Chicken & Duck Resources

Veterinarian Options

We take our flock to Southview Animal Hospital in West Saint Paul. All three of our ducks have been in to visit with Dr. Keri Clarkson at one point or another. We have found her to be very helpful in keeping our flock happy and healthy. While we can’t speak from first-hand experience to all other vets and clinics, we know that locating a vet that will take chickens, ducks, and other fowl can be difficult, so we included a list of clinics and hospitals below.


Reference Materials & Communities

Backyard Chickens - This is a great forum for asking and answering questions about your flock. We’ve used it as a secondary resource before we take someone to the vet or if we are experiencing an issue that we haven’t encountered before. It’s really good for finding people that own the same breeds of fowl that you do. Be cautious as there are many different opinions, perspectives, and approaches to raising chickens; not all users view their animals as pets.

Facebook Groups - We think the best use of social media lies with smaller groups and communities. The ones that we frequent include Twin Cities Chickens, Minnesota Backyard Chickens, Minnesota Backyard Chicken & Poultry Group, and Richfield Chicken Keepers. You can also find more local groups that might be specific to your neighborhood like Heights Hens in Columbia Heights. They are a great source of community for sharing tips, rehoming pets in need, but do be careful with any medical advice you may solicit.

Egg|Plant Urban Farm Supply - Located in Saint Paul, MN, this independent garden center and farm supply store focuses on organic and sustainable products for your urban homestead. You can get anything you need to start your flock, including food, treats, bedding, and they even have chicks available in the spring. They are very knowledgeable and are willing to answer any questions you have. Every fall, they host a Coop Tour for residents of the Twin Cities area.

The Ultimate Pet Duck Guidebook - This is an exhaustive encyclopedia of ailments and maladies that is one of our first places to look when we are stumped and need guidance. It’s also a great reference book for introducing new members to the flock, building an adequate structure (coop) and many other necessities that comes with fowl ownership.

Tyrant Farms - This is a resource for duck owners. Sometimes it’s just nice to see how other families do things and get a different perspective. In addition to info on ducks, they also have resources for gardening, raising geese, building coops, and much more. You can also follow them on Instagram here.


Other

City Ordinances - Many cities have limits on the number of backyard fowl owners can have while others don’t have anything official written into the city code. If you are interested in lobbying that your city allow (or allow more) backyard chickens and ducks, you can use this template we created based off of the work we have done in Richfield, MN. Below are a smattering of metro area cities and their maximum allowance for backyard fowl.

Food - We feed our ducks Mazuri Waterfowl Diets food. We go through Chewy.com to get ours delivered directly to us.