I've always wanted ducks and have considered adding them to our chicken flock this next year. I picked up this ARC with the intention of finding out how feasible this would be and what kinds of care needs they would require. I was very pleased to see that this is a wonderful resource for someone just starting out in raising ducks. I was also really happy to see a chapter devoted to raising ducks with chickens!

I will reference this often when we eventually add some ducks to our flock.

An Absolute Beginner's Guide to Raising Backyard Ducks; Breeds, Feeding, Housing and Care, Eggs and Meat by Gail Damerow was a thorough book! My hunny has always wanted ducks and we have had chickens before. It was very interesting to learn their similarities and differences! Maybe we will have some duckies someday!

A comprehensive guide to raising ducks. Everything you need to know from hatching ducklings or bringing them home, to butchering for meat, collecting eggs, or showing your ducks. I enjoyed the book and the ease in which the information was shared.

A warning: there is a small snippet in which the language used could be triggering for some. It’s not enough to warrant a change in my rating, but I do wish the author would have used softer language.

Another great beginner's guide from Storey! Kid friendly. Wonderful pictures. Just the right amount of informationa bout duck breeds and caring for your new feathered friends. A must have for duck owners.

I would say I am not a beginner to raising backyard ducks, however, I thought I would be a great person to review this advanced reader copy considering I have been a duck owner for almost a decade now. I thought this book was fantastic. The descriptions of the breeds was spot on; accurate, thorough, and my personal experience. The social behavior section was enlightening - there were several communication methods that I have witnessed before but wasn't sure exactly what they meant. I thought the piece on water was perfect - so many people think you need a pond to have ducks and that is simply not the case. I was glad this book was an accurate reflection of their need to be able to submerge their head. Overall, I thought this was a great book and perfect for anyone interesting in adding ducks to their flock. I love my ducks so much and this book certainly did the raising of ducks justice.

I think this is a great little book for beginners, being a beginner myself and having looked after a friend’s ducklings for a week as my vast experience I thought it covered the basics well, in plain English and had attractive pictures and easy sections to follow. Great little guide for the wannabe duck owner

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

Hard to place a rating on something I feel somewhat unqualified to speak about still, but it was definitely as the title advertised. I am an absolute beginner, not even having a backyard beyond parental access to one, and I found the book carried me through the concepts I was most unclear about. I felt that it went too hard in some places while not enough in others, but it is a good resource for someone with no prior knowledge.

As a long time keeper of call ducks for the last 15 years, it was interesting to read this take on duck ownership. Although it is heavily written for the US market (referencing US predators and their penchance for Mail order eggs and hatchlings - which I don’t approve of), there is lots to be taken away by the potential new or existing duck keeper from this book.

There are sections on housing, diet, illness and care, breed and sex of duck choice, showing, and much more. All advice is written in a friendly non-judgemental kind of way, and it’s an easy read. In addition if bought for the bookshelf, it would provide a handy reference point for emergencies or similar.

I particularly enjoyed the little anecdotal tales peppered throughout, and the section on duck behaviour/why do they do what they do. In addition there are some lovely images, although my colour kindle version had some formatting issues which I’m sure will be resolved on publication.

4 stars, due to the bias and lack of relevance in places to the U.K. market.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.