Pet Ducks: Water, Mess, Duckling Feed and a Safe Night Shed

The Mess Is Part of the Deal

Ducks splash, dabble and drill their bills into wet ground, so the area around any water turns to mud fast, sometimes in a single afternoon. Plan for it rather than hoping it won't happen:

• Stand water tubs on gravel, paving slabs or a raised slatted base that drains.
• Keep water well away from the house bedding.
• Move tubs regularly, or rotate the ducks around the garden, so one patch can recover.

The upside: ducks are great slug hunters and are much gentler on plants than chickens, which scratch everything up.

Water: A Tub Works, a Pond Is a Bonus

Ducks need water deep enough to dunk their whole heads, which is how they keep their eyes and nostrils clean, and ideally enough to bathe and preen in. A sturdy tub, a rigid paddling pool or a trough does the job. A pond is lovely but not essential, and it is much harder to keep clean.

Change the water often: dirty water gets smelly and unhealthy quickly. A tub with a drain plug makes daily changes easy. Ducklings need shallow water they can climb out of, and should be supervised in it until they have their adult feathers.

Choosing Ducks

Most domestic ducks descend from the wild mallard; the Muscovy is a separate species with its own habits. A few popular choices:

• Call ducks: small, cute and famously loud, so think about the neighbors.
• Indian Runners: upright, busy foragers that run rather than waddle.
• Khaki Campbells: known as productive layers.
• Pekins: large, white and calm.
• Muscovies: quieter than mallard breeds and good fliers, so they need more secure containment.

Ducks are social, so keep at least three. Drakes (males) can be hard on ducks if there are too few females, so ask the breeder or a rescue about a good mix, or keep ducks only.

Feeding Ducks and Ducklings

Feed a complete waterfowl feed, or a poultry feed the supplier confirms suits ducks. Ducklings need more niacin than chick starter usually provides, for healthy legs, so use a duckling or waterfowl starter, or follow the advice of the hatchery or your vet. Laying ducks need extra calcium, like hens, so offer oyster shell on the side.

Ducks need water whenever they eat so they can swallow, so put a drinker near the feeder. Insoluble grit helps if they forage. And as with all poultry: no kitchen scraps, which is illegal for poultry in the UK and the EU, ducks included.

Housing and Predators

Ducks don't perch; they sleep on the floor, so they need a dry, well-ventilated house with deep bedding and a wide, low door or ramp. They breathe out a lot of moisture, so ventilation matters even more than for hens.

Foxes, raccoons, coyotes, mink, rats, birds of prey and dogs all take ducks, depending on where you live, and ducks are slow on land. Shut them in every night (they can be trained to go in for their evening feed) and build the run to the same standard as a chicken run: welded mesh, buried or with a ground apron, and a secure roof if aerial predators are about.

Feet, Feathers and a Vet

Dry, clean ground and bedding keep feet healthy, so tidy up mud and sharp stones and check feet when you handle your ducks. Clean water for bathing keeps feathers in good, waterproof condition. Find a vet who sees poultry or waterfowl before you need one.

Ducks and geese can carry bird flu without looking ill, so biosecurity matters: keep their feed and water away from wild waterfowl, and follow any housing order or prevention zone rules.

Medicines, worming and parasite treatments: see your vet or a pet supply store with trained staff. They can tell you what suits ducks, and whether eggs can be eaten afterward.