Domestic Duck can be kept as Pet at Garden or Backyard

Domestic Ducks are generally produced for getting meat and eggs. Many duck breeds are kept as pets, for shows, or used for adornment purposes. Nearly all types of domestic ducks (excluding Muscovy ducks) are descendants of the mallard.

Domestication

The ‘Mallard ducks’ were initially tamed in Southeast Asia about 4000 years ago, and these ducks were also farmed by “Romans” in Europe, and “Malays” in Asia. In ancient Egypt, the ducks were kept in the nets and formerly bred in captivity.

Almost all types of domestic-ducks excluding “Muscovy” were bred through the ‘Mallard’. The housebreaking has greatly changed their physiognomies. The domestic-ducks are generally bigamous, whereas, the wild-mallards are mostly monogamous. The domestic-ducks have lost the territorial behavior like as mallards and also they found to be less aggressive than mallards. In spite of these variances, domestic-ducks often mate with wild mallard, producing fully fertile hybrid descendants.

Pets and Ornamental

The domestic ducks can be retained as house pets in the garden or backyard. These ducks usually remain with a pond or deep-water bowl. If they are allowed to remain with a pond, they experiment in the mud, searching out and eating wildlife and frog brood. They can swallow matured frogs up to the size of commonly found frog “Rana Temporaria” because they have been produced bigger than the wild ducks.

The ducks are also kept as pets due to their decorative and attractive nature. Some duck breeds have also been produced with crests, tufts, or striking plumage for participation in competition shows.

Domestic Duck As food

From the ancient times, ducks are being eaten as food. Generally, breast and thigh meat is only eaten. Before preparation for the meat, these ducks not to be hanged. They are usually cooked or roasted and occasionally spiced with bitter orange. In Beijing (China), Peking duck is a famous dish of roast-duck which is being prepared since ancient times. It is now usually served with “spring pancakes”, “spring onions” and “sweet bean sauce”.

Ducks Farming

Farming of ducks was started thousands of years ago. In the western countries, ducks are not as more common as chickens because the meat of chickens is whiter, easier to keep confined, and cheaper than duck’s meat. However, the duck’s meat is more expensive. Although very common in haute cuisine, the ducks seem less frequently in the food industry and restaurants at a lower price. These ducks are more common in China and they are produced widely.

The ducks are raised for their meat and eggs. A limited number of ducks are kept for “foie gras” production. While slaughtering these ducks, their blood is collected to use in many cultures' dishes in some areas. The colors of eggs are blue-green to white depending on the duck breeds.

Foods and Habitats

Domestic ducks can be kept in open surroundings, in the cage or in sheds. They enjoy more while swimming in water. Domestic ducks can be fed on grains or they like insects as their diet. It is a common misconception about ducks that they should be fed on bread. The bread has partial nutritious value and it can be harmful to grow baby ducks. The ducks must be checked regularly because of they often prone to avian influenza which caused by the H5N1 strain.

Ducks Breeding

Some female ducks do not sit on their eggs for raising babies. Therefore, their eggs are put under broody hens for hatching. This practice is to continue from centuries but now incubator has replaced this exercise. Though, young ducklings rely on their mothers for getting preen-oil to make their body waterproof, however, the chicken hens do not make as much preen-oil as a female duck while the incubator produces nothing. Once the baby ducks grow their feathers, they produce preen-oil from “sebaceous gland” which found from the base of their tails.