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How Long Do Ducks Live?
A wild mallard and a pet Pekin can be the same species and live wildly different lives. Here are the real numbers, and what actually decides them.
Key takeaways
- Wild ducks average only a few years, mostly because the first year is so dangerous.
- Ducks that survive their first year can live far longer — banded wild mallards have reached their twenties.
- Well-kept domestic ducks commonly live 8 to 12 years.
- Predators, not old age, end most wild duck lives.
Two very different answers
Ask how long a duck lives and the honest answer is a question back: wild or domestic? The gap between them is enormous, and it is not really about biology. It is about who is trying to eat them.
Wild ducks: a brutal first year
Average life expectancy for a wild mallard is only a few years. That average is dragged down almost entirely by the first twelve months. Eggs are taken by foxes, crows, rats, mink and snakes. Ducklings are taken by pike, herons, gulls and hawks. A great many never reach their first autumn.
The birds that do get through that year are a different story. Banding studies — where researchers ring a bird and record it again years later — have turned up wild mallards in their twenties. So the ceiling for a wild duck is not low. Reaching it is the hard part.
Domestic ducks: 8 to 12 years is normal
Take away the predators and add reliable food, and a domestic duck routinely lives 8 to 12 years. Lighter breeds such as Runners, Campbells and Call ducks tend to live at the longer end; heavy meat breeds such as Pekins, which grow fast and carry more weight, tend to be shorter-lived.
What actually decides the number
- Predator protection. The single biggest factor for kept ducks. Most losses happen at night, in a house that was not properly closed or not properly built.
- Diet. A formulated waterfowl or all-flock feed, with enough niacin while they are growing. Leg problems from poor duckling nutrition shorten lives.
- Dry housing. Damp bedding causes foot and respiratory problems.
- Clean water. For drinking and for washing eyes and nostrils, always available.
- Laying pressure. Very high-production laying breeds put a lot of their bodies into eggs, year after year.
Do ducks show their age?
Older ducks slow down, lay less, and become more prone to leg and joint trouble, much as older poultry do. There is no reliable way to age an adult duck by looking at it, which is one reason wild longevity is studied through banding rather than observation.
Frequently asked questions
How long does a wild mallard live?
Average life expectancy is only a few years, because mortality in the first year is very high. Ducks that get past that first year do much better, and banded wild mallards have been recorded living into their twenties.
How long do pet ducks live?
Commonly 8 to 12 years with good housing, a proper waterfowl diet and protection from predators. Some individuals live longer, and lighter breeds tend to outlive the heavy meat breeds.
What is the oldest duck ever recorded?
Banding records include wild mallards in their twenties. Claims of much older individual pet ducks circulate widely but are hard to verify, so treat any single spectacular number with caution.
What kills most wild ducks?
Predation, especially of eggs and ducklings. Harsh weather, disease, habitat loss, collisions and hunting account for most of the rest.
