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Contents Contents ........................................................................................................................... 1  

Introduction ....................................................................................................................... 5  

Chapter 1 .......................................................................................................................... 6  

Why Raise Ducks? ........................................................................................................ 6  

Be Prepared .............................................................................................................. 6  

Ducks vs. Chickens ................................................................................................... 7  

Meat .......................................................................................................................... 8  

Eggs .......................................................................................................................... 9  

Getting Started .......................................................................................................... 9  

Chapter 2 ........................................................................................................................ 11  

The Pros and Cons of Raising Ducks ......................................................................... 11  

The Pros .................................................................................................................. 11  

The Cons ................................................................................................................. 12  

Urban Ducks ............................................................................................................ 13  

Benefits of Raising Ducks ....................................................................................... 14  

Chapter 3 ........................................................................................................................ 15  

The Best Duck Breeds ................................................................................................ 15  

Extreme Egg Ducks ................................................................................................. 15  

Heavy Meat Ducks .................................................................................................. 15  

Dual-Purpose Ducks ............................................................................................... 16  

Pekin Ducks ............................................................................................................ 16  

Indian Runner Ducks ............................................................................................... 17  

Mallard Ducks .......................................................................................................... 19  

Muscovy .................................................................................................................. 20  

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Ancona .................................................................................................................... 21  

Buff Orpington Ducks .............................................................................................. 22  

Rouen Ducks ........................................................................................................... 23  

Summary ................................................................................................................. 23  

Chapter 4 ........................................................................................................................ 25  

Housing ....................................................................................................................... 25  

Design ..................................................................................................................... 25  

Location ................................................................................................................... 26  

Layout ...................................................................................................................... 27  

Roofing .................................................................................................................... 27  

Flooring ................................................................................................................... 27  

Nests ....................................................................................................................... 28  

Feeders ................................................................................................................... 28  

Waterers .................................................................................................................. 29  

Chapter 5 ........................................................................................................................ 30  

Caring for Your Ducks ................................................................................................. 30  

Feeding ................................................................................................................... 30  

Parasites ................................................................................................................. 32  

Illnesses .................................................................................................................. 33  

Chapter 6 ........................................................................................................................ 40  

Reaping the Rewards ................................................................................................. 40  

Killing ....................................................................................................................... 40  

Butchering ............................................................................................................... 41  

Recipes ................................................................................................................... 44  

Conclusion ...................................................................................................................... 48  

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Resources ...................................................................................................................... 49  

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DISCLAIMER OF LIABILITY AND WARRANTY This publication describes the author’s opinions regarding the subject matter herein. The author and publisher are not rendering advice or services pertaining to specific individuals or situations. For specific advice, or if expert assistance is required, the services of a qualified professional should be obtained. The author and publisher assume no responsibility whatsoever for the use of the information in this publication or for decisions made or actions taken based, in whole or in part, on the information in this publication. The author and publisher make no warranties, express or implied, regarding the information. Without limiting the foregoing, the author and publisher specifically disclaim and will not be responsible for any liability, loss, or risk incurred directly, indirectly or incidentally as a consequence of the use or misuse of any advice or information presented herein. Use this publication and information with good judgment and do the best you can in your particular situation. You agree to indemnify and hold the author and publisher, and their respective officers, directors, agents, employees, contractors and suppliers, harmless from any claim or demand, including reasonable attorneys’ fees, related to your use or misuse of this publication or the information contained therein. You further agree that you will cooperate fully in the defense of any such claims. Notice: As the purchaser of this electronic document you are permitted to store it and print it for your own personal use only. Otherwise, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise without the prior written permission of the copyright owner and publisher. It is illegal to make a copy of all or part of this publication for someone else, even if you do not charge for the copy. If you have purchased this book from anywhere other than Her Survival System including eBay, please report it to admin@hersurvivalsystem.com immediately. COPYRIGHT Those who have received or purchased the guide are neither authorized nor permitted to transmit copies of this guide to anyone without written permission. Giving away copies to people who haven’t paid for them is illegal under international copyright laws and will submit you to possible legal action. Therefore, the utilization of this file is limited to personal use only. TERMS AND DISCLAIMER By using, viewing, and interacting with this guide or the Her Survival System website, you agree to all terms of engagement, thus assuming complete responsibility for your own actions. The authors and publishers will not be held liable or claim accountability for any loss or injuries. Use, view, and interact with these resources at your own risk. All products from Her Survival System and its related companies are strictly for informational purposes only. While all attempts have been made to verify the accuracy of information provided on our website and within the publications, neither the authors nor the publishers are responsible for assuming liability for possible inaccuracies. The authors and publishers disclaim any responsibility for the inaccuracy of the content, including but not limited to errors or omissions. Loss of property, injury to self or others, and even death could occur as a direct or indirect consequence of the use and application of any content found herein.

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Introduction

Anyone who thinks that the system we’re living under right now is going to hold is an

idiot. It’s just a matter of time until the economy collapses, or the tectonic plates shift,

and then we’re all going to be in the position of trying to hold on in the face of nearly

unbearable conditions.

Who’s going to make it? It’s going to be the people who have learned beforehand how

to manage – people who have had the good sense to get back to their roots, and learn

how to carve out a way of life that’s based on growing and processing their own food.

Simply stated, you’re not going to be able to go down to the Piggly Wiggly anymore.

If you’re not growing your own livestock right now, preparing for what’s coming down,

you should get started. And you should do it now, because when a natural disaster hits,

or the economy comes crashing down, you’re not going to have time to pick up the

pieces and figure out what you’re going to do.

Start with ducks. They’re the ultimate backyard bird. If you’re in a rural area, then that’s

great – you’re already a step ahead of the other people who won’t make it. But if you’re

stuck in the city, you can still raise ducks. In the chapters that follow, we’ll tell you

exactly why you should raise ducks, the best breeds for you to raise, how to keep your

ducks healthy, and even how to butcher and cook them. So read on, and be prepared.

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Chapter 1

Why Raise Ducks?

Most people in the United States take food for granted. And

why wouldn’t we? When we’re hungry, we open up the

fridge, check out what’s there, and then set about making a

sandwich or a full meal. If nothing appeals, we head for the

supermarket and pick up a few things, or we order takeout.

For most of us, food has never been an issue.

But what happens when those choices are no longer

available? What happens when the store is closed and no

one is picking up the phone at the pizza parlor or the

Chinese takeout? What do you do then?

As a survivalist, you know that in the event of a natural disaster or political collapse, the

first thing that’s going to be jeopardized is the food supply. All the supermarkets in any

given community can only sustain the population for three days – and that’s assuming

that everyone plays nice, and there’s no looting and raiding.

But there will be raiding. There will be looting. There will be people scrambling for food,

and the usual channels that bring in that food will be non-existent. Trucks and trains

won’t be coming in. Produce will be rotting in grocery stores, and there won’t be

anything coming in to replace it. Most people will be living on what they can steal. The

people who will survive will be the ones who live on what they can grow, and what they

can continue to grow.

Be Prepared You know that most people aren’t going to be prepared, but you want to be. That’s why

you’re reading this. And of course, you’ve been stockpiling, but even the most

impressive hoard isn’t going to last forever. Besides, you can only eat so much freeze-

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dried stroganoff before you’d rob your own mother if she had fresh meat, or maybe an

egg! And speaking of your mother, does she have enough to eat? Or is she going to be

coming to you for help? For that matter, who else is going to be coming to you, and who

are you going to want to help? And even if you do want to bring people into your group,

will you have enough resources? Can you sustain your family, or your chosen people,

over the long term?

Over the past number of years, more and more people have begun keeping chickens. It

makes sense. Whether it’s out of a desire to know that their food isn’t loaded with

hormones, or raised in undesirable conditions, or whether it’s just wanting to get back to

the basics, more than a few people have welcomed chickens onto their small farms or

into their back yards. No one would suggest that you forego raising chickens, but why

not consider ducks?

Ducks vs. Chickens Chickens are easy to raise and not overly susceptible to health issues. However, they

can be vulnerable to external parasites like mites. Ducks, on the other hand, are hardly

ever vulnerable to parasites. This is because they spend so much time in the water –

parasites are going to simply wash off. Ducks also have very hardy immune systems.

If you live in an area that’s subject to extreme weather, you won’t have to worry much

about your ducks. They have far more body fat than a chicken, so they’re more able to

stay warm in cold weather. In fact, you may find that your ducks prefer to remain outside

even when it’s snowing.

Additionally, their down undercoat keeps them dry and warm even in water. Of course,

being waterfowl, they’re also more heat tolerant than chickens. When it’s very hot,

chickens can become distressed, and may even need fans to keep them cool – and

that’s not overly practical if you’re living off the grid.

Ducks aren’t easily agitated. You’ve no doubt heard about people who have been

forced to give up their chickens because they make a lot of noise. Roosters crow

constantly, and even hens will make a good deal of racket when they’re laying, or even

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sometimes for no reasons at all.

Ducks, on the other hand, might

chatter quietly, but even the most

vigilant neighbor is unlikely to notice. If

you live in an area where you have to

hide the fact that you’re keeping small

livestock, ducks are the better choice.

Perhaps your neighbors are fine with

livestock, but concerned about property values. Of course, all that will change when we

end up in full survival mode, but for now it could be a concern. Ducks are going to be

fairly gentle, in comparison, on your lawn and shrubs.

Chickens, however, are going to scratch because they appreciate a good dust bath. In a

matter of days, if you’re free ranging your chickens, you can expect that they’ll eat your

grass and scratch your lawn down to bare dirt. They’ll even make depressions – they

prefer to take their dust baths in nice holes. Ducks will probably tramp your lawn down

somewhat, but they won’t create a moonscape.

Chickens tend to be a bit selective when it comes to feeding. Ducks, on the other hand,

will eat just about any type of bug, so they’re great when it comes to pest control. They’ll

even eat toads, snakes, and mice. Considering that mice can wreak havoc on any

cereals or grains you might have stockpiled, having a few ducks around the place can

be just as good as keeping a cat.

Meat Not only is duck meat delicious, it’s high in protein. Just a 100g serving of duck has 24g

of protein. It’s also rich in vitamins and minerals. That same 100g serving of duck will

provide approximately half of your recommended daily intake of niacin, which helps your

body to metabolize fats, and lower your LDL cholesterol, which is a huge culprit in heart

disease. It also contains high amounts of iron, which is essential for energy.

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Duck is also richer in vitamin B6 than other meats. This vitamin helps your body to

make antibodies that fight off disease. There could come a time when you can no longer

rely on our health care system, so taking charge of your own health will become even

more important than it is now. Heart attacks and other illnesses aren’t part of your

survival plan, and duck meat contains nutrients aplenty to help ensure your good health.

You could, of course, get your protein from freeze-dried foods. But you can bet that after

a few months of freeze-dried chili, you’ll be screaming for just about any kind of fresh

meat. Or eggs. Or damn near anything that doesn’t come out of a foil pouch.

Eggs From a nutrition standpoint, duck eggs have a slight edge over chicken eggs. They also

last longer, and are less likely to break because they have thicker shells and

membranes.

You’ll also find that ducks will outperform chickens when it comes to laying eggs. Over

the course of a year, you can expect to receive 30% more eggs from the average duck

than you will from the average hen. Also, chickens need 16 hours of light per day,

consistently, in order to maintain egg production. Ducks will lay without supplemental

light, even throughout the winter. This makes them the superior choice when you’re

living off the grid.

There is a downside, but it’s easily dealt with. Waterfowl eggs are far more prone to

salmonella contamination than chicken eggs. However, as long as you wash your eggs

carefully, this needn’t be an issue.

Getting Started Given their quiet nature, resistance to disease, superior meat and outstanding egg

production, keeping ducks makes great sense for the inevitable hard times. But don’t

wait – get started now, while you can easily obtain breeding stock. You can find

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breeders on line, or by going to your local farm market, or by reading the ads in the

livestock section of your local buy/sell/trade paper.

In the chapters that follow, we’ll talk about how to choose the best breeds, and how to

care for your flock. The important thing is that you don’t wait – once things start to slide,

you’re not going to be able to pick up the phone and answer a “for sale” ad, and you’re

not likely to be able to obtain feed and housing materials. You know that the key is

preparedness, so (dare we say it?) get your ducks in a row now.

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Chapter 2

The Pros and Cons of Raising Ducks

Over the past few years, there has been a

remarkable increase in non-commercial raising

of chickens. People seem to want more and

more to have control over their food – to know

where it’s coming from, to raise their food

ethically, and to remove hormones and

chemicals from their diets as much as possible.

Much of the time, too, it’s simply out of a desire to be more self-sufficient, which is, of

course, your main focus.

Although backyard ducks aren’t exactly uncommon, they’re not quite as popular as

chickens. There are advantages and disadvantages to raising ducks, but generally

speaking, the pros outweigh the cons, and as more and more people come to

understand the benefits of raising ducks, it’s likely that ducks will enjoy a surge in

popularity similar to that of the chicken.

The Pros We’ve already discussed many of the pros of keeping ducks in Chapter 1, when we

compared ducks and chickens. Just to recap, ducks are easy to raise, calm, resistant to

disease and parasites, and tolerant of most weather conditions. They’re also far less

destructive than chickens. Raising ducks isn’t time-consuming, and that’s going to be

very important in years to come when many of the processes of day-to-day living are

going to require more time and effort than they do right now.

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The Cons Of course, there are disadvantages to just about everything, including keeping ducks.

Fortunately, the cons aren’t huge, and they’re not insurmountable. Ducks are messy,

and they’ll require a bit of effort, but in the final analysis, it’s worth it. The disadvantages

of keeping ducks are far outweighed by the benefits. But, for the sake of argument, let’s

talk about the cons.

Washing Ducks are, of course, waterfowl, and that means that they like to wash frequently. If they

have no access to a pond, this means that they’re going to use their drinking water to

wash. Accordingly, the water will have to be changed several times throughout the week

– daily would be even better.

Also because of the need to wash, if ducks are confined, they can create a significant

mess. If they’re in a pen that has a dirt floor, they’re going to get water all over the place

and create a muddy mess unless they’re given adequate bedding.

In ideal times, you can use wood chips or straw as bedding in order to alleviate the

problem. However, in the years to come, it may be difficult to obtain bedding materials,

meaning you might have to get creative and use whatever’s available – dried grasses,

dead leaves, or sand, for example.

Eggs Some people perceive duck eggs as having a strong flavor. The reality is that this isn’t a

characteristic of the eggs – it’s actually because of the food that the ducks are

consuming. If they’re eating a commercial feed that contains a lot of fish products, or if

they’re pastured where the food sources are pungent, then the eggs can develop an off-

putting taste. However, when ducks are fed a diet comparable to that of a chicken, the

flavor is not unpleasant.

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The shells of duck eggs are harder than chicken eggs, and tend to be more difficult to

crack. It’s hard to see this as a disadvantage, though, since it means you’re going to

lose fewer eggs to breakage. Some people dislike the color of the eggs – they’re sort of

pearlescent instead of the chalky-white of chicken eggs, but again, this doesn’t seem

like much of a disadvantage. In the first place, you’re not eating the shell, and in the

second, when every day is going to be a challenge, if your worst problem is you don’t

like the color of your eggshells, you can consider yourself lucky.

Urban Ducks Currently, urban ducks don’t enjoy the popularity of urban chickens. It’s probably

nothing against ducks; it’s just that, as we suggested before, people haven’t discovered

ducks the way they have chickens. However, if you’re looking at sustainability, you’re

going to want to raise some ducklings, and this is where ducks have a huge advantage

over backyard chickens.

Breeding means you need a male, and you know that having a rooster in your back yard

is not likely to go over well with your neighbors, because of the noise. A drake, on the

other hand, is not going to crow every morning (and throughout the day as well).

Therefore, you can actually raise a self-sustaining flock of ducks, even living in the city

or the suburbs.

If you think you need a pond to keep your ducks happy, you’d be mistaken. Some

breeds (Indian Runners, for instance), aren’t even all that fond of swimming. If you do

want to provide a backyard pond for your urban ducks, though, a child’s wading pool or

even a washtub will suffice. They really only want enough to wash up in. Keeping the

water container on a pallet or platform can minimize mess, and all you’ll need to do is

change the water regularly – once it gets droppings in it, its purpose of keeping your

ducks clean is pretty much defeated.

A word of caution – don’t allow ducklings under five weeks of age to have access to a

pool or water tub. You might find this difficult to believe, but ducklings can actually

drown if left unsupervised in water.

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Benefits of Raising Ducks You can raise ducks with little effort and virtually no

aggravation. They forage very well, so they require little or

no commercial feed – this will be a huge advantage if the

time comes when commercial feed is no longer available.

When you can’t just go down to the feed store and buy a

bag of mash, you’ll be glad that you’ve chosen a source of

meat that isn’t going to have to rely on commercial feed

over the long term.

There are a number of breeds available that will provide

you with a steady source of eggs or meat, including dual-

purpose breeds (more on that in the next chapter). The

meat is very nutritious, and the eggs actually have twice the nutritional value of a

chicken egg. Most people with allergies to chicken eggs have no difficulty consuming

duck eggs.

Now you have a good idea of what’s involved in raising ducks. Later in this ebook, we’ll

talk more about feeding, housing, and caring for your ducks. For our next chapter,

though, we’ll help you decide on the duck breed that’s best for you.

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Chapter 3

The Best Duck Breeds

Ducks, like chickens, are available in a variety of breeds that represent different

purposes and benefits. There are extreme egg-laying birds, heavy meat birds, and dual-

purpose birds. The breed you choose will depend on what you want out of your flock in

the long term.

Extreme Egg Ducks The extreme egg birds are typically small, highly-strung breeds that do the best when

they’re fed on commercial feed that allows for the best feed-to-egg conversion. This

type of duck has little interest in sitting on eggs once they’re laid.

On rare occasions, you might find one that will sit for a little while, but it’s almost

unheard of for an extreme egg duck to see the job through to the point where the eggs

actually hatch. An example of an extreme egg-laying duck is the Khaki Campbell. In the

first year of laying, this type of duck can average somewhere between 320 and 340

eggs.

Heavy Meat Ducks Heavy meat birds don’t do much in the

way of laying eggs. They’ve been bred

to grow as quickly as possible, and they

do best on commercial feed because

they’re not disposed to range overly

much. A good heavy meat duck can

produce a broiler or fryer carcass in as

little as seven weeks. The Pekin and Aylesbury breeds are good examples of heavy

meat ducks, although the Pekin is also considered to be dual-purpose.

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Some meat breeds will forage, and grow more slowly. They’re usually used for roasting

at 3-6 months. The meat is more flavorful than that of the faster-growing breeds, and

somewhat less fatty. The Rouen and Muscovy ducks make good roasters.

Dual-Purpose Ducks For survival purposes, your best bet is a dual-purpose bird. They’re bigger and meatier

than extreme egg ducks, but not as large as the heavy meat breeds. They’ll lay almost

as well as the extreme egg breeds, and will usually be a good deal calmer. A dual-

purpose duck will lay larger eggs, and broody ducks aren’t at all uncommon with the

dual-purpose breeds. Given that you’re going to need your flock to be self-sustaining,

this is of considerable importance.

Pekin Ducks Pekin (sometimes erroneously called “Peking” ducks) were first brought to the United

States in 1873, by J.E. Palmer of Stonington, CT. Upon first seeing these ducks, people

mistook them for small geese, due to their long necks and bodies.

Quite a few birds were originally taken on board the ship, but not many survived the

journey. Three ducks and a drake survived, and that was enough to begin a flock. Two

of the ducks laid 120 eggs each in just five months. A few years later, a Major Ashley

brought in some new stock in order to offset the effects of inbreeding, and today Pekin

ducks are ubiquitous.

The Pekin duck is characterized by its bright yellow bill, brilliant white feathers, and

orange-yellow or reddish legs. These ducks don’t fly well, so it’s easy to keep them in

small areas. They’re tolerant of almost any type of weather, and they’re content as long

as they have enough water to drink – access to a pond or stream isn’t a requirement.

The Pekin is not a prolific layer – you can expect only about 140 eggs per year out of

your ducks. The advantage to the Pekin is that it is a fast grower – even at six weeks,

most Pekins will reach what is known as the “green duckling” stage. This means that the

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bird is already big enough to make a meal, even though it won’t yet have developed its

pinfeathers.

Pekins will, as long as they feel secure and safe, become broody, so a flock of Pekins

can be self-sustaining. If you’re not a huge consumer of eggs, this would be the ideal

breed, since meat ducks that will actually sit on eggs until they hatch are fairly

uncommon.

Because of their large size, Pekins can actually often look after themselves, and any

other small stock you might end up keeping, quite effectively. They’ll gang up on cats

and dogs that might wander onto your property, and if they notice anything that’s too big

for them to handle, you can count on them to make enough noise that you’ll be alerted.

A Pekin duck egg takes about 28 days to hatch. Usually, by the third day, you can see

the heartbeat of the duckling when you candle the egg. You could hatch Pekin eggs in

an incubator at 99.5°F, with 55-75% humidity, but to be realistic, you can’t count on a

steady source of power to regulate your incubator, so you’re better off using a broody

duck. You can help to guarantee successful hatchings if, after the first fifteen days, you

dampen the eggs daily in water that’s just a little bit warmer than blood heat, and then

put them back under the duck.

At four months, you can expect a Pekin duckling to weigh approximately six pounds.

Indian Runner Ducks Indian Runner ducks are a dual-purpose

breed. They’re prolific egg-layers, but they’ll

also provide enough meat to make a meal for

two people.

The breed is believed to have its origins in

Southeast Asia, most likely in Indonesia, hence the name. Their feathers are fawn, or

fawn and white. Because of the position of the legs, Indian Runners appear to run,

rather than waddling like other ducks. The Indian Runner has a long, distinctive body

18

and a snake-like neck, which some say causes it to resemble a wine bottle. When

disturbed, these ducks will stand upright. They can be a bit excitable, and they will panic

if cornered, but they’re easily handled.

Indian Runners do require a bit more maintenance than some other breeds. They have

a tendency to become wormy, so it’s usually recommended that when you acquire your

stock, you worm immediately, and then again in 21 days, and once more in another 21

days. Once that cycle is completed, you’ll need to worm every five or six months, and

you may also find that your ducks need to be dusted for parasites in the head area

regularly.

Indian Runners prefer to be outdoors, and they will forage. They’re also quite useful

when it comes to controlling garden pests like snails and slugs. If you’re keeping them

in your back yard, with limited area for them to browse, they’ll also do well on duck

pellets, with a 40kg bag providing enough food for an adult pair for at least a month.

Make sure to provide water bowls at all times – you might want to anchor them with

bricks or stones in order to prevent the ducks from turning them over.

There are a couple of disadvantages to Indian Runners. First, though they will lay eggs

very readily and in large quantities, they’re not broody. So if you’re going to be breeding,

and you’re not able to use an incubator, you’ll need to use another broody duck, or a

hen, if you’re going to ensure that your flock will be self-sustaining.

The other disadvantage is that although Indian Runners, unlike some breeds, don’t

need water in order to reproduce, they do need enough water to bathe in, and it has to

be deep enough for them to submerge themselves. That means that if you don’t have

access to a pond, you’ll have to either dig one, or provide a deep container like a small

swimming pool. If you’re using a container, the water will have to be changed regularly,

and that can add up to quite a bit of work.

You’ll also have to provide a penned area where the ducks can spend the night, as they

will be vulnerable to predators.

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Mallard Ducks Mallards are probably the most

familiar of all the duck breeds. They’re

found all over North America, Europe,

Asia, Africa, and New Zealand, and

they breed in temperate areas of

North America as well as in the sub-

tropics. In the wild, they’re migratory

birds that spend the breeding season

in the north, and then they venture

south for the winter. In North America, the mallard typically spends the winter in Mexico,

and then begins to drift into the Caribbean Islands and the Central region during the

spring. Genetically, the mallard is related to every other breed of duck, with the

exception of the Muscovy.

The mallard has an impressive wingspan of nearly 40 inches, and can come to weigh

nearly 3.5 pounds. The male has a distinctive appearance, with a green head, black

sides, a red chest, and an orange or yellow bill with black tips. The female is less vivid,

with light brown feathers and a dark brown bill. When it’s not breeding season, the male

more closely approximates the females’ appearance, but he still retains his red chest

and yellow bill.

Mallards are kept in captivity, but they do have a tendency to stray, looking for wetlands,

streams and ponds. They’ll forage well, and they’ll breed if provided with access to a

river or a pond. They favor laying their eggs along the banks, not too close to the rim.

The female will usually lay about a dozen eggs per month, and will sit on them. The

ducklings are independent as soon as they hatch, in that they are able to feed and to

swim by themselves, but they still need their mother’s protection.

Mallards are included in this ebook because they do very well on their own. They

require very little in the way of human intervention, so if you have access to a large

property with a source of water, you may find it useful to keep some.

20

You will, however, have to clip their wings if you expect to keep them from migrating.

There are, however, better breeds when it comes to meat and egg production, so for

survival purposes, it would not be advisable to rely solely on mallards – they’re best

considered a “backup” duck.

Mallards are not good back yard ducks. This is because they have a very loud,

distinctive quack that’s going to give you away if you’re in violation of any by-laws

prohibiting small livestock.

Muscovy The Muscovy is the only domestic duck breed that isn’t descended from the mallard.

They actually originated in South America, and many people don’t even consider

Muscovies to be “real” ducks because of some of the peculiarities of the breed. For one

thing, Muscovies don’t quack, not even quietly. Instead, they hiss and chirp. They also

don’t roost on the ground, like most ducks – they prefer to be a little bit higher up, and

will even roost in trees. This is actually a good thing, as it makes them less vulnerable to

predators.

Muscovies like water, but they’re not overly fussy. They’ll enjoy a pond if you have one,

but they’ll be equally happy with a basin or a wading pool.

As to diet, Muscovies are good foragers. They’ll eat bugs, slugs, grass, grain, flies –

basically, whatever’s handy. They’re also good with other birds, and will happily

integrate with any chickens you might happen to be keeping.

You’ll find that Muscovies are very hardy, not troubled by freezing temperatures or

extreme heat. They’re good layers, and they’re also quite willing to sit on their eggs.

They’ll even collaborate on the sitting – you might find a duck sitting on a clutch of eggs

one day, and the next turning the job over to another duck. Eventually, they’ll work out

whom the eggs belong to, and then one duck will sit consistently. In about 35 days, the

eggs will hatch.

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Muscovies breed very easily, so you can be assured of a consistent source of both

meat and eggs. A Muscovy hen will grow to about ten pounds, and a drake to about

thirteen. At 10-12 weeks, the ducklings will not be full size, but they will still have put on

enough weight to be worth harvesting. The advantage is that they’ll be easier to pluck at

this age, and you really won’t lose much in terms of edible weight. You’ll get a good-size

bird with meat that’s actually a little more like red meat than most ducks.

Compared with other breeds, you won’t get a whole lot of fat from a Muscovy, but you

can still expect to get a small jar of fat for cooking or other projects.

If you’re starting off in an urban area, the Muscovy isn’t a good choice. Anything smaller

than a quarter-acre isn’t going to be sufficient. If you have the space, though, you

should definitely consider Muscovies. They’ll give you a steady supply of meat and

eggs, they’ll breed well, and they’ll take care of troublesome insects for you.

Ancona The Ancona breed was developed in Great Britain, during the early part of the 20th

century. They’re believed to have been descended from Huttegen ducks (similar to

magpie ducks) and runner ducks.

The magpie duck is a lightweight domestic breed that has distinctive black and white

markings, being mainly white with large black spots on the top and back of the head. It’s

the closest relative of the Ancona, but the Ancona is a bit stockier than the magpie, and

also comes in more colors. Ancona’s may be black and white, but they can also be

white along with silver, lavender, blue, and chocolate. They may also be multi-colored.

The Ancona is a better layer and a better forager than any of the other dual-purpose

breeds. Their large, solid legs and feet allow them to forage better in areas that are

heavily wooded, or on rough ground. As to laying, you can expect somewhere between

210 and 280 very large eggs in the run of a year, and their egg production will be high

even in the winter months.

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Anconas also grow very quickly, reaching a weight of about five pounds in just nine

weeks. The meat is very flavorful and not overly fatty.

The Ancona also shines when it comes to perpetuating the flock. They’re very prone to

being broody. They’re also quite protective of the flock in general, and tend to be vocal

when they sense threats. The downside to this is, of course, that if you’re in the position

of having to hide your ducks from neighbors and by-law enforcement, the Ancona is not

a good breed despite all its other stellar qualities. If you’re in a rural setting, though, the

Ancona is one of your best choices.

When foraging, Ancona flocks have female leaders who control the way the flock

moves. Since the hens have higher nutritional requirements than the drakes, this makes

sense. The lead forager may or may not be a dominant hen, but she will be the one who

makes the foraging decisions – with most other duck breeds, the hens follow the drake.

If you have ducks of other breeds, you may find that the hens will leave their drakes to

follow the lead Ancona female.

Anconas are currently designated as a rare, “critically endangered” breed by the

American Livestock Breeds Conservancy.

Buff Orpington Ducks The buff Orpington, or buff duck, was developed by the family of William Cook, in the

Orpington area of Kent, England, in the early part of the 20th century. The breed

originated from several others. Runners were mated to Aylesburys, Cayugas and

Rouens, and then their progeny were mated with one another, until finally a duck with

buff plumage was developed.

The Buff Orpington is a dual-purpose bird, having both the size and the proper feather

color needed for a good roasting duck, and also outstanding egg-laying capability. You

can expect about 220 eggs per year from a buff Orpington duck. The buff Orpington is

also very easy to pluck – more so even than the Pekin.

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Rouen Ducks Rouen ducks originated in France, and take their name from the town of Rouen. In the

19th century, the breed found its way to England, and the first Rouens arrived in the

United States around 1850. They were first used as farm ducks, and eventually gained

popularity as an exhibition breed.

Rouens are colored much like mallards, but they’re quite a bit larger. The exhibition

Rouen is mainly considered a meat bird. The production Rouen is somewhat smaller,

and lays more eggs than the exhibition Rouen, which will only lay a maximum of 125

eggs per year.

The production Rouen not only delivers more eggs (up to 180 per year), it is still large

enough to be a more than adequate meat duck. You can process a production Rouen at

about four months, at which point it should weigh over five pounds. At a year, a

production Rouen will weigh more than eight pounds.

Because of the size of the Rouen duck, this is not a good choice for an urban flock.

They need a large area so that they can forage, and they’ll need water. You don’t have

to worry about them flying away – they’re too heavy to fly.

Rouen ducks can’t be counted on to be broody. Sometimes you’ll find a hen who’ll be

willing to sit on her eggs until they hatch, but it’s not typical of the breed. So, in the

interests of your self-sustaining flock, you may need to find a surrogate mother for your

Rouen eggs if using an incubator proves to be impossible or impractical.

Currently, Rouen ducks are on the “watch” list for the American Livestock Breeds

Conservancy, with a worldwide population of fewer than 10,000, and fewer than 5,000

in the United States.

Summary These are the duck breeds that are likely to be the most useful to the survivalist. Of

course, you know your situation, and you may disagree with us on some points. That’s

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fine. The main thing is that you find the breed that’s going to suit your particular

situation.

Although we’ve included a couple of breeds that tend to lean more toward the “meat”

end of the spectrum, any of these breeds are good multi-purpose ducks. Of course, you

know better than anyone what meat/egg balance is going to be needed for your group,

so consider these breeds carefully and choose the right one. You might even want to

experiment with a few breeds. But get started now, because you’re going to want to feel

confident in your decision when times become difficult – that’s not the time to

experiment.

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Chapter 4

Housing

Housing for your ducks can be arranged easily

and inexpensively. You might even be able to

repurpose an existing structure that will serve

as safe, secure housing for your ducks.

Alternatively, you could build one from scratch.

You can find any number of plans for duck

housing online or in books. The important thing

is to get started now. Don’t wait for disaster to strike, and then think that you’re going to

be able to get building materials and round up a flock of ducks. Decide on a design, get

your materials, and build your duck housing.

Design Your duck house doesn’t have to be elaborate, but it should adhere to the basic

principles of poultry house construction. There are basically two types of housing –

intensive, in which the birds are always kept indoors, and semi-intensive, in which the

birds can be outside during the day, in runs, but are brought inside at night and when

the weather is bad. Given a choice, the preference would be for semi-intensive, as

ducks, like other animals, typically do better when they can live in a state that’s as close

as possible to what they’d find in nature.

Ventilation Whatever you decide, it’s important to make sure that the house is well ventilated. It

should be at least three feet high on the lowest side, and should have vents near the

roof in order to provide good airflow to the birds. This is because when ducks breathe,

they emit a lot of moisture. If that moisture isn’t able to escape, bedding can get moldy

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and mildewed, and your ducks could end up with frostbitten feet and legs in the winter

months.

Windows You should also incorporate windows into the house, with shutters that can be closed

when the weather is bad. And for protection against predators, you should cover the

windows and the vents with half-inch hardware cloth. The windows should also be

positioned at least a foot above the ground, so that when the shutters are open,

predators are not able to look inside and see the ducks. This serves two purposes –

first, the ducks aren’t stressed, and second, you’re not providing predators with an

incentive to try that much harder to get into the house.

If you’re keeping your ducks in intensive housing, then windows aren’t a luxury – they’re

vital. Even if you’re using artificial light, supposing you have a power source, you should

supplement it with natural light in order to keep your birds healthy. A duck that never

sees the light of day ends up being a very unhappy bird, and therefore one that’s more

prone to diseases and disorders.

Entrance and Exit The door to the duck house should be big enough that two ducks can be coming and

going at the same time. This is because ducks can be very pushy, and if the door isn’t

big enough, they could get stuck. You should also install a predator-proof latch. Keep in

mind that raccoons have been known to lift latches and slide deadbolts. A good choice

would be a locking eyehook. If the house isn’t at ground level, you may need to make a

ramp for the ducks to get in and out.

Location Ideally, you should locate the house on a gently sloping site. If the area is too hilly, it will

be difficult to build the house, but if it’s too flat, you won’t get proper drainage.

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Orient the house facing north or northeast to prevent excessive exposure to the sun and

ensure adequate shade. Make sure that at the back, the house is at least six feet high,

so that the ducks have sufficient headroom.

Layout Before you start building, take some time

to think about your flock, and what you

envision for the future. You want to give

yourself time to make modifications. As to

the basics, you’re going to want to allow

for housing adults and growing ducklings

separately, and you’ll also want to ensure

that there’s no drainage from the adult

area to the growing area.

You’ll require floor space of about six square feet for every five birds.

Roofing You can use whatever materials please you for your roofing. Traditional roofing shingles

are fine, or you could go with corrugated metal or other materials. In terms of design,

though, a skillion roof is always the best choice in terms of both economy and durability.

This is, simply, a roof that consists of a single flat surface and a fairly steep pitch. This

allows it to easily shed snow and water, and there are no seams where surfaces join

that would allow leaking.

Flooring The house should have both litter, and wire or slatted floor areas. The litter is used for

laying and mating. The slatted area is where you place your feeders and waterers. This

combination means that the amount of wet litter is reduced, so production is improved.

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As to the litter, wood shavings are the best material, but may ultimately be unobtainable.

You can use any soft material, as long as it’s about four inches deep. This is to reduce

egg breakage in case your ducks deposit their eggs on the floor instead of in nests.

Nests If you can encourage your ducks to use nests, you should do so. This is because

nesting keeps the eggs cleaner, and results in fewer broken eggs. Additionally, the eggs

aren’t exposed to adverse conditions like sun exposure.

Each nest should be large enough for only one duck (usually about 12”x12”x16” deep).

You can make nests from wood, and arrange them in rows along the walls of the house.

You can also get inventive with your nest construction, and use garbage cans tipped on

their sides, kitty litter boxes, and just about anything else a duck might feel comfortable

in. You could even use ordinary cardboard boxes, although you’d have to replace them

regularly.

Place nesting material in the box, like sawdust, shavings, or sand. When the ducks

become broody, they’ll augment those materials using their own feathers.

Keep in mind that a duck will not use an elevated nest. Unlike chickens, which will be

happy nesting in tiers, ducks require that their nest boxes be at floor level.

Feeders Ducks need about twice as much space to feed as do chickens, but you can use the

same equipment for your ducks as you would for chickens. For ducklings, you can use a

small bowl for the first week or so. Then you should switch to a bin feeder.

Watch out for sharp edges – if the feeder has any, you can cover them with duct tape in

order to prevent eye and beak injuries. Of course, make sure the surface is clean and

dry before taping, and don’t leave any loose bits for your ducks to ingest.

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Waterers As we’ve stated previously, it’s not essential for your ducks to have swimming facilities.

They do, however, have to have constant access to clean drinking water, and they

should also be able to immerse their heads, so that they can keep their nasal passages

clean and free from dirt and food. Drinking containers should always be kept in the

shade, and in order to prevent damp litter, you can place them on slats or a wire grid.

Allow about an inch and a quarter of drinking space for every adult bird.

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Chapter 5

Caring for Your Ducks

Ducks, as we’ve stated, are very easy to care for. When provided with adequate food

and shelter, they’ll require little else. They’re very resistant to illness, and parasites

aren’t usually a problem. That said, though, sometimes problems are going to occur,

and forewarned is forearmed. Therefore, in this chapter we’re going to talk about how to

feed your ducks, offer a few tips on breeding, and also tell you about various parasites,

illnesses, and conditions that you’ll probably never have to deal with.

Feeding Diets that are designed to grow ducks quickly for commercial egg production or meat

aren’t really good for ducks. They frequently contain medications and chemicals that

aren’t necessary and may even be harmful. Most ducks will do just fine foraging.

You can, however, feed a non-medicated pelleted mash. This is useful if you’re raising

your ducks in an urban setting where they’re not able to forage. You can supplement

this with chopped hard-cooked eggs, vegetable trimmings, tomatoes, and worms. They

also enjoy cracked corn, but if you’re keeping fish for survival, don’t feed cracked corn –

it’s harmful to fish.

Ideally, you’ll have your flock well established by the time things get rough, so in the

time that you have, you may as well make use of what’s available at your local feed

store. For ducklings up to three weeks old, this means a non-medicated starter

(crumbles or mash) containing 20-22% protein. For adolescents 3-6 weeks, feed non-

medicated mash, pellets or crumbles containing 16% protein. Females over six weeks

need 16% protein (18% when they’re laying). Males over six weeks and non-laying

females are fine on 14-16% protein.

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Never use medicated feed, or any type of feed that was designed for other birds. And

while you want to make sure that your ducks get enough protein, you also don’t want to

give them too much.

An excess of protein can cause “angel wing,” which is a condition where the feathers on

the duck’s wings begin to protrude upward, so that the duck doesn’t get effective

protection from the elements. Too little protein can cause malnutrition and other health

problems. A foraged duck will almost always achieve a proper nutritional balance, but

one that’s raised in an urban setting will need to be monitored.

Always keep fresh water next to the feeding area. Ducks don’t have teeth, so they have

to have water in order to process their food.

Bad Foods Never feed your ducks nuts, seeds, or crackers. They can cause a reaction that’s very

painful, similar to human diverticulitis. Other foods to avoid are pretzels, popcorn, pasta,

garlic, onions, chocolate, spices or anything spicy, and any processed foods.

Although ducks will eat almost anything that they can forage, that doesn’t mean that

they can be used as garbage disposals. A duck’s digestive system isn’t geared toward

many of the foods that humans enjoy, and it would be foolish to do anything that could

jeopardize the long-term health of your ducks. Essentially, if you’re unsure, it’s best not

to incorporate whatever it is you’re unsure of into a duck’s diet.

A Word on Storage If you’re stocking up, make sure to buy containers in which to store your pelleted food,

crumbles or mash. If you simply leave it in the bags, you’re running the risk of vermin

contamination, and also damage due to moisture. There’s no salvaging moldy food.

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Parasites You may know that chickens can suffer from any number of different mites and insects.

Ducks, fortunately, are only prone to a couple of parasites. They’re more likely to be

troubled if they’re housed with chickens, but ducks living with other ducks are seldom

affected by parasites. If your ducks seem to be scratching a lot, especially around the

head and neck area, or where the feathers are closely packed, or if their eyes seem

dull, then you should check for parasites.

Mites Mites are eight-legged creatures that are closely related to spiders. There are four types

of mites that affect birds – they are the scaly leg mite, the depluming mite, the red

poultry mite, and the northern fowl mite. Unless ducks are housed with chickens, they’re

affected only by the northern mite. Northern mites live on the host, as opposed to the

red mite, which will spend much of its time in the woodwork of the house. Northern

mites apparently require the warmth of the bird in order to live, because if the duck dies,

then so do the mites.

Mites are easiest to spot on white birds, and they’re found only on the neck and head

region of ducks. On colored birds, it can be hard to see the mites, so again, if you notice

itching or dull eyes, you’ll have to check.

Lice Waterfowl lice are greyish and long-bodied. They have no wings, and they’re not able to

jump. On white ducks, they can be seen on the wing feathers. They can be very difficult

to remove, because they have flattish bodies and six clawed legs. They’re only about 2

millimeters long, so they can be quite difficult to see.

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Treatment If your ducks are generally in good condition, and they have access to water, they’ll be

able to control parasites on their own. If they’re sitting, though, and there’s enough time

for the infestation to become severe, then they will require treatment.

The most common method of controlling parasites in ducks is the use of an insecticide

powder or spray containing pyrethrum. Your ducks will require two treatments, about

eight days apart. This is because the pyrethrum doesn’t destroy the eggs of either lice

or mites, so when the eggs hatch, there has to be another treatment.

Ivermectin is another effective treatment, which is absorbed through the skin. Of course,

it can be hard to find skin on a duck, because of the down. You can apply ivermectin to

the back of the neck, and also under the wings. Be careful with this, though, because

the ducks will sometimes ingest the product. Also, keep in mind that you can absorb it

through your skin as well. As is the case with the pyrethrum powder or spray, the

treatment has to be repeated.

If you’re going to be eating your ducks, or their eggs, make sure that you’ve observed

the proper length of time to allow whichever product you’ve used to leave the duck’s

system.

Although the likelihood of your ducks suffering from parasites is minimal, you should

make sure that you have either pyrethrum or ivermectin on hand just in case you need

it.

Illnesses There are a number of illnesses that can affect your ducks, but are unlikely to. They

include the following.

Aspergillosis This is a breathing disorder that’s caused by moldy bedding. The duck inhales the mold

spores, and develops difficulty breathing. The condition can be treated by using

fungicides, but they can be expensive, and they’re not a part of the typical veterinary kit.

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Also, the treatment doesn’t have a high success rate. The best course of action is to

prevent the condition from occurring in the first place, by making sure that the bedding

is kept clean.

Aflatoxin Poisoning This condition has symptoms that are very similar to those of aspergillosis. The cause is

also similar – mold. When cereal grains get wet, mold results. This is why you should

never feed your ducks moldy food. Keep grains in a cool, dry place, in containers, and

you can avoid aflatoxin poisoning.

Botulism Botulism is caused by bacteria that live in decaying animal waste and vegetable matter.

These toxins cause loss of muscle control in the wings, legs, and neck, and make it

impossible for the duck to swallow. These bacteria will rapidly multiply in areas where

oxygen is lacking, and where temperatures are warm.

It’s important to keep your ducks out of stagnant water and muddy areas, especially

when the weather is hot. You can treat botulism by administering fresh drinking water –

if you have to, use a syringe with no needle to give water to the duck. You can add

Epsom salts to the water (usually a tablespoon per cup).

Coccidiosis This is another condition that’s more likely to occur in the summer, in damp conditions.

Coccidia are protozoans that live in the droppings of certain birds. The symptoms

include bloody droppings (because the protozoans attack the lining of the digestive

system and prevent it from absorbing food) and weight loss. Symptoms can be present

for a number of weeks.

The problem can be avoided by ensuring that your ducks are on clean ground, and that

there is always clean water available. It’s not a common disease with ducks, but you

35

could consider asking your veterinarian to provide you with some single-dose

treatments, just in case you do need them later on and you’re not able to see a vet.

Enteritis There are two types of enteritis – bacterial enteritis, which is believed to be transmitted

by wild birds, and duck viral enteritis (DVE), which is rare but usually fatal. You can treat

bacterial enteritis using a soluble antibiotic, but it has to be caught early. If you’re using

the soluble treatment, you should provide no other drinking water, and two days after

you begin treatment, you should move the ducks onto clean ground. DVE can only be

treated using a vaccine. If your ducks are listless, their droppings are pinkish when the

weather is hot, and if you’re observing that wild birds also appear to be ill, then chances

are it’s the bacterial form of enteritis.

Lameness Lameness can be caused by an injury, but it can also be the result of a bacterial

infection. Injectable antibiotics (Pen-G, for example) can be easily obtained right now at

your local feed store or from your veterinarian, and they’re an essential staple of any

post-disaster kit, so make sure that you have them on hand. Any time you use

antibiotics, you should also make sure that you follow the accepted withdrawal period

before using either the meat or the eggs from your ducks.

Maggots Maggots can infest your ducks if they don’t have enough water to be able to stay clean,

especially in the vent area, during the hot weather. If a bird is injured, then maggots can

also occur in the injury. You might not notice the infestation easily, but one symptom

can be a dirty vent. To treat the condition, remove the maggots from the affected area.

Then use ointment and fly spray. Observe the ducks for several days, because any fly

eggs that are still on the bird will hatch, and then the treatment will have to be repeated.

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Lead poisoning If your ducks are losing weight and seem uncoordinated, it could be that they’ve

ingested lead shot from a pellet gun or shotgun shells. Sometimes, ducks will pick up

these pellets to use as grit for their gizzards, so make sure that they don’t have access

to them, and that they do have a proper source of grit.

Pasteurella This is another bacterial infection, often carried by rats. The symptoms are increased

thirst, loss of appetite, watery droppings that eventually turn green, and lack of

coordination. Treatment with antibiotics may be effective on large birds, but smaller

ones will usually die.

Respiratory Problems (Bacterial) Respiratory infections can be difficult to correct. They’re common in very wet weather.

The symptoms are similar to aspergillosis, and you’ll also notice the bird hunching up

and bobbing its tail. A bacterial respiratory problem may respond to antibiotics, but

aspergillosis will not.

Sinus Problems Bacteria can also affect the sinuses. If you notice puffy cheeks and/or weeping nostrils

in your ducks, you should treat the condition immediately. If the condition isn’t treated,

the cheeks could harden, and then treatment will not be effective. Antibiotics are the

correct course of treatment, and again, be certain to observe the proper withdrawal

period.

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Angel Wing (also called Slipped Wing) This is a dietary problem, in which the birds are receiving too much protein. Post-

disaster, it’s likely that you’ll be allowing your ducks to forage, so this condition isn’t

likely to develop. The symptoms are an outward protrusion of the primary feathers. The

treatment is simply to feed a diet lower in protein.

Wet Feather This is exactly what it sounds like – the feathers get wet, the down is waterlogged, and

the duck looks dirty and damp. It’s most commonly caused by keeping ducks in poor

conditions. The feathers become muddy, and the oil that conditions the feathers is lost.

The condition can also be aggravated by continuous wet conditions. The solution is to

shelter the ducks when the weather is overly wet, and to keep them out of the mud. If

you do this, then the condition will correct itself when the new feathers grow in the

following season.

Breeding

If you’re going to have a self-sustaining flock,

you’ll have to know a bit about breeding. That

doesn’t mean that you have to become a

duck geneticist – in fact, that’s a topic for a

far longer book, and well outside the scope of

this one. Basically, all you need to know

about maintaining a healthy flock that will serve you for as long as you need it just

amounts to using some common sense.

In the wild, ducks live in huge flocks for much of the year, and they form into pairs

during the breeding season. Elaborate courtship rituals are acted out, and then life gets

back to normal at the end of the season.

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In commercial duck operations that typically contain thousands, or at least hundreds, of

ducks, the drakes and the hens are kept at a ratio of approximately one male for every

six females. The birds are kept in breeding sheds that mimic the light patterns of spring

and summer. This is done in order to stimulate egg production and fertility, and it

disrupts the natural breeding patterns of the ducks so that breeding can be facilitated

year-round. This can lead to reproductive diseases in the hens.

Forced Molting Another way of adjusting the breeding cycle in ducks is to create a forced molt – this is

done in order to keep egg production up. In a forced molt, all food is removed, but the

ducks get access to drinking water. The idea is to cause a drop of about 30% of the

ducks’ body weight, at which point usually about half of the flock will go into a molt,

where they lose most of their primary feathers. Then the ducks go into another highly

productive egg laying cycle.

The Survivalist Approach It’s highly unlikely that you’ll be resorting to the measures we’ve described above. For

one thing, you’re simply not going to have the time to manipulate the reproduction of

your ducks in any significant way. One of the reasons you’re choosing to raise ducks is

because it’s easy to simply let nature take its course, and you know that you can still be

assured of reasonably good results.

Also, you’re not dealing with a commercial-sized flock of ducks. You’re simply looking to

feed your family, friends, or whoever else you have in your group following the disaster.

For that reason, your ducks can be raised in a far healthier fashion, in conditions that

don’t cause frustration and psychological damage, resulting in an increased likelihood of

disease.

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One concern that does seem to come up among keepers of small stock in general, and

survivalists in particular (since they know that they’re not going to have access to new

stock post-disaster) is “What about inbreeding”?

There’s a lot of debate on the subject. Some would advocate keeping charts and

breeding records, and separating your small flock into even smaller flocks, but the

reality is that ducks have been inbreeding on homesteads all over this country and

others, for centuries. And there have been few, if any problems. This is where your

common sense comes in.

It’s going to be virtually impossible for you to control inbreeding. That’s because ducks

are polygamous. So just be on the alert for unusual occurrences, and be ready to cull.

For instance, if you have a duck that’s consistently laying strangely shaped eggs, it

would likely be advisable to consign her to the roasting pan. Any birds that appear to be

sickly or malformed should obviously be culled.

Generally speaking, though, you’re not likely to have problems. Ducks have been inbred

for so many generations across our land that many of the problems commonly

associated with inbreeding have, paradoxically enough, been bred out.

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Chapter 6

Reaping the Rewards

Now that you know about raising ducks, and how to get the most from your egg-laying

stock, you have to think about how to process and cook your meat birds. The procedure

is essentially the same as it is for any other type of poultry. Here’s what you’ll need:

• Sharp knives

• Hot, clean water

• Ax or hatchet

• Container to receive offal

• Large bowl or pot to receive the carcass

• Ice, cold water, or refrigerator for chilling

You’ll want to corral your ducks the night before butchering, and withhold food and

water. This clears out the digestive tract, so that feces doesn’t contaminate the meat.

For the newbie butcher, I would suggest that you catch your ducks the night before and

put them in a cage or stall with water but no food. This will help clear out the digestive

system so it is less likely that feces will leak out onto the meat.

Killing You can use several methods to kill your ducks. Of course, you want to do it as

humanely as possible. One popular method is to make an incision on each side of the

duck’s neck. This severs the main artery, and the bird bleeds to death quickly and

painlessly.

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You can also insert a sharp knife into the

mouth of the bird, directing it upward into

the brain. For a good, clean death every

time, though, decapitation is the best

method. Use a block of wood or a good,

solid stump. Stretch the duck’s neck out

across the block, and then swing hard and

fast with your hatchet or ax. It won’t be

pretty, but it will get the job done. It also

eliminates the need to hang the bird in

order for it to bleed out.

To make the process easier, you can use an old feedbag. Put the duck in the bag feet

first, and allow the head to poke out. Holding the duck’s neck firmly in the bag, swing

down with the ax or hatchet. If you’re new to this, you might not get it right on the first

try, but don’t panic. Swing again. You don’t want to cause undue suffering, so get it over

with as quickly and easily as you can.

Should you shoot your duck? No. Certainly it would be the most humane way of killing,

but you might need that ammunition for other purposes, so don’t waste it.

Butchering Once you’ve dispatched the duck, the rest is relatively easy. You’ll have to work quickly,

though. Make sure that your tools and your table are clean – the last thing you want to

have to deal with is food poisoning because of poor handling. If you get sick because

you didn’t butcher cleanly, you’re not going to be able to go to the emergency room to

get yourself fixed up.

Here’s what you do. First, make sure that the bird is done bleeding out. If you’ve

decapitated, this is a no-brainer – it’s done bleeding out when it stops flapping. If

children or other family members are hanging around while you’re killing the duck, by

the way, you might want to inform them that the flapping doesn’t mean much – the duck

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is already dead, and the flapping isn’t an indication of suffering. It’s simply a nerve

reaction.

Now, take the duck and put it on a table. Wash it off. Make sure to clean the feet

carefully, because you can bet that the duck has been wandering about in its own feces.

Press down on the duck’s abdomen, too, while you’re rinsing, in order to force out any

feces that might be in the digestive tract out through the vent.

Plucking You now have the choice of either skinning or

plucking your duck. Skinning is easier, but from a

survival point of view, we recommend plucking.

This is because if you skin, you’ll lose the valuable

duck fat that you might want to use for cooking

later on, or for other purposes like soap making.

Unless you’re butchering very old ducks (5 months or older), plucking shouldn’t be all

that difficult.

For plucking, you’re going to need hot water. Basically, you dunk the duck in scalding

water, and then pull out as many feathers as possible. You may need to dunk more than

once. You might have trouble with the downy feathers, but keep in mind that you’re not

butchering this duck for sale on the commercial market. If it’s good enough for you, then

it’s good enough.

When you leave the skin on the duck, you get juicier, more palatable meat, and also a

lot of wonderful run-off fat for other uses. Skinning will give you leaner meat, but you’ll

lose a lot. Plucking is overwhelmingly the better option from a survival standpoint.

Skinning If you do decide to skin, begin at the neck. Using a sharp knife, slip it under the skin at

the neck, where you removed the head. Lift the skin, and slice gently under until you

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reach the belly, working toward the tail. Pull the skin back as you work, and use your

knife to separate it from the meat. Work your way around the entire bird. You can feel

free to cut off the wings – there’s precious little meat there. You’ll probably find that the

legs are the toughest parts to skin.

Gutting Once you’ve plucked or skinned, it’s time to gut the duck. Using your knife, cut all the

way around the vent, being careful not to cut through the intestines. Begin on the belly,

between the vent and the rib cage. Make a shallow incision, and pull it open using your

fingers, pulling the meat away from the intestines. Then slip the knife into the incision,

and slice around the vent. Use your fingers to pinch the vent shut – you don’t want to

spill the intestinal contents onto the meat.

At the end of the intestines, you’ll find the gizzard. You’ll have to put your hand into the

body cavity in order to remove the gizzard, and if all goes well, you’ll also bring out the

gall bladder and the liver.

The gall bladder is attached to the liver. You can identify it by its green appearance.

You’ll want to take a bit of the liver out along with the gall bladder so that you don’t spill

bile onto the liver.

Now, find the crop, trachea and heart. The crop will usually pull easily away from the

liver, and you can pull it out via the neck cavity. The lungs are closely attached to the

ribs, and you might find that they’re more difficult to extract. You’ll have to wedge your

fingers in between the ribs and the lungs in order to pull them out.

You can eat the organs, but if you prefer not to, you can feed them back to your ducks.

Tenderizing Ideally, you’ll wash and chill the carcass as quickly as possible in order to inhibit the

growth of bacteria. You could cook your duck right away, but leaving it at least overnight

will give you far more tender meat. If you’re able to freeze your ducks, you can wrap

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and freeze them immediately. The meat will age in the freezer just as effectively as it

will anywhere else. Just make sure they’re securely wrapped in order to prevent freezer

burn.

Tips Make sure your knives are sharp before you start. Dull knives will make for a more time-

consuming and dangerous job. If you’re butchering multiple birds, take time in to

sharpen regularly.

Keep water handy to clean your hands and your butchering table.

Try to butcher on a cool day. It’s considerably less unpleasant if flies aren’t hanging

around.

Get help – if you can set up an assembly line, the job will go much faster. For that

matter, the more experience you get, the faster the whole process will go. The first time

chopping off a head and dunking the carcass in scalding water is time-consuming and

unpleasant. But it does get easier. You’re probably never going to feel good about it, but

it will get faster.

Now let’s talk about something more pleasant – cooking and eating your ducks!

Recipes If you’re looking online for recipes for duck, chances are that you’ll come upon

something like the following:

Put duck in oven. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Pour half a cup of butter over duck.

STOP. Right now, stop. We don’t know who makes up those recipes, but you know

what that’s going to get you? A roasting pan full of grease and a totally unpalatable bird.

You do not need to baste a duck. Quite the contrary – you’re going to have to pour off

the grease that will accrue during the roasting process.

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In fact, you can expect to fill a quart mason jar with fat from the roasting of a typical

duck. Here’s all you need to know to cook a perfect roast duck. Now, bear in mind,

we’re assuming that you have access to power, and an oven. If you don’t, then wrap

your duck in foil and put it at the outside edge of your cooking fire. The basic

instructions will remain the same.

Perfect Roast Duck Prick the duck all over with a fork. Rub it

with a bit of salt, and about a teaspoon of

black pepper. You can also use a couple of

teaspoons of paprika if you have it.

Just to interject, you know all that nonsense

about how you should throw your spices

out after three months because they will have lost flavor? It’s just that – nonsense. Don’t

think for one minute that when it all comes to an end, you’re going to be doomed to

bland food. The fact is that spices, properly stored in airtight containers, will probably

last longer than you and I will, with very little loss in quality.

Put the duck in a roasting pan or wrap it in foil and place it at the outer edges of your

fire. Cook for about two hours. Remove from the oven, or unwrap the foil every half hour

and pour off the fat. It’s done when you’re no longer pouring off more than a couple of

tablespoons of fat.

Pulled Duck with Sweet Chili Sauce This takes about five minutes to prepare, and about an hour and a half to cook. If you

like pulled pork, then you’ll find this very appealing.

Take two duck legs, and rub with half a teaspoon each of ground paprika and cumin.

Use salt and pepper as well if desired. Put the legs on a wire rack in your oven at 375

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degrees, and cook for about an hour. Or wrap in foil and place at the far edges of your

cooking fire. Then remove, and rub with bottled sweet chili sauce. Return to the oven or

the fire for about 20 minutes. Remove, and let cool. Pull apart with a fork and serve on

top of buns, pasta, or potatoes. If you have green onions, chop some up as a garnish.

Duck Breast with Sweet Potato Mash Boil or bake sweet potatoes until tender. Mash with butter. While the sweet potatoes are

being prepared, bake the duck breasts.

Score the skin on the duck breasts so that the fat will drain off, and season with salt and

pepper. Place duck breasts in a roasting pan, skin-side down, and roast in the oven until

the skin is crisp and golden. If you’re off-grid, you can use your barbecue or a cooking

fire with the breasts wrapped in aluminum foil. Make sure to poke the breasts all over

with a fork so that the fat will drain off. Turn regularly.

Garnish duck with chopped coriander or parsley if available, and serve with gravy and

green beans.

Duck Stew Take one whole duck. Cut it into eight pieces, and rub with salt and pepper. Dredge in

one cup of flour, and then brown in oil. Add two cups of chopped onions, one cup of

chopped celery, and one cup of chopped carrots. Add a tablespoon of tomato paste, or

two chopped tomatoes, along with a tablespoon of chopped garlic.

Add two cups of duck stock (see next recipe) and two cups of water. Add about four

potatoes, cut into quarter-inch cubes. Add three sprigs of fresh thyme (you do have an

herb garden, don’t you?). Bring to a boil, and then simmer, covered, for about three

hours, stirring occasionally, or until the meat can be easily forked away from the bones.

Eat!

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Duck Stock You can use duck stock in practically any recipe that would call for chicken or turkey

stock. Basically, you use the leftover bones from your meal. You only need a few

minutes to gather the ingredients, and then you go away for a few hours and let the

stock cook.

Take all your duck bones and scraps, including the skin and fat. If you have leftover

vegetables, gather them up too. Then throw them in a big pot, and add about six quarts

of water. Bring it to a boil. Reduce the temperature, and let it simmer for about three

hours.

Let it cool, and then strain the stock into a container. Cool it until the fat rises to the top.

Skim it off, and you’ve got your stock.

If you’ve noticed that there’s no salt or pepper in this recipe, that’s because everyone

has individual tastes. We think it’s better to have the seasonings added when the stock

is used in soup or for cooking. Basically, it give you a bit more freedom when you’re

cooking.

If you’re able to freeze this stock, it will hold up well. You can also can it if you like. Of

course, canning for survival is a whole other subject, and not within the scope of this

ebook, but you can find all kinds of resources online and in books that will help you with

preserving your duck stock.

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Conclusion

When recovering from a natural or economic disaster, food production is going to be

paramount. Obviously, you’re going to want to grow vegetables, stockpile canned

goods, and do everything else you possibly can in order to survive in difficult times.

One of the best things you can do is raise ducks. They’ll provide you with meat and

eggs with very little effort on your part, and unlike many livestock species, they’re not

vulnerable to the adverse effects of inbreeding. Get yourself some breeding stock and

get started now.

Once it all comes down, it’s too late. Do it now. Choose the breed that’s right for your

group and your situation, and start breeding and learning about basic animal husbandry.

Right now, you have time to learn and make mistakes, and move on. Later on, you

won’t have that luxury.

Start now. There’s a breed that’s just right for your needs, so buy your stock now, while

you can. In the face of a disaster, it’s going to be too late to pick and choose, to decide

between meat ducks and egg ducks or multi-purpose breeds. Simply stated, if you don’t

have your ducks in a row, you’re done.

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Resources

http://www.hgtvgardens.com/ducks-and-geese/raising-ducks-or-chickens

http://theduckfarm.co.za/how-healthy-is-duck-meat/

http://hubpages.com/hub/tidbitsabouteggs

http://www.inhousesustain.com/2014/08/01/benefits-of-raising-ducks/

http://www.diyseattle.com/animals/keeping-ducks-in-your-backyard/

http://www.grit.com/animals/duck-breeds-chicken-breeds-

ze0z1212zgar.aspx#axzz3FbUYwxtR

http://www.countryfarm-lifestyles.com/pekin-ducks.html#.VDW0G8t0xdg

http://www.burkesbackyard.com.au/fact-sheets/pets/pet-road-tests/birds/indian-runner-

duck/#.VDW0fst0xdg

http://keeping-ducks.bafree.net/keeping-ducks--the-mallard-breed.php

http://milkwood.net/2014/01/14/muscovy-ducks-a-great-homesteading-breed/

http://www.moosemanorfarms.com/about-ancona-ducks.html

http://beautyofbirds.com/magpieducks.html

http://www.metzerfarms.com/BuffDucks.cfm?Breed=Buff&BirdType=Duck&ID=B

https://www.purelypoultry.com/rouen-ducklings-p-623.html

http://www.homesteadingtoday.com/livestock-forums/poultry/479284-broody-duck-

breeds.html

http://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/agriculture/livestock/poultry/species/duck-raising/housing-

design

http://www.hgtvgardens.com/ducks-and-geese/a-guide-to-duck-houses

http://www.liveducks.com/duckcare.html

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http://www.callducks.net/ectop.htm

http://poultrykeeper.com/duck-keeping/worming-ducks

http://www.callducks.net/ducksail.htm

http://www.vivausa.org/campaigns/ducks/duckreport02.htm

http://forum.backyardpoultry.com/viewtopic.php?f=16&t=8025

https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=1006052219281

http://www.theselfsufficienthomeacre.com/2013/10/how-to-butcher-a-duck.html

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/roasted-duck/

http://www.gressinghamduck.co.uk/recipes/

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/duck-stew-recipe.html

http://jenncuisine.com/2009/06/homemade-duck-stock/