Those of us who raise small livestock know Spring is not just a time for planting seeds and prepping gardens. It's also a time for spring chicks!

I've been raising chickens for years now. They're really easy to care for and require just minutes a day. I raise Aracuna chickens that lay beautiful pink and blue and green eggs. They also help me in my garden with fertilizer and help me manage my kitchen waste by consuming much of what I can’t compost. All in all, they are a great addition to my urban farm. But baby chickens aren't the only poultry I've raised.

Every so often I raise ducklings. My first experience was raising Muscovy ducks for meat. The birds were ultimately delicious, but quite messy. Last year I started the growing season with a family of 6 Mallard ducklings.

Every so often I raise ducklings. My first experience was raising Muscovy ducks for meat. The birds were ultimately delicious, but quite messy. Last year I started the growing season with a family of 6 Mallard ducklings.

Ducklings grow faster and larger than chickens, but under similar conditions. One way you can raise ducklings is by purchasing the eggs incubating them and hatching them yourself. Since they won’t have a mother, you want your eggs to hatch under a heat lamp. One 250 watt lamp will incubate up to 30 newborn ducklings. It may take a few trys for you to successfully incubate the eggs so instead you can purchase day old ducks as well. As they grow they will need at least 1-2 square feet of floor space until they're big enough to live outdoors safely. Any shed or barn area will do for raising your baby ducklings, They'll still need a heat source. Keep a layer of hay or other litter material like wood shavings on the ground. As they grow, watch your ducklings' behavior for signs of discomfort, such as piling under the light if they're too cold or running from it if its too warm and adjust accordingly.

As they grow, ducks can begin to venture outside. They are low maintenance require shelter, fresh water, and food once per day. They gain weight rapidly, and they get most of their diet from foraging. They’ll need plenty of room to roam around, they are birds of flight, so ducks are a great idea if you have a large piece of land. If they imprint on you and go south for the winter, they may come back and have their babies at your home for generations.

There are great books on raising ducks. One book that I found especially helpful was Raising the Home Duck Flock.

If you’d like to see more videos visit my Backyard Livestock on GardenGirlTV