and root around in the grass yet for bugs because he’s still sort of shell shocked by this transition and I am pretty sure that he was being abused by the people that he was living with but he has been a little shy and he’s obviously scared of the 13 year old dog who hardly even knows he is here. But I have several heat sources available for him and he seems to really like the tube socks that I have filled with rice and I microwave them it offers a sort of moist heat and he seems to be comforted by them and I have been singing and talking very softly to him and he has gotten very close to me so I am able to wrap him in a warm towel and cuddle him and carry him to the bathroom so he can get to the tub and swim a few hours each day and soak his wounds and he has been cleaning his features and he almost always seems to be smiling when he is in the bath.