Ducks are considered one of the most hardy and unpretentious birds. Even a beginner in this matter can cope with their breeding. However, a person who is planning to purchase such birds must first learn how to keep ducks correctly. If all the details of the matter are followed, then a profitable business can turn out. The advantage of the business is waste-free production. Ducks produce tender meat, nutritious eggs, warm fluff, and the droppings are used as fertilizer.

Where to begin

First you need to decide on the number of individuals. This is what you should start from in order to equip or build a poultry house. Its size should be such that the birds feel comfortable. So, one square meter can accommodate two adult ducks and one drake. If we are talking about ducklings, then one square meter is allocated for 5 kids. But you shouldn’t make the house too spacious. There the birds will quickly freeze.

The poultry house can be equipped near a private house or cottage. The main condition is that it is important to place the building at a distance of no closer than 25 meters from residential buildings. This is required by law. The reason is that ducks make noise and often have an unpleasant odor coming from their house.

Note! It is permissible to use an old barn or woodshed as a poultry house. You can build it yourself.

Next, you should take care of the feeders and drinkers. These devices must be stable and not tip over. In addition, they must have sides to prevent birds from walking on the food. If for feeders it is enough to make the sides 3-5 cm, then for drinkers they are made approximately 10-15 centimeters. This way the ducks will get drunk, but won't put a lot of dirt into the water.

Breeding ducks at home

Breed selection

Another important point from which duck breeding begins is the choice of a suitable breed. There are quite a few breeds of these birds. Each of them has its own merits. The breeder chooses the breed depending on the breeding goals.

Common breeds:

• Indian girls;
• Pekingese breed;
• Mulard;
• Agidel;
• Indian runner.

Indian girls

Another name is musky. A distinctive feature is scarlet and dark red growths on the head in the beak area. Because of it, many believe that this bird is related to the turkey. But these are just rumors. Poultry is raised for meat. The meat is tender and dietary. A musk drake weighs about 4-5 kg ​​at 2.5 months. Duck – 2-3.5 kg. The breed is also raised to create a parent herd. Females have a maternal instinct and happily hatch eggs. The advantage of the species is that it is voiceless. Indian ducks do not make loud noises.

Indian girls

Pekingese breed

This species resembles a goose. The feather color of ducks is completely white. Meat breed. The drake weighs about 4-4.2 kg, the duck - 3.5-3.9 kg. The meat is tasty and fatty. Beijing birds lay eggs well. Each female produces 120-140 eggs per year. Raising Peking ducks is not difficult. They are not picky. The disadvantage of the breed is that Pekin ducks, like musk ducks, can fly. Therefore, in the spring they need to trim their wings.

Mulard

This is a hybrid breed resulting from the fusion of an Indian duck and a Pekin drake. The resulting duckling took the best from its parents. Birds grow quickly. At 2 months, a drake can weigh about 4 kg. The peculiarity of the breed is its elongated neck and black and white coloring. A drake can trample a duck, but they do not produce offspring. Mulard is a hybrid and is therefore sterile. In order to raise this breed, you will have to buy small ducks each time.

Agidel

These are meat broilers. Raising the breed is easy, as each duck gains weight well, regardless of the conditions of detention. Agidel runs great. It produces 230-255 quality eggs per year. Among the characteristic features are white color, unpretentiousness to food, activity, and good immunity.

Indian runner

The most unusual of the listed breeds. With their elongated, dense bodies, the birds resemble penguins. Ducks run without spreading their wings. They love to swim. They need a pond or any other body of water. Typically, keeping Indian Runner ducks involves obtaining eggs. Each female lays up to 270 eggs per year. The runners are small in weight - about 1.5-2.3 kg. There is very little meat, but it is very tasty, odorless, and is considered a delicacy.

Poultry house construction

Indian runner

It is important to build the poultry house 20-35 cm above ground level. This way the birds will not freeze and moisture will not accumulate in the house. In addition, rodents will not get there.

A small hole is made for the ducks to enter. A bridge is connected to it to make it easier for birds to enter the house.

The poultry house itself is a compact frame structure. It is sheathed with sheets of plywood and insulated with polystyrene foam or other insulation. The height of the house should be low - 1.5 meters is enough. Ducks do not sit on roosts like chickens. They live only in the lower tier. That’s why nests are installed on the floor, in secluded corners.

A duck's nest is a place lined with straw for warmth. This could be an old basket or a box with low sides. Several nests need to be installed on the territory of the poultry house. Ducks will lay eggs in them. If you intend to breed a parent flock, then nests for hatching eggs must be made separately. Those nests in which ducks lay eggs are not suitable for hatching.

Making a floor in a house is a responsible task. It is best to make it from concrete, because wood absorbs waste and rots. A 20 cm layer of straw or sawdust should be placed on the floor. It is allowed to lay out sawdust and straw on it. If it is winter outside, then peat or moss is placed under the bedding for warmth. Every other day the litter is changed.

Ventilation must be provided in the house, that is, a small window or several of them. They are installed under the ceiling.

If you plan to keep birds only in the summer season, then polycarbonate is suitable for making a house. A cage is suitable for keeping small ducks. However, then it will still be necessary to put them in a house.

Additional Information. Placing adults and young animals together is undesirable. Drakes often behave aggressively towards the younger generation. In addition, separate keeping will not allow young animals to catch diseases from adults. It is best for different generations to live in different rooms. It is possible to divide the poultry house into two parts.

Walking the ducks

As for the fenced area near the poultry house, where the ducks can walk, it is also made small. This is a kind of cage pen made of metal mesh. It's easy to do. Logs are driven in around the perimeter, onto which the mesh is nailed. The height of the structure should be about 2 meters. This will prevent the ducks from flying over the fence. You can also stretch the mesh on top to create a kind of ceiling that lets in light. If there are less than 2 dozen birds, then the optimal enclosure area is 5-10 square meters.

It is very good if there is a duck pond next to the bird house. These birds love to swim, and for them a lesson on a pond will be a positive moment of the day. Little ducklings should also walk separately.

It is customary for ducks to be released for a walk after 10 am. Since until this time, females lay eggs. They should be driven back in the late afternoon. It is best if the ducks can get into the house directly from the pen. Thanks to this, they will be able to hide from bad weather. The outdoor pen should have drinking bowls and feeders, into which the owner, if desired, places fresh cut grass.

Feeding

Raising ducks at home requires a detailed description of feeding birds for beginners. Ducks are quite voracious. They eat a lot and almost everything. They like grass as well as meat, fish, waste, and grain. If it is summer outside, then feeding should be organized twice a day: in the morning and in the evening. The rest of the time, as long as it is light outside, the birds will be able to walk in the open air, pick grass, dig in the ground, and get food from the pond.

Pekingese breed

In the morning, birds are usually given a mash of vegetables, fish or bone meal, herbs, boiled meat, and bran. In the evening, it is recommended to feed with compound feed or regular grain (oats, corn, wheat, barley are suitable).

Important! Among the foods prohibited for feeding ducks are bread, zucchini, pumpkin, flour, crackers, and various cereals.

Crushed shells and chalk should be present among the required nutritional elements.

Ducklings and adults are given vitamin supplements:

• Get rich;
• Sun;
• Siberian Compound, etc.

Birds must have fresh water.

How long do ducks grow with proper feeding? Meat breeds gain weight quickly, which is why they are raised for meat. In 60-80 days, a small duck turns into a well-fed individual, weighing 2.3-3.5 kg.

Bird care

Ducks are quite undemanding and feel good in different conditions. But this does not mean that people should not pay attention to birds.

Caring for birds involves providing comfortable conditions:

1. Do not allow drafts or too high or too low temperatures in the poultry house.
2. A good owner will never allow the poultry house to become overcrowded.
3. It is necessary to clean up the ducks after a day or two. The room that serves as a home for birds must be clean. During cleaning, the litter is changed. If there is a lot of waste on the floor, it should be thoroughly cleaned. Afterwards a new portion of straw, hay or leaves, sawdust is placed.
4. Food must be of high quality. For health, vitamins are added to the diet.
5. It is unacceptable to feed your pets expired or spoiled food.
6. The water must be changed every day. Stale water in which garbage floats causes poisoning in drakes, ducks and young animals.

Only if all these conditions are met can diseases and bird deaths be avoided. It is important to comply with the conditions due to the fact that some ailments cannot be treated. The bird will have to be killed. Because of this, it is best to prevent health problems in birds.

Among the diseases that ducks can contract due to lack of proper care are the following:

• Hypovitaminosis;
• Stomatitis;
• Salmonellosis;
• Peritonitis;
• Non-infectious enteritis, etc.

Hypovitaminosis is treated by adding foods containing vitamins to the diet. It is recommended to switch ducks to industrial balanced feed. They contain all the necessary elements and vitamins. An antiseptic that is used to rinse the throat will help in the fight against stomatitis. Salmonellosis is considered an infectious disease. When it appears, it is recommended to dispose of the birds. Peritonitis cannot be treated. The ducks are slaughtered. For non-infectious enteritis, sick individuals should be given a manganese solution to drink.

• Febtal;
• Alben;
• Pyrantel;
• Piperazine, etc.

Keeping ducks in winter

In the cold season, the frequency of feeding individuals should be increased to 3-4 times a day. The temperature in the poultry house must be at least +5 degrees Celsius, otherwise the ducks will freeze. In winter, peat is placed under the bedding. Birds should not sit without light. Therefore, every day they turn on the light in the morning, and turn off the lamp only in the evening.

It is recommended to let ducks go for short walks on windless days when it is not very frosty outside. To prevent birds from getting frostbite on their paws while walking in the snow, wooden flooring is placed on the snow. Ducks will be able to walk on them and not catch a cold.

1. If a novice farmer decides to maintain a parent flock, then there should be 3-5 ducks per drake.
2. Meat breeds are slaughtered 2-2.5 months after birth. If you wait a little, molting will begin, and the meat will lose some of its taste characteristics. In addition, during molting, the duck loses weight.
3. 1.5-2.5 weeks before slaughter, birds begin to be fattened most intensively. To gain muscle mass, beans, cottage cheese, and boiled potatoes are added to the diet. During this time, animal activity should be limited.
4. Before slaughter, you should not give fish or fishmeal to birds. This may affect the smell of the meat.
5. Moving ducks from one poultry house to another is not allowed. This causes them stress.
6. Experienced farmers advise sticking to a daily routine. Otherwise, the birds may stop laying eggs and their immunity will decrease.

A duck breeding business can only become successful with the right approach. In addition, before raising ducks, the farmer must decide for himself whether he can provide proper care for these living creatures. Ducks, like other birds, do not tolerate cruelty. Birds respond to care from their owner. They will be healthy and well-fed only if they are given proper attention.

Breeding ducks at home has been practiced for a long time. The presented birds were among the first to undergo the domestication procedure. The ancestor of the duck is an ordinary wild mallard. And keeping birds at home has become popular due to the fact that they do not require careful care and quickly gain weight if fattening is carried out correctly.

Choosing a breed for breeding: Pekingese or Indian ducks

• Peking duck is often raised. However, its meat is fatty. Drakes can weigh up to 4 kilograms, females - up to 3 kilograms. The edible part of the duck is 70%. Egg production - up to 150 eggs per year, approximately 100 ducklings. The Peking duck has been raised for a long time, so several types of the breed have been developed.
• . Its maintenance is not difficult, since the drakes do not fight among themselves. Business in this case is good because the breed is not susceptible to diseases, which means it is profitable.

• In this case, the meat turns out good, but the breed practically does not produce offspring. The best option is to grow hybrids, so you will get the greatest benefit.
• If your business is based on obtaining eggs, it is better to choose a gray Ukrainian duck. It has good egg production - up to 120 eggs per year. The size of the bird is small: females - up to 3 kilograms, drakes - up to 3.5 kg.
• It is easier to fatten the Black White-breasted breed. The bird is easy to care for and its feeding is simple. At 2 months of age, West chicks weigh 2.5 kilograms! The quality of the meat is excellent.

The poultry farming business can be run in a variety of ways. The most popular method is keeping them in cell batteries. Moreover, about 30% of the sections have mesh floors. Cell size is 20x20 millimeters. The ceilings in the cages are mesh. The height of the cage is up to 35 centimeters.

Birds are raised at a rate of approximately 90 birds. It is prohibited to keep more than 200 ducks, as in large groups pecking of eggs is often observed. If the groups are small, the eggs will become contaminated, but the ducks will not eat them. In a large flock, some ducks may be trampled, but in small groups this does not happen. You can keep no more than 2.5 ducks per square meter.

Fattening will be good if there is a pond at the growing site. In this case, birds develop faster and better, they have excellent immunity, which means business will go uphill. Feeding is also reduced, because the duck gets part of its food from the pond.

Important! When breeding birds for meat, it is recommended to keep carp in water bodies. This way you will kill two birds with one stone. Fattening of birds and fish will go much faster. If there is no natural body of water, running rivers or streams, but shallow ones, will do.

When carrying out business, be careful, it is important that the floor is warm. This will make the bird comfortable. In a warm duckling house, a duck will not freeze, and ducklings born in the spring will not die.

Features of feeding

Raising birds of the species described in this article involves developing the correct diet. In winter, feeding occurs 3 times a day. In summer it is reduced to 2 times per day. However, there must be a large pasture and a pond.

Fattening can be done in one of two ways:

• wet - using vegetable mixtures;
• dry - you can feed the bird using compound feed.

Dry feeding is easier. In this case, there is no need to recruit personnel to prepare mash. Wet feeding is carried out using grated vegetables. They are mixed with chopped grass of various types:

• nettle;
• carrot tops;
• beet.

After preparing the basic wet composition, it is seasoned with meat broth or whey. If there is a lake or reservoir nearby, fattening is greatly simplified. Ducks love to eat plankton and algae. When raising birds for meat, if the groundwater in the area lies close to the surface of the earth, it is recommended to make an artificial pond. Just dig a hole 3 meters deep.

If the business is based on breeding birds with a fast metabolism (mulards, Peking ducks), food should be constantly present in the feeders.

How to deal with ducklings

Feeding ducklings is the same as feeding adult birds, but there are some nuances that will help you run your business correctly. So, you can hatch ducklings in an original way - by placing eggs under the chicken. Thus, it will be possible to hatch various breeds, almost all of them except the Pekingese. It is important to lay the eggs at night so that the chicken does not understand what is happening and takes them for her own.

Ducklings should be warmed up in a shorter time than chickens. They will also need a larger room.

You can also get young animals using an infrared lamp. For 30 ducklings you will need 1 lamp with a power of 250 watts. The heat from it will provide the bird with the necessary temperature.

Fattening ducklings directly depends on their comfort. It is easy to find out about the condition of a bird by its behavior. When it's hot, the duck hides to the side. If it is too cold, the young animals will begin to squeak. You should not feed the bird abundantly at high temperatures, since during the heat the growth of ducklings stops. In cold weather, it is necessary to provide the young animals with additional warmth.

Important nuances

• Ducks must be raised using special feeders. They are made from boards whose thickness does not reach 2 centimeters. A bar is placed on top of it so that the bird cannot trample down the food. It is recommended to divide the feeder into several parts: under gravel, limestone, shells.
• Ducks are nervous birds. Therefore, in order not to frighten them at night, you should leave low lighting.
• The number of nests is determined depending on the number of birds. 1 nest is enough for 3 birds. It is recommended to place them near the side walls of the poultry house.
• Ducks drink quite a lot, so the drinking bowl should be convenient for them. The water must be clean. You can make a drinking bowl from metal or wood. The volume of the product must be at least 600 milliliters - this is the daily water requirement for the bird. The height of the drinking bowl is 20 centimeters.
• Nests for masonry are made of plywood or plank. They are located in the darkest and most secluded places of the poultry house. However, there must be free access for collecting eggs.

The main requirement for placing a house for ducks is the absence of dampness. Despite the fact that ducks are waterfowl, they do not tolerate dampness on land well: they get sick, shed feathers and do not gain weight well.

The room for the duckling house is built from boards. Ducks are “grounded” birds and therefore do not need perches, and nest boxes can be placed on small elevations made of timber. The poultry house must have a wooden floor and a base reinforced with metal sheets to protect it from small rodents and large hunters.

The size of the room depends on the number of birds and is calculated based on the placement of 2-3 birds per 1 square meter. m. Feeders, drinkers are installed inside the duckling house, and bedding is laid out - a layer of hay or straw.

A house for ducks should have natural and artificial lighting, since birds achieve good productivity with at least 12 hours of daylight. Ventilation of the room is also required to provide access to fresh air and get rid of dampness.

Conditions of detention

In the warm season, it is advisable to keep ducks in an open area - a specially fenced pasture with a natural pond and fresh grass. If there is no opportunity to organize grazing, you can limit yourself to a small area near the poultry house with a swimming pool and regularly provide the ducks with fresh grass.

In winter, birds are kept in an insulated room at an air temperature of +15 - +17 degrees and humidity not exceeding 50-60%. In winter, the layer of litter in the poultry house is significantly increased - up to 3-5 kg. for one bird.

Care and feeding

In the summer, caring for ducks consists of timely feeding the birds twice a day, letting them out for a walk and driving them indoors at night. It is not recommended to disturb ducks early in the morning, since this is when birds lay eggs.

In winter, ducks are fed three times a day and released outside for a short time in the absence of frost.

The birds are fed grain mixtures, mixed feed and fresh grass. Ducks are very partial to lake duckweed. Ready-made food contains all the necessary elements and vitamins, but you must add calcium and chalk to homemade mash.

Duck breeding

Preparing for offspring

Both natural and incubation methods are used to breed ducks. To activate egg production, daylight hours in the poultry house are increased to 14-16 hours, and the temperature is also increased. After the duck has sat on the eggs, you need to disturb it as little as possible. The litter in the nest should be changed regularly, as infection can get into the eggs through it.

One duck can hatch up to 20 eggs at a time. Incubation period is 28 days.

Caring for ducklings and feeding them

For the first two to three weeks, ducklings are kept in a warm and dry room with a temperature of +22 - +24 degrees. Lighting is initially maintained 22 hours a day, and then gradually reduced to 14. To prevent ducklings from injuring each other, large crowding of young animals should not be allowed - no more than 10-12 chicks per 1 square meter. m.

During the first days, the chicks are fed chopped eggs, herbs and steamed milk or broth, mash with added vitamins and minerals. Feeding frequency 7 times a day. After the first week, the ducklings begin to be transferred to adult food and three meals a day.

Disease Prevention

Preventive measures against duck diseases include the following:

• providing adequate nutrition with the addition of vitamins and minerals;
• regular ventilation, cleaning and disinfection of the premises;
• solar or ultraviolet baths for birds;
• installation of ash and sand baths to get rid of ticks and feather eaters.

Raising ducks - a few secrets

To make raising ducks as efficient as possible, pay attention to the following points:

• ducks are shy, so it is recommended to leave a small light in the duckling house at night;
• Nests in the poultry house are installed at the rate of 1 nest per 3 birds. In summer, 1-2 nests are installed in the pasture;
• ducks drink a lot - about 600 ml. Only one bird drinks, so the drinking bowls must be voluminous.

Profitability of duck breeding business

Breeding and keeping 50 ducks will cost the following amounts:

Buying ducklings – 5000 – 9000 rubles.
Construction and equipment of a duck house – 10 – 20 thousand rubles.
The average monthly cost of feeding, lighting and heating ducks is 3,000 rubles.

Total expenses: 51 – 65 thousand rubles.

Income will be as follows:

Poultry meat – 30 thousand rubles. (50 pieces x 3 kg. x 200 rub./kg.)
Sale of ducklings – 25 – 41 thousand rubles. (250 pcs. x 100/170 rub.)
Sale of down and feathers – 2000 rubles. (10 kg x 200 rub.)
Sale of litter – 12 thousand rubles. per season.

Total income – 69 – 85 thousand rubles.

The net profit from breeding 50 ducks for the first season will be 12-20 thousand rubles. In subsequent seasons, profits will increase by 15-30 thousand, since there will be no need to build a poultry house and spend money on buying ducklings.

Duck breeding as a business begins to bring tangible benefits only with large volumes. If the number of ducks is increased to 200-250, the profit will increase to 100 - 150 thousand, and the cost of money and physical activity will not increase much.

Domestic ducks are among the first birds to undergo domestication. This happened quite a long time ago; the ancestor of the modern domestic duck was an ordinary wild mallard. Nowadays, keeping and breeding ducks at home has become popular because they are not too demanding in care and nutrition and are characterized by rapid weight gain.

Breeding and raising ducks at home primarily involves obtaining meat. It is significantly different, for example, from the more familiar chicken. Duck meat is darker, much fattier, has pronounced, large fibers and a rich taste.

In addition, when breeding and keeping ducks, you can get quite large eggs, but they are practically not used for food, since they have a peculiar taste. Eggs are used in the production of various food products, such as mayonnaise. In addition, they are incubation material.

Raising ducks at home also produces duck down, which is a valuable material used to make pillows and blankets.

Duck droppings are considered the highest quality fertilizer compared to the droppings of other birds.

Breed selection and productivity description

Most often, the Peking breed is used for keeping and breeding ducks at home, but its meat has a high degree of fat content. Female Peking ducks reach three kilograms of live weight, and drakes - up to four kilograms. The yield of the edible part of the duck is up to seventy percent. Egg production reaches 150 eggs per year, which can equal approximately 100 ducklings. Since Peking duck breeding has been going on in Russia for a long time, many regions have developed their own populations, which have different characteristics and characteristics.

For those who prefer leaner and softer meat for breeding and keeping, the musky duck, better known as the Indian duck, is more suitable. It is quite large (a drake up to six kilograms), and its behavior is less problematic, does not create noise and does not start fights. The Indian duck is very hardy and is not susceptible to most of the diseases characteristic of these birds.

Sometimes Indo ducks are crossed with Peking ducks to produce hybrids - Mulard ducks. They grow quite quickly, have a lot of weight, but do not produce offspring. Breeding and keeping hybrids is a fairly productive option, since the priority in households is breeding ducks for meat.

Premises requirements

With appropriate preparation, any available premises can become a poultry house for keeping and breeding ducks. If it is made of logs, then plastering and caulking will be required; for boards or slabs, upholstery is made of plywood, dry plaster and packaging cardboard with further putty and whitewashing; reed walls are plastered with clay with the addition of straw. This is done to improve the comfort of keeping birds. The room should be warm enough in cold weather, and keep it cool inside in hot weather. When arranging a poultry house for keeping ducks, special attention is paid to the floors. They should rise above the ground (about 25 centimeters) in order to block the path of rodents into the house.

Provide the room for keeping ducks with bedding, the thickness of which should be about thirty centimeters. To do this, in the summer, prepare straw, shavings, peat or sedge, which you can dry well and store in the attic or other convenient place. Blanks are made at the rate of twelve kilograms of material per adult bird.

The egg production of ducks is directly related to the air temperature in the room and light duration. In winter, keeping ducks requires maintaining a temperature of at least five degrees. Otherwise, the birds may stop rushing altogether. All this is aggravated by dampness and contamination of the poultry house. Therefore, make sure in advance that it is sufficiently dry and warm. In addition, it must be well ventilated.

Maintaining the correct light regime is of great importance for duck breeding. Under the influence of sunlight, red blood cells and vitamin D are produced, and hemoglobin increases. All this increases the activity and, accordingly, the productive qualities of the bird.

A good place for a hole for the bird to exit would be the south and southeast side. Its standard dimensions are: width up to forty and height from thirty to forty centimeters. If the poultry house is equipped with deep litter, then the manhole can be made up to thirty centimeters high from the floor. Often a vestibule is constructed on the outside to protect from the wind.

When breeding and keeping ducks at the dacha in the summer, an aviary for walking is expected. It can be done both on land and on water. A variety of materials are used for fencing: metal mesh, slats, shingles and even fishing nets. A fence on the ground is erected one meter high. If walking is done on the water, then to preserve the livestock it is fenced fifty centimeters above the water and seventy centimeters below the water. This is done so that the ducks do not swim away after diving. In the summer heat, fences are covered with canopies or placed under spreading trees.

Keeping ducks in winter also requires walking. To do this, use areas cleared of snow, which are densely covered with straw. In warm, calm weather, ducks can be out on the walk all day, where they eat and drink. In no case should you force them to walk, especially in strong winds and when the temperature drops below ten degrees below zero.

The poultry house is cleaned and ventilated every day (so that drafts do not form). The hatches open only to let the bird out.

Inventory

Properly selected equipment also has a great influence on the breeding and maintenance of domestic ducks. It must be made from certain materials in compliance with technology.

For feeders, use a board, the thickness of which should be at least two centimeters. A bar must be installed on top, which prevents the bird from climbing into the feeders and trampling on the feed. At the same time, it functions as a handle. The feeder for mineral supplements is divided into several compartments as necessary (for example, limestone, shell, gravel).

Ducks usually drink a lot; therefore, the drinking bowl is made large and convenient for the bird. You need to ensure that there is always clean water in it. The drinking bowl can be wooden or metal. The daily water requirement for one bird is about six hundred milliliters. Based on this value and the number of ducks, it is worth calculating the volume of drinkers. They are made about twenty centimeters high (the approximate height of ducks), which helps maintain the purity of the water.

To make nests for laying eggs, planks and plywood are used. For their location, choose the darkest places in the house to keep the ducks calm. But at the same time, free access to them must be provided for egg assembly and cleaning. The standard size for a nest is forty by fifty centimeters, with a height of fifty centimeters. At the entrance to the nest, a low threshold (up to eight centimeters) is made, which is necessary so that the bedding material does not spill out of it and the eggs do not roll out.

The number of nests is made at the rate of one nest per three birds. It is better to place them near the side walls of the poultry house. Ducks usually lay eggs at night or early morning. Therefore, it is customary to collect them in the morning and release the bird for a walk after ten o’clock, so that there is no loss of eggs.

Any fear has a very negative effect on ducks, up to the complete absence of egg laying. To prevent this from happening, you should behave carefully and quietly while in the poultry house. It is recommended to leave low lighting at night, which has a calming effect on the bird.

Selection of birds for breeding

Keeping ducks in a winter poultry house begins on the 150th day of breeding. At this time, the final selection of birds is made based on weight and plumage. The main flock requires birds of the same age and equal weight. As a rule, this is done taking into account the fact that one drake will correspond to up to eight females. The females in this case represent the maternal line, and the drakes represent the paternal line. Make sure that this number does not include hybrid ducklings, as they are not capable of reproduction. If the parent flock is completed once, then it is better to leave the ducklings hatched in July and August. With multiple - January, May and September.

When selecting, the main indicator is the appearance of the bird. She should be quite mobile and energetic. She should have a well-developed body with strong bones. If the formation of the parent flock and its further maintenance are successful, then it is possible to obtain good egg production before it reaches the age of fourteen months.

The key to success at this stage is to quickly and correctly organize the process. The first eggs should be laid in a room prepared for wintering. Carefully monitor the bird’s diet and the length of the photoperiod, since at this time ducks are especially sensitive to any changes and may, in case of discomfort, stop laying eggs, the restoration of which will require a lot of time. Typically, most laying hens are used for six to eight months.

In breeding and keeping ducks, egg laying is one of the most important points. Therefore, compliance with a number of rules will ensure its effectiveness. Daylight hours are gradually increased by half an hour per week until it reaches sixteen hours. At this time, low illumination of the poultry house at night is necessary to ensure peace for the birds and prevent injury. Moreover, under such conditions, ducks can eat food freely.

If egg laying occurs in warm weather, then a small number of nests should be installed on the walk so that the ducks do not lay eggs where they want.

Selection and requirements for incubated eggs

Incubation can be carried out from a herd in which all kinds of infections are excluded. Eggs are selected no older than eight days of age, maintaining a storage temperature of eight to twelve degrees. The eggs are carefully inspected for any damage. Their weight should be approximately equal: from seventy to ninety grams for light breeds of ducks and up to one hundred grams for heavy ones.

When the fertilization of eggs is ninety percent, seventy percent of full-fledged ducklings are obtained upon hatching. Duck eggs have a high fat content, in which bacteria develop, causing damage to the hatching material. Such eggs can be detected using an ovoscope, as well as by the unpleasant odor and blue tint of the shell. If found, they should be removed immediately to avoid infecting others.

Natural incubation

When breeding ducks, you should remember that the Peking breed has a very weak instinct for incubating eggs. Indo-ducks (muscovy ducks) or any other outbred ducks are more suitable for this. It is quite easy to recognize a duck that is preparing for incubation. She separates from the main herd, stays longer in the nest and constantly improves it, sometimes pulling out fluff from herself and laying down the bedding. At this moment, decoy eggs are placed on her, and if she remains in the nest, they are replaced with previously prepared incubation material. You can use up to twenty eggs for the lining, making sure that the hen covers them completely. The hen may leave the nest to feed and bathe. When she returns, she shakes herself off and sprays the eggs. Every hour she turns the eggs, and the shells are slightly abraded, which has a beneficial effect on the development of the embryo and increases the hatch rate.

Nests for incubation are prepared more spacious with a large amount of soft bedding material. The fact is that hens love to burrow into nests. The nests are placed in a quiet place and separated by partitions so that the hens do not disturb each other. You should ensure the cleanliness of the nest and the eggs themselves. Laying hens should not be fed wet formulas to avoid causing stomach problems. With proper development of the embryo, Pekin ducklings emerge from the eggs after twenty-eight days; in the Muscovy duck, this period extends to thirty-five days.

Artificial incubation

When carrying out artificial incubation, you need to know that an important condition for successful hatching is a large availability of oxygen and constant ventilation. Regular monitoring of the process is also necessary. At the first examination with an ovoscope, which is carried out on the eighth day, the eggs are checked for the presence of an embryo, as indicated by the bloody mesh. The second examination is done thirteen days later, at the moment when the allantois should close and the embryo can begin to absorb nutrients. On the twenty-fifth day, the last examination takes place, which indicates the general state of development of the embryos. After this, the eggs are transferred to hatching.

During the initial period of incubation, a temperature of up to thirty-eight degrees is provided, since the duck eggs themselves warm up very slowly. By the twentieth day of development, the embryo is already feeding on egg reserves and, on the contrary, needs to be protected from excessive overheating. At this moment, it is necessary to have good ventilation and cool the temperature to thirty degrees. This will ensure normal metabolism and proper development of the embryo.

Offspring assessment

For further breeding of domestic ducks, it is necessary to select strong and well-developed young animals. This can be done based on the following characteristics of ducklings:

• Even pigmentation and fluffy plumage;
• The abdomen is soft and the umbilical cord is not bleeding;
• Protruding and shiny eyes and wings pressed to the body;
• Homogeneous mass of at least fifty grams.

Properly selected young animals with proper maintenance will have uniform and rapid development.

Raising young animals

Further keeping of ducklings at home takes place in a warm, dry house without any drafts. In the first three weeks, care and maintenance of young ducks is carried out at a temperature of twenty-two degrees, which is then reduced to twenty. As soon as the ducklings begin to go to the water, the temperature inside does not need to be maintained. Illumination at the beginning of cultivation should be about twenty-two hours, with a gradual decrease to the norm - fourteen hours. When keeping young animals, there should not be more than twelve ducklings per square meter of floor.

If keeping ducks at home involves raising ducklings without a duck, then they are accustomed to water after reaching three weeks of age. Particular attention is paid to diet. It should start with boiled eggs, green feed, mash and feeding with vitamins and minerals. To prepare mash, use meat broth or milk. Frequent meals in the first week (seven times a day) are gradually reduced to the usual (three times a day).

Breeding and raising ducks for meat lasts no more than sixty days (depending on the breed), since then they begin to molt, lose weight and require more feed.

Cell breeding

Raising ducks in the countryside often involves keeping newborn ducklings in cages. Caged housing of ducks is convenient because there are usually significantly more ducklings per square meter than in a poultry house. Cages for breeding and raising ducks are small, about seventy by seventy centimeters and about thirty centimeters high. More often they come in the form of a wooden frame covered with mesh, the floors are covered with bedding.

Feeders are installed for each cage, and one drinker for two adjacent ones. Cage-based poultry farming requires daily cleaning. For heating, heating lamps are installed in the upper part of the rear wall of the cage. When kept in cells, the temperature inside should be: the first ten days from twenty-six degrees, and in subsequent days - from twenty. The lamps are frosted so as not to frighten the ducklings. Breeding and keeping ducklings in cages lasts up to two weeks, then they are released for walking.

Of course, raising ducks in the country and their further maintenance is an activity that requires a lot of patience, a sufficient amount of knowledge and time. But if you pay enough attention and care to the care and maintenance of ducks, your work will certainly bring the expected and effective results.

The basis of the ducks' diet is grain feed (barley, millet, corn, oats and their waste). Barley is a valuable product, which can be fed to both adult birds and young birds, since it promotes the formation of feathers. Oats are also required to be included in the diet, since it not only makes the feather cover thicker, but also prevents pecking. But for successful maintenance, not only high-quality food is needed, but also a comfortable room for the birds.

In the article you will find all the necessary information about raising and feeding ducks at home, depending on the season. You will also learn how to choose the right breed for home breeding and set up a poultry house for keeping livestock.

Breeding ducks at home for beginners

Note: When breeding ducks, eggs are also obtained, but due to their specific taste, they are practically not used for food, but are actively used for breeding young animals.

To raise poultry, it is necessary to equip not only a poultry house and a run, but also a small pond so that the ducks can get their own food.

Breeding ducks at home

For this purpose, you can buy ready-made young animals and raise them to the desired weight. In addition, at home they practice keeping decoy ducks and raising young animals in incubators (Figure 1).

Note: It is difficult to determine the breed of small chicks. Therefore, if you want to buy a certain type of bird, it is better to give preference to specialized farms or stores.

Day-old ducklings, unlike young birds of other birds, can be kept not in a brooder, but in a common poultry house. To do this, you need to equip a separate corner with clean bedding, a feeder, a drinking bowl and a heater. Chicks are very sensitive to temperature conditions, and in the first week the air should be warmed to at least 33 degrees. Subsequently, the temperature is gradually reduced and, already at the age of one month, the young animals can be released for walking.

Technology

The technology of breeding and keeping ducks at home requires certain preparation:

• The maintenance area may be small. For 150 birds, an area of ​​70 square meters will be enough. A poultry house, a run and a small container of water are placed on it.
• The housing area (poultry house) is built from durable materials with high thermal insulation properties. This is necessary, since small ducklings are bought or hatched in early March, and the room must be warm and dry.
• It is also necessary to purchase feed: grain, combined and mineral. Regardless of the time of year, birds need a complete diet for growth and development.

Figure 1. Features of breeding ducklings at home

Feeding ration developed by breed and season. For example, in the summer, birds may look for food outside of walking on their own, and in the winter, the lack of green grass must be compensated for by mineral supplements.

Duck breeds for breeding (breed descriptions)

The Peking breed is considered the most common. However, its meat has a high fat content and is not suitable for everyone. Meat with less fat can be obtained by breeding Muscovy ducks (Figure 2).

Representatives of these breeds are characterized by high early maturity and are ready for slaughter within 2-3 months after the start of cultivation. In addition, they have a fairly high egg production (about 100 eggs per year), and adult individuals are unpretentious in keeping and feeding.

Figure 2. Popular breeds for home breeding: 1 - Pekingese, 2 - Musk, 3 - Mulard

Another suitable breed for breeding at home, according to consumer reviews, is the Mulard. The weight of an adult individual can reach 6 kg, they acclimatize well in a new place, are undemanding when it comes to food, but they have practically no developed brooding instinct. Therefore, young animals can only be hatched in an incubator.

Feeding ducks at home

Despite the high nutritional value of barley, ducks do not eat it well in dry form. The grain must first be soaked in water for 10-20 hours, after which it should be released directly into the water, from where they will peck the swollen grain.

Wheat waste is fed only to adult birds and only as a component of dry mash. Rye waste is included in the diet in smaller quantities and only three months after harvesting, since fresh rye and its waste can cause digestive disorders.

Main types of feed

Ducks are very willing to eat chopped beets, potatoes, rutabaga and turnips from succulent feed. Animal feeds include buttermilk, fish and skim milk. To increase egg production in laying hens, it is necessary to include grass meal, silage, carrots and baker's yeast in their diet.

Figure 3. Types of feed for ducks: juicy (left), 1 - barley, 2 - wheat bran, 3 - crushed shell for mineral feeding

Mineral feeds include limestone, bone meal and crushed shells. In addition, ducks digest fiber relatively well compared to other poultry, but the proportion of fiber-rich feed should not exceed seven percent of the total diet (Figure 3).

It is necessary to equip the correct bird feeders, based on some recommendations:

• For dry feeding, the length of the feeder should be calculated in the ratio of 4 cm per bird;
• The size of the drinking bowl must be such that there is a 2 cm distance per individual;
• When feeding with wet mash, the length of the feeder should be slightly longer. To prepare mash, you can use skim milk, skim milk, food and grain waste, duckweed and tops.

From the video you will learn how to properly prepare various feeds for adult ducks and young animals.

Cereals

It is cereal feed that forms the basis of the diet. They contain a lot of carbohydrates necessary for the normal functioning of birds. In addition, when consuming grains, ducks gain weight quickly and steadily.

For feeding, corn is best, but wheat, barley and oats are also suitable. You can also feed legumes, which contain not only a sufficient amount of carbohydrates, but also protein.

Waste from processing of agricultural raw materials

Such waste includes bran, cake and meal. From the point of view of preparing a diet for ducks, these feeds are very useful due to their high content of vitamins and microelements.

To replenish the diet with useful substances, bran or other processing waste is introduced into the menu, mixing it with grain feed or wet mash. You can also give birds dry bread soaked in water.

Juicy feed and root crops

If there is a walk on the site with a pond, the ducks will independently obtain green food for themselves, eating aquatic vegetation and grass. But for proper feeding, it is necessary to add root vegetables to the diet (Figure 4). For example, birds can be fed grated carrots or pumpkin, and in winter they can be given silage and kale.

Figure 4. Example of a diet containing succulent feed and root vegetables

You can also harvest green plants (nettle, clover, alfalfa) and provide them in chopped form directly in the pen.

Animal origin

In the wild, ducks eat not only aquatic vegetation, but also small fish and insects. Since it is difficult to obtain such food for birds at home, their diet needs to be enriched with food of animal origin.

Preference should be given to fish and meat and bone meal. These products are stored for a long time, and to replenish nutrients in the body, it is enough to add just a few grams of flour daily.

In addition, birds can be given dairy products. It is best to use low-fat cottage cheese, as fresh milk quickly sours and can cause digestive disorders.

Mineral supplements

Ducks need mineral supplements much more than other poultry species. Without such products, the process of digestion and absorption of nutrients will be slower, and the egg shells will be too thin.

Crushed shells, limestone and eggshells are given as mineral supplements. Small doses of table salt are also added to the diet, but only if the birds do not eat salty kitchen waste. On the walk, additionally place containers with coarse river sand or gravel. It is necessary for grinding food in the stomach.

Feeding in summer

In order for individuals to fully develop and be highly productive, their feeding diet must be completely balanced and include (Figure 5):

• Carbohydrate feed, as a source of all nutrients, and primarily starch (oats, rye, corn, potatoes, beets);
• Protein feeds of animal and plant origin (buttermilk, skim milk, slaughterhouse waste, fish and meat meal, as well as legumes, meals and cakes);
• Vitamin feeds serve as a source of essential vitamins necessary for the full growth and development of young animals, as well as for the high productivity of adults;
• Juicy feed is an important component of the diet. In addition to beets, turnips, carrot tops and cabbage leaves, ducks also eat aquatic vegetation (for example, duckweed);
• Mineral feed is necessary for the formation of bones and eggshells (bone meal, eggshells, chalk, shells, table salt).

Figure 5. Components of a balanced diet: 1 - carbohydrate feed, 2 - succulent feed, 3 - protein feed (cake), 4 - mineral feed (bone meal)

All components of the diet must be balanced. For proper feeding, the easiest way is to buy special industrially produced feed that fully meets the nutritional needs of ducks.

Peculiarities

The simplest option for summer feeding is considered to be grazing birds in an open range with a pond (Figure 6). Under these conditions, they independently find food, which allows them to significantly save on feed.

Note: If the ducks are outdoors all day, it is enough to give them food only twice a day.

Figure 6. Feeding in summer

For ducks that are constantly in the pen, a special diet should be prepared. In this case, feeding is carried out 4 times a day. Twice they give out dry grain feed mixed with mineral supplements, and twice they give out wet mash, also consisting of cereals, as well as crushed root crops and aquatic vegetation.

Chopped greens can be scattered throughout the paddock throughout the day without restriction. However, the plants must be thoroughly washed and crushed before distribution.

Rules

When feeding, special attention should be paid to preparing wet mash. They should be prepared immediately before distribution and in such quantities that the birds eat all the food at one time. This condition is necessary so that the leftover food does not spoil and the birds do not develop digestive disorders.

Before serving, root vegetables are washed, all rotten or damaged fruits are removed, and grated.

What to feed ducks in winter at home

In winter, birds do not have the opportunity to search for food on the range. That is why the question of what to feed ducks in winter at home is very relevant.

To maintain bird productivity and weight gain, it is necessary to correctly formulate a diet for the cold season (Figure 7). It must be balanced and include all the necessary substances for the full growth and development of individuals.

What you need to know

The main feature of winter feeding is that food is given not four, but twice a day. At the first feeding, a wet mash with silage is given, and at the second, a grain mixture with bran or other milling waste.

Figure 7. Feeding ration in winter

The diet must include boiled potatoes, steamed hay and animal feed. This will preserve the productivity of the birds and prevent loss of live weight.

Peculiarities

Features of the winter diet depend on the purpose for which fattening is carried out. For example, animals intended for slaughter for meat are given more feed containing carbohydrates (for example, grains). This will allow you to increase your body weight.

Laying ducks are given a more balanced diet. It must include mineral supplements, which will ensure the formation of strong eggshells.

Feeding rules

Feeding ducks in winter depends on the type of individual. For example, laying hens are predominantly given concentrates, while reducing the share of succulent root crops and roughage. This diet begins to be introduced about a month before the start of egg laying.

Ducks intended for slaughter for meat begin to be intensively fed immediately after birth. This is due to the fact that only 3 months pass from birth to slaughter. During this period, the birds must accumulate enough muscle mass. In the first few days, small ducklings are given boiled eggs mixed with low-fat cottage cheese. Subsequently, boiled potatoes, ground grain and mineral supplements are introduced into the diet. About two weeks before slaughter, the percentage of protein feed is increased. This allows you to accelerate weight gain. Fish meal is excluded from the diet, as it leads to the formation of an unpleasant taste and smell of meat.

Keeping ducks at home for beginners

When planning to breed ducks at home, it is necessary to provide conditions for keeping the birds. First of all, it is necessary to build a durable poultry house and equip a paddock with a pond.

Feeders, drinking bowls, perches and nests are placed indoors. You also need to take care of the optimal microclimate. For small ducklings, it is necessary to install a heater, and when keeping adult ducklings, it is necessary to ventilate the room.

Arrangement of nests

Nests are placed in the darkest corners of the room. It should be borne in mind that there must be free access to the nest for collecting eggs and changing bedding.

Plywood is most often used as a material for making nests. A small box is made from it, 50 cm high. The width and length are 40 and 50 cm, respectively. A small threshold (no more than 8 cm) is made in the front part so that the duck can freely step over it and the eggs do not roll out of the nest (Figure 8).

Figure 8. Drawing and photo of nests for ducks

The number of nests is calculated based on the number of individuals in the herd. The optimal ratio is 1:3 (one nest for three ducks). It is important to consider that birds lay eggs mainly at night and early in the morning, so it is better to collect them at the beginning of the day.

Premises requirements

If you plan to fatten the ducks in spring and summer, they can also be kept in light plank buildings or under sheds. For year-round maintenance, it is necessary to equip more substantial buildings with a sufficient number of windows and external insulation. The site for constructing the poultry house must be dry, and drainage grooves must be dug around it to drain rainwater.

Figure 9. Drawing of the poultry house and its equipment inside and outside

A solarium for walking with a 0.6 meter fence will be installed in front of the poultry house. If the climate is hot and dry, a small pond is also installed in the solarium, and so that the birds can freely go to the walking area, a special manhole is made from the poultry house, the perimeter of which is insulated. Examples of equipment for a duck house and solarium are shown in Figure 9.

Note: It is important that ducklings are very afraid of sudden rain. They do not run away from him, but simply stand with their beaks open. After rain, the chicks must be dried and warmed.

Ducklings intended for slaughter for meat can be raised on limited water paddocks in the summer. A canopy will be installed near the pond to protect the chicks from rain and sun.

Heating and ventilation of the chicken coop

Adults do not require the installation of additional heating devices. To maintain the optimal temperature in the poultry house, it is enough to make it from durable materials, insulate it and lay out high-quality bedding. Small ducklings need heating, so incandescent lamps are installed above the place where they are kept.

Note: If ducks are kept in winter in a region with a harsh climate, it is still worth installing heating equipment. To do this, you can install stove heating in the adjacent room or use any other available heating method.

Ventilation is a necessary condition for the normal development of birds. Therefore, the chicken coop must have windows that open in the summer. It is also necessary to install supply and exhaust ventilation, which will provide a flow of fresh air into the room.

Feeders and drinkers for ducks

Poultry house equipment must be made of durable materials that can be easily washed and disinfected with special hot solutions (creolin or soda ash).

Note: Metal feeders are used for wet mash, and wooden feeders are used for dry and mineral feeds.

Due to some peculiarities of eating food, duck feeders should be filled no more than a third full. In addition, they need to be made in the form of a trough or trough so that the birds do not scatter food while eating.

Drinking bowls are installed in the holding area so that the birds have access to fresh water around the clock. To prevent drinking bowls from becoming contaminated with droppings and bedding, their edge should be placed at the height of the back of an adult bird. For ducklings younger than ten days of age, the depth of the drinkers should be such that the chick can completely immerse its beak in the water and rinse its nasal openings.

Figure 10. Feeders and nests for ducks

The poultry house must be equipped with nests for eggs, the bottom of which is covered with clean soft bedding. It is also important to ensure stable temperature conditions, high-quality ventilation of rooms and the correct length of daylight hours. Options for equipping nests and feeders for ducks are shown in Figure 10. In addition, you will learn detailed instructions for making feeders and drinkers for ducks from the video.

Mulard ducks: breeding at home, reviews

Breeding Mulard ducks at home is worth considering in more detail, since they have practically no developed brooding instinct, and it will not be possible to obtain young animals naturally.

Note: The breed is a mixture of Muscovy duck and Peking duck. Like most hybrids, Mulards have lost the reproductive instinct, so they are bred exclusively artificially.

According to reviews, breeding this breed is profitable due to its rapid growth and low fat content in meat. However, to fatten poultry for meat, it is necessary to buy young animals from specialized farms, or hatch them yourself in an incubator. Most poultry farmers prefer to purchase chicks, since independent breeding is associated with certain risks and often does not lead to the desired result.