How And Where To Buy Baby Ducks

It’s time to figure out where to buy baby ducks. You’ve done all your research, have your brooder & coop set up, but how do you find your ducklings?

Finding ducklings is not as difficult as you may think. While you may have never noticed them before, there are probably ducklings available for sale somewhere near you. If not, the internet will solve that problem for you!

If you are in the county, you will have more choices, but if you live in the suburbs or the city you can still find ducklings. (check the local ordinances to make sure it is legal for you to own them.)

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Table of Contents

Where To Buy Ducklings

Finding ducklings to start or expand your flock is not as difficult as you may think.

Buy Baby Ducks From Local Farms

Checking with your farm friends or a 4H group is one way to find a local farm or individual who raises ducklings. You could also check the livestock section of your county or state fair.

Local farms can also be found on Craigslist or local Facebook groups.

Pick Up From Feed Stores

Many livestock feed stores sell ducklings in the spring and early summer. Check with them as to when they will get their shipments in. Also, some small feed stores will allow farmers to post what they have to sell.

Order Baby Ducks Online.

One of the best ways to buy baby ducks is to order live day-old ducklings online and have them shipped to your local post office. You will be required to pick them up at a specific time at the post office closest to your address.

There is typically a minimum order for ducklings when you order online. There are many hatcheries and each may have its own specialty. My favorite hatchery is Cackle Hatchery.

Where do you buy baby ducks if you are not in the US? Search the internet for “duckling hatcheries in (your country)”. That should give you several options.

Why Order Ducklings from a Hatchery?

The biggest reason to buy baby ducks from a hatchery is selection. When you get ducklings from a local feed store, you likely will only get one choice of breed. If that’s the breed you want then great, but if it isn’t, a hatchery may be just what you need.

It’s also easy. Day-old ducklings will be shipped right to your local post office.

Related>> Cackle Hatchery

How Can Newly Hatched Ducklings Be Mailed?

Ordering live poultry online can seem scary, but believe me, it is quite safe.

Chicks have been shipping by mail delivery since 1892!

Millions of chicks and ducklings are delivered through the United States Postal Service every year. Over the years they have perfected how to ship live birds and have a very good rate of success.

This can be accomplished because of how those amazing birds are made. Duck and chicken eggs contain yolks that provide nutrients for the baby birds until they hatch. When they hatch, the babies absorb the last of the egg yolk which will sustain them for the first few days.

That makes it easy to ship poultry through the mail because they don’t need food and water for about 3 days after hatching.

This makes it so the baby duck has enough energy to sustain it long enough for it to get to you before they need to have additional food.

As long as they are mailed right after they are hatched, they can survive the 72 hours or less, that their trip will take.

Don’t Ducklings Need To Be Kept Warm?

When you buy baby ducks from a hatchery, like Cackle Hatchery, they make their journey to you in a cardboard box with air holes that are specially designed to best protect their live cargo.

Hatcheries modify their packaging according to the season.

If you order in the colder months, your minimum order is likely going to be higher so the baby ducks can huddle together for warmth. They will also be shipped out with a long lasting heating element in the box, extra straw, or extra thick cardboard walls. And If the weather is too cold, the shipment will be delayed.

In the summer months, the ducklings will likely arrive in a box with a lot more air holes, less packing materials, and with lower minimum bird order requirements.

The vast majority of mail-order ducklings reach their destinations amazingly without incident.

Minimum Shipping Quantity

Even if it is in the warmer season, you will have a minimum quantity that you need to order.

Ducks are a herd (flock) animal and need companions to be happy and healthy. So, no hatchery will allow you to order just one. Three or more will usually be the minimum in the summer. (Of course, each hatchery has its own rules.)

What Is The Best Time To Order Ducklings?

Most hatcheries ship live birds early spring through summer, but spring is by far their busiest time of year.

Hatcheries usually start taking orders in January for spring shipments. You can request a desired ship date. It’s also a good idea to check with your hatchery for the best time to order for your area.

Some hatcheries don’t hatch extra of the more unusual breeds. If you don’t get your order in early, you may have to wait until the following year.

You also want to make sure you order early enough that your ducks will be fully feathered before cold weather in the fall sets in.

Preparing For Your Hatchery Order

About a week before you are expected to get your ducklings delivered, you will need to contact your local post office and let them know you are expecting a shipment of live ducklings.

They will need to get your name and phone number, so they can contact you when your ducklings arrive and you can go and pick them up. It may be helpful to ask about the time to expect the delivery. It is often early in the morning so be prepared to jump in the car and go get them.

Before the expected delivery day is a good time to set up your brooder and everything that entails.

Before you go to the post office, turn on your brooder heating element so your brooder is nice and toasty for your new additions.

What Happens When The Baby Ducks Arrive At Your Post Office?

You need to be available when your ducklings are going to arrive.

When your ducklings arrive, your post office will give you a call to let you know it’s time to pick them up.

You should call your post office if you haven’t heard from them by late afternoon. You don’t want your baby ducks to be sitting alone overnight in the post office!

While you are still at the post office, check the condition of the ducklings so you will have a witness in the unlikely event something has gone wrong.

Related>> What To Feed Ducklings

What To Do As Soon As Mail Order Ducklings Arrive

Your brooder should be all set up before you leave to go get your ducks. Your heater is on and the water and food are ready to go.

When you get back to the house, gently dip their bills into their water dish to show them where it is, and put them under their heat source to warm them up.

It’s a good idea to make that first day’s water, warmed (not hot) sugar water. This will give them the added energy they may need. (3 tablespoons of sugar dissolved in 1 quart of water) And a little electrolyte is a good idea.

They may be a little sluggish, after all, it’s been a long trip. Keep an eye on all of them for the first day. They will probably want to sleep quite a bit that day. Make sure they are all eating, drinking & moving about normally.

There are 5 things to do as you are putting your new babies into their brooder.

Dip their bills into the sugar water
Check the duckling bottoms for pasty butt. (clean off any feces)
Warm them up under their heater
Make sure they have food
If you have any problems, contact the hatchery within 48 hours.

Straight Run Or Sexed Ducklings

When you buy baby ducks, should you get straight run or sexed ducklings?

Straight run, or unsexed ducklings, are ducklings that have not been sorted by gender and therefore are mixed exactly as they hatch.

Sexed are exactly that. They have been sorted according to whether they are males or females. Sexing is not a perfect science. For most breeds, the accuracy is only about 90%. Be prepared to receive some ducklings that are not the sex you had hoped for.

I honestly don’t know how they are that accurate. I’ve tried sexing ducklings. It’s really not easy to tell!

How Much Do Ducklings Cost?

You can expect to spend $5 to $7 each for common breeds and $8 to $10 each for rare or specialty breeds in a straight run. Sexed ducklings cost a couple of dollars more per bird. Plus shipping, which is after all the most expensive part.

Choosing The Best Breed Of Duck For Your Backyard Homestead.

There are some ducks that are exceptional egg layers and some that are known for their meat. Some who tend to be more friendly and some who are more standoffish, (and a few who are downright spazzes).

So, which is right for you? If you would like some help with that, check out my Best Backyard Duck Breeds Guide.