Rearing Ducks As Pets The Easy Way
The Protein Diet
Rearing ducks is not about throwing bread crumbs at them for feeding sessions. They are not like that flock of birds at the park. You have to feed them a protein-rich diet and not fatten them with carbohydrates. During their first few weeks especially, you should be able to feed them about protein at about 20% of their whole diet.
Artificial Heat Source
If your ducklings are living with their mother, you will not have problem taking care of them. This is because they have their natural source of heat. However, it would be different if you have bought the ducklings without their mother. You will have to provide them with an artificial heat source. Just compare rearing ducks, especially ducklings, to taking care of little babies in an incubator. Grown ducks are known to survive liquid temperatures below zero but may not thrive in similar dry but freezing conditions.
Available Water
Being in the right temperature and eating adequate and healthy foods may seem enough to survive but your pet ducks need something else. They need water. You may have read that ducks can do well in your backyard but they may not be perfectly happy about it. If you want your pet ducks thriving and happy, you need to provide them a place to swim about. Ducks are happy when they are in the water. Water is an easy provision if you are near a pond or a lake. However, if you live in the suburbs and not the countryside, the chances are much slimmer. You have to buy your ducks a wading pool.