Definition and Classification

When you think “Domestic” what comes to your mind? Something involving the home, relating to the family, or found and used in a particular area. Now, add “Duck” to the word and you get: A duck that’s related to the family, involved in the home and a particular area. That’s just it, sounds cliché right?

Scientific name: Anas platyrhynchos domesticus.

Domestic ducks are ducks that are raised and/or are cared for by people. They are typically raised for eggs, show, meats, income or my personal favorite, as pets.

Domestics ducks may be raised in large or small flocks.

Typically, domestic ducks rely on people for feed and housing, and because of this, they usually don’t last long alone in the wild.

Ducks are able to grow and mature whilst feeding off basic available feedstuffs in ratio of simple diets.
Ducks have been domesticated for ages now.

This practice has been passed down through to recent times. Domestic ducks are descendants of the Mallard, except the Muscovy.

Domestication made ducks less aggressive and easier to handle. Domestication of ducks has led to the increasing influence over reproduction and has served to secure foreseeable resources from ducks.

Choosing the right breed of domestic duck

It’s best that you choose a domestic duck that suits your needs and/or wants. It can be a native breed that is well adapted to your environment, weather conditions, or other conditions of where you live in. It may be a breed that’s superior to the local breeds or simply a breed that’s available for purchase.

Are domestic ducks good pets?

Honestly, this is a whole new topic entirely, but let’s summarize this can we? Domestic ducks mostly make great pets and companions.

Surprising as it may seem, they actually don’t need a pond; they just need enough water to clean out their beaks and dip their heads in. Ducks only need enough water for cleaning their nostrils, so a bowl will do.

Ducks are friendly creatures; they are resilient to extreme weather conditions, can be easily cared for, and are each unique.

Domestic ducks are fun to have around and are great to have in the garden. They can act as weed control for the garden as they feed on grass, but you should probably keep an eye out for them though.

They are great to have around children also, they don’t bite -only peck, which doesn’t necessarily hurt. Ducks do need protection from common predators such as snakes, hawks, or the neighbor’s pet dog.

A dog house or pen will certainly do to shield them from any harm, but a standard duck house is advisable though.

Domestic ducks have been a part of society for many years. Some cultures of the world today believe the duck to be a symbol or fertility and good marriages etc. They also make good pets.

Caring for a domestic duck

Caring for a domestic duck is fairly straight forward. When young (ducklings), they should be kept from water till when they are some weeks old as they do not have their preen oil yet.

When wet, ducklings can easily drown.
The similarity between raising a domestic duck and any other poultry is really glaring. The only difference is that for ducklings, they shouldn’t be given medicated feed like that of chickens. It causes unnecessary diseases for them and/or could lead to an overdose.

Ducks need to be brooded at their younger age, and are very much resilient.

Do domestic ducks fly?

Some domestic ducks bred for food are either too heavy to fly or have their wings clipped to prevent just that. Wild ducks such as mallards do fly and can migrate long distances.

They are pretty good fliers for short distances getting airborne a few feet of the ground for 2 blocks or so, when people chase them off the lawns and back to the lake.

Domestic duck lifespan.

Ducks are not long-lived as their counterparts, geese. The average life span of a domestic duck is about 12 years or less.

The larger the duck breed, the shorter their life span. They seldom live beyond 8-10 years, but then you can improve that with good care and feed at best.

Average total sleep time.

Average total sleep time (% of 24hrs) – Average total sleep time (hours/day) 45% 10.8h *That’s joint average sleep time with the Jaguar.

How much does a domestic duck cost?

In short, domestic ducks come rather cheap. They range from $5 to the rare breeds which cost $8 each.

Do ducks sleep standing up?

Birds in general have an adaptation called “Rete mirabile” which minimizes heat loss. Ducks are well insulated creatures due to the fact that they spend a lot of their time in water.

That being said, a duck’s circulatory system is “designed” to remove a significant amount of body heat from the blood before it finds its way to the feet where the most heat loss would occur, isn’t that just fascinating?!

The one leg standing behavior of the duck should presumably be an extension of the duck’s physiology which is highly evolved to the conservation of heat.

How do I know if a duck is male or female?

If there are no obvious differences in the coloring of the plumage, feathers can still help to indicate if you’re looking at a male or female duck.

Just take a look at the tail feathers; the tail feathers of the male curl up a bit right at the base of the tails, in some breeds.

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An example can be cited using ducks bred for meat. Breeders would want to produce a better meat duck, and thus they exclusively breed the ducks to be larger, which in turn renders them too large to fly. Domesticated ducks like Pekins, Rouens, and even medium-sized ducks like Cayugas, are often found under this category.

Other breeds of ducks, such as the Runner ducks, are actually able to fly for considerable distances, but cannot achieve sustained flight. Clipping wings of breeds like these, in order to prevent them from flying away, is really not necessary.

Nevertheless, some smaller breeds of ducks can still fly – Call ducks and in most cases Mallards – and in such cases wing clipping may be considered; (although I recommend you actually train them to stay around their home).

When selecting a pet duck, the ability to fly is an important consideration. Most people prefer flightless ducks, while others prefer to take their chances with training or eventually clipping the wings off their ducks; which is a difficult process.
If you select a breed of duck with the ability to fly, it is not certain as to the fact that the duck breed will ultimately fly away. Selecting a duck breed with the ability to fly just means that IT HAS THE ABILITY TO.

Clipping of wings should always be seen as a last resort because it ultimately causes the ducks themselves, pain – humanly speaking. But then, if you have a brood of ducks and you can’t really control them all or you’re afraid of a select few flying away without you noticing it, you could clip their wings to prevent eventual loss.

are there any domestic duck breed that can’t fly?

Yes, like I said earlier most domestic ducks can’t fly. Although ALL DUCKS HAVE THE ABILITY TO FLY, it just depends on significant factors like breed, weight, wing condition, the duck breeder, or simply love for their current home. Some Khaki Campbells, pet Rouens, and Pekins have been identified under this class.
Domestic ducks do not fly because they don’t have to – they don’t adopt the muscle developments as very young ducks. In the wild (or in a poorly protected area), a duck that can’t fly becomes predators dinner.
Also, some domesticated birds can flap their wings while running to help with their movement and speed, while some can take to the air for about 2 or 3′ and cover quite a distance, probably 20-25 yards give or take.

Aerodynamics of a Duck Wing

In order to fly, a duck must generate lift to counterbalance the pull of gravity, and also thrust to move forward against friction’s retardiation.
The modified limb muscles, coverts, bones and flight feathers of a duck’s wing all serve to build an “airfoil,” (a curved and narrowed structure over and under which air flows).
Higher airspeed over the wing creates lower pressure than along the underside, which produces an upward force. The shape of the wing also deflects air downward, which means there must be an equal force produced in the opposite, direction. These upward forces produce the lift required to overcome gravity.
The primary flight feathers of a duck generates forward thrust, while the secondaries enhance lift. Dipping the trailing edges of its wings enables the duck to increase drag and diminish lift; this constructs a mechanism of controlled stalling that allows it to slow down and ultimately land.

Anatomical Adaptations

The duck features a lightweight skeleton that nonetheless comes hardly reinforced for enduring the physical stresses flying imposes.

Skeletal adaptations for flight

• Recessed long bones in the wing.
• a breastbone ridge for anchoring flight muscles.
• fused “hand” and “wrist” bones for a more sturdy wing structure.

Major flight muscles:

• the pectoralis, which enables for a downward “power” wingstroke, and the;
• supracoracoideus, which forces (with a pull) the wing up in a “recovery” stroke.

The stiff flight feathers of a duck includes the outer “primaries” and the inner “secondaries.”

The vanes of the “primary” feathers possess a constrictive stellar edge to cut the air; they are also firmly interlocked with hooked barbules (one of the processes along the edges of the barbs found in a feather, in which adjacent “barbs” interlock)

Softer overlapping feathers called “coverts” lay upon the basis of the “primaries” and “secondaries”; ensuring the wings form a rigid, smooth-textured layer.

Dabbling ducks versus Diving ducks: Wing Shape and Relative Size

In general, ducks have the curved, pointed wings of a fast-flying bird; however, the shape and relative size of the wings vary between the two major duck divisions: the dabbling ducks and the diving ducks.

Dabbling ducks such as the Mallard, get their name from their habit of feeding with their bills skimming underwater, or by tipping themselves forward and paddling along with hoisted rear ends.

“Wing loading” is defined as the ratio of a bird’s wing area to its body mass.

Dabblers have proportionately larger wings in relation to their size, which means they can launch directly into flight. than dabbling ducks to stay aloft.

Another wing characteristic with ramifications for flight is aspect ratio: i.e. wing length divided by wing width.

Dabblers have lower aspect ratio, giving them greater maneuverability. This is a good trait for the shallow-water environments they frequent, enabling them to move through tunnels of high sedges and cattails in marshes or through trees of swamps and bottomland forests.

In contrast, Diving ducks often feed fully submerged. They possess higher wing loading and smaller wings in relation to their size.

Higher wind loading ensures that diving ducks must practically run along the surface of the water with rapid wing flaps before attaining the speed necessary to produce lift and become airborne.

Divers possess a higher wing aspect ratio making them faster-flying but less maneuverable. This in turn serves them well in the more open, deepwater habitats they frequent; such as lakes, bays and coastal seas.

Migratory Flights in Ducks

Though divers and dabblers show some key differences, ducks in general are designed for fleet, flapping flight. Their sharp-pointed, back-brushed wings are perfect for long-distance migration.
Migrating ducks often fly in a “V” formation for maximum efficiency. A flying bird’s wingtips create swirls that push air downward behind the bird and upward off to the sides. A duck that’s behind and to the side of another can take advantage of that upward push and its decrease in drag to fly with less effort: hence the “V” configuration.

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Ducks are omnivorous birds. They eat a wide variety of foods, and require a good nutrition for feather and muscle development, breeding and laying success, duck growth and many more. To provide a suitable diet, one must first understand what ducks eat.

Food domestic and/or pet ducks eat

1. Bird feed

It’s no surprise that this is the first. Birds love seeds. Seeds like sunflower seeds – both striped and black oiled sunflower seeds-, bird seed, to mention but a few.

Layer feeds as well, ducks love them. If you have a female duck for laying, giving her that extra boost of protein.

2. Protein will help to hasten the process.

Ducks should be fed unmedicated feed always. For the first three weeks of age, duck starters are ideal. Duck starters are a high nutrient feed with a protein level of around 20% From then on you can feed them pullet grower, a lower protein, unmedicated chicken feed.

3. Whole grains

Pure whole grains are significant when considering this option, else they’ll gain too much weight. Except of course you want that.

4. Vegetables

If you have a garden, some of the vegetables grown there can be fed to your ducks. This is super helpful in a case in which there’s excess of plants. Your ducks can eat the excess plants and in turn you’ll not get to waste them.

Vegetables like zucchini, broccoli, squash, cucumbers, corn etc. Your ducks will happily help out with those.

5. Cracked corn

Cracked corn contains both protein and fiber which in turn is a great addition to your bird’s diet

6. Oats

7. Rice

8. Grapes (half cut or quartered if large)

9. Earthworms (usually gotten from the ground/garden)

10. Chopped lettuce or other salad mixes

Ducks love it when you chop their “salad” in finely shaped forms and spread it for them in their water pond/bowls. It gives them a food to play with whilst exercising.

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1. Nature of waterfowl during fall and winter: This places them at greater risk of transmitting infectious pathogens.
2.  Loss of habitat: This forces more birds to crowd into fewer suitable areas for living.
3.  Migratory habits of waterfowl: This increases the risk of spreading diseases from the source of an outbreak to great distances.

There are numerous diseases that affect and have caused substantial die-offs to waterfowl all over the world, and this article takes you through the major diseases one by one.

AVIAN CHOLERA

This type of disease is caused by the Pasteurella multocida bacterium. This is very common in Asia and the Middle East countries. Avian Cholera is a dangerously infectious disease that can lead to death in less or equal to six hours, although the typical death period is about 24 to 48 hours.

Under chronic conditions , sudden die-offs involving more than 1,000 birds per day have come about in wild water fowls.

Transmission occurs via bird-to-bird contact, airborne ingestion (perhaps) and also through infected food or water.

History: Avian cholera was first recorded in North America during the 1943-44 winter, when an struck wintering waterfowl at the Muleshoe National Wildlife Refuge and other areas of the Texas Panhandle.

Ever since, Avian cholera has brought about the death of thousands of waterfowl throughout North America, including recurring outbreaks in the Texas Panhandle and the Rainwater Basin in Nebraska, the Central Valley and Tulare Basin in California, and the Klamath Basin in northern California and southern Oregon.

Effects and symptoms: Sick birds often appear lethargic. Other symptoms include swimming in circles, convulsions, heads thrown back between the wings, to mention but a few.

Human risk: Avian Cholera is not regarded as a high-risk disease for humans because of the differences in the strains in waterfowl and humans respectively.

Prevention: Vaccination using multi-strain deactivated vaccines can be effective in the prevention of infections, which are not often passed vertically but can remain on the farm for many cycles of production.

Rats are known to be a vector for P.multicoda and transfer among waterfowl are water-borne and can be transferred around feed troughs.
Treatment of acute cases is almost impossible with antibiotics, some chronic cases may respond to tetracycline but they only tend to last as long as the treatments.

AVIAN BOTULISM

This disease, probably the most well-known waterfowl diseases, results from the ingestion of a toxin produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum. Avian botulism attacks the nervous system and can lead to death in as little as 24 hours.

Major avian botulism epizootic (epidemic among animals) have been reported throughout North America for more than a century, causing deaths of millions of waterfowl across the western United States and in California and Utah.

Effects and symptoms: Avian botulism affects the peripheral nerves that control voluntary muscles, causing varying degrees of paralysis, including symptoms such as dropping head, listlessness, and sagging head (sometimes called “limberneck”).

Other field symptoms include birds moving themselves across water using their wings, and paralysis of the inner eyelid.

Human risk: Although some strains of botulism can affect humans, waterfowl are usually affected by Type C botulism, which according to research, does not affect humans.

Note: thorough cooking kills the botulinum toxin in food.

DUCK PLAGUE

The duck plague is a serious, contagious disease caused by a herpes virus, which causes the deaths of infected birds.

Effects and transmission: Duck plague attacks the vascular system, causing hemorrhaging and death usually within 14 days of exposure. Transmission occurs through bird-to-bird contact.

History: Duck plague was reported in North America in 1967 at a commercial duck farm in NY, New york. But it was originally diagnosed in 1949 in the Netherlands, and has since spread to other duck rearing areas in the world including the US. Since then, the disease has led to a number of waterfowl deaths across the US, with increasing reports each decade.

The first known major outbreak of the Duck plague occurred in January 1973 at Lake Andes National Wildlife Refuge in South Dakota, where over 40,000 mallards and small Canada geese died from the disease.

Symptoms: Infected birds often seek cover because they become sensitive to sunlight. Extreme thirst, bloody discharge or droopiness from the bill or vent may also occur. Other symptoms include: inability to fly, loss of wariness and convulsions.

Human risk: Fortunately, duck plague affects only ducks, swans and geese.

LEAD POISONING

Lead poisoning is the ingestion of used or spent lead shot by ducks. This is a peculiar disease because it is caused totally by we, humans. ingestion of a single pellet may prove lethal and in some cases, a few pellets can cause death.

History: Sometime ago, an estimated 3,000 tons of lead shot were being lodged by hunters in North American wetlands each year, and the number of pellets in some wetlands averaged close to 70,000 per hectare. Within the United States alone, there was a historic annual estimated loss in the range of 1.6 million to 2.4 million birds in general.

Symptoms: Infected ducks – birds in general – often take several weeks to die and show symptoms like unwillingness to fly, severe emaciation, “roof-shaped” wings, and some bright green staining around the vent.

While a number of lead hot spots remain and periodic die-offs occur, the innovation of the nontoxic shot has cut short lead shot deposition in North American wetlands and has become a viable long-term solution to lead poisoning.

Human risk: None recorded. However, lead poisoning in general can have some effects on humans.

DUCK VIRUS HEPATITIS (DVH)

The disease was first described in the US and has since been diagnosed around the world. DVH affects ducklings between 2 and 21 days of age. It usually starts out as an acute disease, with the affected birds dying within a few hours of showing clinical signs.

Symptoms: Birds often die in good condition with their heads stretching upwards in opisthotonus. Post mortem symptoms include an enlarged liver with petechial and ecchymotic haemorrhages. Clinical findings are diagnostic. Control is usually effective using a live vaccine in the foot of one-day-old ducks.

Human risk: None recorded.

AVIAN INFLUENZA (also known as BIRD FLU) AND NEWCASTLE DISEASE

Avian influenza is a virus whose default hosts include many species of waterfowl. Waterfowl such as ducks, swans, geese, do not often show signs of avian influenza infection, but the same can’t be said for poultry flocks, as they can experience a range of illness, from decreased egg production to high death rates.

Although, recent outbreaks in Asia have shown that ducks appear to be particularly susceptible to infection with the H5N1. The evidence suggests an increased risk of transmission of the H5N1 virus from waterfowl, wild fowls, to other commercially reared ducks in extensive systems in Asia.

Similar experiences in parts of the world have proved that Newcastle disease can become endemic in bird populations, causing control and eradication to be difficult. The recent global spread of the majorly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 virus has formed the association between wild birds and domestic poultry.

Symptoms: Symptoms can range from fever, conjunctivitis, and muscle aches to severe respiratory distress, organ failure, pneumonia, and ultimately death.

Human risk: Strains of avian influenza that sicken and/or kills poultry does not necessarily make people sick, and strains of avan inflenza that makes people sick does not necessarily sicken and/or kill poultry. However, avain influenza has infected people in Europe, Asia, and Africa.

Human infection with avian influenza virus can happen when enough virus finds its way into the human eyes, nose, mouth, or is inhaled. This can be caused when virus suspended in the air (in droplets or dust) is breathed in by a person. It can also be contracted when a person touches a virus infected substance, and then touches their eyes, nose or mouth.

Prevention

The best prevention is to simply avoid sources of exposure whenever possible. Infected birds cast off avian influenza through their mucous, saliva and faeces.
Also, CDC recommends that people responding to outbreaks should get a seasonal influenza vaccination, probably at least two weeks before engaging in an outbreak response.

Antiviral drugs can also be used: CDC recommends treatment with a neuraminidase inhibitor for strains of human infection with avian influenza A viruses.

However, some evidence of antiviral resistance has been reported in Asian lineage avian influenza A (H7N9) viruses and HPAI Asian lineage avian influenza A (HSN1) viruses. Monitoring of antiviral resistance among avian influenza A viruses, is critical and ongoing.

Other infections include:

SALMONELLA INFECTIONS

Genuine salmonellosis is relatively rare in ducks but is frequently due to the stereotype Salmonella typhimurium. Clinical infections in commercial ducks usually follow a breakdown in hygiene measures on the breeder as identified for E.coli. Affected birds are usually of ages 3 to 12 days.

Symptoms: Depression, scour, acute enteritidis , acute dehydration, septicaemia, and the classical caeca cores of white caseous (of damaged or neurotic tissue; cheeselike) material. Death rate in flocks can be quite alarming, sometimes reaching 15%.

Preventive measures: Improved rodent control, water sanitation, use of competitive exclusion products, and improved house hygiene.
Human risk: None recorded.

STREPTOCOCCAL INFECTIONS

Poor levels of hygiene gives rise and/or is a contributing factor to the disease Streptococcus zooepidemicus.

Symptoms: Congested carcasses, enlarged and mottled spleens, increased death rate at around 10 to 14 days of age, and often air sacculus.

Human risk: None recorded.

STAPHLOCOCCUS INFECTION (BUMBLEFOOT)

The heavier breeds of ducks such as but not restricted to Pekins, and Appleyards can be subject to bumblefoot. This is basically a Staphylococcus infection caused by a cut, splinter, or by hard landing. It manifests itself as a black scab at the bottom of the foot.

Prevention: Vetericyn can be used for treatments. An herbal balm can also be used to draw out the infection. In more advanced cases, surgery is required to cut off the kernel of infection with a scalpel; after which, the foot should be kept clean and dry until a new scab forms.

IMPACTED CROP

Quite similar to the lead poisoning is the impacted crop. Since ducks will eat virtually everything that comes their way, they sometimes suffer impacted crop if they ingest long pieces of string, plastic, rubber bands, or even twines.

The crop of a duck should be empty in the morning, since ducks digest every intake at night, so if you suspect that your duck might have impacted crop, gently massage the area, then offer olive oil, grit and plenty of water.

Prevention: Always keep your duck environment clean and free from potentially harmful materials, and if feed your ducks cut grass or weeds, be sure to cut them in short equal lengths.

Prolapsed Penis/Vent

A prolapse is a condition that occurs when the drake’s penis doesn’t retract after mating, or when a portion of the oviduct protrudes outside the duck’s body while she’s laying an egg.

The condition, in both cases, can correct itself on its own, but it’s a good idea to keep the area clean, and apply some sugar and some coconut oil  for a few days to keep them skin-tight, and the tissue soft.

In a situation whereby both the duck and the drake are suffering from prolapsed penis/vent, it’s a good idea to separate them to prevent mating while the prolapse is healing. You can try to carefully push the prolapse back inside if you don’t notice any improvement in a few days.

Prevention: Allocating plenty of room to your flock for exercise and also a healthy diet, can help prevent prolapse in your flock. In extreme situations, a visit to the vet might be on cards.

Note: A drake’s penis will fall off in the fall, and will grown anew in the spring, so that should correct the problem on it’s own.

In a duck’s case, it’s common for the prolapse of her vent to recur and not be able to be successfully treated.

Wry Neck

Wry neck is a condition that normally only affects ducklings. It can be fatal when left untreated, because the ducklings will be unable to hold their head up and will often not be able to walk correctly.

Wry neck can be caused by a blow to the head, vitamin deficiency or ingestion of toxins. Adding B1 and E vitamins, as well as selenium to the duckling’s diet can cure the condition. You can also supplement with vitamin capsules, or add some brewers yeast, sunflower seeds, wheat germ, or bran to their diet.

Herbs and spices such as sage, parsley, cinnamon, thyme, dandelion greens, alfalfa, spinach, turmeric, or even marjoram which contain both Vitamin E and selenium can be added too.

Sticky Eye/Eye Infection

Sticky eye can be caused by a number of factors such as but not restricted to a scratch, debris or rough mating. Eye issues and respiratory issues often go hand in hand in ducks because, their sinuses run down the back of their head.

Symptoms: Bubbling eye, closed eye, redness or tearing.

Prevention and correction: Cleansing the eye well with saline and then making sure the duck has access to a deep, pleasant water bowl to submerse her entire head often clears up the problem; but if it doesn’t seem to get better in a few days, squeezing and extracting of goldenseal, or chamomile can help clear up the irritation.

In a more serious case infection Vet-Rx , a natural camphor-based solution that can be added to the water or applied to the nostrils, might be required.

Wet Feather

Wet feather is a condition where the preen gland, which ducks use to keep their feathers well-oiled and waterproofed, stops working.

It is caused when ducks are not allowed regular access to water in which to swim, or when ducks are kept in generally poor health or in unsanitary conditions.

Symptoms: Wet feather leads to the duck not being able to stay dry in the rain or water, increasing the chance of ducks getting chilled or drowning when placed in the water (pool) to swim.

Correction: If your duck seems to not possess that waterproof ability anymore, give her a bath using Dawn detergent, then rinse her well and blow dry her. This will remove any dirt and old oil, giving her a chance to start over.

Once done, only give her a tub of water to drink out of and to play with for a few days, after which you can then allow her pool access again; to see if she has regained her waterproofing ability.

In some sever cases however, the duck to go through a molt and grow-in all new feathers before she is waterproof again.

General guide to preventing Duck Diseases

Selecting waterfowls with care

•  Raise only healthy duck. Sick or infected ducks should be culled immediately, and given necessary quarantine or disposal to avoid the spread of infection.

• Always purchase ducks from a reliable source or hatchery.

Feed and Water

• Feed ducks with balanced rations. Ducks fed with unbalanced rations are vulnerable to diseases.

•  Provide fresh, cool and clean drinking water at all times. Polluted water is harmful to the ducks’ health and can affect general performance.

Clean the water bowls at least once a day.

• Make sure to keep feeding troughs clean and dry at all times. Wet feed troughs are prone to contamination from harmful bacteria, harmful molds, and yeast, which are a source of mycotoxins. Since ducks are highly vulnerable to aflatoxicosis, great care must be taken over feeding troughs.
• Ducks of the same age should be kept in the same brooder, and provided with the same medication.

Hygiene

• The farm and its surroundings should be kept clean always. Ducks should be provided with a clean, dry litter and a well-drained environment.
• There should be well-ventilated housing with a dry floor or litter. Do not overstock.
•  Houses where ducks spend the night must be protected from dogs, cats, cayotes, foxes and other possible predators and disease vectors.
•  Farmers should minimize activities that can cause stress to the ducks and hence lower their production.
•  The bodies of dead ducks should be burnt or buried as soon as possible, so that flies, vultures and other carcass feeding organisms do not breed on the decomposing bodies.
• Delivery trucks and visitors should be prevented from entering the production area, since they may introduce disease organisms onto the farm, not to talk of causing pollution (in the case of trucks).
•  Footbaths should be installed at strategic locations, to prevent the entry of infective agents onto the farm.

Vaccination and Other Measures

• The ducks should be vaccinated against duck cholera, using a polyvalent bacterin if available. An antibiotic-vitamin-mineral supplement should be given to suppress a build-up of bacterial infection and improve the ducks’ health.
• The ducks should be sprayed with insecticide at least once a year to control lice, mites, beetles and other arthropods that may infest and annoy them.
•  The ducks should not be fed decomposed food such as dead snails, shrimps, fish or spoiled meat, any of which may contain virulent micro-organisms or their toxins.
•  Any rice fed to the ducks must be free of insecticides, since these can have an adverse effect on the health and production of the ducks.
•  Farmers should keep good records of production and health status.
•  They should supervise closely the overall duck farm operations.
•  New stock should not be added to an existing flock. Newly arrived ducks should be quarantined for at least two weeks. Outbreaks of disease may occur if sick ducks are allowed to mix with the flock

Regardless of the duck type, ducks are far more healthier in general than chickens. You shouldn’t encounter too many problems with duck diseases. It’s easy to research ducks and duck related information when ever you’re in need of help with one issue of the other.

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Ducks are very intelligent and can easily adapt and/or consider themselves as guardians of livestock of smaller birds, if not for anything but for the fact that they are larger than them.

Predator Protection

Ducks are not big enough to fend off the larger predators, such as coyotes or big cats, so they’re most effective when used in combination with good fencing.

They can certainly fend off weasels, slugs and other rodents, though, which will often prey on chickens or try sneaking eggs from their nests. When a duck can not defend your livestock from predators, they make up for their shortcomings with lots of wing flapping and noises. Although the ducks don’t hunk as loud as the geese, they still hunk as loud as the human ear can hear.

Ducks are rather good alarms when they see flying predators. They can sight them long before the human eyes can. The resulting scurrying and alarm will send chickens seeking for safe cover.

Which Breed To Use?

Unfortunately, not all breeds of ducks have the attitude of guarding, but if you want a suitable guard duck I’d recommend the Indian Runner ducks. These ducks possess an upright build and instead of waddling, they walk. The Indian Runner ducks’ build alone can be intimidating.

For instance, a vineyard in the Western Cape in South Africa utilizes the ducks allowing a veritable army to march in waves and devour bugs. They also act as natural pesticides with their poop also welcomed as a fertilizer. In honor of their service, the vineyard markets some of their products under the “Runner Duck brand”.

There are other breeds which possess indifferent characteristics and can be used as “guard ducks”. The Khaki Campbell, Call ducks and other large breeds are prominent enough for this role – simply because they are intimidating.

Using a brood (flock) of ducks

A flock of duck will not be as attached to your chickens as a single duck would be. Ducks are social animals, and when kept in flocks, they become engrossed with each other and often forget their duties in guarding the chickens (livestock) If you keep a full flock of ducks on your farm, many predators will think twice before approaching. A brood of geese is an intimidating foe, even if they aren’t really paying that much attention to guarding.

Even if you keep friendly pet ducks, a few honks are enough to scare a potential burglar.

A guard duck can supplement your meat or egg supply in addition to providing protection and have also proven to be an entertaining character. For the farmer looking to find a useful, natural way to keep their chickens safe, whilst ridding their farm from pests and slugs, look no further than the ducks.

The Goose and The Duck.

 They have been a strong association between geese and aggression, which are frankly quite true. The goose are larger and possess more guard-like characteristics (honk, aggression, charge) and are vastly used around the world as guards (in the avian family).

However, the ducks have quite a stance here. They are more friendly to humans; this comes in handy to owners, in the sense that the ducks will not suddenly turn and become aggressive to their owners.

They are also more likely to take to chickens; since they are a more loyal imprints. Imagine when a single guard duck is utilized and a predator of considerable size comes for the livestock -the ducks family; their natural guard instincts will definitely come alive. Let’s not forget their strong beaks!

In conclusion: Like I said earlier, most animals can be trained to become guards of anything. So the ducks’ case is no different. With proper training, they can be valuable guardian to your livestock as they’ll see the stocks as their responsibility and family.

Ducks may not be as large as the traditional “guard geese”, but why don’t we utilize the ducks in our farmstead and train them into guards. Ducks are amazing!

For more information on: imprinting in ducks, click here, pet ducks here, domestic ducks here.

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Ducks consume slugs, snails, grubs and insects, including but not limited to mosquito pupae, Japanese beetle larvae, potato beetles and grasshoppers.

In areas that are plagued by liver flukes, ducks can solve the problem by feeding on the snails -that are the intermediate host of this troublesome parasite of mammals.

With the variety of diseases that mosquitoes can spread among avian and mammalian species; the duck’s ability to stop mosquitoes at the non-feeding pupa stage is a significant benefit to gardeners and farmers who are exploring creative solutions beyond hand picking beetles or drowning slugs to solve pest problems.

In recent years, free-range chickens have been welcomed into ornamental and edible landscapes where they aided with pest control; they however, often damage the plant material they are tasked with protecting are very noisy in the process.

The ducks present themselves as a valuable solution to pests and are not limited to pest control.

Benefits of having ducks as pest control.

• Ducks provide valuable plant food through their manure and feathers (worms find molted feathers delicious and in turn consume them); and also fertilizers through digested slugs.
• It is a natural method of control; reducing the use of chemicals that could be harmful to other invertebrates or the wider environment.
• Garden-raised ducks can provide nutritious meat and eggs for the table; having feasted on garden pests (slugs and snails).
• They adapt well to practically all climates including the dry deserts, cold north, and the wet tropical rainforests.
• They can be highly entertaining, providing hours of feathery fun and many people find them to be good garden and farmstead companions.
• Ducks are valuable and attractive additions to a farm, landscape, and/or homestead.
• They won’t obliterate the slug population in one night, as might occur with chemicals  (nematode treatment) or pellets.
• Ducks are resistant to many diseases and parasites as compared to chickens and some other birds.
• Unlike chickens and guineas — that seem to have a back for being much better to escape artists than ducks —  most ducks can be easily penned with 18- to 24-inch high barriers.
• Ducks love the wet and forage best in the rain, just about the time when the slugs are out and happily crawling over your garden.
• You won’t need to mow your lawn as frequently; the ducks will keep it short.

How about the downsides of using ducks as pest control?

• Ducks prefer slugs and snails but they may eat some of your leafy vegetables; they will also trample small seedlings.
• Duck gives out slimy poop, and poo everywhere!
• They make a mess of your wildlife pond and can eat your frogs (which were/are themselves, slug control).

Some people prefer having their duck’s free-range in their garden. They might temporarily fence the vulnerable plants and might grow the vegetables in raised beds to prevent ducks from foraging on them.

However, some people only allow their duck access to the garden, while supervised, or for a limited/temporary time.

What breed of ducks should I employ?

Notably, some breeds of duck have more taste for slugs (and less taste for vegetables) than others. That being said the most recommended breeds are the Indian Runner and the Khaki Campbell.

Some sources suggest that the Indian Runners are better foragers than the Khaki Campbells, and that the Khaki Campbell will make more of a mess in the pond and the garden than the Indian Runner.

However, those who keep both breeds in their vineyard find little to choose between them. Both breeds are good egg layers, though the Khaki Campbell is more prolific to the Indian Runner.

On the other hand, while both breeds generally do not fly, Khaki Campbell are more prone to flight and are more likely to get into the habit of flapping over low fences.

Another option is the Call duck. Although, they produce fewer eggs, and may not eat so many slugs, they are a small duck. They (their size) can work well in a small garden and can even be matched with a wildlife pond, if it is fairly large.

Some make use of the Muscovy as well.

Note: there are many breeds of ducks raised by breeders in the United States. Various breeds are favored for peculiar traits including but not restricted to: appearance, personality and temperament, meat and egg production, size, noise, mothering, heritage, as well as foraging ability. With a bit of more extensive research at local libraries or on the internet, it is pretty easy to fulfill your priorities with the proper breed of duck.

Here is an example of a vine where Indian Runner ducks are employed

At the Vergenoegd Wine Estate in Stellenbosch, South Africa, people are wild for ducks. They use ducks as pest control to combat the slugs, snails, and other pests that eat the grapevines. It in turn decreases the vineyard’s need for pesticides.

But it works twofold – the ducks not only eat the pests, but their waste also acts as a fertilizer for the vineyard, thus reducing the need for fertilizers as well. In fact, the ducks have had such an important environmental impact on the vineyard, that the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) has awarded Vergenoegd Wine Estate a biodiversity certification!

Guests can also visit the heat-controlled nursery to see the ducklings, a tour which has gained recognition amongst children and adults alike. Since 1984, the nursery has kept the flock at a medium population size after the vineyard started using ducks for pest control.

On the Vergenoegd’s ‘Meet Our Ducks’ page, the wine estate explains what makes their ducks so special. “Indian runner ducks are an unusual breed. They stand upright like penguins and instead of toddling, they run. The Indian Runner Ducks don’t lie fly and they normally lay their eggs as they walk as opposed to laying eggs in nests. They hardly make any noise. They are the perfect breed to use in the vines, since they are mostly preoccupied with foraging snails and slugs and love to spend their days snacking away. One man’s pest is another duck’s snack.”

Nicole Arnold, a staff member at the Vergenoegd estate, summed up the ducks’ work, saying the ducks act as living pesticides, while helping harvest the best grapes for the Runner Duck wine company. “They are working ducks who contribute towards our aim to implement more environmentally friendly farming practices. They also contribute towards the fertilization of the vineyards.”

Source: labroots.com.

Training your Ducks to become slug machines

Ducks can be trained, as they are creatures of habit. To make them become slug hunting machines, you need to get them started early:

1. Feed them slugs and snails as treats (cracking the snail shells at first so they can eat them) then once they are adults they can swallow the snails whole.

2. Make a unique noise (like a coockoo, qwaakaa, or whatever) when you give them a treat. This will ensure that they learn to associate this noise with food (see the video below)

3. Take them out to the garden with you and show them where to look for slugs and snails (by looking for snails yourself). That way, they’ll learn where to look.

Ducks make good pets too.

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Ducks do not live long as compared to the geese. The average lifespan of a domestic duck is 10 years or less, but some ducks have been recorded to have exceeded 10-15 years, some even 20-25 years. Yeah, I know right? It’s insane but true.

In general, the larger the breed of duck, the shorter the lifespan of the duck and vice-versa. Seldom do they live beyond five to nine years of age.

Below are summarized profiles and lifespans of ducks; you can always click on the link (on the name) when you’ve read through the summaries to go to the individual article on each duck. With that being said, let’s begin!

Mallard ducks

Mallard ducks are the most frequently seen ducks. They are domestic ducks that possess a heavy body, a large head, and are large in structure. They are found on a large scale in the United States and can be easily distinguished from other ducks.

During breeding seasons, the males can be identified by their green heads and yellow bills, and the females by their brown colored feathers.

During the non-breeding season, the males can be identified by their bright orange feet. Mallards have easily tamed ducks, and are categorized under the “Babbling ducks”.

Mallard ducks usually live an average lifespan of 5-10 years but that’s just the static record. Your Mallard duck can live considerably more than the given age and also less than the given age, it all depends on the care given and some other factors that are really out of our hands.

A Mallard drake (male duck) currently holds the record of the oldest duck in the world – having lived for 26 years 4 months. The main point is that domestic ducks live longer as they are generally healthier.

Pekin ducks

The Pekin duck is a domesticated duck widely used for egg and meat production. They follow the owners just like pet dogs, make excellent pets, and are friendly with a cool temperament.

However, due to its rapid growth rate as a young bird, the Pekin live for about 5 years. As age starts to catch up with them, the first noticeable part to fail in the Pekin’s body is the legs. Probably because the rapid weight gain in the first year taxes its ability to support itself in the long-run. They often live with leg problems for a year or two before they die.

The actual “useful life” – determined by the length of time in which it is useful for the owner – of a Pekin might only be three years.

Although there are resources siting the average lifespan of the Pekin to be 9-12 years thereafter, I’m really not sure about that, but then yours could live up to that extended period who knows!

Muscovy ducks

Muscovy ducks are very popular because of the less time-consumption and in-expensiveness of raising them. They have a purple plumage and are brownish-black in color.

Muscovy ducks can adapt rather easily to cold as they are tropical birds. They might not love being handled so much by humans, but they are less prone to illness.

The average life-span of a Muscovy is 8-12 years, although there are of domesticated Muscovies living longer than 12 years.

Muscovies can live longer as compared to other relatively larger species of ducks.

Medium to light ducks

Cayugas

Blue Swedish

Runners; etc.

Are all classified under Medium to light ducks.
The average life span of the medium and light ducks is relatively longer than that of most large ducks – usually two to three years. Their life span is between the area of 10 – 13 years.

It should be noted, however, that for all breeds of ducks, the number of eggs laid undoubtedly has an impact on their lifespan.

That is, female ducks kept for egg production might only produce an optimum number of eggs per year for two to three years, and if they’re pushed to produce a higher number of eggs, their lifespan will shorten considerably be it any member of any breed.

Rouen ducks

This type of duck resembles the Mallard duck but is slightly larger in size. Rouen ducks originated in France sometime before the 19th century, and are heavy and bulky.

They are raised primarily for decoration, exhibition, and meat. They are not raised for eggs because they are not as fertile as other ducks. The male Rouen has a green head and the females have brownish feathers.

The average life span of a Rouen duck is between 5-9 years.

Bantam ducks

Bantam ducks are considered the longest-lived of the ducks by a considerable margin – the Black East Indies and the Calls live the most.

It is not rare for the Calls to live up to 15 years or more. Bantam ducks tend to have vast useful lives from a breeder’s perspective, with males remaining fertile for a decade or so and some females being able to produce eggs for a longer period, assuming the best of care.

The reason for their considerable longer life span is because they carry lesser weight, and do not experience rapid growth rates, causing their bodies to hold up longer.

Bantam ducks usually stay healthy almost all their lives and do not experience certain age problems associated with other species.

Other age records

There is also age record information on life span, collected every time a banded bird is reported to the Bird Banding Laboratory in Laurel, Maryland. For instance,

– Canvasback: 29 years, 6 months

– Blue-winged teal: 23 years, 3 months

– Wood duck: 22 years, 6 months

– Northern pintail: 22 years, 3 months

– Black duck: 26 years, 5 months

– American wigeon: 20 years, 11 months

– Ring-necked duck: 20 years, 5 months

– Green-wined teal: 20 years, 3 months

Unless these are biologist-verified previously branded birds recaptures, I am doubtful of this list, as disease, predation, poison etc. can all have a significant effect on most duck species.

But then some ducks can live for a significant amount of time, and a combination of a good diet, conducive environment, and genetic susceptibility to the pathogen will also increase the life expectancy of any specie of ducks.
So, decide which breed of ducks you would love to keep, go ahead, and get yourself a duck! Xoxo.

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What is imprinting?

It was described beautifully by Konrad Lorenz and his flock of graylag geese in the 1930’s, as the process by which attachment develops between a new-born baby and its mother. Newly attached baby ducks, which walk as soon as they are hatched, follow their mothers almost instantly.

Ducklings follow the first large moving object they see after hatching, particularly if it makes duck sounds. This is normally the mother in most cases, but if ducklings hatch without their mothers or just happened to be found immediately after hatching by someone, they will form an attachment to the person or anything else that’s the first moving object that they sight.

As they gradually put more effort into following this moving object (normally a mother duck), they gradually become strongly attached. It affects the characteristics of the duck(s) because it’s clearly a highly motivated behavior. Adults long after they detach from their mother often show the effects of imprinting.

Basically, a duckling knows that it is of the same specie as any larger object it sees upon hatching or immediately thereafter. A duckling doesn’t “think it is”, it doesn’t use the object or creature as a replacement until it finds its own species, it doesn’t “pretend”, rather in its mind it IS that “creature”.
Imprinting is so strong in ducks; so if you want a duck to live with its own kind, you should avoid having its imprint on a human. Having a duck imprint on a human makes sure it lives and loves humans. Fun thing is, ducklings imprint on the creature right away, but do not recognize individual faces for about a week even though it may recognize a voice.
There are two types of imprinting: Filial and Sexual imprinting.

FILIAL IMPRINTING

Filial imprinting occurs during what is termed a “critical or sensitive” period just after hatching; this is usually between the first 24-48 hours of life. At this time, the duckling will learn to follow its mother (the first large object it sees). This ‘critical period’ can also act as a period od ‘development’ before the onset of fear of novelty, which typically starts to develop at about the third day in ducklings.

SEXUAL IMPRINTING

This spurs over a longer period of time and is responsible for the decisions a duck makes in regard to choosing a mate in the future. Sexual imprinting is simply the formation of sexual preferences that are revealed later in life. It is often expressed only at sexual maturity and is shaped by experiences before that time.

Waterfowl (duck) often choose their mate based on what their parents looked like. However, differences in sex of the ducks and sexual dimorphism in parents can cause variations. Therefore, while a male Mallard duckling will identify his mate by referencing it to his ‘parent’ appearance, the females do not.
Reports suggest that female Mallard shows a form of favor for whom they’ve been reared with irrespective of the specie. A hand breed drake is prone to show sexual behavior towards both humans and female ducks alike.

FACTORS TO CONSIDER BEFORE IMPRINTING ON YOUR DUCKLINGS

Imprinted ducklings need steady care. It’s one thing to want to imprint on your ducklings and it’s another thing to whether or not it’s the right choice. Before considering imprinting, several questions should be thought through:

1. Do I have the resources?

There’s a substantial cost as regards imprinting. This is as a result of the fact that the duckling who considers a human as it’s mother will grow to an adult duck with needs. These needs often include veterinary care, companionship (ducks cannot be kept alone as they are social animals), diaper harness, and diapers ( a lot difficult to get in some cases though), and also a predator-proof home.

2. Protection?

Protection in terms of predators and mild diseases. Checking if there are dogs or other pets who may pose a potential danger to your duckling.

3. Patience?

You should know by now already that ducklings poop a lot; they just can’t control it. If you’re the type that really doesn’t like poop around you, you should consider it because you’d have a duckling(s) literally following you everywhere after imprinting.

4. Commitment?

This and resources go hand in hand. Do you intend to keep your duck safe throughout its life – until the end? Ducks deserve forever homes, as do all living things. Provided you just can’t keep and care for your pets, there are some waterfowl rescues and duck lover group that would be willing to help and also aid in emergency cases.

5. Time?

Because you’ll be the ‘mother’ duck to your duckling, you’d be required to carry out some of the duties of the mother duck such as playing with your duckling, eating next to your duckling, sleeping next to your ducking, preventing your duckling from crying, etc. This usually extends to seven months. But if along the line you are required your duckling for a brief meeting or something, you could hire a professional duck-sitter for the period of time that you’re away. And finally;

6. Permission.

If you have landlords, parents, guardians, or even law on ducks in your state, then it’s best to have every detail planned out before purchasing a pet duck.
Once all these check out – hopefully – you can successfully imprint your ducklings. Be sure to provide adequate care and nutrition to your ducklings and they also need attention and interaction with we humans (now seen as their duck caregivers or mothers. Good luck!

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