We love our ducks and geese! Whether you've raised other birds, such as chickens, or are totally new to poultry, we think waterfowl are great, and worth considering for your homestead, too. They produce wonderful meat, eggs, and down. As a bonus, they're just plain fun. In this episode, we cover why you might want waterfowl, what it takes to get started raising ducks or geese, and other helpful considerations for selecting your birds.

In this episode we mentioned several items you might need to get started raising birds. The list isn't exhaustive. Most notably, we didn't include things like a Rubbermaid bin, as those are easily found at local stores, and people generally know what we're talking about. A large bin should last you a couple of weeks. As the birds grow, you will want to move them to a bigger enclosure. You might be able to find the rest of these items for better prices at your local farm store, but we'll put links here for your convenience if you want to order them from Amazon.

Heat lamp with bulb guard125W heat lamp bulbs (go with incandescent, avoid infrared)WatererFeederNon-medicated Chick/Duck starter (see paragraph below)Brooder thermometer/hygrometer (if hatching eggs)Incubator such as the HovaBator 1588 combo kit w/ egg turner and candler, if hatching eggs (also available standalone without turner/candler)

We somehow forgot to mention feed in the episode. For starting your ducklings/goslings you are going to want chick starter crumble. This is available at almost any farm or feed store. It's very important you do not get medicated feed for your baby waterfowl. Medicated feed is fine for chickens, but it can harm ducks and geese. There are a variety of brand options out there from pretty basic to specialty (e.g. organic) feeds. We've used Purina Start and Grow, Manna Pro Chick Starter, and Nutrena Naturewise Chick Starter. They all come in a non-medicated version, and have similar protein and nutrient formulations, which are ideal for young birds. You can find feed online, but it's often much more expensive than buying it locally (so we recommend looking nearby first).

If you want additional information about how to raise poultry, we highly recommend Storey's Guide to Raising Poultry and The Backyard Homesteade Guide to Raising Farm Animals. You can't go wrong with either of these books. They are both packed with useful information.

Drink of the episode: Shiner Holiday Cheer. A seasonal brew from Shiner Brewery in Shiner, TX, this beer has dark flavors offset by the sweetness of Texas peaches. It's quite delicious!

Day old ducksDucklings and goslings in a brooder boxOur larger brooder setupBella and Shadow are intrigued by baby Jasper the gooseOwen with a young Jasper the gooseBirdie bath timeA large double yoke duck eggA candled egg showing a growing duckOne of our two waterfowl housesFlock on a walkPools in the yard