Duck Farming

Duck farming is carried on as a sideline on many farms in the United States. Over 15,000,000 ducks are raised each year. Duck farming has been important as a principal activity of farmers on Long Island and in a few other places in the United States. Long Island supplies the country with a large percentage of the market each year. Most of these ducks are raised in a 15-square mile area near the eastern tip of the Island. Many ducks from large commercial farms are sold when they are about 12 weeks old. They are called green ducks. Others are not sold until the fall. The care of ducks is much the same as that of chickens. Duck raisers usually obtain the ducklings from a commercial hatchery, but they may be hatched by a duck or a hen. When hatched by a hen, their first swim is a nerve-racking experience for the foster mother. This type of bird does indeed have a wide verity of uses for hunters and everyone else.