To be successful in raising ducks, it is very important to know more about raising ducks. Ducks generally require less care and are very easy to care for.
If you want to raise ducks as a hobby or as a source of small income, you need to learn about raising domestic ducks.
Domestic ducks are bred to produce good-sized eggs, quality meat, and to get rid of slugs and snails in the garden.
Ducks require less maintenance than other poultry. And they have some basic requirements to ensure a healthy herd.
Before you start keeping ducks, you need to decide why you want to keep ducks. You can keep ducks as pets, for meat production, or for egg production.
Ducks are also an effective biological means of controlling pets in the garden. There are many different breeds of domestic ducks that are bred for different purposes.
Generally, Cayuga, Callus, Rouen, Muscovy, and Pekin ducks are very good to keep as pets. Aylesbury, Muscovy, Peking and Rouen ducks are suitable for meat production.
And the Khaki Campbell and Indian Runner ducks are very good for laying eggs. Choose the right breed according to your needs.
Calla Ducks, Khaki Campbell and Indian Runner are very good for biological pest control. However, here we will talk more about raising ducks.
Requirements for breeding ducks
You cannot raise ducks on your own, but you can encourage them to breed. Depending on the specific breed you are raising, you should do your own research before you start growing.
Different breeds of ducks have different keeping requirements, but here are some general things you need to do to successfully keep ducks.
Living space
A special living space with all the necessary amenities will allow the birds to feel comfortable. Breeding ducks must have enough outdoor and indoor space to move around and spread their wings.
It will be good to arrange about 8 square feet of indoor space and about 15 square feet of outdoor space for a breeding duck. Always keep their living space clean if they are indoors.
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Adult male ducks raised for breeding purposes generally need more protein. And females should be fed a calcium diet. Always try to feed your ducks fresh food.
Access to water
Having a good source of clean water will encourage duck breeding. Domestic ducks generally do not need access to large ponds or lakes. They will love a small pool they can swim in.
Choose young birds
Young birds are usually suitable for keeping ducks. Selected birds should be healthy, with thick, smooth feathers, dry nostrils, bright eyes, and abundant tails.
Male/female ratio
For successful breeding, different breeds of ducks have a different ratio of males to females. Large breeds such as the Muscovy and other meat breeds generally have a maximum ratio of 1 male to 5 females.
And in lighter breeds like the Campbell Khaki and the Indian Runner, the maximum male to female ratio can be around 1 male to 10 females.
Never keep too many male ducks or too many female ducks for breeding. Because keeping too many male ducks with too few female ducks can hurt the females as they can be mated too often.
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Different breeds have different breeding seasons. Some domestic ducks usually breed year-round. But some breeds have a different breeding season, which lasts from late winter and spring to early summer.
During the mating season, ducks usually exhibit mating behavior and lay eggs.
During the breeding season, mating behavior will include neck biting, pecking, head shaking, and attempts by the male to mount.
Breed ducks at least 2 weeks in advance before collecting hatching eggs. This will ensure high egg fertility and also give the ducks time to get used to mating.
Egg collection
Collect the eggs daily and try to keep the eggs as clean as possible. Store eggs in a cool (but not too cold) place. Turn the eggs once a day to prevent the membrane from sticking to the shell.
Before incubation, the eggs can be stored for 7-10 days. It is generally best to incubate all the eggs at the same time so that all the eggs are at the same stage.
Installation of the incubator
Follow your incubator’s instructions before installing the incubator. To incubate duck eggs, set the incubator to 99.5 degrees and 86% humidity.
Run the incubator for a day or two before placing the eggs in the incubator. This will help you check if a constant temperature is maintained.
Humidity can usually be maintained by filling the incubator’s water reservoirs and following the instructions. You can also sprinkle the eggs with water each time you turn them.
You can also use ducks or hens to naturally incubate the eggs.
Muscovy ducks tend to be very good broods and mothers and do not necessarily require egg incubation. It also simplifies their breeding and management.
turn the eggs
Always check the condition of hatching eggs regularly. Turn the eggs at least 3 times a day. There are several incubators that process eggs automatically.
Otherwise, turn the eggs by hand an odd number of times a day. It is extremely important to turn the eggs during the first week of incubation, so turn the eggs as often as possible.
Fertility control
After a week, check the fertility of the eggs. You can use the candling technique to check if your eggs are fertilized and remove unfertilized eggs.
You can check egg fertility with a small flashlight and darken the room. Bring it to the egg and place your hand around the meeting point so that the light does not enter your eyes.
If you see clear, distinct veins, the egg is probably alive. You can repeat suppositories once a week and remove all dead eggs.
Incubation
Incubate the eggs for approximately 28 days. Different breeds have different incubation times. But in most breeds, incubation takes up to 28 days.
After hatching, keep the ducklings in the incubator for 12 hours. This will give them time to dry out completely and allow time for more eggs to hatch.
Move the ducklings to the Hatchery
After hatching, place the ducklings in a brooder. A plastic container with a small body is suitable for this. Follow the duck’s care instructions.
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