How to Start Raising Ducklings and Goslings in Your Backyard

1 / 2
If you are an urban or suburban homesteader new to animal raising, “The Backyard Homestead Guide to Raising Farm Animals,” edited by Gail Damerow, is the book you need. This compendium of information is the perfect introduction to raising chickens, ducks, geese, turkeys, rabbits, goats, sheep, cattle, pigs, and honey bees — all of which are suitable for small-scale backyard food production.
If you are an urban or suburban homesteader new to animal raising, “The Backyard Homestead Guide to Raising Farm Animals,” edited by Gail Damerow, is the book you need. This compendium of information is the perfect introduction to raising chickens, ducks, geese, turkeys, rabbits, goats, sheep, cattle, pigs, and honey bees — all of which are suitable for small-scale backyard food production.
2 / 2
A brooder box has a warming light, good ventilation, clean litter, and plenty of food and water.
A brooder box has a warming light, good ventilation, clean litter, and plenty of food and water.

Geese make terrific watch birds, and both geese and ducks make excellent sausages and roasting birds. Plus, they’re incredibly easy keepers — the easiest of all poultry to raise. In The Backyard Homestead Guide to Raising Farm Animals (Storey Publishing, 2011), editor Gail Damerow shows you how to select the right breeds for the space and resources you have available, feed and house the birds, and know when it’s time to call the butcher. The following text comes from “Chapter 3: Ducks and Geese,” and will teach you how to start raising ducklings and goslings in your backyard.

You can purchase this book from the MOTHER EARTH NEWS store:The Backyard Homestead Guide to Raising Farm Animals.

Keeping ducks and geese is a relatively simple proposition. They require little by way of housing; in a temperate climate, a fence to protect them from wildlife and marauding neighborhood pets and to keep them from waddling far afield will suffice. They prefer to forage for much of their own food. They are resistant to parasites and diseases. In short, they are the easiest to raise of all domestic poultry.

So why doesn’t everyone have waterfowl? Well, for one thing, they like to have at least a small pond to splash in to help them stay clean. Their quacking and honking can get annoying, especially to neighbors. And, while ducks are basically gentle, geese can be decidedly aggressive. But any downside becomes irrelevant if your purpose is to raise a few ducks or geese for roasting or sausage making. Besides, many keepers of ducks or geese enjoy listening to the sounds their birds make, and aggressive geese make terrific watch birds.

Raising Ducklings and Goslings

  • Published on May 30, 2013
Comments (0) Join others in the discussion!
    Online Store Logo
    Need Help? Call 1-800-234-3368