Homesteading and livestock: Why you should raise ducks for meat and eggs
By zoeysky // 2021-08-25
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Most preppers raise poultry like chickens on their homestead for meat and eggs. Chickens are great, but if you're looking for other animals that are easier to raise, try ducks. Ducks will also provide you with meat and eggs, along with duck down that you can use as natural heat insulators for clothing or bedding. (h/t to AskAPrepper.com)

Benefits of raising ducks

Ducks are the better choice compared to chickens because, as yard fowl, they will take up less of your time and resources. At the same time, ducks will provide you with more nutritious meat and eggs, and they have higher yields. Ducks produce better meat and eggs Duck meat is slightly lower in protein compared to chicken meat. But duck meat contains more nutrients and also has a higher energy yield because it has a higher fat to protein ratio. If you're watching your cholesterol level or fat intake, note that duck skin is very fatty. Additionally, duck eggs have a higher protein and fat percentage compared to chicken eggs. The former also contains more vitamin B12 and vitamin D. Consuming 100 grams of duck egg will help you meet almost your entire recommended daily intake (RDI) of vitamin B12. This can help prevent vitamin B12 deficiency that can be caused by eating too many plants. This kind of deficiency can negatively affect your nerve function and red blood cell production. You can get down stuffing from ducks Duck down is one of the best heat insulators. It can be used to stuff jackets or bedding like duvets and pillows. Unlike other kinds of material, duck down has relatively thin feather shafts that won't scratch you through the fabric. Ducks can help protect your garden from pests Chickens can be destructive, and they will often trample young crops. On the other hand, ducks can help protect your garden from pests. If you allow your ducks to wander in your garden, make sure your crops are mature so they don't trample small seedlings. Ducks will keep your garden free of pests like flies, grasshoppers and slugs. Ducks are a cost-effective way of insect control, and they will avoid most vegetables, unlike chickens. Just remember that ducks will snack on lettuce and strawberries, so keep them away from your garden if you grow these crops. Letting ducks loose in your garden will also provide your plants with fresh fertilizer.

Tips for raising ducks

These suggestions can help if you want to learn how to raise ducks on your homestead. How to prevent ducks from flying away Ducks can fly, but if you care for them properly, they will happily settle in your homestead. Most of the time, ducks fly away because they're hungry or they sense danger. Provide ducks with a safe sleeping area, a clean pond and somewhere to forage in to make sure they don't fly away. If you keep your ducks well-fed and protected, they will stay put. If you're still worried about your ducks flying away, raise runner ducks. As the name implies, runner ducks are non-flying ducks. Runner ducks don't waddle, they run. They're also great if you want to raise ducks for eggs as a standard runner duck can lay about four eggs per week, eight months of the year. Keep in mind that runner ducks don’t make nests, so you need to search carefully while collecting eggs. Look for shades of white, blue and green around your yard. Some duck breeds are great at parenting If you want to raise ducks that are great at parenting, choose Khaki Campbell ducks. The breed also outlays most chicken breeds. Raising ducks that are good at parenting is crucial if you want to keep raising a subsequent generation of ducks. Duck parents will also teach their young valuable foraging, survival and parenting skills. Ducks that don’t care for their offspring won't pass down important survival skills. Additionally, young ducks without parental protection will be vulnerable to predators. Raise free-range ducks  Ducks do better when free-ranged compared to chickens since the former can forage both in water and on land. This gives them more versatility when searching for food. As a bonus, ducks also like eating slugs and snails. This will also help protect your vegetable patch from these pests. Ducks are also better at evading predators, so they can last longer in environments that house different domesticated and wild animals. Keeping ducks and water quality Ducks can turn bodies of water in your homestead murky, but this isn't a bad thing. If you water plants with bottled water and murky water full of nutrients and living organisms, the plants that receive fish poop and amoebae will be healthier. Duck poop serves as fish food. At the same time, the poop releases nutrients into the water that can help your plants grow stronger and healthier. Water full of microbial life is better than clean "dead" water, particularly if you want to create a natural ecosystem on your homestead. (Related: Self-sustainability and independence: A beginner’s guide to living off the grid.) Preventing ducks from making a mess Did you know that chicken poop is firmer and more pelletized? Meanwhile, duck poop is very watery. This means ducks can be messy, but only if raised in a small, enclosed area. If you raise ducks in a homestead, make sure you have a duck house and that it has a small enclosure. Clean the area regularly to keep things sanitary. Give ducks a safe place to breed Ducks are just as easy to raise as chickens; just make sure you give ducks a safe place to breed and raise their young. Keep ducks content by also giving them a place to forage for food. Ducks will also need elevated platforms that keep out the wind and rain. You can do this by creating an island in the center of your pond. The platform can also help keep predators away. Don't worry about ducklings drowning. Young ducks will forage with their parents and are natural swimmers. If you keep ducks in a small enclosure, clean it regularly. This prevents their webbed feet from being full of sloppy poop that they might trail all over your homestead. What to feed ducks Like chickens, ducks also feed on grains and greens. However, they can't swallow food without water. Make sure ducks always have access to water during feeding time. Older ducks prefer greens, so if your garden is producing, give your ducks some kale, lettuce and romaine. Just don't give ducks spinach, which may hinder calcium absorption. You can also feed ducks a small amount of cooked pumpkin, watermelon, or whole grains. Give ducks mealworms, but only as an occasional treat. Ducks are gentle on lawns and won’t scratch it too much like chickens. Ducks enjoy eating plants like chickweed, clover and dandelions and herbs like basil, dill, mint, or oregano. Raise ducks on your homestead if you want to raise poultry for nutritious meat and eggs. They're also beneficial if you have a garden since they can help control common garden pests like slugs and snails. Visit Homesteading.news for more articles on how to take care of your livestock. Sources include: AskAPrepper.com RuralSprout.com TimberCreekFarmer.com
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