Storey’s Guide to Raising Ducks is a complete handbook to domestic duck breeds in North America. With this handy reference you’ll learn about choosing the best duck for your needs, hatching, rearing, and managing a flock.
Raising ducks is growing in popularity due to the relative ease of caring for these gentle waterfowl. Ducks require a minimum of shelter from the weather, are good foragers, and consume large quantities of flies, mosquito larvae and garden pests. Plus, they are entertaining as they go about their daily routine.
All of the essentials are covered, including:
- The advantages of keeping ducks and some points to consider before you get started.
- Tips on choosing the right duck for your needs, whether it is eggs, meat, feathers, garden pest control, pond management or simply to have as pets.
- A complete description on each of the twenty-three North American domestic duck breeds. Learn about adult weights, annual egg yields, and interesting facts on the various breeds.
- Information on breeding ducks and how breeding affects plumage color.
- Advice on buying ducks or eggs for hatching and their care upon arrival.
- A thorough discussion on types of incubators, incubation periods, temperature and humidity requirements and an example of the author’s time-tested procedures for successfully hatching duck eggs. A handy chart is included to help diagnose problems with incubation, as well as a valuable checklist.
- Complete instructions on raising ducklings – feed and water requirements, types of brooders, and space requirements.
- Hints on managing ducks including nutrition requirements, protection from predators, constructing duck shelters, and distinguishing males and females.
- If you are raising ducks for meat there is a helpful chapter on butchering, plucking and packaging and storing the meat.
- An up-to-date chapter on health, duck diseases and parasites including their causes, symptoms, treatment and prevention.
- A brief overview of poultry exhibitions and tips on preparing and transporting ducks to shows.
Ready to start raising beautiful, useful ducks?
Order your copy of Storey’s Guide to Raising Ducks today!
Storey’s Guide to Raising Ducks includes eight different appendices covering topics ranging from sample feed rations to potential predators to duck recipes. A useful glossary and complete index is included. This 356-page volume is an invaluable tool for understanding and caring for the domestic duck breeds.
Excerpt from Storey’s Guide to Raising Ducks:
“There are many reasons why people raise ducks. 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 amounts 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.”
Author Dave Holderread has raised and studied ducks for more than 50 years. He and his wife have established one of the largest genetic stocks of domestic waterfowl in the world on their farm in Oregon making him one of the foremost experts on domestic duck breeds.
If you are interested in practical uses for geese, Dave Holderread is also the author of The Book of Geese.
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