The first portion of food is given to them early in the morning, the last before dusk. At this age, they can be given low-fat cottage cheese and boiled eggs. There should always be clean water in the drinking bowls, to which a little manganese is added.

After 5 days of life, ducklings begin to be given mash. They are prepared from cottage cheese and eggs, to which ground corn and wheat dirt are added. At one week of age, greens are added to the mixture. At the age of 2 weeks, eggs and cottage cheese are removed from the duck’s diet and duckweed is included in it. From this same age, birds can switch to “dry” feeding. On sale you can always find food intended for different ages of birds.

From one month until slaughter, the duck is fed grain and millet. Bone meal, shells, chalk, as well as sunflower cake and feed yeast are added to the mash. The feed should contain 40% dirt and 30% greens. In the absence of grass, special vitamins are added to the feed.

Medicines

Ducks can be susceptible to various diseases. Depending on the type of disease, medications are prescribed that can be purchased at a veterinary pharmacy. The most common drugs used in the treatment of poultry are:

• tetracycline;
• oxytetracycline;
• sulfadimethoxine;
• trimerazine and others.

They are given to the bird along with food or drink.

Disease Prevention

The main preventive drugs used in duck rearing are probiotics. These drugs suppress the pathogenic microflora of the bird’s intestines and help strengthen its immunity. The drug can be given to ducklings at any age.

Conclusion and features

Ducks are very voracious. Most of their diseases occur due to improperly formulated feeding rations and violations of the conditions of keeping the birds. The presence of a pond for ducks is a prerequisite for raising them.

When getting eggs from them, you need to know that a duck may stop laying eggs if it is transferred to another house. The best meat breeds are considered to be musk ducks and mulards.

at home is not particularly difficult for the poultry farmer. However, it is necessary to know some aspects of keeping and feeding ducklings. From this publication how to properly raise ducklings at home.

By the time the little ducklings hatch from the egg, you need to be prepared. Sometimes, in order to hatch from an egg, a duckling may need a little help; to do this, you need to remove a little of the shell, near the emerging beak.

From the very birth of ducklings, it is necessary to determine for yourself the goals of raising ducklings. If you want to get the maximum amount of meat from ducklings at the lowest cost, then you need to start from some growing factors, but if the main goal is to get the next healthy generation of ducklings and obtain eggs, then the methodology will be completely different. However, we will return to this later, but at the beginning I would like to talk in detail about the general factors that influence the successful raising of ducklings at home. Namely: about the conditions of detention, sorting of day-old ducklings, as well as other equally important aspects of raising young animals.

As a rule, ducklings at home are born in early April - late September. However, if you want to get a large population and, as a result, maximum productivity, then it is more advisable to raise ducklings in three stages. The first stage is in early April. Ducklings bred in April can be used for breeding, and you can get meat by the beginning of June. The second stage is in early July. These ducklings can also be left for breeding or get meat by September. The third stage is at the end of September. It is not advisable to leave these ducklings for breeding in the winter; such young animals can be released into winter.

Raising ducklings: conditions of detention

For the growth and development of ducklings, housing conditions are a very important factor. At home, for 1-4 days, ducklings can be kept in a box or in a box, with a stocking density of 16 birds per 1 sq.m. Starting from the 4th day, ducklings can be placed in any room or cage. However, it must be taken into account that the ambient temperature should not fall below 20 degrees (the temperature regime will be written below and in more detail). The room for ducklings should be dry, clean, warm, without drafts, without access of rodents and other pests.

The room for keeping ducklings should have all the necessary equipment: feeders, drinkers, etc.

From the very first days of life of ducklings, some stratification of the population into strong and weak chicks will be noticed. This occurs due to the pushing away of weak chicks from food and warmer places. It is advisable to prevent this, since in the future the growth of weak ducklings will slow down and over time this will become more and more evident.

Conditions for keeping ducklings: air temperature

Temperature plays a very important, if not primary, role in raising good numbers of ducklings. The ideal temperature when raising ducklings is as follows: the first seven days - 27-30 °C, the second week - 18-25 °C. Then you should maintain a temperature of 16-20 °C. At home, with a small number of livestock, this temperature can be created using an ordinary incandescent lamp.

The ambient temperature must be constantly monitored and analyzed. Therefore, an ordinary home thermometer is hung in the room where the ducklings are kept. You can also be guided not only by the thermometer, but also by the behavior of the ducklings. If the chicks are crowded together and their eyes are constantly closed, then they are cold and the air temperature needs to be raised. If the ducklings are active and move freely throughout the entire area of ​​​​the room, actively consuming food, then everything is in order with the temperature. If the chicks have rapid breathing, they refuse the offered food, their beak is constantly open, then the temperature in the room is too high.

Under no circumstances should ducklings be allowed to overheat or become hypothermic. If the temperature in the room was higher than necessary, this may affect the chicks’ immunity and reduce their resistance to various diseases. Hypothermia of ducklings in the first days of life, on the contrary, can lead to the development of colds, as well as other infectious diseases.

You should also not allow sudden changes in temperature in the room.

Conditions for keeping ducklings: lighting

A very important factor in raising ducklings is the correct organization of indoor lighting. The growth of ducklings and their further development depend on lighting. Light has a very good effect on the health of chicks - it increases metabolism in the body, increases the number of red blood cells in the blood. In the first week of life, 18-20 hour lighting will be the most favorable for ducklings. Then every week the daylight hours are reduced by 1-2 hours. The lighting intensity should not be too high - 2-4 watts per 1 sq.m. room area.

In the dark, you cannot completely turn off the lighting; it is better to reduce the intensity to 1-2 watts per 1 sq.m. This is due to the fact that sometimes small ducklings press against each other so tightly that they can strangle their fellow.

Raising ducklings: feeding

Proper feeding of ducklings is also very important for raising ducklings. As soon as the duckling dries out after hatching, it must be given a pale pink solution of potassium permanganate to drink. Then the ducklings should be constantly fed with this solution. Potassium permanganate will protect the chicks from the development of various diseases, and the ducklings will also not have inbreeding, and because of this, quite a large part of the livestock can die.

The diet of ducklings should include various grain feeds, cereals, protein feeds (eggs, cottage cheese). We also must not forget about mineral supplements - chalk, shells, crushed egg shells. The presence of various green herbs in the diet is very important. (More details:)

Raising ducklings for breeding

It is best to leave ducklings that were hatched at the earliest possible date (beginning of April - end of May). Such a bird will get stronger by winter and will endure it calmly. The strongest individuals should be selected, without external defects, with good weight for their age. The plumage should be dense and soft. Secondary sexual characteristics must be clearly expressed.

Ducklings should be selected for breeding twice. For the first time, select within 2-5 days after birth, and then select from these ducklings again at the age of 2 months.

During the first 3 weeks, breeding should proceed in the same way as raising other ducklings. However, after this period they can be released for free range, which will have a great effect on their development.

Raising ducklings for meat

Raising ducklings for meat must take place in excellent temperature conditions, there must be enough light and the correct feeding diet. Raising ducklings for meat usually takes no more than two months. This is due to the fact that up to two months they grow and gain weight as quickly as possible, and after this time they begin seasonal molting and they stop growing in weight, or even lose it altogether. Therefore, it is so important to select ducklings for breeding and meat before this time.

Ducklings raised for meat must be kept warm for 3 weeks from birth. It is advisable not to allow the temperature to drop below 22 degrees. Daylight hours should also not be reduced, and the lighting intensity should be approximately 2-3 watts per 1 sq.m.

The feeding diet of ducklings raised for meat is significantly different, rather it resembles, so it is necessary to maintain this particular diet.

Broiler ducklings are raised specifically for meat. Broilers are meat breeds of ducks.

Video about ducklings:

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.