Duck farming is part of poultry farming. There is a slight difference between duck farming and chicken farming especially in the habits and feeding of the two species of poultry. Ducks can be raised for meat and eggs, for commercial purposes or for personal consumption.

Commercial duck farming is increasing as duck farming is not a tight-competition poultry farming business like that of broiler chickens. You could sell eggs or you can hatch the eggs first then sell ducklings. Day-old ducklings usually cost 3 to 4 times more than the price of chicken's chicks. Not only can you sell eggs and ducklings, but you can also sell adult ducks for breeding to fellow poultry farmers or you can sell duck meat. Another, but a rather rare way of earning an income through raising ducks, is to simply use duck manure to grow horticulture produce.

BEST DUCK BREEDS.

Successful duck farming starts with selecting the best duck breed. There are a variety of duck breeds that are prolific layers. However, for top efficiency and year-round egg production, Khaki Campbells, Welsh Harlequins, Indian Runners, Magpies and Anconas from strains selected for egg production are usually the best choices. Pekins are good seasonal layers of jumbo-sized eggs, but due to their large size and corresponding hearty appetites, they require nearly twice as much feed to produce a pound of eggs when compared to the above-mentioned breeds.

The Pekin is the most popular duck breed globally and is usually reared for table purposes, though they are also good layers to some extent. In addition, the Pekin is fast-growing and has low feed consumption with fine quality meat. Pekin ducklings are ready for market at 2 or 3 months old. The Pekin breed attains the market slaughter weight of 2.2 to 2.5KG in about 42 days of age, which is just 7 weeks. You see, the Pekin duck growth rate is almost similar to that of broiler chickens.

Campbells, and their close relative the Welsh Harlequin, are generally considered the best layers of all domestic poultry. Individual females have been known to produce 360 or more eggs in a year, although flock averages are nearer 275 to 325. For egg-laying needs, a Khaki Campbell duck is an excellent choice.

For meat production, the best breeds are Pekin, Muscovy, Appleyard, Aylesbury, and Rouen.

HOUSING.

Ducks are larger than chickens. You will need more space to roam indoors during bad weather – although they prefer to remain outdoors even in cold weather and when it's also raining.

All poultry, ducks included, require a secure housing system, especially at night, to protect them from predators. Since ducks are extremely cold-resistant, the structure can have large ventilation spaces on its sides. In the coldest parts of winter, you can cover the “windows” with plastic to keep the coop warmer, if necessary.

If you decide to keep different duck breeds for various purposes, you should raise them in separate enclosures, run spaces, and water sources. This is necessary to keep each line pure to prevent cross-breeding.

FEEDING DUCKS.

Visit various poultry feed houses in your area and find out how much duck feed or free-range chicken feed costs, then do some calculations to see how much you are likely to spend per week and month on feeding your ducks. The price of duck feed (or free-range chicken feed, which is also a great alternative) varies by location but you should expect to spend between $10 to – $18 per 50-pound bag, or between $20 and $25 per 50KG bag. One bag of feed is enough to keep a flock of 12 mature ducks well-fed for seven days.

SICKNESS.

When ducklings show signs of sickness, add 3 tablespoons of Nexal to every gallon of water for 2 to 3 days. Skip or withdraw after 3 days. Then continue for another 3 days. Terramycin poultry formula can also be used. Follow the instructions on the package carefully. To prevent Avian Pest Disease, immunize your ducks with Avian Pest Vaccine.

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