Frequently Asked Questions About Raising Waterfowl

Which breeds would make the best pet(s) for me?
First look at the colors and descriptions. Which appeal to you? For ducks, the larger breeds (Pekin, Rouen, Blue Swedish, Buff, Cayuga) are normally the calmest. Remember that the Mallard and Muscovy can fly. We suggest you get several different breeds for a variety of colors and shapes. For geese, there are no hard rules, but the Large Dewlap Toulouse, Sebastopol, Canada, Buff, Tufted Buff, Pilgrim and Roman Tufted seem the calmest. Chinese and African are the noisiest. For each breed of goose, we have had customers tell us that that breed of goose was the best goose pet they have ever had.

I only want one or two birds, what do I do?
You have several alternatives: 1) you can order the minimum of 10 and split the order with a neighbor or friend, 2) buy them at a local feed store, 3) buy 10 and sell the extras to your local feed store or 4) have your local feed store place an order with us, including your special order, and buy from them.

How do I care for the baby birds?
See our complete directions at Growing Instructions for Our Birds at this link: Bird Care

When can I put them outside?
This depends on the weather. If it is warm, they can probably venture outside during the warmer part of the day at one week of age. Keep them in a small area so they can get back to a warm, protected area if they need. They need to be protected from rain until they are about six weeks of age when they are almost completely feathered. If the weather is not warm, you may need to keep them confined until they are six to seven weeks of age. The best thing is to watch them. If they appear cold or huddle together, bring them back inside.

When do they become completely feathered?
By seven weeks, they should be covered with feathers. Please note that Rouens and Mallard males will not get their brightly colored feathers until about 15 weeks of age. Until then, males and females look alike.

When can I give them swimming water?
The safest is to wait until they are five weeks or more of age. Oftentimes they can handle it at an earlier age if provided water that is easy to enter and exit, it is shallow and the rest of their pen is dry.

When do they start laying eggs?
Ducks are sexually mature at 20-24 weeks of age. If they have the correct feed and lighting, they will start laying then. Otherwise they will start as soon as the days begin to lengthen and it warms up in the spring. Normally geese start laying the next spring. Occasionally they will lay a few eggs in the fall. When they start mating and laying, make sure you switch to a breeder/layer feed with more protein, calcium and vitamins. For more information see our Nutritional Information.

Will poultry lay eggs without any males present?
Yes. The eggs will not be fertile, however.

How can I get them to lay eggs in nests and sit on them?
The best nest provides protection from rain and sun and gives the female a sense of security. It should have three walls, a roof and a low front to keep the nesting material in the nest box. For ducks it should be about 15”x15”, for geese it should be at least 24”x24”. Fill it with straw, wood shavings or rice hulls. You can put a chicken or fake egg in it to further entice them. You cannot force them to sit on their eggs. The Muscovy, Mallard and Khaki Campbell are very good at sitting on their own eggs. For the other breeds, it depends on the individual bird. Most goose breeds will sit on their own eggs. They do not start sitting on the eggs until the nest is full, normally 12-15 eggs.

What should I do with an egg I found?
If you want to hatch it, put it in an incubator or under a sitting hen. It is very difficult to incubate and hatch an egg with only a light bulb or heating pad. Remember, if the egg was not in a nest, it had probably not been sat on and no development had occurred since it was laid.

Do I have to use an incubator?
The best is to use the mother or a broody chicken. Second best is an incubator but success can vary tremendously. You can try to make your own incubator but it is more economical to purchase an incubator.

What is the normal incubation period?
Mallards 26.5 days
Muscovy 35 days
Runners and Crested 29 days
All other ducks 28 days
Chinese and African geese 31 days
All other geese 30 days

How do I know if an egg is fertile?
You need to shine a bright light through the egg in a dark room. If done infrequently, you can use a flashlight. Use a candling light as shown in our Equipment Section if you will do it often or you want to ensure accuracy. By seven days, you should see a darker yolk, veins under the shell and the beginnings of an embryo.

Can I help a bird out of the shell when it hatches?
Once the duckling has started to break the shell in a circle around the large end of the egg, you can. But if it is just making a hole in one spot, you probably shouldn’t yet. Wait until it has broken the shell and turned several times inside the egg. Sometimes the bird will stick to the shell and cannot progress. You have to help them then but if you start to see bleeding, stop and wait a couple of hours before helping again.

What is the life expectancy of a duck or goose?
Ducks can live to 7-10 years and geese normally live 10-15 years. The main cause of death seems to be dogs or predators.

How do I tell males from females?
For ducks, the male is slightly larger with a heavier neck and head. They will also develop a curly feather on their tail. The easiest way to tell them apart is with their voice. Males have a deep, raspy voice. Females have the typical QUACK. For geese, the males walk a bit prouder and strut around a bit more. Their voice is also louder and shriller and they are slightly larger than the females. The only way to know for sure is to vent sex them which is difficult without a bit of training.

How many males and females should I have?
For ducks it depends on the space they have and the flock size. If you have 10 or less, you can have pairs. Over this, you need to provide plenty of room or reduce the number of males. Unless you have a large pen with plenty of hiding areas, the ratio should be one male for every three to five females if your flock is over 25 or 30. The problem with too many males is they will become very aggressive sexually and will harm some of the weaker females. Geese can be kept as pairs with far fewer problems. In a large commercial operation, however, you would have one gander for every 2.5 to 3.5 females.