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Duck Care Sheet

Duck Care Sheet

Pet Duck

Overview

Anas

When cared for properly, ducks can make great pets due to their social nature and tendency to bond closely with their caretakers. Ducks’ curious, mischievous behavior can be comical at times. Like backyard chickens, certain duck breeds produce large numbers of eggs that can be cooked and consumed.

Typical pet duck appearance and behavior

  • Ducks’ outgoing and friendly nature make them wonderful companions
  • They are very social and do well when housed with other ducks of the same breed
  • As duck breeds vary in size, consult your veterinarian before housing ducks of different breeds together
  • Ducks have distinct personalities
  • Ducks love to forage for plants, insects, berries, seeds, fish and worms. Logs and tall grasses in their enclosure can encourage natural foraging behavior.
  • Ducks, unlike chickens, do not have a homing instinct to return to the coop, so they need to be trained to return to the coop at night for food
  • Ducks do not require nest boxes to lay eggs and prefer to make their own nests on the ground
  • Because ducks do not roost at night, they don’t require perches.
  • Newly hatched ducklings in the first five days of life follow the first large moving object they see. This is usually their mother, but if ducklings hatch without their mothers around, they will form an attachment to any animal, person or even a moving object they see. This process is called “imprinting.”

Characteristics

Average Life Span 8-12 years
Average Adult Size Varies significantly depending on breed, from .5 pounds for the smallest breeds to 11 pounds for the largest breeds
Diet Omnivore


Duck supplies

  • Appropriately sized coop or shed
  • Fenced-off outdoor pen adjacent to coop
  • Narrow-gauge wire mesh fencing around coop and pen
  • Access to man-made or natural pool or pond for wading or swimming
  • Netting around pool/pond to prevent escape
  • Coop bedding
  • Logs or grasses for foraging 
  • High-quality pelleted food appropriate for life stage/age
  • Chopped vegetation and grass
  • Easy-to-clean food and water bowls/troughs
  • Treats
  • Detergent or commercial coop cleaner
  • Hand sanitizer for use after handling ducks or objects contaminated with feces to help reduce spread of salmonella bacteria commonly found in droppings
  • Contact information for a local veterinarian who treats ducks

Habitat

Building your habitat

  • Ducks require simple housing (such as a shed or a coop) located in a well-drained area away from direct sunlight. 
  • Enclosures provide protection from inclement weather and predators, as well as a place to lay eggs.
  • While ducks like to huddle together to keep warm, they should not be overcrowded, as overcrowding increases the chances of injury and aggressive behavior. Space requirements for ducks range from about .3 square feet of space for a day-old duck to approximately 3 square feet of space for an adult, egg-laying, larger breed duck.
  • As ducks tend to rush into and out of their enclosures together, the door should be large enough to prevent ducks from being crushed.
  • A variety of bedding materials, including straw, pine shavings and shredded paper, can be used in duck coops, as long as it is kept clean and dry and isn’t excessively dusty.
  • Ducks should have access to a penned-off area, adjacent to their enclosure, for exercise and grazing.
  • Open areas of the shed and adjacent pen should be fenced in with narrow-gauge wire mesh to help prevent predators from coming in and ducks from flying out. The height of the surrounding fence depends on the duck breed being housed, with taller fences required to contain larger breeds.
  • The shed’s floor should be made of dirt and grass, as these substrates are softer on ducks’ feet than concrete, which is too hard and can lead to foot sores. 
  • Ducks should have access to a pool or pond at least 2 feet deep for wading or swimming. If a natural pond is not available, a small man-made pond or kiddie pool can be used if they are drained and refilled regularly. Large man-made ponds require filters or aerators to help prevent ammonia buildup from droppings.
  • Ponds should be enclosed with netting to help prevent entry by predators and wild birds that can spread disease. Tall plants around the pen also offer places for ducks to hide from predators. Some locales have laws preventing the flight of domestic ducks and require that netting be placed over the enclosure or that ducks’ wings are trimmed to prevent flight.
  • Ducks should not be housed indoors all the time, as they tend to develop foot sores from standing on hard floors, as well as nutritional deficiencies (such as decreased vitamin D and calcium) from lack of sunlight exposure.

Habitat maintenance

  • Ducks pass very watery, messy droppings, so their pens should be spot-cleaned daily.
  • Bedding in duck coops should be completely changed weekly.
  • Duck coops should be completely hosed out, scrubbed with a brush and hot soapy water or commercial cleaning solution, and air-dried at least twice a year.
  • Dirt on duck pen floors should be turned over at least once a month to minimize the buildup of parasites and bacteria in the enclosure’s floor.
  • If duck coops are not kept clean and dry, toxic Aspergillosis mold can grow on soiled surfaces and cause life-threatening respiratory tract infections.
  • Growing ducks must be maintained on non-slippery, solid flooring, as they are prone to developing leg deformities if they slip and slide often.

Diet and feeding

A healthy diet for a duck consists of:

  • Commercially available crumble or pelleted food formulated specifically for ducks, with varying amounts of protein, fat and minerals for ducks at specific life stages (grower/raiser, layer, maintenance/non-layer/drake)
  • Clean, fresh water
  • Chopped vegetation (such as dark leafy greens like kale and Swiss chard) and untreated fresh grass offered daily in equal amounts to pelleted food
  • Treats such as live worms and insects, cooked egg, cooked beans, peas, broccoli, cucumber, small amounts of fruit (apples, berries, watermelon, melon, grapes), and whole grains
  • Never feed chocolate, avocado, alcohol, caffeine, eggplant, green tomatoes, white potatoes, citrus fruits, onions, rhubarb or very salty food, as these are toxic to ducks

Things to remember when feeding your duck:

  • Food and water should be refreshed daily.
  • Food and water dishes should be cleaned daily.
  • Ducks tend to be very messy and frequently soil their food and water dishes with droppings. Dishes may be partially covered to help prevent frequent soiling.
  • Pelleted chicken food should not be fed to ducks, as ducks have a higher requirement for niacin (vitamin B) than chickens, and some chicken food contains the anti-parasitic drug amprolium, which is illegal to feed to ducks.
  • High-carbohydrate foods such as bread, crackers and corn, should not be fed to ducks, since these foods can contribute to the development of health problems, including obesity, and may contain mold, which can lead to respiratory tract infections.
  • Treats should make up no more than 10% of their diet.
  • Since ducks do not chew food but instead swallow it whole, anything fed to ducks must be offered in very large pieces that they can work on over time or in pieces small enough that they won't choke on them. 
  • Grasses fed to ducks should be cut into short pieces to help prevent long strands from causing impactions of the crop (outpouching of the esophagus in the neck).
  • If ducks are allowed to forage in natural ponds, which they enjoy, the area should first be checked for toxic plants.

Duck care

  • Most ducks do not need regular nail trimming if they are housed on solid surfaces and are active, as they naturally wear down their nails with use. 
  • If ducks’ nails grow past the edge of the webbing between their toes, they need to be trimmed. Your veterinarian can advise you about how to properly trim your duck’s nails.
  • Ducks’ beaks and wings do not need to be trimmed. Wings may be trimmed to prevent flying in locales that prohibit domesticated ducks from flying.
  • Ducks require water in which to wade or swim to maintain their plumage in good condition and to keep their eyes and nostrils free of debris. They also sit in water to help regulate their body temperature when it is very hot outside.

Duck health

Signs of a healthy duck

  • Active and alert
  • Interested in exploring and foraging  
  • Eating and drinking throughout the day
  • Eyes and nose free of discharge
  • Bottoms of feet smooth without sores or redness
  • Even feather coat without patches of feather loss

Red flags

  • Lameness on one leg or limping
  • Wing droop
  • Lethargy
  • Decreased appetite
  • Increased effort breathing with obvious tail bobbing up and down
  • Sores or redness on feet
  • Sneezing or discharge from eyes or nose 

If you notice and of these signs or any other unusual behavior, contact your veterinarian.

Common duck health issues

 

Health Issue Symptoms or Causes Suggested Action
Pododermatitis (“bumblefoot”) Symptoms or Causes Sores or redness on feet, lameness Suggested Action Seek veterinary care
Orthopedic problems, arthritis Symptoms or Causes Wing droop, limping, swollen joints Suggested Action Seek veterinary care
Health Issue Respiratory infections Symptoms or Causes Difficulty breathing, tail bobbing, discharge from eyes and nose, decreased appetite Suggested Action Separate from rest of the flock, seek immediate veterinary care
Health Issue Skin Diarrhea Symptoms or Causes Watery, poorly formed, pasty or bloody stool and soiled vent Suggested Action Consult an avian veterinarian, clean and disinfect coop, separate from rest of flock
Health Issue Lead poisoning Symptoms or Causes Bright green droppings, neurological signs (wing droop, head hanging, wobbly gait, tremors) Suggested Action Seek immediate veterinary care, identify and eliminate source of lead in environment
Health Issue Botulism Symptoms or Causes Head hanging, weakness, paralysis Suggested Action Seek immediate veterinary care, prevent access to pools or ponds contaminated with disease-causing bacteria
Health Issue Angel wing Symptoms or Causes Rapidly growing young birds with wing rotating outward Suggested Action Seek veterinary care, ensure proper diet without excess protein
Health Issue Reproductive problems Symptoms or Causes Sudden lack of egg laying, swollen abdomen, decreased appetite, abnormal-looking eggs Suggested Action Seek veterinary care

Notes and sources

Ask a Pet Care Center associate selection of products available for the care and happiness of your new pet. 

As ducks carry infectious organisms, such as salmonella bacteria, in their intestinal tracts that can cause illness in people, always wash your hands or use hand sanitizer after handling your duck or any objects potentially contaminated with their droppings to help prevent spread of infection. Pregnant women, children under age 5, senior citizens and people with weakened immune systems should contact their physicians before purchasing or caring for birds and should consider having an alternate pet.

Go to https://www.cdc.gov/healthypets/pets/farm-animals/backyard-poultry.html for more information about pet ducks.

Note: The information in this care sheet is not a substitute for veterinary care. If you need additional information, please contact your veterinarian as appropriate. 

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