Q's & A's On Raising
Ducks, Geese & Swans
From The Editorial Staff Of
The Game Bird Gazette Magazine
Friday, July 3, 2009
In the upcoming edition of the Game Bird Gazette you'll find great information and pictures on selecting birds for breeding, setting up pens and ponds, feeding, housing, incubation, hatching, brooding ducklings, etc. In the magazine classified ad section, there are also many captive bred ducks, geese, and swans for sale from many reputable and reliable waterfowl breeders. You can subscribe at a special discount using our fast and secure subscription order form or at the GAMEBIRD.com Shopping Center where you'll also find great books, prints, and other products at discounted prices!
Q. "I have been marvelling at the fantastic pictures of the Mandarin Duck and Wood Duck on the covers of the Game Bird Gazette magazine. This are such beautiful ducks! Are these ducks expensive an
d are they suitable for someone just getting started raising ducks? Also, where do I get feed for ducks?"
A. The Wood Duck and Mandarin are considered easy to keep and breed and are often recommended for beginners. A small fenced in area with a small pond will usually do nicely. You can feed them a game bird maintenance feed, mixed grains from a feed store, and most ducks love lettuce trimmings or other greens that you can often get free from your friendly grocery store produce department!
A high quality diet specially made for waterfowl can help ensure good health and breeding success with your ducks.
Mazuri Waterfowl Diets by Purina Mills Inc. are made specifically for waterfowl (ducks, geese and swans) and seems to be the 
most popular feed among those breeding and raising ducks, geese and swans. You can find the nearest Mazuri dealer by phoning 800-227-8941
. Waterfowl also enjoy eating mixed grains such as cracked corn and wheat and lettuce or other produce trimmings when available. There is an article on raising Mandarins in a small aviary in the upcoming edition of the Game Bird Gazette that will be published soon.--by D.H.
Q. As a wildlife biologist who may become involved in a research project where ducks would need to be caught and handled, can you tell me what the safest way is to hold a duck? I thought that people like you who are raising ducks would know best how to handle them.
A. This is an excellent question and one that is seldom covered in books.
You will find information in the Game Bird Gazette magazine. You want to catch your ducks, geese, and swans with great care and, if a net is necessary, use a soft fish net that is sufficiently large to catch the bird or use help herd a bird or group of birds from one pen to another.
A safe and effective way to hold a duck is shown in the photo at right. This is a young golden-eye duck and the picture on the left is a researcher holding a hottentot teal and two of its eggs. If the duck to be caught is in a pen or enclosure, catch it with a soft fish net or other means and then move the "v" between your thumb and index finger up under the wings and hold firmly at the base of the wings. Because wings are used for flight, they are generally quite strong and can easily support the weight of the bird. Never grab a duck by its legs as this can cause serious injury.
Q. A teacher in Seattle, Washington writes: "During a recent classroom discussion, it was brought up by one of the students that there is a special name for baby swans. Can you tell us what this is? Also, we are exploring the possibility of raising baby ducks as a classroom project next spring. What are baby ducks called?
A. Young swans are called cygnets in all countries, a name that is derived from the Latin cy
gnus (3 day old Blacknecked-swan cygnet shown in picture at the top right of this page). We were also recently asked by a reader in England what what to call a group of white Swans in his country.
A wild flock of swans is called a "herd," while a flock that is resident in an area is referred to as a "fleet." Mutes in a colony are a "swannery." And, incidentally, a person in England (particularly with Royal affiliation) who watches over swans is called a "swan herd." I doubt most private swan breeders consider themselves "Swan herds"!… ha, ha.
There is some great information on breeding and raising swans in the next issue of the Game Bird Gazette magazine. As to your question on baby ducks, they 
are called ducklings in the early days after hatching.--by BL
Q. "I have just recently subscribed to your magazine and I am fascinated by all the different ducks and gamebirds that are available to keep and breed. The information and pictures are extremely informative. I plan to start raising ducks this year. Can you tell me how most breeders of ducks deliver what they raise to their customers?
A. Most people who are raising ducks, geese and swans ship them out using the United States Postal Service express mail service. This is a very convenient and reliable thransport service. Adult ducks, geese and swans are all accepted by the post office and are specifically listed as mailable under the rules of the Domestic Mail Manual (DMM 3.3 Adult Fowl). Other types of birds that the post office specifically names as mailable include pheasants, quail, partridges, guineas, pigeons and doves. You can talk with your local post office about how it works. Be sure to ask them to look it up in the DMM.
Q. I heard that it takes a lot of space and water area to keep swans. What about this?
A. That is a subject on which you'll find lots of information in the next issue of the Gazette magazine. There are many swan breeders and zoos who do well keeping and breeding some of the swan species in smaller areas. This is especially the case with the smaller species like the Black Swans, Black-necked and Coscoroba swans. Of course, larger ponds such as in the picture at right are always nice!
Q. Can you provide some information on permanently clipping ducks?
A. Please see our page on pinioning ducks.
Raising Ducks Geese & Swans page 2