Brood Rearing - Annual Life Cycle

Taking Care of the Ducklings

The more time a hen spends taking care of young ducklings, the less time she has to take care of herself. This precious balance must be met to maximize both the hen's and ducklings' chances of survival. To keep ducklings healthy a hen must brood or keep ducklings warm until they can do it themselves, help ducklings find a good source of food, ensure family bonding as a unit and finally, guide young ducks during migration and help them locate staging and wintering habitat.

The most important time in a duckling's life is the first two weeks of life. This is when the hen must put forth the most energy to keep her ducklings together and safe. A hen's chance of suffering from death increases when she is defending her ducklings.

Return to Waterfowl Lifecycle