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Paperback Ducks: Tending a Small Scale Flock for Pleasure and Profit Book

ISBN: 1933958162

ISBN13: 9781933958163

Ducks: Tending a Small Scale Flock for Pleasure and Profit

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Format: Paperback

Condition: Very Good

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Book Overview

Written by hobby farmer Cherie Langlois from Washington state, Ducks is a fantastic overview of these entertaining and adaptable waterfowl. The author begins by asking "What do these water-crazy birds have that make them as much an asset to farms as landlubbing poultry?" She provides many answers that defend the virtues and versatility of ducks and argues that the duck is superior to the ubiquitous chicken in many ways. As a zoologist, Langlois has a gift for elucidating the details of the waterfowl's anatomy, traits and behavior, all revealed in the first chapter "Meet the Duck." She proceeds by leading readers through the process of choosing the right ducks for their hobby farm, considering the various domestic breeds (from bantams to heavyweights) as well as the sex of the birds and number of birds/breeds ideal for beginning a hobby-farm flock.

The book offers advice on housing these very adaptable birds that thrive in various climates and regions throughout the world: space requirements, ventilation, flooring, feeders, and fencing. Naturally, ducks need water to thrive in the form of an existing lake, a manmade pond or simple duck pools, all discussed in the housing chapter. "The Duck Diet" chapter discusses the nutritional needs of the flock and various feeding options farmers and ranchers can consider. Seasoned duck aficionados interested in getting into the business of ducklings will find much information in the breeding chapter, which catalogs methods for hatching, incubators, mama duck and baby care, and more. The health of livestock is always a major consideration for the hobby farmer, and the chapter "Flock Health and Handling" offers a mini course in disease prevention, proper hygiene, recognizing symptoms of illnesses, and dealing with common maladies.

The advantages of duck farming--the superior quality of duck eggs, down, and meat--are the focal point of the final chapter "Harvesting the Rewards," likely the first chapter the dubious duck farmer will read prior to taking the dive into ducks. The book concludes with appendices of endangered duck breeds and duck diseases, resources, a glossary of terms, and a complete index.

Customer Reviews

2 ratings

The A-Z book on raising and keeping ducks

I found this book to be incredibly informative on making first of all an educated decision on if I should have ducks on my property, to how to know what kind would be apropriate for what I would like to do with them and then making sure I have created the correct environment for my ducks. I appreciated Cherie Langlois, the authors personal touch and humor throughout the book having raised many ducks of her own. The "Advice from the farm" was very interesting and helpful and I enjoyed the details for example nutritional facts, endangered ducks and first aid disease control. The book was very well researched and will make a great reference for years to come.

'THE' How-to Duck book for Novices....

This is the duck How-to book that I'd recommend to any novice. Especially, for anyone who wants Ducks for pets. It covers the basics well. Having never raised ducks before, this was just the book I was looking for. The author Cherie Langlois, writes in a humorous and easy to read fashion. In this book she covers duck personality, choosing the right ducks, housing, dietary needs, breeding, duckling care, flock health, harvesting your duck eggs, endangered duck breeds and duck diseases. There is also a well researched duck resource directory and a nice glossary of duck jargon. This book is put together on glossy, flexible and thick paperstock. It will easily suvive repeated reading or referencing. It has a multitude of color photographs throughout too. The few things I would've liked to see in this book were more about pond building and perhaps photo's of all the different breeds. Tho, I know that this information would constitute another whole book! If you also want information on detailed pond building or more information on the individual duck breeds- I'd buy this book along with 'Duck & Geese for Beginners' by Rick Luttmann (has detailed pond building info), and perhaps a copy of Carol Ekarius' 'Storey's Illustrated Poultry Breeds' book. This book along with the aforementioned would complete your duck for pets reference library. If you want to take your passion for ducks further (ie professional breeding or showing), you will want to pair this with the 'Storey's Guide to Raising Ducks' by Dave Holderread. Highly recommend this one!
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