Raising Ducks for Meat and Eggs

If you've raised chickens, you can raise ducks. And you might want to try it! We've talked about niche products as a good way for a small farm to make a business, and duck eggs and meat seem to be a new niche that is taking off rapidly.

Duck eggs are becoming more popular for a few reasons. First, there is more awareness now of duck eggs as an alternative to chicken eggs for those who are allergic. The same is true of duck meat.

Also, chefs and foodies have become more aware of the benefits of duck eggs for cooking. Their yolks are about twice the size of chicken eggs and the egg itself is larger than a chicken egg. The taste is richer and more intense, making them particularly delicious for pasta, mayo, or to serve soft-boiled. They also make baked goods richer and more moist and work particularly well in gluten-free baked goods.

Nutritionally, duck eggs pack more of a punch. Besides being a good choice for those allergic to chicken eggs (which is common), they have higher concentrations of vitamins and minerals, more protein, more fat and more cholesterol (not necessarily a bad thing).

Finally, duck eggs are used in traditional Asian cooking. An enterprising small farmer could sell directly to Asian grocery stores and restaurants.

Duck meat tastes richer than chicken, yet the white meat is slightly less calorie-dense and lower-fat.

While duck eggs and meat may never catch up to chicken, it does seem like the demand is increasing every year. Niche products can be really important for the bottom line of a small farm, and can enhance a homestead or hobby farm as well.

So consider raising ducks alongside your chickens. Ducks do, of course, need access to plenty of fresh water to swim in - a small wading pool will do, you don't need a pond. They do very well being raised on pasture. They also help with pest control, eating snails and slugs.

Just like chickens, there are heritage breeds as well as those that excel more at laying eggs, and others more suited for meat. Heritage breeds typically are dual-purpose, doing a pretty good job at both eggs and meat.

Ducks are hardier than chickens, too: they are more resistant to disease in general, although more prone to leg problems. They are also easier to handle and herd compared to chickens (ever tried to corral a flock of chickens into a coop at night? it's much easier with ducks). Ducks are rarely aggressive and they have easy-going, sunny personalities.

Here's another thing to know about ducks: all that water does not only muddy the ground around their pool, but their poop is moist, smelly and profuse.

Still, it seems like raising ducks is well worth a try for a small farmer already invested in poultry.