How to Raise Call Ducks

Acquire a small to medium sized coop or pen. Call ducks need a minimum of 12 square feet of floor space each per duck in their run, and half that inside their pen. However, a little more space won't go unappreciated if necessary. You can purchase a specifically designed duck house, or chicken coop with an attached run. A mobile run or tractor is suggested to create easy maneuver to different patches of grass.^[1]

• If you cannot acquire a coop with a run, you can also house your ducks in a shed with backyard access.
• Call ducks can free-range, but due to their small size they are quite fragile and will need constant supervision during the day. Shelter that is innovatively built to keep predators and vermin at bay is recommended.^[2]

Set up an artificial water pond. Your call ducks will need a medium sized tub of water to swim in. You do not need to go great lengths by building a pond. You can use a plastic baby bath or tin tub and build it into the ground.^[3] Otherwise a childrens sand pool will work fine. The size of your artificial pond will depend on the size of your flock.

• Keep in mind that in-ground ponds will require less cleaning, whilst a tub of water will need cleaning and refilling every day.
• If the water bath is above ground, use a brick or ramp to help your ducks access it with ease.

Purchase a food dish and drinker. A small to medium sized food dish will suffice, depending on the size of your flock. Avoid bowls of water, as your ducks may feel compelled to tip over or play inside their water bowl. Invest in a drinker instead, as these will get dirty less often and can't be tipped over when full.

Supply fresh bedding and hay inside the pen. Wood shavings or chips is the leading material used for bedding, as it provides absorbency and comfort. Add an additional bundle of fresh hay as well, as ducks will use this to build their nests on the ground.

• Avoid accessorizing the enclosure with roosts and nesting boxes, as ducks will not use these. Instead, they will build their nests on the ground using hay and other materials found on the ground.

Provide some form of shelter. Even though ducks are good at weathering cold and wet climates, they need shelter from storms and persistent cold. Provide a duck house, chicken coop or similar place for them to shelter in, as they wish. If they are penned in, include this feature within the pen. If they are roaming free, place their housing where it is easy for them to reach it. Always put ducks away at night, to protect them from predators such as foxes, feral cats/dogs or coyotes.

Feed your call ducks a daily pellet diet. Adult duck pellets can be purchased from farm stores or livestock feed outlets. However, if duck pellets cannot be obtained, you can feed your flock on chicken pellets as well.^[4]

• Whole wheat and mixed grains are also a vital part of their diet.
• Supply an all-round access to grit. Grit will assist your call ducks to grind down food in their gizzard. Purchase grit that has small enough particles for your flock to digest.
• Provide a calcium supplement during summer months to stimulate egg production. Oyster shells are a great source of calcium, otherwise baked egg shells.
• Dispense fresh water every day in a drinker. Your call ducks may tip over or play inside a water dish, thus it's important to refill it each day with clean water.

Give your call ducks vegetables and table scraps. You can feed them pasta, noodles, rice, fruits, vegetables, greens, grains, cooked eggs, etc. However, do not feed them spoiled or mouldy foods.

• Avoid avocados, citrus fruits, uncooked potato, iceberg lettuce, crackers, salt, sugar, nuts, large seeds, popcorn, chocolate etc.^[5]
• Bread is commonly fed to local ducks at a public lake or park, however, it's not good for them and can cause a sour crop.^[6]
• Of course, table scraps are considered treats, which should be limited.

Clean the enclosure on a daily basis. A deep clean is required only at least one every one or two weeks, however, you will still need to do a spot clean around the pen and clean their artificial pond and feeding station every day. Hygiene is important when caring for call ducks, as water and humidity will attract bacteria and pests such as mites.