How to feed ducklings correctly and what?

In ancient times, in order to taste duck meat, people had to hunt these birds. Over time, ducks were domesticated. As a result of cultivation, today we have a large number of different breeds of agricultural waterfowl with different characteristics.

Breeding of ducks is rapidly gaining popularity, because duck meat has excellent taste, while the level of egg production is higher than, for example, geese.

By purchasing young duck, after a few months of fattening it will be possible to serve an appetizing, aromatic, baked duck to the table, however, in order to achieve high performance, it is necessary to adhere to a number of rules related to feeding and keeping young ducklings from the first days of life.

Where to start leaving?

Ducks are bred based on the characteristics of a particular breed. So, in some breeds, under the pressure of selection, the incubation instincts laid down by nature have completely disappeared, as a result of which the breeding of such a bird is possible only by placing incubation eggs under another hen, or by laying eggs in an incubator, but a certain temperature regime must also be observed .. However, after hatching, they appear. questions - how to care for newly hatched ducklings.

You can purchase already hatched chicks, both diurnal and older... It is better to buy young animals from a reliable seller, be it a small farm or a large poultry farm.

The first point to focus on is the placement of young animals. Ducks generally tolerate both cold and frost well, but for babies in the first days of life, it is required to adhere to temperatures in the region of 27-31 degrees. Initially, the birds can be placed in a special brooder, avoiding excessive crowding, in the future the grown young are transferred to the poultry house.

Since ducks are water birds, it is highly desirable to provide them with access to the reservoir. It is desirable that the birds have a short walk. Despite the fact that a number of farmers believe that for the quickest set of weight by ducks, they should limit the space as much as possiblewhile others, on the contrary, believe that the presence of walking and access to a reservoir significantly improves overall performance - the bird is healthier and more resilient.

What to feed on the first day of life at home?

The second question that arises before a novice farmer after buying chicks is how to feed little ducklings in the first days of life. The gastrointestinal tract of ducklings is different from that of adults, so food suitable for adult ducks is not suitable for babies.

Ducklings have a higher digestibility of food and a more intensive metabolism in comparison, for example, with chickens.

It is necessary to feed newborn ducklings 4-5 times a day. Food in the first 2-4 days should be enriched with protein as much as possible, it helps the ducklings grow. For this purpose, for kids, mash is prepared from chopped boiled eggs, cottage cheese with the addition of milk and any fermented milk products - kefir, yogurt, whey.

The food must be fresh, not eaten leftovers must be disposed of, preventing spoilage of the feed.

Already in the first days after birth, greens are added to the feed for birds... In the summer, it is better to use fresh, finely chopped. If ducks are to be reared in winter, dry enough greens in advance for the summer season to add to the mash. For these purposes, nettles, clover, alfalfa and even dandelion are used.

Feeding week old ducklings

Further, any farmer has a logical question, what and how to feed weekly ducklings? In addition to the high protein content in the diet of ducks, cereals should be present from the first week. Their grain digestibility coefficient is about 80%, which is even higher than that of chickens.

In addition, the grain also contains protein, about 10-15%. In the first 7-10 days of life, the birds are given compound feed with the addition of cottage cheese, fermented milk products, finely chopped nettle and other greens. Fresh nettles need to be scalded with boiling water before use. Greens contain a number of vitamins necessary for normal growth, development and strengthening of the immune system. Also, in the first week, it is necessary to enrich food with minerals required by the fast-growing body of the chick. It is possible to try to give the duck "Start" food.

For this purpose, chalk, fish or meat and bone meal, crushed shells or crushed eggshells are added to the feed. Until the second week, mineral dressing is added at the rate of 1 g. on the head.

Feeding two week old chicks

But what to feed the ducklings at 2 weeks and how much food to give is rarely a question. Indeed, from the second week, young animals can be released if there is a walk with access to a reservoir. In this case, the chicks will receive part of the food in their natural environment. They will need to be fed only twice a day - in the morning and in the evening.

In the morning, two-week-old chicks are not fed to their fill, so that the babies themselves are fed on a walk. When the birds are in an enclosed space, the feed load increases.

Cottage cheese and eggs are removed from the mash, replacing them with boiled root vegetables, for example, potatoes, sugar beets, carrots. In winter, from the second week, ducks can be fed with combined silage. The main part of the feed at this stage is compound feed, a slightly smaller part is greens.

At this age, to improve digestion and stimulate the intestines, farmers add a little sand or fine gravel to the feed.

Differences in content (care with and without a pond)

Ideally, ducks should have access to water. A pond or a small river with a weak current and grass along the bank will do. In this case, the need for additional feeding with vitamins and minerals will practically disappear, since the ducks will receive the necessary supplements to the diet from a natural source of the environment. In addition, the presence of a reservoir can significantly reduce feed costs.

Of course, in a harsh winter, when the reservoirs are covered with ice, the birds are not able to get their own food. Therefore, the cost of keeping ducklings in winter will be higher, even taking into account the presence of a reservoir. Unfortunately, not always and not every yard has a pond, stream or river in the neighborhood.

Table of nutritional norms by periods for newborns, daily and weekly ducklings

More complete information on how ducks are fed in the first periods of life can be obtained from the table:

And here is a table of norms for the content of nutrients contained in 100g of combined feed:

How to water the chicks and do you need to observe the temperature regime?

A prerequisite is the availability of clean drinking water. The water should not be cold. Drinking water temperature should be around 20 degrees. Drinking bowls should be provided in such a way that chicks cannot climb into them, otherwise the water will inevitably become quickly contaminated.

You can buy ready-made drinkers, you can make your own hands, by making slits in a plastic bottle, for example, or you can place an inverted jar of water in a plate, as shown in the figure:

How much and how to give vitamins?

Vitamins are essential for normal development and functioning. The need for additional complementary feeding with vitamins disappears, provided that from the first days the birds receive a balanced diet and from the second week they have access to a natural natural reservoir, they are sufficiently exposed to the sun. In such a situation, the ducks independently replenish the reserves of the required substances.

If the ducks are exclusively in the poultry house, the lack of vitamins will have to be artificially replenished by adding vitamin-containing components to the feed.

To prevent the disease, it is recommended to add fish oil or synthetic vitamins purchased in vet pharmacies to the mash.

Ducklings receive vitamins of other groups together with greens. Especially a lot of them are found in nettles. In cases where it is not possible to add fresh herbs to the feed, the use of synthetic vitamin complexes is recommended.

What kind of feed can be used when feeding young chicks?

The most suitable starter compound feed for ducklings of the first twenty days of life is PK-21. Combined food for this age group of waterfowl meets the needs of the body at this stage as much as possible.

Since the food of waterfowl in their natural environment is predominantly wet, for ducklings kept at home it is advisable to additionally moisten the compound feed with milk, whey or broth. Such a mixture is classified as perishable, therefore, in cases where the chicks have not fully consumed their food, the feeders must be cleaned of residues. Monthly ducklings are recommended to be transferred to the combined feed PK-22.

Composition of compound feed PK-21:

Composition of compound feed PK-22:

DIY starter feed for monthly ducklings

A couple of ways to prepare combined feed for young animals from one month of age on your own. Method one. For cooking, you need to mix:

• 45% corn;
• 17% sunflower meal;
• 13% wheat;
• 8% barley;
• 5% feed yeast;
• 4% fishmeal;
• 3% feed fat;
• 1% meat and bone meal;
• 1% herbal flour and chalk.

Another recipe for self-cooking:

• 51% corn;
• 19% wheat bran;
• 19% cake (soy or sunflower);
• 4% wheat;
• 2.4% feed fat;
• 1.7% defluorinated phosphate (tricalcium phosphate);
• 1.5% shell (or eggshell);
• 1% feed yeast;
• 0.4% salt.

Conclusion

The main value of ducks as poultry is the taste of duck meat. In addition, these birds are a source of down, which is appreciated everywhere and is used to warm clothes and fill feather beds.

Duck down is not as soft as that of geese, but the thermal insulation properties are just as good. And they also get eggs from ducks that are richer in composition than chicken eggs. For the successful breeding of poultry in order to obtain quality meat, eggs and fluff, it is extremely important to take a responsible approach to the issue of feeding and caring for young animals from birth.