4-H and FFA members as well as small farmers find raising commercial ducks rewarding as well as profitable. Ducks are quite easy to raise since they require limited shelter, are adaptable to the weather and are not prone to as many diseases as other species of poultry.

Ducks can be raised for their meat, eggs or feathers. They are gregarious (flock together) and enjoyable to watch. Commercial ducks are primarily white, while fancy purebreds and their wild cousins appear in wide range of shapes, sizes and colors.