Supply list for ducklings: raising backyard ducks

Thinking about raising backyard ducks, but not sure which supplies you need? I’m sharing our supply list for ducklings in this post.

Raising backyard ducks

If you’ve been following along on Instagram stories, then it’s no surprise that our experience with raising backyard ducks has been hilariously crazy. Although we weren’t quite prepared for the insanity that inevitably accompanies raising ducks, these silly birds bring a smile to our faces each and every morning. I can barely contain my excitement for the day when we can add duck eggs to our egg basket!

Perhaps the duck insanity has started wearing off on Ben and I, because we will officially be welcoming another 6 ducklings to our homestead within the next few days. Now that this will be our second time raising backyard ducks, I’m hopeful that we have learned from our mistakes and that all six of our ducklings will be happy and healthy. Oh, and inane. Because there’s no stopping the duck insanity 😉

Of course, if you live in a neighborhood setting, be sure to check specific regulations within your town to determine whether or not raising backyard ducklings is allowed.

Supply list for ducklings

Start on the right foot by preparing your supply list for ducklings ahead of time. The items below will get you started with raising backyard ducks.

• Brooder Box (You can use a large plastic storage container for the first week or so. If you have raised baby chicks before, then I HIGHLY recommend using a significantly larger brooder box than you would normally use for chicks. Not only are ducklings MUCH messier, but they grow much faster as well. You can find brooder box ideas here, but remember SIZE UP!)
• Heating Plate Kit (FYI – ducklings have different heat requirements than chicks)
• Feeder (this is not the exact one that we have, but should work similarly)
• Waterer (baby ducklings should not submerge their bodies in water until they can regulate their body temperature, but they also need to have the ability to dip their heads to wash their bills and eyes. This can be tricky – your ducklings will make a water party out of everything!)
• Electrolytes
• Probiotics
• Chick Starter Crumbles
• Chick Grit
• Coop Refresher
• Bedding – This might be the most important point in my supply list for ducklings! DO NOT use fine pine shavings. Ducklings will attempt to eat the fine pine shavings, which will ultimately suffocate and kill them. Use straw or large pine shavings instead.

Adult ducks + duck house set up

If you already raise chickens, then it’s important to keep in mind that ducks require different housing needs than chickens. While chickens like to be high up and roost on roosting bars, ducks prefer to stay low to the ground. We briefly considered housing our ducks and chickens together in the chicken coop with the chickens roosting and the ducks staying on the ground. However, we quickly realized that with our current chicken coop set up, the chickens were merely going to poop on the ducks all night long, which clearly wouldn’t work.

Rather than housing the chickens and ducks together, we decided to convert an old building on our property into the duck house. In addition to the supply list for raising ducklings above, you’ll also want to have the following supplies on hand for raising backyard ducks.

Supply list

• Feeder
• Waterer: Ducks love water, which means they create a ridiculous amount of mess and mud. In an effort to reduce mess while also keeping our ducks healthy and happy, we’ve tried a few different water options. We have a baby pool filled with water in addition to this waterer as well. At this age, they can safely swim.
• Layer feed, grit, & treats
• Clean bedding
• Weather protection
• Nesting boxes (Our ducks have not started laying eggs yet; however, I’ve heard that ducks generally do not use nesting boxes. I’m hopeful that we can train our ducks to use the nesting boxes, but ducks are insane so only time will tell! We use these nesting boxes for our chickens)
• Egg basket (and this one if you’re overflowing with eggs!)
• Poultry Drench
• Ducks are prone to niacin deficiency, so it’s a good idea to supplement.

Would you add any items to my supply list for ducklings? Do you have any other tips for raising backyard ducks?