If you raise dual purpose birds, put nests in place after slaughtering the culls and males. Outside runs are not recommended for meat chickens unless you sell range-reared birds. Remember, as birds get older and larger, they become less efficient and eat more feed for each pound of weight gained. Because older birds produce more meat, allow them to come as close to the desired weight as possible before slaughter. The best breed of waterfowl to raise depends on several factors, including the reason for raising them and the amount of space available.
Ducks are small and require less space than geese.
However, they need a year round grain supplement and are more prone to predators. Geese require twice as much space as ducks, but do well on limited grain when they have plenty of grazing space. They are seldom bothered by predators. Some waterfowl are raised for meat. They can be purchased from a commercial hatchery or local feed store.