Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
like the corner deli to them. They'll waste no time snacking and sampling the aquatic
fare, and because they put their whole bodies into their eating and playing, they'll get
quite grimy, reminding you of little boys playing in the mud after a rainstorm.
Believe it or not, ducks also enjoy a bath in clean water and dearly love to have a
clean, dry place to sleep at night. Once you provide ducks with a clean, dry pen after
it has been messy, you will come to recognize their happy-duck noises. The enjoyment
you garner from this experience will undoubtedly stick with you. Although they love
to play and fully immerse themselves in their farmyard experiences, they like to come
home at night to a clean home.
You'll need to clean regularly — more or less often depending upon the frequency of
rainfall, the number of ducks in a space, age of the birds, time of year, and so on. Use
cleaning tips.
Handling Your Ducks
Day-olds and older ducklings are adorable; everyone wants to hold them! Take care that
an admirer doesn't squeeze too tight, however. And don't let young ducklings jump from
your hand or they may sustain life-threatening injuries.
As the ducklings grow, you'll most likely lose your desire to pick them up, and they
will feel less like being picked up. When you do handle ducks or ducklings, never pick
them up or carry them by their feet. Always pick them up by the wings while provid-
ing support under the feet and body to make them feel more secure and keep them from
thrashing about. Never carry them by the neck.
Laying Ducks
As with chickens and all other fowl, duck laying cycles are related to nutrient input and
daylight. Ducks need a higher vitamin B
12
content than do chickens, and feed must be
carefully balanced if they are confined and not out where they can get additional animal
protein from insects, worms, and slugs.
Plan on supplementing daylight with artificial light for laying ducks. A minimum of
14 hours of light results in maximum production. Ducks also lay better when allowed to
take a daily bath; when content, they perform better. Typically well-bred egg-type ducks
lay consistently for a period of 8 to 10 months, then molt and rest. Ducks tend to molt in
the heat of the summer; therefore, you can use artificial light to keep them laying during
the winter months.
