How Long Do Ducks Live? Lifespan by Kind of Duck

Quick answer: a domestic duck usually lives 7 to 10 years, say the hatcheries Metzer Farms and My Pet Chicken, and PetMD’s vets put it at 10 to 15 years for a pet duck that is well cared for. The breed matters more than anything: the biggest ducks, Pekins among them, seldom pass five to seven, a Muscovy can reach 8 to 12 or more, and the little Call ducks live longest of all — up to 15. The chart draws every one of those ranges side by side, because they don’t agree, and marks your duck’s age against each.

Four published answers, and why they differ

• Metzer Farms, a waterfowl hatchery: “Ducks can live to 7-10 years and geese normally live 10-15 years.”
• My Pet Chicken: “If cared for properly, ducks can live to 7-10 years, and some exceptional birds may live longer than that.”
• PetMD, written and reviewed by vets: “the average domestic duck lifespan is 10–15 years when they’re well cared for.”
• Hobby Farms, across every breed: “On average, ducks can live anywhere from 5 to 15 years.”

The hatcheries are talking about ducks in general, many of them kept for eggs or meat; PetMD is talking about a pet duck, kept safe and kept for its own sake. Those are different lives, and the chart shows both rather than splitting the difference.

The breed changes everything

Size is the pattern. Hobby Farms: “As a general rule, the largest breeds of duck have the shortest lifespan. Seldom do they live beyond five to seven years of age.” The Pekin is the clearest case — “The Pekin (probably due to its rapid growth rate as a young bird) normally has a relatively short lifespan, perhaps five years.” The big exception is the Muscovy, which “might reach a lifespan of between eight and 12 years of age, or more.” Lighter ducks do better: “The average lifespan for a medium or light duck (Cayugas, Blue Swedish, Runners) might exceed that of the largest duck by two or three years” — a comparison, not a number, so the chart doesn’t invent one. And the smallest live longest: “Bantam breeds like the Call duck and Black East Indies can live up to 15 years or more with proper care.”

How long do ducks lay?

Much less time than they live. Metzer Farms: “Ducks are sexually mature at 20-24 weeks of age.” Hobby Farms adds that ducks kept for eggs “might only produce an optimal number of eggs per year for two or three years,” and My Pet Chicken that “Around 3-5 years, duck fertility and egg production lessen”. A duck that has stopped laying can have most of her life still ahead of her — which is worth knowing before you buy ducklings for eggs. If you’re still choosing, the duck name generator will help once they arrive, and ducklings hatch on their own schedule in the incubation planner.

What shortens a duck’s life

Mostly things you can do something about. Metzer Farms is blunt about it: “The main cause of death seems to be dogs or predators.” PetMD explains why: “Pet ducks usually are unable to fly, so they are a big target for local wildlife predators like coyotes, birds of prey, and even stray cats.” So a safe pen at night matters. Hobby Farms lists “rapid growth (as in Pekins), poor diet, or predator exposure”, and warns that “Pushing female ducks to produce large numbers of eggs will probably shorten the lifespan of a duck or a member of any breed.” A duck that is suddenly unwell is a question for an avian vet, not for a chart.

Wild ducks are a different question

Half of what people read about duck lifespans is about wild mallards, and none of the sources here gives a wild duck a number. What Hobby Farms does say is that “with good care, domestic ducks often outlive their wild counterparts, who face natural threats and limited food.”

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