Some Q&A you should know before deciding to raise ducks

[@rwatts2155]

Thanks for sharing your knowledge on raising ducks with us. I just bought 4 Khaki Campbell ducklings and plan to keep them in my back yard. I will no doubt be watching your video pretty regularly as I go along. Really good video!

[@smithmal01]

Randy - thanks for watching. KC's are great bantam weight egg producers. I hope to one day give them a shot. I've currently got a new batch of heavy weight Silver Appleyards (great egg producer, great temperament and yummy meat) and bantam weight Golden 300s (great egg producers, a little flighty, not a meat bird). Good luck!

[@williamj.stilianessis1851]

I must say, despite all the critics on grammar and noting errors, this has to be one of the best topic videos I have seen on here. Most definitely not aimed at ones 5 minutes of fame. Well thought out with appropriate questions and answers. Quite informative and detailed. I appreciated that you had indicated there are more detailed videos on certain aspects of the duck yard and maintenance. I'll be checking those out as I am most interested in your water barrel. Love how it looks and works. One comment on the feeder. perhaps add a small ( two to three inch) pipe to the top of each port cut on a 45 degree angle as a shield. I shouldn't hamper the ducks feeding and will protect that lower lip of the PVC elbow from most rainfall. Question on the feeder. Do you have many robbers? I have a rather robust population of red squirrels in my tree line and they might be after more of the feed then the ducks. Suggestions or things you have come across? Thanks again for a great informational product. I'm looking forward to your answers. Blessings. Will

[@smithmal01]

Will - thanks for watching and the kind words. In terms of the feeder elbows I have added an improvement (which is not noted in the video above) by adding caps to the ends of the elbows with half of the end of the cap cut out. This still provides plenty of room for the ducks to access the feed, but adds rain protection for the pellets as well as them falling out of the feeder elbows onto the ground when they eat. I only fill my feeder up with 40lbs of feed at any one time. This tends to last 2-3 weeks with the ducks and reduces pellet spoilage due to humidity issues in the summer. I haven't seen too many issues with robbers (at least that I've seen). It may very well be that some robbing occurs, but I don't see them evidence of any robbing when I enter the coop and the ducks are a little territorial so hopefully they also guard against this.

[@noworriessoap5494]

What a great video! Thank you for all of the information and not pulling any punches on the labor and lessons learned.

[@smithmal01]

You are welcome. I too find that lessons learned videos always provide really informative information.

[@Ezydae]

Great video! Idk why others are complaining about the music and your voice. I can hear you just fine. One day I hope to own ducks.

[@jerrytimler773]

Great video. Very informative. Best duck video I've seen so far and I've watched a lot.

[@smithmal01]

Jerry, thanks for the compliment. I appreciate it!

[@smithmal01]

What kind of ducks are you planning on getting?

[@jerrytimler773]

Pekins. A friend of my wife is buying them for Easter pictures. She'll give them to us when she's done. I'm gearing up now. I'm going to use a shed I have and put it by our pond. Hoping to free range. Looking into a goose or geese as Well.

[@smithmal01]

Pekins are a nice breed. Big eggs (90 - 110 grams)... about 130-180 per year and provide lots of breast meat. Make sure you keep your ratio of males to females 1:3 or more. Too many males in a flock will cause them to be overly aggressive to the females causing the females to be maimed or killed. Ducks are not the most chivalrous animal when it comes to mating (check out this video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/bZaZhqpoedZ7orc)

[@jerrytimler773]

Thanks for the heads up. I'll watch out for this behavior.

[@djpitr]

Best video on KZbin , very informative, thanks for putting it together :)

[@smithmal01]

djpitr - Wow! Thanks for the kind words. I really appreciate it.

[@dlou3264]

Wow, what a lot of information. I hope we can do this someday. Your advice is sound and thorough. Many thanks!

[@smithmal01]

Debra - thanks for watching. I appreciate the kind words

[@Meenadevidasi]

Would like to see inside the duck coop. The feeding station could have a skirt/canopy/umbrella (whatever) fastened to it just over the feeding tubes to keep rain out. Ducks are great for gardeners. Don't disturb the garden beds but get the bugs. Just watching them is so soothing. You're a good papa.

[@glorialuciazapata-elias2659]

Thank you so very much for your informative video. I truly appreciated it!! Keep up the good work!!

[@EventheSparrowHomestead]

This is our first time with ducks! Runner ducks actually! We love them! New sub, rang the bell!

[@theresamayton302]

Missed opportunity at 2:01. Don't do as instructed and buy eggs at the grocery store! Buy them from you friends & neighbors who have chickens & ducks. Buying local helps your community. Profit from 3-5 dozen eggs will buy a bag of feed.

[@smithmal01]

Agree a thousand fold. Support your local farmer!! Chicken eggs bought at the store can be up to 2 months old by the time it gets to the consumer: www.fresheggsdaily.com/2016/01/how-old-is-average-supermarket-egg.html. In terms of the pros/cons of duck eggs vs. chicken eggs, there are numerous posts on line regarding this so if interested please "google" accordingly.

[@Sorvea]

My local Seed & Feed store will give you 10 pounds of feed per one dozen eggs.

[@siblingscastro2506]

Y

[@troystutsman1400]

Thanks for sharing this information with us. Some really good stuff...! Have a great day and be blessed.

[@webbsway]

Yes, your video is great . Thank you

[@sbternak4287]

a very educational video.. thank you very much for this great sharing.. me and my daughter will be having khaki campbells next month..hope to have eggs too later..

[@TheDollyLady]

Thanks for the tips first time duck owner here.

[@derekdeckens2559]

What a great video! Thank you for the time and sharing of knowledge and experience.

[@Bellasagegardens]

This is a thorough and informative video. Thank you, ,it was very helpful.

[@ducksndogshomesteaddoggroo2706]

You know, I think you may be the only one on KZbin who has mentioned the weird first egg thing. My neighbor and I found an underdeveloped egg this morning from one of her pet Pekins, and we had no idea why it looked like that. I happened upon this video shortly afterwards. I've been seriously researching for a couple months now on starting my own duck farm (switching from chickens to ducks), and this is the first time I've seen your channel, I'm so glad I found you. Thanks for all the awesome info!!

[@smithmal01]

Thanks for the compliment. My understanding after speaking with a duck hatchery expert (Dave Holderread) is to expect your ducks to take 1-2 months after they start laying eggs to get consistant egg quality and laying frequency.

[@ducksndogshomesteaddoggroo2706]

@@smithmal01 Ooh, thanks, I'll remember that! I just ordered 15 jumbo pekins. I adore them, they're adorable and hilarious. And tasty, :D

[@smithmal01]

@@ducksndogshomesteaddoggroo2706 Wow! 15 pekins. What's the ratio of females to males?

[@ducksndogshomesteaddoggroo2706]

@@smithmal01 10 males to 5 females. Gonna harvest 9 males at 7-8 weeks, when they first start to molt (easier to pluck.) (We may keep 2 males, in case something happens to one of them.)

[@smithmal01]

@@ducksndogshomesteaddoggroo2706 It's good to keep you ratios of female to male at least 3:1 otherwise the males will fight over the females and they cold injure the females. How are you going to cull the males? I recently got a Ballista penetrating bolt gun from bunnyrancher.com and it worked great. Much more prefer it over the "death cone" and bleed technique.

[@BacktonaturelivingCom]

Great video...I have had ducks before as pets...they were sooo sweet. They loved to come out in my garden with me and as I dug in the dirt, they would be right behind me slurping up any bugs or slugs that they found. They also used to love to compete for my affection. If pet one, the other duck would peck at the other duck until I pet him... I truly loved having them. You just don't want them to have access to your front or back porch, since they will poop all over it... I just got some ducklings a couple of days ago, and since we live off-grid up in the mountains at 9000 feet elevation and still have 3.5 feet of snow at the end of March (Sometimes we get up to 8 ft), we don't have access to a heat lamp, so we have them in a tub with some pine shavings next to the wood stove...they are doing really well. I also put a grate over their water dish just big enough to get their beaks and nostrils into. It makes for a mess-less nesting box for them...otherwise they like to go swimming in the water and can get chilled as well as make a swamp of their living quarters...We are looking forward to some of those amazingly nutritious duck eggs in 6 months...Keep up the great work! Thank you :)

[@smithmal01]

BTNL, man... while tackling off-grid living is impressive, doing so while living @ 9,000ft ASL is astounding. Glad to hear the video had some good food for thought in it for you. I'd love to hear the challenges and solutions you've come up with living off the grid at such an altitude. I visited Cuzcu, Peru (11,000ft ASL) a while back and got altitude sickness within 3 days.

[@umberceri1441]

Excellent info, the music is too loud for me, hard to get all the words with the music going!

[@williamgallaher1377]

Thank you for sharing. Great video. I subscribed.

[@kahalak8171]

Excellent video - lots of info - you did a great job and you really know your subject!!! Thank you for posting.

[@smithmal01]

kahala - thanks for the kind words. I appreciate it.

[@dunialores7745]

Excellent information. Thank you so much!!

[@bobbiejones6481]

Very informative, thank you so much

[@bgtrev]

We just came home to find our female muscovies sitting on our wood pile outside our house boundary, never learnt to clip a ducks wing so fast! Feel a bit guilty as we used to enjoy watching them fly around the garden now they are at the mercy of Mr Drake. Good and informative video, like yourself we have learnt by our mistakes.

[@smithmal01]

Muscovy is a great breed who I've read have a great temperament. Funny that they can fly. I would think they are too big. That's something that Appleyards won't do as they are too heavy. Would be great if you could provide a "lesson's learned video" on your experiences.

[@allglad]

I like your sand system...I am going to do small rock instead...like the smooth rock found in aquariums.

[@smithmal01]

Sounds good. Make sure you come up with a good strategy to clean. Also rocks can get very hot in the summer so make sure you have shade available

[@allglad]

@@smithmal01 yep shade...with the gravel & sand mixed..probably good for the feet.

[@traceyreed5282]

Thanks for the advise. Good things to know.

[@jesseropp1770]

Very informative video, and I'd highly recommend watching, if you are thinking about getting ducks.

[@jennellhickam7912]

This was very helpful. We have made many mistakes in raising ours and we are quite concerned about the heat. I live in the south near florida and the heat here is pretty bad. We kept them inside but I insist they can use ponds or something similar to stay cool. You mentioned ponds not being required but I think in the south, especially with the heat we have yearly, ponds are a necessity since they dont sweat like people. I'd like to see a video on this

[@smithmal01]

Do you have shade that they can access to cool down? If they are in the sun all day I agree that they could get overheated.

[@jennellhickam7912]

@@smithmal01 we have trees around the yard that should provide shade throughout the day

[@1amelka]

Great video! Thank you.

[@TheFrogfeeder]

One thing that led me to get ducks this year, mostly on a whim, was that I can have a male. That means I can make more ducks. I live in the city, and tho we are allowed to have a few chickens, definitely no roosters allowed. I got 2 magpies and 2 pekins this year, they are about 2.5 months old now and so far almost everything about them seems better than chickens, I could do without the water mess but hey.... now as I get into laying age in a couple more months, I’ll find out how loud a laying duck is compared to a laying chicken. I like the ducks, at first I wasn’t sure, the pekins were a “grift” from someone who got em at a feed store with their chicken chicks, a week later I bought the magpies.

[@JeeJeanVittoVlogs]

Thank you for sharing. Very informative channel. God Bless.

[@Leftatalbuquerque]

I am raising three mallard ducklings as rescues - they are in with my chickens and both species are about the same age - just developing wing feathers. I have a creek, and a covered hen run - do you let your ducks out for the day? I have, and do take them for a swim, so long as I stay with them. Do you trim their wing feathers to keep them from flying away?

[@smithmal01]

Too many predators around my way so unfortunately no, I do not let them free range. I do not clip wing feathers since I don't free range however heavyweight ducks (like the Appleyard and Pekin) cannot fly due to their weight. I love the Appleyard the most. Great temperament (not flighty at all), great layer and great tasting meat.

[@marilyngriffin4183]

You will need to clip flight feathers or have them pinioned if you do not want them to fly away and join the other mallards in migration flight. Mallards are the ones who are lightweight enough for them to fly. And they will. You can count on it! they are not "pets" as the other breeds of ducks. They listen to that rebel voice in their heads and that wild bird in their hearts and off they go!

[@RockyMtnGobblers]

Helpful video, you might think about a live stock dog and free range.

[@jillmonroe4938]

Loved your video. How do you keep the water from freezing in the winter?

[@janettporter6795]

I bought ducks for a lovely pond we have. Just seemed like it needed ducks and geese. We prefer muscovy ducks. They can get away from predators better than most. They also eat ticks. Which we have an abundance of. We have enjoyed watching them play. We had other breeds of ducks. Our muscovy is the only one to survive the predators. I went after buying more muscovys this spring. I have bought very young to, 2 or 3 months old. We have tried introducing some other ducks older that I bought to give the muscovy company but, my muscovy isn't having it. Because we ran out of time putting more ducks on our pond last year, my muscovy wants to keep it to himself now. We are still working on getting him use to the other ducks. The muscovites seem to be the hardest of ducks. He made it through this last winter very well.

[@SarahanneSchloneger]

Janett Porter yes we love Muscovy ducks too!

[@sharonsmith1203]

What do you do with the Drake's?

[@jakelencher817]

ive already started raising one so i hope its not too bad.

[@amorosario2767]

Very good video. Very informative:)

[@jeremymitzuk4055]

How do the Lowe’s bucket and the pvc play into watering your ducks?

[@smithmal01]

That is actually for another system I was playing with (insect trapping and feeding station for the ducks).

[@linzysaldivar5335]

Hello great informative video!! So question!! I rescued a silver Appleyard and I was wondering if its normal for her to lay blue eggs?? I couldn't find anything that made sence with straightforward information on egg color anywhere on google lol. Your knowledge would be much appreciated!!😁😅🦆

[@smithmal01]

Linzy, I've never heard of SAs laying blue eggs, but sense they are a mix of several different breeds I suppose it's possible.

[@breannaallen308]

Could you drill a hole in the top of the trash can and stick a large umbrella in the top of it through the can to keep the feed from getting wet?

[@smithmal01]

Not a bad idea. An umbrella might be a problem during windy situations but putting a wide guard just over the feeding tubes might reduce the amount of feed moisture issues. Most of the food that falls out of the feeding bin is eaten pretty quickly so it hasn't been a huge issue with me losing feed due to wetness.

[@sumasaum]

Best duck video 👍

[@brambleberrycreekhomestead6883]

Great video!

[@mydailyreward2090]

At 0:35 it seems like the darker duck walking around is very heavy bottomed. I am totally naive to raising ducks....is this normal for a duck to look that way? Thanks for your video!

[@ThoneJones]

I wish you'd lose the music so we could hear what you're saying.

[@stephaniebratcher2050]

Anthony Jones use subtitles that may help

[@smithmal01]

I don't have any issues hearing this video myself, but I use headphones which I think helps the audio clarity

[@josephlarsen]

@@smithmal01 ya it really should be cut by about 1/2 the volume with the music. but it's really not needed

[@Nathanator-6688]

Anthony Jones I can hear it perfectly myself.

[@jesseropp1770]

I didn't have a problem at all hearing him, and I watched it on my phone with no headphones. I don't know if he has already addressed the issue, or if someone's hearing is beginning to go, and they're trying to lame the video. Hopefully no offense is taken in that ,I certainly wasn't meaning anything like that, I just think it was a very informative video,and I don't want other viewers to be discouraged and not watch it thinking it's too hard to hear.

[@kerryl4031]

Thank you - very useful video.

[@MARTINADBA1980]

"One Quack A Day Keep The Stress Away"~~Dr. Duckie Mcduck

[@lorraineayre]

Learned a lot... but what is the Lowe’s bucket with the trough for? And how do you sanitize/clean the sand? It would be good to have links below to the other more detaied how-to’s directly below. Thanks for your insight and experience!

[@smithmal01]

Lorraine, Good Question and good eye. That is one of my DIY's in progress. The PVC pipe goes all the way up about 8 feet. At the top is a funnel. The 5 gallon bucket is filled with water which drains into a gutter. Just below the funnel attached within the PVC pipe is a June Bug pheromone pack. The bugs are attracted to the scent and go into the funnel. They will travel to the bottom of the PVC pipe and then fall into the gutter with the water and not be able to fly off. The ducks can then eat the June bugs floating in the water and get extra protein. Once the June Bugs come to an end, I could switch out the pheromone pack and attract flies. Still experimenting with this so I haven't made a video about it yet.

[@redwoodsgal]

What are the calm quieter ducks?

[@smithmal01]

Check out the table posted on the 2:25 mark of the video. It indicates the temperment of the different well regarded duck breeds.

[@kmsy200]

They need greens to walk around why only sand?

[@dubbeh]

a pond and some natural grazing needs to be added, walk the ducks around the garden and put them back in at night to avoid predator

[@danahugh64]

🖕🖕🖕🖕

[@billychannel8524]

You are very helpful because I’m getting two Ducks 🦆 For pets

[@janettporter6795]

I bought ducks last year. The one I have left is a muscovy duck. I bought ducks this year to put out on the pond with my muscovy. He refuses to allow them on the pound. Question, how do I help muscovy to let them on the pound?

[@smithmal01]

What are the breeds of all your ducks? Is the muscovy and male or female?

[@Peaceful02024]

Great information!

[@robinsong7298]

What is the Lowes bucket thing?

[@smithmal01]

That was an insect capture/feed system I was experimenting with. The top of the pipe goes above the duck yard to a large funnel. Further down the funnel is fly bait. The flys would travel down the funnel and land into the bucket that was filled with water and drown and then I could feed it to the ducks for an extra source of protein. Interesting concepet but it never really worked out.

[@robinsong7298]

@@smithmal01 cool like the sand cleaner very inventive. Well done much thought went into your whole duck yard very nice. God bless Shalom

[@lindahilger8488]

What is that sand cleaning system you have???? I'd like to try it..at this time I'm using bedding in the duck yard and it's an every day complete clean out. Is sand better???

[@smithmal01]

Linda, please click on the "i" icon in the upper right hand corner of the video. One of the videos that are linked discusses how I clean the sand in the duck yard. That video also has links to a build thread that created on a poultry forum which provides all the materials and tool and build information for the sand cleaning station. In terms of my thoughts of whether sand is a good alternative for you, it depends on a number of things: 1. Are you going to free range? If so, I wouldn't bother. I keep my ducks in a completely enclosed duck yard due to predator pressure so I need to have a way to keep the yard clean. 2. How many ducks do you have? The more ducks, the more muck and sand you will need to clean. I have six ducks and need to rinse and disinfect my sand (primarily near the water and feed stations) every two weeks and then re-till so it doesn't become compact. 3. What will you do with the sand rinsate which has duck waste in it (you will create a lot)? One of primary reasons for using a sand cleaning station is that I can save and use the rinsate which is very nutrient rich. I pour this rinsate onto the ground under fruit trees and onto my vegetable garden (I only do this in the late fall/winter when the garden is dormant). This allows me to 100% recycle my food costs as it eventually becomes fertilizer for my trees and garden. 4. Do you have access to water and electricity in your duck yard? I typically use 50-70 gallons of water per sand cleaning event so you will need access to a hose. I also use a 10 gallon wet/dry vac to create a vacuum to move the water from the rinsing station to a holding tank (you will see this in the video).

[@chickenlittle4296]

Great info about caring for ducks. I have just begun with 2 ducks and have learned a lot from this video. I would prefer to listen to this video without the music and just concentrate on your information.

[@shelly5596]

Its a long one.... I agree with most of what you said but do feel that ducks, wild or domestic, prefer a moister environment, ( obviously not in their bed and nesting area tho!) our ducks LOVE to play in a little mud puddle, it’s kids hilarious to watch. Ducks also have to get in a pond, pool or lake to mate, otherwise they can’t mate. We moved Off Grid last Spring, and live at a high elevation, that gets lots of snow and below freezing temps. This will be our first year with ducks and our second winter Off Grid. Our ducks are close to coming into their laying time and they have all displayed mating actions and noises. We have 5 hens and 4 Drakes , all Khaki Campbell’s. I decided to try ducks for meat and eggs over the pain in the ass chickens. Over the years we have raised laying hens,Cornish cross meat chickens and broad breasted bronze turkeys for meat. Those all made into the freeze about a month ago. 3 drakes will go in the freezer soon too. I like your sand concept and I will have to look for your video on cleaning the sand. We have to conserve water so I’ll have to explore if that would be an option for us. I like the coop lifted and your ramp! Good ventilation is key to keeping any fowl. Good thing you found a friendly snake in your coop! we have timber rattlers. I’ve been watching a couple hawks that come a hunting everyday. I’ll be adding bird netting over their playpen area where their pool is! Anyway, Happy farming and thanks for sharing your tips.

[@smithmal01]

Thanks for the feedback. Actually ducks mate very readily without water I see my Drake mating all the time. Good to know that you will be culling some of your males. The ratio of drakes to hens should be 3:1 otherwise competition between the males can occur causing them to be very aggressive toward the females.

[@TomiaMacQueen]

This was awesome, thank you!

[@smithmal01]

Tomia - very kind of you. Thanks for watching.

[@hectormaldonado4369]

Nice video. Thanks for sharing. Further info: do female ducks need a male to lay eggs?

[@smithmal01]

No they don't. In fact your eggs will stay fresher longer if they are not fertilized.

[@hectormaldonado4369]

@@smithmal01 Thank you

[@beglamwithkelly58]

Hi, thanks for all the helpful tips. Do your ducks lay their eggs inside your raised duck house? Or do they continue to lay randomly? My next question is, do the ducks volunteer to walk up into the house when you open the door? Also, how do you clean your sand? I se you use your sterilizing system, but how do you go about collecting the dirty sand and laying the clean?

[@smithmal01]

Kelly, my ducks lay in the coop and generally do so in early morning hours. You can train them to do so by opening the door in the morning and closing the door at dusk. After they get used to it, you can keep the door open all the time if you want. Ducks do volunteer to do so and generally will go in there at dusk on their own as they naturally like the shelter that it provides them when the sun goes down. I actually have a sand cleaning (collecting, cleaning and laying) video on my channel so please check it out (it's also noted as a video card on this video as well)

[@beglamwithkelly58]

smithmal thank you!

[@dugchris2009]

Could you set the feeding system up off the ground a little bit, like on a concrete stepping stone? Just a suggestion if you had problems with rain. Thanks for the info.

[@smithmal01]

Christine, thanks for the reply. The feeding station is actually on a brick pedestal to ensure that it stays level at all times (though its a bit hard to see in the video). I think I understand your point that I could make the pedestal wider, but I wouldn't think that a wider step would protect feed that falls out from the rain all that much.

[@hattienuff1405]

New subscriber, loved your video, great information. I've been feeding wild ducks for several months now, started doing that to entertain my indoor cats, have several mallards & about 8 muskegon (?) ducks that come throughout the day. I feed them mealworms, cracked corn & a mix of various seeds & nuts, plus fresh water. I have a stream that flows through the back of my property so they swim there. I have a concern with a new neighbor that bought 2 ducklings & seems they are keeping them outside now but the homemade "enclosure " they have seems quite inadequate (looks more like a temporary pen) to prevent predators, the property backs a preserve complete with raccoons, owls, coyotes, alligators, snakes etc. Also I see NO WATER for the ducks either. They aren't very friendly people, seems the ducks are just a novelty item. I don't know if it's their plan to release them to the wild when they are bigger. My question to you is: could these ducks survive in the wild if they are later released ? Would the wild ducks attack them ? Thanks so much for your video, I look forward to the next one !

[@smithmal01]

hattie - that must be a very relaxing way to interact with your local duck population. The only thing I'll caution you on is to be vigilant about avian flu with regarding your contacts with wild ducks. It comes through every year due to migrating birds/ducks.

[@hattienuff1405]

@@smithmal01 Thanks for that warning regarding bird flu, i hadn't thought about that, I will be sure to wash my hands immediately after handling their containers now.

[@ToxicVaccines_HivHoax]

How is the inside of the duck coop set up?

[@Horselackey]

I raise ducks. Using rubber mats and hosing simplifies and is cheaper than bedding. You also don't need a coup. They need ventilation and cold and wet don't bother them much... You can take large Rubbermaid bins and cut a square door in a side and turn upside down, add your straw and you have nests and shelter. They do need shade...I use shade cloth or trees for that... you do need to keep them protected from dogs, coyotes, raccoons.... mostly at night. An electrified wire around the bottom of the fence will keep predators out.

[@smithmal01]

Thanks for your responses. All good ideas. It would be great if you could shoot a video to present all the ideas you noted.

[@BabaYagaWickJohn]

Very informative👏

[@smithmal01]

Manish - thanks for watching and for the kind words.

[@johnfitbyfaithnet]

Agreed

[@Madrock75]

Awesome video whats the best ducks to raise for eggs

[@violetking5571]

Hi ,I have 2 ducks at home brownie is a female n Blacky is a male my ducks 4 months old. n n my female duck laid 3 eggs this is my first time raising duck I don't know how to take care of them my female duck eats mud or any things she get I don't have a co-op they live in my house with us thanks for showing us how to take care of them God bless Thanks

[@BillB8]

Where are you located ? I want to do a sand setup but were worried about it freezing in the winters up here in NJ

[@smithmal01]

Billy - I'm in MD so we're both basically in the same temperature zone. That basically means during the winter months when my water line freezes I cannot clean the sand. However, during those months its too cold for bacteria to thrive so it hasn't been an issue. I do have a lot of sand to clean though once the weather warms up.

[@jennifersloan2472]

I think I'm going to get some ducks next week

[@joycenesselhauf180]

I was always told that ducks need water to swim in which they can clean their feathers so their feathers better insulate them in adverse weather conditions such as cold. Is that not true?

[@smithmal01]

Joyce - Thanks for the comment. Ducks preen themselves to clean their feathers. That being said, they do need clean water which is deep enough to dunk their heads so they can clean out their nostrils and eyes which they do on a daily basis. More information on this can be found in Storey's Guide to Raising Ducks which is a well know reference book for information concerning the raising of ducks: www.amazon.com/Storeys-Guide-Raising-Ducks-2nd/dp/1603426922/ref=asc_df_1603426922/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=312118059795&hvpos=1o1&hvnetw=g&hvrand=16032524849866790069&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9008062&hvtargid=pla-449354489414&psc=1

[@danielletreeppc]

@@smithmal01 it is cruel to deny a duck the chance to bathe fully in fresh water daily, the fact you don't allow them this really makes me question how much you say you care for them, even a 6" deep tray that they can splash and play in will make them so happy. I feel so so sad for your ducks I really do :(

[@CarolinaGirlCreationZ]

I know this is a 3 year old video but your breed comparison table is super helpful. I'm thinking about getting into ducks but I hope to incubate eggs eventually. I've been considereing the Welsh Harlequin so your table was super helpful! I always want ducks that aren't afraid of me. I want to be able to hold my animals. Hehehe! I have a couple of questions if you have time to answer. Do ducks need to have access to feed all day? I've heard of some 12/12 rule? Is that what you use? Like coop lock up at night and then free to eat whatever during the day? Also, when it comes to free ranging... some ducks fly, right? I'm looking at Welsh Harlequins like I said previously but I'm wondering if they could be small back yard free range? Like not flying out over my fence? Sorry for so long a post. I'm taking in everything I can before I decide if I want to add ducks to my chickens. Wonderful video!!!

[@smithmal01]

Heather, Thanks for the kind words. Funny you mention Welsh Harlequins as I"m trying to hatch some RIGHT NOW!! I'm on week 1 of the incubation so hopefully I'll have some baby ducklings in 3 weeks. I'm filming all the steps I'll take during the hatching process and should have that video up in 3 weeks or so. Wish me luck. I'll also be providing a video on taking care of ducklings after that. To answer your question, ducklings need their food regulated but adult ducks do not. If you want to do a 12/12 rule I wouldn't think that would be an issue, but adult ducks pretty much each what they need. In terms of free ranging your ducks I think that's a great idea. Just make sure you get them in their coop every night and get the coop door closed and locked or your ducks may fall prey to predators. One of my neighbors lost all 25 of her ducks in three days due to foxes. I've got too many around me which I why that are in a duck yard. Good luck!

[@CarolinaGirlCreationZ]

@@smithmal01 thank you so so much for your feedback! I really appreciate it! I wish you all the luck in your hatching and I can't WAIT to see the videos! I'm currently finishing up my first run for my first chickens ever! They are in their coop now and are 6-8 weeks old. They are thriving thankfully because I lost five in the first couple of days owning them. I felt awful! I am itching to see how they react when they finally get to really experienxe rhe outdoors in their run. However I will likely only have the hardware cloth on the walls by the end of tomorrow and not the top yet so I'd be afraid to leave them outside by themselves just yet. Hopefully I can let them out for an hour or so tomorrow night video their first time! I have wanted to post a lot of my videos but I have a bad habit of saying potty words along the way. Hahahaha! I'm glad I found your channel and look forward to your hatching video and your informational video on duck raising! ❤️

[@sylviazionharris]

Mini Hobby farmer here and thinking of getting two ducks. What does the interior of your duck coop look like? How do you clean the sand? My chicken run doesn't have a roof, just wired like your fenced area, shaded half the day. Have pond but can ducks be trained to come when called so I can take them for pond walks a few times a week? What books about being a duck keeper would you recommend?

[@smithmal01]

Sylvia, please check out my channel for information on coop and sand cleaning. IMHO, the best reference book for duck keeping is Storey's Guide to Raising Ducks. In terms of training ducks to come when called, I believe it can be done but don't have any experience with that. Your best bet is to get the right breed (good temperment) and purchase fertilized eggs. That way you can make sure your ducks imprint on you as soon as they are born. I think imprinting takes place between days 1-3 after they are born. This link may provide you with some useful info on imprinting: www.thegoosesmother.com/id6.html

[@joycenesselhauf180]

Sylvia Harris I have trained my ducks to come to me with chopped lettuce. When I first started giving them lettuce I’d say “ Want some lettuce???” They figured it out pretty quickly. Now when I say it they come running from wherever they are. I use only a good quality romaine.

[@joycenesselhauf180]

Sylvia Harris I give it to them in their coop area also. I raise Call ducks.

[@virginialacar3218]

Thank you...

[@svetlanikolova7673]

I will get chickens first And then ducks! I can't just eat chicken 24/7 I am thinking of pigs as well. Will. see how it goes with the feed prices ! Greetings from Bulgaria and thank you!

[@ehzia7596]

Great info but Ducks need a lot more ventilation even in winter like open coop ventilation...and do need to bath just like chicken do dust bath.

[@smithmal01]

Yameen, this is a great point regarding ventilation. Ducks expel a lot of moisture when they breath and you need to make sure you have the ability to properly ventilate the coop to remove this excess moisture or you could have respiratory issues. From what I've read, you want at minimum 20% of your coop surface to be venilated space. That means if you have a 4' x 8' side wall (which I do) that would equal 32 square feet of wall. A 20% ventilation rule would indicate that at least 6.4 square feet (or a 3' x 2') seqment of the wall should be covered in screening. I really need to update my coop design to incoporate more ventilation on all four wall spaces. My biggest concern is properly protecting these spaces from water inflow when it rains. If the straw inside gets wet you may have a mildew/fungus issues created. There are rain shades that you could install above each ventilation area to protect against this. I have to do some more research to figure out the best design for this.

[@ehzia7596]

@@smithmal01 you could replace the floor with one inch hardware cloth and put straw only in the corner they sleep that way no ammonia builds and manure falls down where you could place a tarp(below the coop) to collect giving easy cleaning more ventilation and no water can stay in...

[@TAPriceCTR]

We were getting eggs from our golden hybrids at just shy of 5 months (though I think our cayuga was 7months before laying) I think we've gotten a total of 3 deformed eggs from 6 ducks... maybe they are eating the deformed ones.

[@smithmal01]

First eggs laid are usually few and deformed (thin egg shells, etc). It takes about 4-6 weeks once they start laying to provide well formed eggs and lay them regularly.

[@jase123111]

I used to keep lots of ducks. They NEVER got sick in years of keeping and breeding them. They are very dirty and messy if you keep them in a small area. I kept mine on a natural pond in the day to free range, and locked them up at night otherwise snakes and dogs killed them. My chickens are cleaner, but they are always getting MANY different diseases even through I care for them very well. So I say.. Ducks are the BEST in you have large area. If small area CHICKENS are the best.

[@smilingdog54]

Great video! Do the ducks use the coop/building at night?

[@smithmal01]

Yes they do. They enjoy the shelter.

[@romanvansanchez1]

Do the eggs taste like chicken eggs?

[@smithmal01]

They have a creamier more rich taste. It also depends what you feed them. Before getting ducks, its a good idea to purchase some duck eggs from a local farmer so you can try out the taste. Personally I really love the taste. I also have friends that can't eat chicken eggs (allergy) but are completely fine with duck eggs.

[@shelleycottrell7596]

Do duck eggs taste good?

[@johnfitbyfaithnet]

Very good I like them more than chicken eggs

[@localchibigameuser9732]

OLD VIDEO LONG!? OMGGG YESS

[@alchemiaofficial1464]

Something that needs to be said - Never dump domestic ducks in the park or anywhere else. Be ready to commit yourself to them if you choose to get them. When looking for a place to get ducks there are adoptable ducks at many sanctuaries that need homes. Always take an adopted duck to the vet before introducing it to your flock.

[@jesseropp1770]

Thanks for that! Something people should definitely think about.

[@eugenesteele8310]

Several good tips/

[@smithmal01]

Thanks for watching and the kind words

[@jmoney6652]

How do you keep rodents out of your feeder?

[@senormofeta6726]

Thanks!

[@TomiaMacQueen]

Would love to listen to this but the dog barking in the background keeps triggering mine.😔

[@shawn1973]

why not put a cover over the feeder so its safe from rain water?

[@smithmal01]

Shawn thanks for your comment. I only have issues with the food getting wet when it rains really bad, but saying that, what would you have in mind as a cover that would block the rain, but allow the ducks to have access?

[@elizaserrano5032]

Hi! Great video! I'm considering between chickens and ducks and one video I watched said they spend about half an hour a day taking care of their chickens. What would you say is the average amount of time you spend a day for ducks?

[@smithmal01]

Eliza, Thanks for watching. Each day I spend about 5 minutes in the morning (water, feed and collecting eggs) and 5 minutes in the evening (water and feed if necessary). Every two weeks I spend an additional 2 hours per weekend cleaning sand and changing out coop bedding. The amount of time depends on how your are housing your ducks (if free ranging you wouldn't need to worry about cleaning the sand) and the size/amount of ducks you are keeping. In terms of choosing between ducks and chickens I would make sure that everyone in your family has had an opportunity to taste and compare both duck and chicken eggs.

[@brucealvarez9263]

In the long run I would think ducks would take a bit more time since they need open water (nice watering station smithmal) which will need to be cleaned out periodically. You can water chickens with nipples in a hanging bucket with a lid. Pour more water in as needed, submersible aquarium heater in the winter. Might have to clean it out once a year if the sun never gets to it for algae to grow. I spend about 5 minutes twice a day on my 17 laying chickens. I clean the pine shavings out once a year in the spring. The open water need for ducks is what has kept me from getting them so far, we have below freezing temps for 4 months or more a year. But clearly, since I watched this fine video, I'm tempted to get some ducks too.

[@Ratsrule_666]

I’m getting pet ducks a Pekin and Cayuga

[@kimberlymerritt8434]

We just bought 2 ducks from TSC and everything is new for us. These videos are very helpful. I don't even know what breed they are, they are both all white. I can't tell if they are male or female or one of each. We love them and they bring us a lot of joy and entertainment. We got them just before Easter. No eggs or anything yet. We converted an old children's play house into a coop but we want to build a pond for them. We're using a kiddy pool for them right now. I want to get them ready for winter. We live in Southern West Virginia and our winters are pretty mild. Will they need a heat lamp in the winter?

[@Laurie_Tinsley]

I free range my ducks, but I have a couple of Donkeys that keep the coyote and fox away. I cant wait for them to start laying eggs, two more months and I should see my first eggs

[@Berkeloid0]

Wow I'd love to see what donkey eggs look like!

[@THEE.apples]

I want some Silver Appleyards and Saxony ducks.

[@smithmal01]

Never tried Saxony. If you want SA's a good source is Holderread Farms: www.holderreadfarm.com/photogallery/appleyard_page/appleyard_page.htm

[@marilyngriffin4183]

you should try some Indian runners! They are beautiful!

[@smithmal01]

Marilyn - I've read a lot about who much fun IR's are. Their egg production is a little lower than I'd like (200+ annually) but their egg colors are beautiful.

[@marilyngriffin4183]

@@smithmal01 Hi! My Indian runners lay waaaay more than 200 a year...I wonder if it's the environment or???Mine are free range...maybe that's why...I also give them high protein mixed with oats and brewer's yeast...I don't know. Sometimes those statistics are off. They are with my 11 runners...we have so many eggs we steam them and give them back to the dux and chickens!! LOL!

[@marilyngriffin4183]

@@smithmal01 plus...there is NOTHING funnier than an IR. Their personalities make their "low" egg production a non issue.

[@smithmal01]

@@marilyngriffin4183 once you steam your eggs, how do you present them to your ducks? Do you remove them from the shell? How do they like them?

[@marilyngriffin4183]

@@smithmal01 I crush them--shell and all and feed them with blackberries, lettuce and whatever my husband has put in the crushed egg container--sometimes sweet pepper tops--all the chickens and ducks come running from wherever they are when I call "Duuuuuuuks!" They love them. I just crush them enough so that the chickens don't recognize that they are eggs, lol!

[@Cautious772]

I have a fishpond, so I plan to starting raising ducks cum fishpond.. Is it a good idea or not? Please help, I’m just a beginner in fish farming too.. 🙏🏻

[@liad4482]

Please help me. I have 3 Pekin ducks in need of a new home. They are very friendly and gentle and kind. I helped a friend babysit while he went on vacation and I never heard from him again.He will not return my calls or text messages... I am a full-time college student without a pond,and I will have no spare time to take care of them when the fall semester starts in 3 weeks... Please help me!

[@smithmal01]

Few suggestions: 1. Put an add on FreeCycle or Craigslist giving the ducks away for free 2. Look on Craigslist and contact anyone nearby selling duck eggs and see if they'd be interested in taking your ducks I'm sorry you got strapped with someone ducks. That is very unfair. I hope you can find a good home for them.

[@ZZ-uf1fs]

Lia D I would wait because what if you sold them then he called you

[@florinalukowski3807]

I wish I could see some greenery, do you give them grass, weeds, anything green? Ducks LOVEEEE to forage, bugs, insects, worms etc, do you feed them meal worms? Green peas, oyster shells? I hope you do give them greenery and anything else besides the crumble...and maybe a kiddie pool so they can have some fun , since it ALL sand , it's shouldn't make mud and a big mess.

[@smithmal01]

Florina - Yes, you are absolutely right. I also feed them veggie scraps and the LOVE dandelions.

[@skoalmen143]

Awesome vid. Very helpful!

[@smithmal01]

Therlo - thanks for watching! I appreciate the kind words

[@ilsevermulst2803]

How many ducks do you have?