Raising Ducks: Pinioning

Ducks are generally a flying bird. This makes them harder to keep around. To avoid this from happening you should pinion your ducks. Pinioning is the act of clipping the pinion joint, which enables any bird to fly. Pinioning is regularly done to poultry and waterfowls, and should be administered to duck breeds that have lighter bodies, which allows them to escape because they are more capable of flight.

Removing the pinion joint is similar when you remove a person’s hand by cutting through the wrist. This eliminates the primary plumage, preventing the velocity and acceleration needed to take flight. This can be done by a veterinarian or an experienced duck breeder.

Most breeders use a sharp pair of scissors designed for docking. They hold a wing, extend it, and locate the joint on the end of the wing. There are two pieces of wing part that are attached at the pinion joint. One part is very small and the other is more noticeable. The larger piece should be cut-off at the joint, leaving the smaller piece whole. Cauterization is also done so that all bleeding of cuts will be stopped and the ducks can heal faster and easier.

Pinioning is typically only administered to duck breeds that can fly; otherwise they would escape the coop or fly above the fence yard. It is recommended to perform pinioning before they are a few days old. When done with older ducks, the pinioning is more stressful to them and the cut tends to bleed needing further cauterization.

Most raisers don’t perform pinioning. Instead of cutting the joints, they clip the feathers instead, although this solution only lasts until the fathers are replaced again during the molting season; these flight feathers are grown by most domesticated ducks at least once a year.

Lasting duck pens, made to prevent escape eliminates the need for pinioning, but this will entail more costs in your part.

Ducks, who can’t fly, doesn’t need pinioning, so before you bother yourself and your poultry, check whether the breed you are raising is indeed able to fly.

The elimination of a body part of livestock is an issue of animal rights activities. The quality of life for the ducks is often used to justify this. In some situations, if the ducks are not confined, pinioning can increase the quality of life. Ducks that are allowed to roam around the yard or a pond have a higher quality of life, because of freedom of motion, natural habitat and increased mental and physical development as compared to penning.

Clipping is an alternative to pinioning, but it is not always reliable. The molting season can happen earlier or later than the expected date. A partially molted duck can summon the required acceleration and be able to take flight, which does not increase their life preservation in the wild since they are not adapted to survival in the open. They cannot fully fly and avoid possible predators.

Remember, pinioning should be performed by a veterinarian or an experience breeder. Amateurs can harm the ducks and even prove to be fatal if the cut is infected. Ducklings have a lower survival rate when they are injured.

Raising Ducks: Breeding

With about 22 million ducks being produced in the US every year, more and more small farm operations are now adding to the whole duck industry. Aside from being a pleasurable experience in your yard as pets, ducks can give a source of high-quality meat for the market as a source of income.

Before you prepare the duck pen or purchase the ducks, you should do some research. Study the different breeds of ducks available and find the breed that suits your purpose. Some breeds are good for meat such as the Peking, some are for laying eggs such as the Khaki Campbell and some are for ornamental purposes such as the Muscovy.

Before your purchase or acquire the ducks, you should build the duck pen first. A small duck shade will give heat for the ducks on winter and cold nights. A used chicken coop or a small pen will be sufficient.

If you can afford it, you can give your duck a pond. Whether it is located in your yard, or just using a small kiddie pool, the pond or any swimming area will give your ducks the opportunity to glide through the water, which will provide them the opportunity to develop their physical and mental features. However, you should not allow your ducklings to swim just yet. During the early age, they cannot survive in the cold water and they might get pneumonia, which can be fatal for ducklings.

You should order eggs or baby ducks from a reputable breeder. It will be the basis of your new flock of ducks and the brood they develop in the future.

You should establish your breeding flock. Each group will consist of one drake and several females. It is best to divide the ducks during the fall so they can become acquainted with each other before the mating season in spring.

Prepare the eggs for incubation. You should make sure to mark the laying date on each egg to keep track of the time you will need to incubate. Then, wash any waste smudges off the shells to keep the incubator free from bacteria that are infesting the droppings.

Place the eggs inside a room with a temperature of 95 degrees Fahrenheit and with moisture at 60 per cent air humidity. Maintain the humidity of the incubator and turn the eggs at least two to three times a day and start incubating them before they are a week old.

Right after they hatch, transfer the baby ducks to a warm brooder pen as soon as they are dry. As they mature, you can slowly lessen the temperature. By the time they are about four weeks old, they will not need any artificial heat.

You can cover the floor of the brooder with old newspapers and change them constantly to maintain the cleanliness of the box. Remove any leftover or spilled water or feeds to avoid fungal inspection in your flock. Ducks are very vulnerable to fungal infection and some diseases can be fatal as a result of the infection.

Raising Black East Indies Ducks

The Black East Indies is a decorative breed of domestic ducks. In spite of the breed’s name, it was never developed or breed in the East Indies (now Southeast Asia). It was first bred in the United States in the early 19th century. Some raisers started to call it the East Indies and this particular breed is distinguished by its attractive appearance: jet black color, iridescent green feather coverings and dark bills.

The females can sometimes grow white tinge feathers as they mature. A bantam breed weighing around 2 lbs, Black East Indies are widely raised by hobbyists for exhibition purposes. Being small, they are known as good fliers. This breed was formally recognized by the American Poultry Association’s Standard of Perfection in 1875. The Black East Indies duck is very popular among raisers, and the breed has a docile temperament, they are basically more passive and obedient than Call ducks.

This breed has been known as the Black East Indies as early as 1865, but has been widely raised with different names such as Buenos Aires Duck, Black Brazilian and Labrador.

The Black East Indies Ducks is a very remarkable duck breed and is very easy to differentiate from other breeds due to their plumage that is basically dark green. They have short black bills and their legs are either grey or black. Some female of this breed can have a white feather covering in the tail region, males can weigh about 5-7 lbs and the females can weigh about 4-5 lbs. As ducklings, they have a distinct black plumage, and gradually changes to green sheens as they mature.

This breed is very domineering and strong. They do not like to remain dormant for too long because they are very active. The striking feature about the Black East Indies Ducks is that their eggs are primarily heavy gray, but then changes to a brighter shade before they are hatched.

Most East Indies ducks are kept as pairs or trios, based on the drakes’ level of energy. They can lay at least 100 eggs every year, and will not sit and brood their eggs if they are touched by humans. As they are very good fliers, they tend to fly and escape the coop so you can clip their wings or pinion them. However, before pinioning, you should consult a veterinarian as they should be administered when only necessary.

Like the Cayuga breed’s solid plumage, the runners in the females will usually fade and white feathers appear as they age. However, they can still produce offspring. A white plumage in the Black East Indies Drakes can appear in the chest as they mature.

Like most duck breeds, the Black East Indies breed is very easy to keep. Most raisers keep this breed for domestic and ornamental purposes. They can also be raised in the suburbs because they are handy, but you should pinion them if you don’t want them to escape. If you have a baby pool, you can use it for their swimming area. Most hobbyists raise the breed because they provide relaxation when they glide effortlessly through a pond or any water surface.

Raising Ducks: Mating Systems

Like most animals, ducks when pairing bonds with members of the opposite sex for survival of their species, this is an innate instinct in all animals, including the human beings. The kind of pairing formed, however, are not what one would think. Duck mating systems vary. Some breeds pair for life, while others pair with a single duck, every year or a season, a behavior that at first thought would seem too tiring and time consuming. Only around 44 percent of duck breeds- form long-term, monogamous bonds. That is, the drakes of the remaining breeds must form new bonds every year by courting a new female.

Monogamy, or partnering for life, is very common for some ducks, but this kind of monogamy only happens during every year or a single season. They are monogamous in that particular mating season, and in the next, the drakes will try to find other ducks to mate. This mating behavior is also called seasonal bonds, or seasonal monogamy wherein new bonds are formed each season. This kind of monogamy happens in about 55 per cent of all duck breeds. In this mating system, partnerships basically form on the wintering areas in their first year, and those bonds are maintained only through egg laying and duck rearing.

Each winter, the drake must find a new duck and maintain a new bond for that particular mating season. Drakes that form seasonal bonds will not participate in rearing the ducklings, but will safeguard the territory around the females during spring, females will instantly find a new drake for that season, and nesting will not be blocked in that year. Seasonal monogamy is very typical for dabbling ducks, diving ducks and sea ducks.

A remarkable twist on seasonal monogamy happens in some tunnel nesters and farm ducks that do not form bonds until their second year. Some researches have proven that some duck couples reunite every year on winter and return to their previous breeding territory. This mating system happened only in breeds that shows strong fascination to both wintering and breeding grounds. Philopatry refers to the behavior which animals return to the exact location, either on the breeding or wintering ground, from the past year, enabling couples to find one another. Re-coupling is also thought to occur in Harlequin and Eider ducks.

The other mating system observed in ducks is polygamy, wherein multiple mating partners can happen. Polygamy is rare among ducks and observed only in 8 percent of breeds, including the Muscovy, Comb, and Maccoa, all of these are stiff-tailed ducks. In this mating system, mating bonds are weak or not formed at all, but instead drakes defend the mating grounds along the shores and engage in complicated courtship to attract the females in the mating grounds. Ducks visit these territories, and the drakes will mate with different ducks.

In North America, the Peking is the only duck to exhibit polygamy, and they are widely used in meat production, and for their eggs.

Raising Ducks As Poultry

Around 20 million ducks are raised every year in the United States. Most of them are raised within the confinement of particular farms for ducks in some commercially vital duck production regions. However, most farms still keep a few flocks for domestic use or community sale. For the sake of this discussion, we will focus on the domestic keeping of ducks in a smaller scale.

Basically, ducks are raised for their meat and eggs. Even though most types are quite poor layers, the flock should be supervised to save the eggs raised for hatching. Most commercial farms raise Peking ducks because they grow fast and are quite good layers. However, Peking ducks are poor settlers and rarely grow a brood or a flock.

Another breed, the Rouen duck is a common farm duck. It grows slower compared to the Peking, but it can attain same growth over a 6 month period of feeding under certain conditions. Its gradual growth and colored plumage make it desirable for marketing production.

Muscovy breed, a variety far related to other breeds, is also raised in some farms. They are great foragers and good for brooding. Male Muscovy is bigger than females in their growth peak.

Meat production is basically important when you select a duck breed. However, egg production for procreation or brooding, and the white plumage that yields a pleasantly dressed duck should be put into consideration.

Raising small, ornate breeds of ducks, sometimes known as bantam ducks, for display or domestic functions is now gaining popularity. The varieties raised as pets include the Black Indie, Wood Ducks, Mandarin and Teal. Many pet shows are featuring duck exhibition for enthusiasts.

Manageable flock of baby ducks may be brooded by chicken hens and most types of ducks other than the Peking and the Runner. If the baby ducks aren’t hatched by the mother duck, place them under a mother hen, so that it can be acquainted with the eggs.

If you have some means, you can brood baby ducks artificially similarly as you brood chicks. Since ducks grow faster, they need heat for just a short period of time, and the space needs are minimal.

You can use a small room or a corner of a barn for brooding if you only have a small number of ducks. You should make sure that the brooding area is dry, well lit and ventilated, and free from strong winds. You can cover the floor with thick paper or cloth as litter material. You can also use smooth wood flakes or shavings. Efficient litter supervision includes the taking away of wastes such as wet smudges, and constant addition of dry litter. Make sure that the litter is mold-free.

Heat lamps are a great source of warmth for brooding at least a dozen ducks. You can use a 100-watt lamp for a dozen ducklings. Heat lamps can provide enough warmth. Since the air is not heated, the room temperature is insignificant.

When you raise hover-type brooders, use only at least half as many baby ducks as the recommended chick capacity. Since baby ducks are bigger than chicks, it is important to elevate the hover to 4 inches.

Raising Baby Ducks

Whether you have freshly hatched ducks just out from their egg shells, or you have day-old ducks from a farm or a shop, raising and keeping them can be quite a very challenging task, and that’s because they always need special attention and care. Nonetheless, with persistence, it should be fairly easy for you to keep and raise your baby ducklings until they are mature ducks.

The first thing you need to do is to find a warm and comfortable resting place for your baby ducks. When they are newly hatched, ducks are totally wet. Typically, it takes at least 3 hours for them to naturally dry, and before you can take them to a farm incubator, they need to be completely dry. Also, you should take note that a sudden removal of the baby ducks from the incubator can shock their young system.

A surrounding with room temperature is a significant change as compared to the comfort of the incubator that is around 85 – 90 degrees. Thus, if your baby ducks were hatched during spring, it is wise to have an incubator or a warm place where you can keep them temporarily. A small room, small enough to keep the needed temperature would be great.

A small box would be a safe place to keep your baby ducks. At first, you should keep them in a small place. To do this, you can use a sturdy cardboard box, with thick paper or cloths in the bottom. I would suggest putting a plastic sheet on the bottom too if you use a cardboard box to avoid the box from getting wet, when the baby ducks begin playing with water. You can use a small lamp, and place it near the box so that it can provide the needed warmth. Avoid using lamps that are brighter than 40 watts to avoid extra temperature.

At first, the baby ducks will huddle together because it is their natural instinct. They have the tendency to do this behavior during their early days in the incubator. Also, they will spend most of their days sleeping. If the baby ducks are hatched during summer, when the weather is hot, they tend to be more active.

In feeding baby ducks, you should give them starter pellets since they are well formulated to have all the needed nutrients that their young body requires. You can place their food in a small container such as a bowl. You should expect them to be unruly when eating; they commonly play with their food and splash water around.

Baby ducks need to have enough source of water. Like any pet, they need water to survive. However, they are not yet ready for swimming. Primarily, you should place a small container of water in their box. Avoid using large water containers since they can get drowned while playing.

After a few weeks, the baby ducks are ready to move out from the box. If the weather is fine, that means it’s warm; they can play outside, and start enjoying your yard. However, you should keep them initially in a small area of your yard because they are too young, and they are a potential meal for predators such as cats.

Raising Ducks: The Mallard Breed

The Mallard breed, probably the most-popular and most familiar of all duck breeds, is an ornamental duck that breeds all over the sub-tropics and temperate regions of North America, Asia, Europe, New Zealand and Africa. It is also presently the most common duck breed in New Zealand. It is scattered in these areas because they are migratory birds. They usually go north during the breeding season and farther south during winter. For instance, in North America, it migrates to Mexico during the winter season, but regularly drifts into the Central region and the Caribbean Islands during spring.

The Mallard is known to be related to other duck breeds, except to the Muscovy which is not related to any kind of ducks.

This breed has a wingspan of 80-100 cm, and can weigh almost 1.5 kg during its growth peak. The breeding male is distinctive, with a green tinge on the head, black side ends and the bill is yellow or orange with black tips, as compared to the dark brown bill of Mallard females. The female is light brown, like most female ornamental ducks. However, both sexes has vivid violet speculum, tipped with white, which is distinctive during flight. During the non-breading season, the drake (male duck) changes into a dull color, looking more like the female duck, but still recognizable by its yellow bill and scarlet chest. Male ducks have a nasal quack, while the sound from the female is more vivid and louder.

In confinement, domestic Mallards appear in a wild kind looking feathers, in white, and other shades. Many of these color varieties are also commonly known in farm-raised mallards not raised as poultry, but kept as household pets, or aviary purposes, where they are deemed unusual but is gaining in popularity.

The Mallard likes to stray in wetlands such as parks, ponds and streams, and typically feeds by picking plant foods or grazing the ground. They commonly brood on river banks, but not very close to the rim. It is a very sociable animal when they are not breeding and will form in large a flock that is called a sord.

Mallard breeds seek a partner until the female lays eggs at the time when she is left alone by the drake. The usual egg clutch is 9-12 eggs that are incubated by the female for almost a month with 1 ½ month of fledgling. The baby ducks can swim and feed by themselves as soon as they hatch, although they still need their mother for safety.

When they find a mating partner, often some drakes will end up alone. This flock will somehow target a single female duck – courting her until she gives up, at the point each drake will take his turn in copulating with her.

Keeping Mallard ducks is recommended for ornamental purposes, since they can provide a relaxing experience for people who own a small pond. They are not so popular for meat and egg production, since there are other breeds such as the Peking and the Black East Indie that are more productive than this breed.