Hi, I have been really researching and am interested in getting ducks in my brood. The only problem is I’d have to buy eggs and hatch them myself. That will mean it will be well into the cold months before the ducks are even old enough to be outside for a long period of time.
The deep winters here in the great plains/midwest are some of the coldest around. Should I wait until spring to get ducks that way they will have a chance at getting a little fat on them before winter sets in?
Yes, you definitely want to get the young ones fully feathered and grown before winter. Although ducks are extremely apt at dealing with the cold, they need a layer of body fat and feather-down to deal with freezing temperatures. If you raise them too late in the season, you might risk weaker ducks and a disruption to the egg-laying cycle (if you are raising them for eggs.)
The experience at the Urban Homestead is that ducklings raised during the warmer months to feather out fully in the sunshine has created healthier and stronger ducks.
I hope this has provided the answer to your question. Let me know if you need anything further.
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