Keeping Ducks in Australia: The Complete Guide

Are ducks right for you?

Ducks suit people who want eggs, slug control and a bird that copes well with wet weather. They are hardy, tend to be less prone to some chicken diseases, and a good laying breed can out-lay a chicken. The trade-offs are mess, noise and water. Ducks splash, so their area turns to mud, and ducks need water deep enough to dunk their heads. Females quack loudly, and drakes make a quieter rasp.

Keep at least two: ducks are flock animals and are unhappy alone. If you are choosing between ducks, chickens and quail, read Chickens vs Ducks vs Quail first, and compare with the complete chicken guide.

Check the rules first: councils, states and bird flu

Councils are often stricter on ducks than on chickens. In Moreton Bay (Qld), for example, a block under 3,000 m² may keep no ducks at all, 3,001–10,000 m² may keep ten and larger blocks twenty. Mitcham council in South Australia counts ducks and geese as poultry for its rules. Alice Springs allows them without a permit but expects ponds to be cleaned at least every second day. Find your council with My Council in One Place, then read the rules for your state.

Checked 7 October 2026 from state department pages. Poultry registration rules cover ducks too. Thresholds change, so confirm with your department. See our state-by-state livestock rules.

Bird flu matters more for ducks. H5N1 (clade 2.3.4.4b) reached wild birds on the Australian mainland in June 2026. Ducks, geese and swans are the main wild-to-domestic risk group, and domestic ducks can carry the virus without looking sick and pass it to chickens. Official backyard advice is to keep poultry away from wild birds and their droppings, keep ducks off ponds and dams that wild birds use (offer an enclosed tub or pond instead), cover the run and cover feed and water. Victoria has ordered flocks of 50 or more birds in many southern and coastal council areas to be housed, and other states have issued advice. Report sick or dead birds on the Emergency Animal Disease Watch Hotline, 1800 675 888. See our bird flu article and the Agriculture Victoria order page.

Water: what ducks actually need

Ducks need water to drink deeply (they clear their nostrils with it) and to keep their eyes and feathers in condition, but they do not need a pond. RSPCA guidance is a shallow water container about 10–20 cm deep for dabbling, with deeper water only if you want them to swim. A clam shell paddling pool or a stock tub with a ramp is enough for a small flock. Empty and refresh it daily in summer: stagnant water breeds mosquitoes and disease. Put the tub on a drained, gravelled or sloping area so the mud does not spread, and shade it.

If you have a dam or pond, remember the bird flu advice above: wild waterbirds use it too, so a covered, enclosed tub is the safer choice while H5N1 is circulating.

Housing and predators

Ducks need a dry, ventilated, fox-proof house they are shut into every night, with 10–15 cm of deep litter that you top up often because ducks are messy. RSPCA guidance is at least 1 m² of shelter for every one or two ducks and a comfortable temperature range of about 7–23°C, with 10–15°C ideal. Our Duck Housing Planner works from a smaller minimum (about 0.4 m² of house and 1.4 m² of run per duck), so treat our figures as the least you can get away with and add room if you can. Heavy breeds do not fly far, but lighter layers such as Khaki Campbells and Runners can, so the run needs a roof for foxes, raptors and, now, wild birds.

Use our coop how-to as a starting point (use solid walls and a floor that drains, and a ramp rather than steps) and the fencing basics guide for the run.

Breeds, eggs and noise

Choose by purpose. Pekin ducks are a heavy meat bird (about 3.5–4 kg) with fewer eggs; our own calculator assumes 140–200 eggs a year for dual-purpose birds like these. Khaki Campbell is the classic laying duck (about 2.25–2.5 kg), averaging up to about 300 eggs a year according to Poultry Hub Australia. Cayuga is a good layer and is described as quieter. Muscovy ducks are docile, quiet and eat snails. Indian Runners are upright layers and very active.

Duck eggs are larger than chicken eggs and are popular for baking. Rules for selling eggs match chicken eggs, so see the egg section of our chicken guide. If you want to hatch ducklings, ducks take 28 days: use the Incubation Day-by-Day Planner.

Feed

Ducklings need a starter feed for the first two weeks and a grower feed until about eight weeks, then a breeder or layer ration with more calcium for laying females (RSPCA). Chicken feed is a common substitute, but ducks have different niacin needs, so use a duck feed or supplement where you can and avoid heavily medicated chicken starter unless a vet advises it. Treats should be less than 10% of the diet. Ducks need water beside their feed because they wash food down as they eat. Work out quantities with the Livestock Feed & Hay Budgeter.

Health and keeping them well

Healthy ducks are alert, preen often and have clear nostrils and bright eyes. Keep ground well drained to prevent bumblefoot, wash and refresh water, and quarantine new birds for 30 days. Worm regularly and check for lice and mites. In hot weather ducks suffer heat stress above their 7–23°C comfort range, so provide shade and water they can submerge their bills and heads in. Because ducks can carry avian influenza silently, never let them mix with wild waterbirds, and ask a vet about any unusual deaths or neurological signs. Ask your vet about medications, because withholding periods apply to eggs and meat.

What it costs

Ducks are cheap to start and cost slightly more than chickens to feed per bird because of the extra water and mess. Use the Backyard Duck Cost & Payback Calculator with your own prices for birds, feed and housing, and compare the result with chickens.

How ducks change with your climate zone

Ducks handle wet and cold well, so heat and water hygiene are the main climate issues. Set your zone to see what applies to you.

Not sure of your zone? Use Find My Climate Zone.

Watch and learn

Every guide, tool and rule page for ducks

Everything on this site that applies to ducks, in one place.

Animal guides

• Ducks: animal guide
• Keeping Ducks: deep dive
• All poultry guides

How-to guides

• Building a Chicken Coop
• Fencing Basics
• Hot Composting (for duck litter)

Rules and costs

• Backyard livestock rules by state
• Best states for backyard livestock
• Council permits and livestock fees
• Queensland council livestock rules
• NSW council livestock rules
• Victoria council livestock rules
• South Australia council livestock rules
• Western Australia council livestock rules
• Tasmania council livestock rules
• NT council livestock rules

Related reading

• Bird flu and backyard poultry
• Chickens vs ducks vs quail
• Keeping chickens: the complete guide
• Keeping geese: the complete guide

Words worth knowing

• Biosecurity
• PIC
• Predator-proofing
• Incubation
• Candling
• Brooder
• Broody
• Deep litter
• Culling
• Moult