The life span of a duck varies by the breed. Ducks are not as long-lived as geese. The average life span of a domestic duck is 10 years or less. As a general rule, the largest breeds of duck have the shortest life span. Seldom do they live beyond five to seven years of age.
Muscovy
An exception is the Muscovy. This duck might reach a life span of between eight and 12 years of age, or more.
Pekin
The Pekin (probably due to its rapid growth rate as a young bird) normally has a relatively short life span, perhaps five years. The first part of a Pekin to fail as it ages is often its legs. I suspect that rapid weight gain in its first year taxes its ability to support itself.
The actual useful life span such as an exhibition Pekin might be only three years. “Useful life” is determined by the length of time it’s useful as a breeder.
Life Span of Ducks Considered Medium to Light
The average life span considered a medium or light duck (Cayugas, Blue Swedish, Runners) might exceed that of largest duck by two or three years.
Keep in mind, however, that ducks kept for egg production might only produce an optimal number of eggs per year for two or three years. In fact, pushing female ducks to produce large numbers of eggs will probably shorten the life span of a duck of a member of any breed.
Read more: Ducks Can Bring real Value to the Backyard.
Bantam Ducks
The longest life span by a considerable margin is one of the bantam ducks—the Calls and Black East Indies in particular.
A number of mine have lived a decade or more and one Grey Call female lived 15 years. They also tend to have longer useful lives from a breeder’s standpoint, with males remaining fertile for as long as a decade and some females able to produce eggs for an even longer period, assuming the best of care. Because they carry less weight and don’t experience ultra-fast growth rates, their bodies tend to hold up longer.
Of course, a discussion of the life span in any breed assumes that the birds are provided with a good diet and appropriate housing and are not overcrowded. —Lou Horton
This article about the life span of a duck was written for Hobby Farms magazine. Click here to subscribe.
3 replies on “Life Span of a Duck”
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Have you ever considered the ethical implications of breeding ducks for extended periods of time solely for their productivity, rather than allowing them to live out their natural lives?
Sure. But we’re farmers. We raise animals in the most humanely way we know. Thanks for your comments.