Duck Keeping

Choosing and Keeping Ducks and Geese provides a comprehensive overview of care and feeding requirements and all necessary equipment for keeping these popular and easy-to-maintain animals as pets. The all-inclusive guide provides extensive identification sections of 26 duck and 13 goose breeds and outlines how to incubate, hatch, and care for new ducklings and goslings. The author, an expert on ducks and geese, explains how to enter your purebred pet into a show, how to prepare the animal for competition, and identifies some of the standards that judges may be looking for when examining these beautiful birds. The eye-catching photography provides an up-close look at these lively animals throughout the text.

"A Guide to Keeping Ducks" contains information on the methods and equipment of the poultry farmer. It is intended to illustrate the main aspects of duck breeding and serves as a guide for anyone wishing to obtain a general knowledge of the subject. Highly recommended for modern readers with a practical interest in poultry keeping for pleasure or for profit. Contents include: “Domestic Geese And Ducks - Paul Ives”, “The Aylesbury Duck”, “Ducks And Duck Breeding - Charles Roscoe”, “Feeding For Egg Production”, “Ducks Breeding Rearing And Management - Reginald Appleyard”, “Housing Adult Stock”, “Ducks Geese And Turkeys - L C Turnill”, “Housing The Duck”, “Natural And Artificial Duck Culture - James Rankin”, etc. Many vintage books such as this are increasingly scarce and expensive. It is with this in mind that we are republishing this volume now in an affordable, modern, high-quality edition complete with a specially-commissioned new introduction on poultry farming.

Full of information and practical advice, this book is suitable for those thinking about keeping ducks and geese, those who have recently become duck and goose keepers and want to learn more, and for the more experienced keeper. With over 290 photographs, this book provides everything you need to know, including: legal requirements; land, fencing, housing, equipment and security. There is a comprehensive list, with accompanying photographs, of over eighty duck and goose breeds. Information is available to help decide what breeds will suit you best and acquiring your first birds. Further topics covered include: feeding and nutrition; health and welfare; breeding and rearing; raising for meat, slaughter, plucking and preparation for cooking, plus recipes.

Keeping ducks and geese can be a fascinating hobby for the whole family. From producing eggs for food and painting, quills for writing, birds for exhibition or even eating, ducks and geese can add a new dimension to the garden or smallholding. They make wonderful pets: geese act as guard dogs and ducks are a gardener's best friend, keeping the pond free of weeds and rescuing crops from a slimy slug massacre. With detailed information on 40 of the most popular breeds, Keeping Ducks and Geese shows how to select the right breed for you, what you need to get started and how to care for your birds so that you get the best out of them from the outset. A lavish lifestyle section provides recipes for using the rich eggs, family activities, duck and goose folklore, and much more.