The life span of a duck is five to ten years on average, but if they are well taken care of, they can live up to twenty years.
Part of a duck’s life span is determined by its genes. But there are many things that humans can control that can affect how long they live. This has to do with nutrition, housing, health and well-being, and the environment.
You may also want to read about the best duck food.
Life span of a duck
This article will be about the mallard, which is the most common type of duck in the United States. You can find the mallard on almost every flight path. They are common in the lower Mississippi River basin and along the Gulf Coast, but some stay as far north as the water will let them.
In the wild, a mallard duck will live for between five and ten years. They can live as long as Pekins and Calls if they are well taken care of and live on a good homestead.
Life span of a duck: Domestic Duck
A domestic duck usually lives for 10 years or less. In general, ducks with bigger bodies live the shortest lives. Mallard ducks are raised in farms just like most other farm animals. Most of the time, it is raised for meat or eggs. This makes a duck that is bigger, heavier, and lays more eggs than wild breeds. Because ducks raised in farms can’t fly, their wings tend to be shorter than those of wild ducks.
The mallard is a common type of farm duck. It is thought that this duck was tamed from a wild mallard strain in South Asia. Still, they can go into rice paddy areas to eat bugs that hurt crops.
How long do wild Mallards live?
The life span of a wild mallard is between five and ten years. Domesticated mallards are bigger and fatter than wild mallards, but they can live longer if they don’t get eaten by predators. More than half of mallard ducks will be eaten by predators in their first year of life. These include the American crow, the mink, the fox, the coyote, the raccoon, the squirrel, and the snapping turtle.
Life span of a duck: Pet Ducks
Pet ducks can sometimes live past the age of 20 if they are well taken care of.
People often raise ducks as pets, especially ducklings for celebrations and holidays. Most of the time, these ducks don’t get the care they need and either die of neglect or are killed or turned away as adults.
Domestic ducks that are released into the wild face many big problems, such as starvation and malnutrition. Park visitors who feed them bread and crackers can also teach them the wrong way to find food, which can quickly make their health worse. Ducks need protein and plants, not simple sugars.
A pet duck that is well taken care of can live for ten years or more. There are reports of ducks kept as pets living into their twenties. Ernie, who is 21, and Edwina, who is 22, are both from the UK. At 26 years and 4 months, a male Mallard duck holds the world record for being the oldest duck.
A duck kept as a pet or at home is healthy if:
Clean water and healthy food
For food, ducks need a lot of greens. Ducks will eat weeds and keep the grass short if you let them roam around your backyard or a similar area. This makes sure they have enough energy and nutrients. If you have clean vegetable peels, this can be a good way to use them. Grit also helps ducks digest food they’ve eaten elsewhere, which helps them live longer.
Last, make sure your ducks have plenty of clean water. Anyone who has ducks knows that they love to swim and play in water. If you only put out one bowl of water at a time, you will have to refill it often. At least twice a day, give your ducks fresh water in a container that is deep enough for their heads to go under.
Proper Shelter
As important as giving ducks food is making sure they have a good place to sleep and hide. Ducks are easy to care for compared to other birds, but depending on where you live and the weather, you may need to give your flock a place to live.
Ducks don’t require much. Their home could be a wooden box that is 3 feet high or an old doghouse with 4 square feet of floor space for each duck. A nest should be in a warm corner of the house with a pile of straw.
