- 1). Buy your black-bellied whistling ducks from a breeder, animal show or sale, or hatchery. A suitable age to buy is 21 to 24 weeks old -- the age they start laying -- unless you wish to start with day-old ducklings.
- 2). Provide ducklings with a heat source, starter crumbs and drinking water. At four to six weeks old, feed the ducks growers' pellets, changing to finishing pellets for meat ducks, breeders' pellets for breeding ducks and layers' pellets for egg-producing ducks. Black-bellied whistling ducks also enjoy aquatic plants, grass, insects, grain and mollusks.
- 3). Ensure your ducks have an ample amount of water to swim in. A sufficient pond will be deep enough to allow ducks to put their heads under water and to float. Change the water frequently, unless there is a natural flow. Create a ramp or a sloping side to the water source, so the ducks are able to enter and leave easily. As medium-sized ducks, the black-bellied whistling breed appreciate having a pond for mating.
- 4). House your ducks in a shed at night, for protection against predators and for warmth. Ideally, the pen should measure at least 3 feet high, with high windows for air circulation. A space of 4 feet per duck is adequate for nighttime. Preferably, let your ducks outside during the day, protected by an electric fence, if necessary.
- 5). Ensure that the areas where the ducks live have smooth ground or grass to prevent bumble foot. Bumble foot is a disease that comes infections these ducks can get when sharp objects have pierced their feet. It can be fatal. Clean the ducks' living areas frequently.
- 6). Set up a nest box for the ducks and collect eggs daily. In the wild, the black-bellied whistling ducks usually lay in a tree cavity without lining.
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