All About Ducks

Ducks are very sociable, curious and intelligent animals.  They need adequate space to move freely and must have access to water, as it is part of their natural habitat. However, if you have a duck, what do you have to take into account?

Important data

Ducks, like other pets, have the ability to learn and follow orders. Furthermore, they can play with their owners just like any other pet, without excluding a great deal of affection, when paid. They will adapt very well to living with people if they are accustomed to them since they are puppies. The best thing to do is to adopt two ducks, as they are very sociable animals and prefer to live in groups. Undoubtedly, however, once they grow up, they each need their own space to avoid excessive crowding.

Ducks are very precocious creatures and can make excellent companions. They often follow their master and although they can be a bit messy at times, they are undoubtedly adorable. The most popular breeds to keep as a pet are the Peking, Cayuga and Campbell.

The Peking Duck is a large, white and very attractive duck. The Cayuga is even larger and its color is a green tending to black. It is a decidedly quieter breed. The Campbell instead is usually medium in size and the color is khaki yellow. The only drawback of all these duck specimens is their life expectancy, which in fact does not exceed seven years on average, unlike dogs and cats which can live up to about 20 years.

The behavior of this type of animal is often very unique. They can be a little clumsy, prone to tripping over things and hurting themselves. For this reason, their habitat must have large spaces and must be free from objects that could impede their path.

Care and nutrition

Ducks have to spend most of their life outdoors. They are not animals that can stay inside a house or apartment for a long time, unless you have an internal courtyard. They like nature. Eating in a park is necessary and this type of animal is very happy. Among the shrubs they look for worms and larvae and enjoy grazing on the grass.

Did you know that ducks need to use at least one liter of water per day? They need all this water to wash their eyes and obviously keep their feathers in good condition. The water must be deep enough to allow them to soak up to their heads and wash their entire bodies. The water deposit must have a not too high edge, so that they can then exit easily.

Ducks have a thing for swimming pools. An inflatable pool for children or a basin about 20 centimeters deep is irresistible to them.

The duck house must have solid foils on the roof, in the ground and on the walls. The spaces must be large, so that it is comfortable and can scratch without hindrance. Furthermore, the shelter must be well ventilated, located in a place with shade and must provide some type of protection against the wind. Do not use concrete or pebbles for more than a third of the soil, otherwise your ducks will damage their legs. To prevent them from getting hurt, you can sprinkle rice husk on the ground, which will need to be changed daily.

At home, your duck must have a private place to build its nest,  which you can improve with straw or wood shavings.

Ducks raised in clean and properly fed environments do not usually present major health problems, being very resistant animals. They are rarely infested with worms or intestinal mites. In any case,  the parasites must be removed every 6 months.

Never feed your ducks mold, as this could cause them to have respiratory disease or toxic reactions. Remember to keep their water clean, it should be changed every day.

The ducks must also be fed industrially prepared feed. Up to the third week of life they need diets with high levels of protein. After three weeks, up to a maximum of 20 weeks of life, it is necessary to ensure their protein levels of about 15% of the total calories administered.

Do not feed your ducks any kind of puree, as they may choke on trying to eat it. Also, don’t forget that bread doesn’t have to be a regular part of their main diet.

If you want to give your duck vegetables, try green ones, they are good for their health. Many ducks love watermelon: you can give it to them from time to time.