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How to Raise Native Ducks

If you live on a farm or rural area, you can raise native ducks as a pet or farm animals. Planning beforehand is critical before setting out to purchase any young ducks, and you must be willing to put in the time and effort spending long hours handling and caring for the ducks while they are young. Raising native ducks is different compared to raising chickens or other birds, so conduct some research and study up on the species to understand exactly what you are getting into.

Things You'll Need

Cage and soft materials
Bird waterer or shallow bowl of water
Heat lamp
Duck feed
Cracked corn
Pond or small wading pool
Plywood
2 logs

Instructions

- 1
  Determine whether or not you have enough space for your ducks. Native ducks are social birds that require a large amount of space, about 10 feet by 10 feet of space per duck at an absolute minimum.
- 2
  Purchase ducklings from a reputable farm or duck breeder. Keep the ducklings indoors for the first four to five weeks of their life. If you have a cat or dog, make sure they are kept separate from the ducklings.
- 3
  Create an artificial heat source by purchasing a heat lamp from your local pet store and place it in a cage with some soft nesting material like newspaper or pieces of fabric. Place a specially designed bird waterer or shallow bowl of water in the cage as well.
- 4
  Feed your ducks with duck feed mixed with cracked corn that is made from 20 to 22 percent protein during the first three to five weeks. After five weeks, feed them food that has 16 percent protein. Once your ducks reach adulthood, they require food with only about 14 to 16 percent protein.
- 5
  Construct a piece of outdoor shelter for the ducks once they are old enough to roam outdoors. You can do this by taking a piece of plywood and propping it up on two logs. Ducks need this source of shelter to protect them from sun, rain, snow and hail.
- 6
  Ensure that you have a pond or small wading pool so the ducks can swim when they are old enough. Ducklings can begin to start swimming when they are about three to four weeks old and have developed the necessary oils that produce a waterproof coating on their feathers.

Animals & Science