Care for Ducks and Geese

Below is a general step by step guide for caring for your ducks and geese. This will help you prevent getting disease into your flock, and help you too keep fit and healthy birds. It is a guide only - we find these points helpful but may not be for every situation.

The basic care for ducks and geese is very similar to chooks except for a few differences listed below. Male duck = DRAKE, Female duck = DUCK,  Male geese= GANDER, Female geese= GOOSE.
1. Ducks and geese need shell grit available at all times, more so than chooks. The grit helps to grind up the grains in their stomach making them easier to digest, and as with chooks thickens the shells on their eggs.
2.Ducks and geese do not need a dam or river to be happy. They will be satisfied with a bucket of water, low enough so that they can drink. Both ducks and geese do like to preen and clean themselves ALOT. A childrens wading pool - clam, are ideal. These are available from most toy shops or a department store.
3. Water makes it easier for waterfowl to mate. Waterfowl rarely mate on dry land, and when they do fertility can not be gaurenteed. Most waterfowl find it much easier to mate in water.
4. Ducks and geese will hapily co-habit given enoghh room to get out of each others hair.
5. Geese are totally vegitarian. Geese will spend their entire day grazing. They will rarely eat garden plants, and if trained from goslings can be eccelent weeders. Weeder geese are commonly used in America. A handfull of wheat per goose per night is good, it helps to keep them warm.
6. Ducks are insectivores to a degree, whilst ducks love grass they love snails and slugs even more. Given the opportunity a group of ducks will spend all day every day removing the snails and other pests from your garden. They are very effective. Ducks like a little more protein in their diet - my muscovies love dog biscuits - be careful not to give them too many up to 5 per duck. They also have a handful of wheat per bird per night.
7. Geese are pairing birds. Most geese will pick the one mate and stick to her/him like glue. Geese are very loyal and devoted partners. Ducks will spread themselves around a little more. One drake can easily service 3 ducks.
8. Geese lay one egg every 2 days. Geese will sit for 30 days to hatch their young.
9.There are many different breeds of duck, ducks lay like chooks usually 5-6 a week. Ducks sit on their eggs for 28 days, excluding muscovies who sit for 35 days.
10.When a duck goes broody she will start to pluck her down to line her nest. Ducks and Geese like a lot of nesting material. 1/4 of a bale of straw for a goose is ideal. Ducks do not need quiet so much, but the more the better. Ducks will like to nest in a lawn mover catcher or a nest box. This way their eggs are a little more contained. Geese will find a nice sheltered spot and nest on the ground. Ganders in general will stay close to their sitting goose.
11.When ducklings and goslings hatch you can feed them on chick crumbs but if your produce store stocks NU duck it is much better for their health and dietry needs. It does not contain the chicken medication which ducks and geese do not need.
12. When ducks and geese are just starting to get their wing feathers - this happens in most breeds after their bodies are almost fully covered - be careful not to feed them too much protein as this will cause rye or angel wing. Rye wing is a twisting in the latter part of the wing span.  It supposedly does not hurt the bird, but it sure looks uncomfortable. At this stage for geese try mixing lucerne chaff with wheat, or just give them straight wheat, For ducks mix wheat with their NU duck crumbles.
13. Ducks depending on breed will reach laying age between 24-30 weeks of age (roughly 6 months). Once laying dacks can breed. Ducks should sit on roughly 8 eggs, this depends on the size of the duck. She should be able to cover the eggs without you being able to see them.
14. Geese take a little longer than ducks. Geese will lay the following season after hatching - although they will only lay a few, up to 20, you should allow your goose to sit on no more than 9 eggs otherwise the bird has to stretch and will not cover all the eggs.
15. Goose eggs for eating are very nice. They are very similar to a chook egg in taste. A goose egg is the equivelant of 3-4 large chook eggs. Duck eggs are quiet rich and are often seen as a delicasy in many Asian countries. Duck eggs can be an acquired taste.