![]() Note: Information presented in this profile is based on the average characteristics of each breed. Poor-Fair Poor-Fair Poor-Good Fair-Good Fair-Good Poor-FairĮxcellent Excellent Excellent Excellent Excellent ExcellentĮndangered Fairly Common Rare Endangered Rare Commonįair-Good Fair-Good Fair-Good Fair-Good Fair-GoodĮndangered Common Common Fairly Common Fairly CommonĪppleyard Aylesbury Muscovy Pekin Rouen SaxonyĢ00-270 35-125 50-125 125-225 35-125 190-240įair-Good Poor-Fair Fair-Excellent Poor-Fair Poor-Good Fair-Good BREED PROFILESĪustralian Spotted Call East Indie Mallard Mini Silver Appleyard SilkieĢ, 2, 2 1.6, 1.4 1.8, 1.5 2.5, 2.2 2.2, 2 2.2, 2.0Įxcellent Fair-Excellent Excellent Excellent Excellent ExcellentĮxcellent Poor-Fair Excellent Excellent Excellent ExcellentĮndangered Common Fairly Common Abundant Endangered Endangeredīali Campbell Harlequin Hook Bill Magpie Runnerĥ, 4.5 4.5, 4 5.5, 5 4, 3.5 6, 5.5 4.5, 4ġ20-250 250-340 240-330 100-225 220-290 150-300 During torrid weather, bathing water or misters can be beneficial. Because ducks have the ability to regulate how much down they grow depending on weather conditions, they also thrive in hot climates if they have access to plenty of shade and cool drinking water. When people express concern about mature, healthy ducks being cold, I remind them that these waterfowl have the original and best down coats on the market. While chickens have protruding combs and wattles that must be protected from frostbite, as well as bare faces that allow the escape of valuable body heat, ducks are much more heavily feathered and are able to remain comfortable - if they are provided dry bedding and protection from wind - even when the temperatures fall below zero degrees Fahrenheit. Muscovies (which tend to have less water repellency than other breeds) and any duck that has poor water repellency due to infirmity should have easy access to dry shelter during cold, wet weather. ![]() Thanks to their thick coats of well-oiled feathers, ducks of most breeds can remain outside in the wettest weather. Mature waterfowl are practically immune to wet or cold weather and are much better adapted to cope with these conditions than are chickens, turkeys, guineas or quail. Even when kept under less-than-ideal conditions, small duck flocks are seldom bothered by sickness or parasites. ![]() Along with guinea fowl and geese, ducks are incredibly resistant to disease. People who have kept all types of poultry generally agree that ducks are among the easiest domestic birds to raise. A wonderful bonus to their myriad practical qualities is the entertaining antics and beauty they add to our lives. These amazingly adaptable fowl produce meat and eggs efficiently in many situations require a minimum of shelter from inclement weather are active foragers consume large quantities of flies, mosquito larvae, and a wide variety of garden pests (such as slugs, snails and grubs) and weed seeds produce useful feathers and are exceptionally healthy and hardy. There are many reasons why people raise ducks. For many circumstances, it is difficult to find a better all-purpose bird than the duck. It appears that the rest of us are beginning to understand what many in Asia and Europe have known for centuries: Ducks are one of the most versatile and useful of all domestic fowl. The popularity of ducks - often described as the happiest animals in the barnyard - is increasing in many areas of the world. Thinking about raising ducks for meat and eggs? Read on to learn all about why raising ducks at home makes perfect sense for the homestead.
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