Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
for animals. Her love of animal husbandry led her to start farming for the joy of seeing anim-
als grow.
Her first foray into farm birds was with chickens, but she found the market for small farm-
raised chickens very competitive. In 2008, she had the opportunity to raise geese and ducks.
She found a market for these two species and discovered that they are easier to raise than
chickens. Peterson markets her birds as already butchered birds at a local farmers market.
Although Peterson feels ducks and geese are easier to keep than chickens, there are still
many chores associated with waterfowl. She spends about an hour a day caring for her 15
geese and 80 ducks, including feeding, cleaning pens and waterers, thawing waterers in the
winter, and clipping their wings to keep them contained. Recordkeeping is also an important
chore. Peterson keeps records on when babies are hatched, how much feed the birds con-
sume, each bird's weight at the butcher, and any disease or malformation issues.
Good fences are important as predators such as dogs and coyotes can decimate a flock.
Cats, possums, owls, and hawks also can snatch young ducks and geese. Finding a sick or
injured bird is the worst part of raising geese. However, she rarely has disease problems with
her birds as she gives them ample access to water year-round and provides them plenty of
pasture and pen space — the most important part of keeping disease out of a flock.
“The best aspect to raising ducks and geese is their intelligence and hardiness,” Peterson
said. “They are really interesting and beautiful animals.” She feels raising geese and ducks
could be a good family project if the birds are handled a lot. If not, she feels a child under 10
should not be around geese as they are very strong and can be aggressive. However, if the
animals are handled a lot, even a young child could help with the ducks and geese.
Peterson suggests a beginner waterfowl farmer start with two to four geese or 20 ducks to
get a good idea of the care needed for these birds.
Ducks and Geese for Meat
Butchering ducks and geese is similar to butchering chickens. Pekin ducks can be ready to
butcher at 8 weeks of age when they are 5 pounds. Rouen ducks mature much more slowly
and will be ready for butchering at 5 to 6 months. Geese are usually raised for the holiday
market during the late fall. They should be 5 to 6 months old and weigh 10 to 15 pounds, de-
pending on the breed. The down from the breast area can be washed, dried, and saved for use
in pillows or clothing. After butchering, geese and ducks can be dry picked, but scalding the
feathers first makes them release easier and cuts down on skin tears.
Older ducks and geese provide the best quality down. Down is found only on the stomach and
chest of ducks and geese. It only makes up about 12 to 15 percent of the total feathers of a
