Do ducks do well in the winter ?
While it is true that ducks are very hardy animals, they are also not immune to the bitter cold of winter. There are some times when cold is TOO cold, especially if your duck isn’t “Waterproof”. You will see them shaking and that means that they are cold and are having a hard time staying warm. They can get cold just like we do, they are warm blooded animals. Being waterproof is how they are able to regulate their temperature and why it’s important for them to have access to water at all time so they can keep spreading that oil on their feathers. This will keep them warmer. Sometimes though it is still too cold for their feet and bill and they can get frostbite, which is very painful. They are not wild ducks and cannot migrate to warmer weather. It’s also important to give your duck cracked corn and enough proteins in their winter diet, to keep them even warmer during the winter time. They will need a proper insulated shelter, that they can go back in at all time, if they choose to. Do not use a heat lamp to keep them warm, that is a fire hazard.
How to sex a duck
It’s very easy ! Once your duckling is about a month old or so, if it is a drake he will have a very raspy, more quiet sound than the female. (If you notice some male ducks with female names that’s because the owners\ was not sure if the duckling was male or female. Most of the time we “assume” that our duckling is a female, hence why the male duck has a female name.)
The female on the other hand has a very pronounced, loud, typical quack ! that she use to call whoever she wants, to sound the alarm, to let everyone know she is broody. Her different quacks have different meanings 😉 After a while of keeping ducks, you can learn what each quack mean. This is the female quack in the video below. Female ducks get their quack earlier than male ducks, while growing 🙂 It can take up to a month and a half to notice the male quack.
There is no other way, really to know if you duckling will be a male or a female. DO NOT sex vent ! It’s dangerous and it’s painful for your duckling. You can really hurt them, or even kill them.
What do ducks eat ?
Foods like bread and crackers have no nutritional value to ducks and can cause malnutrition and painful deformities if consumed too much. Do not feed those to your ducks or any wild duck. Feed ducks a maintenance pellet, (Layer pellet for females) cracked corn, oats, rice, birdseed, thawed peas, chopped lettuce (Kale, romaine), or sliced grapes, broccoli, carrots, strawberries. They also love watermelon, earthworm, and mealworms. Some ducks like different things.
Are ducks loud ?
They can be ! Especially females and their loud quack! 🙂 But they are usually pretty quiet for the most part unless something bothers them or they become broody.
How many ducks should you keep ?
Ducks are VERY social animals! They need at least a companion to live a happy life and thrive. If you have a drake you will need 2-3 females to satisfy your drake. Some drakes can be dominant, territorial and very horny. That’s just how some drakes can be. Reproducing is very important to them, like a lot of animals and sometimes they become “Jerk” about it. It’s not because they are bad ducks, it’s just what they are supposed to do or feel like they need to do. Sometimes they will hurt a female duck by mating her repeatedly. It is not always the case, but more often than not it is. Not one duck is the same. You can keep multiple males together without a female with no problem, or just keep females together without a male. If you have a mixed flock of males and females then it is usually best to get 2-3 females for 1 male.
Emergency Kit for duck care
Like I mentioned before, sometimes an avian vet or even a vet is not available, and a lot of duck owners buy what is needed to treat their ducks at home. IF your duck is not eating, drinking, and seems lethargic then you absolutely will need to bring your pet duck to a vet. That means that your duck is very sick and needs help as soon as possible. Unfortunately with birds, they often tend to show signs of illness when they are already very sick. Keep an eye on your animal to make sure your duck is eating and drinking, washing, moving around. That means you have a healthy duck ! Otherwise if you notice your duck slowing down, laying a lot, not eating much, it is time to start looking for a vet.
Here is what you will likely need for home care emergency.
- Vinyl exam gloves
- Disposable scalpel
- Tweezers
- Nail clippers
- medical grade scissors
- Quickstop – (You can also use flour if no quickstop available to stop bleeding)
- Epsom salt (For bumblefoot)
- Cotton swab
- Ky Jelly – Or Vaseline for egg binding
- Face pads
- Vet Wrap
- Waterproof tape
- Chlorhexidine solution
- Saline solution – For Eye injury
- Drawing Salve – Draw Splinter – Relieve pain – Cuts bruises
- terramycin ointment – eye injury
- Silver sulfadiazine cream for bumblefoot
- Eating something toxic – Olive oil – Activated charcoal pill (Crush feed syringe them)
- Vitamins electrolytes if they are sick and weak or Vitamin B Complex
- Probiotics
- Monistat for yeast infection
- Dawn dish soap – for Wet feathers
Don’t use blu kote no matter what people say about it! It’s a solution that will cause pain to your pet. It is not recommended at all.
No hydrogen peroxide either !
Keeping a duck is so much more than just having a cute, fuzzy baby duck. It comes with many responsibilities and it can be very expensive. They can live a long, healthy life if we give them that chance.
Can you dump your duck at the lake ?
First of all, If you decide at some point that you do not want your animal anymore, it’s extremely cruel, irresponsible, and unethical to just dump them in a pond, lake or any body of water in your area. The animal you took responsibility for when you bought them at the store, will NEVER survive very long in the wild. Domestic ducks are not WILD, never will be, they don’t belong in the wild. There is a big difference between wild and domestic. They do not have the capability or instinct to survive in the wild. The wild is harsh, full of predators waiting for an easy opportunity, and the weather is not their friend either. Domestic ducks often cannot fly because they are heavier than wild ducks.
Wild Mallard weight : 1.6 – 3 lbs ( That is very light for a duck in the wild, hence why they can fly to get away from predators.
Domestics Mallard called Rouen : 5-10 lbs !
Domestic ducks were bred for eggs and meat production, hence why they are heavier. Their wings are smaller, and cannot support their body weight to fly away from a threat. Is this what you really want for your duck ? The little, innocent, duckling that didn’t ask to be purchased, to be dumped ?
Do not encourage your tractor supply or feed store. They sell birds to just anyone who will buy them, even teenagers or people, that sometimes, will release them at the pond. As long as they sell them they do not care what happens to the animal. Some people buy them from tractors supply or feed stores just to release them at a pond or lake because they think the animal will have a better life in the wild than in captivity. If you absolutely want a duck, please find an ethical breeder online like Metzer farm, Meyer hatchery. It’s too tempting and easy to buy the cute duckling at the store, getting fed-up and dumping them later on.
As you can see, having a duck is not always easy. They are not for everyone, that’s for sure. Once you make the decision to get one, you have to think about the possibility of having health problems that might arise at some point. Are you willing to bring your duck to a vet ? Is there even a vet that will accept seeing your duck, in the area where you live ? A duck is a living, sentient being that has its own, unique personality. Please, do your research and ask yourself if a duck is really for you !