Mallard ducks produce good-sized, tasty eggs, taste delicious, can rid the garden of slugs and slugs, and are relatively easy to care for. Whether you have decided to keep ducks as a hobby or to try a little budget venture, the smartest thing to start is to find information on how to do it. While it is easier to care for than other types of poultry, you will need some basic information to keep ducks to make sure you have a healthy flock.
Steps
Part 1 of 4: Preparation for Duck Farming
Step 1. Decide why you want to keep ducks
You may want to keep ducks as pets, for eating their meat, for egg production, or as an organic way to control pests in the garden. There are four main types of duck: domestic, surface, diving and sea ducks. Mallard ducks are the favorite ones. All domestic breeds descend from the common wild (the Mallard, the mallard), except the Muscovy duck (the Muscovy).
Non-domestic or "game" ducks spend a lot of time in the water and it is necessary to stop their wings from a very young age to prevent them from flying away. They require a large pond or lake and are difficult to tame
Step 2. Consider Call, Cayuga, Pekingese, Rouen, or Muta species if you want a pet
All of these breeds are visually appealing and are particularly domestic.
- Call ducks are so called (literally, "by call") for the noises they make: be careful to buy one if you don't want to disturb your neighbors. They are small, gray or white in color and many people choose them for their small size, but they are excellent flyers, so it is necessary to clip their wings from time to time.
- Cayuga ducks have beautiful iridescent green plumage and are very peaceful, but they can be hard to find.
- The Pekingese is one of the most popular duck breeds, which are large and white, calm and quiet in temperament.
- Rouen have the same coloration as mallard (green head and neck and iridescent areas on the body) and are very calm and sociable.
- Muscovy ducks are very peaceful and are raised in different colors. They are descendants of tree birds so it may be necessary to clip their wings periodically to prevent them from flying away.
Step 3. Consider Pekin, Muscovy, Rouen or Aylesbury breeds for meat production
You will need to choose a breed that grows quickly, produces flavorful meat and is heavier. Many people prefer ducks with white plumage because they are easier to clean.
- Pekin are among the most popular ducks for meat production because they are ready to slaughter as early as 7 weeks, provide high yielding meat and have white plumage. They also lay a fair number of eggs during the year (which varies according to the region) so they respond well to different needs. They can be crossed with Aylesburys to get excellent meat ducklings.
- Muscovys produce tasty dark meat that is lighter, because their oil glands are underdeveloped. They produce few eggs that take 35 days to hatch, as opposed to the usual 28, but they are excellent mothers and hens, so they do not require an incubator. They can be crossed with Pekin to obtain a duck with excellent meat, but their offspring will be sterile. They must be slaughtered at 16 weeks of age or their meat becomes too tough.
- Rouen produces good meat, but it takes 12-15 weeks for them to be ready to be slaughtered. They also provide enough eggs (~ 100 per season), but have a lot of colorful feathers, so they will be more difficult to clean.
- Aylesbury ducks are prized for meat production due to their large size and sparse plumage, but true Aylesbury ducks are very rare and mostly crossbred Aylesbury ducks are found in Pekin, which still have good meat. White crested ducks are said to be a mix of Aylesbury and Pekin, but they don't lay many eggs.
Step 4. Consider Khaki Campbell or Indian Runner ducks for egg production
These breeds can sometimes even exceed the egg production levels of hens, compared to which they lay larger, more nutritious eggs.
- The Khaki Campbell duck is quite hardy and is an excellent forager, can produce over 300 eggs in a year and does not require special care or lighting to produce many eggs. They lay a pearly white egg and the main breed is used for commercial egg production. Their meat has a typical "wild" flavor and is not usually consumed.
- Indian Runner ducks are birds that stand upright and have a fast gait. Some types can produce over 300 blue colored eggs annually. They are large foragers, hardy and small in size.
- The Welsh Harlequin duck is a rarer bird, but it lays a lot of eggs, produces good meat, and has a placid nature.
Step 5. Consider Indian Runner, Khaki Campbell, or Call ducks to biologically control pests
All ducks in the gardens eat slugs, slugs and harmful insects, but some breeds are better foragers and cover a large area. Ducks will also clean ponds of algae mud and duckweed.
- Indian Runner ducks, among the best foraging birds, are very active and are known to catch flies as well. They cover large areas of land and can be used to control pests in fields. Often found in Asian rice fields, they are also used for pest control on an organic South African wine farm.
- Khaki Campbells are good foragers. They can control parasites in water and on land and eat large quantities of snails, slugs, insects, algae and mosquitoes.
- Call ducks are also good foragers, but smaller in size than others, so they will eat smaller prey.
Step 6. Make sure the ducks can access the water
Mallard ducks do not need large ponds or lakes, but a small tank in which they can dip their heads is sufficient. They have no tear ducts and use this water to moisten and clean the eyes. You can use a small children's pool or any plastic tub to hold the water.
- Plastic tubs are actually better for ducks, because the water can be replaced easily, keeping it clean of mud and feathers.
- Shake the plastic tub so the grass does not become mud.
Step 7. Feed the ducks properly, otherwise they will not grow properly
This is especially true of ducks used for meat or egg production. Although some breeds are good at foraging for food, they will continue to require more. Feed the ducks commercially prepared feed.
- If you give them chick crumbs, they do not need to be medicated as they could seriously harm the ducks.
- Ducks used for production will require higher protein content (~ 16% and can come from raw oats, but for no more than a quarter of the diet) than the others.
- Egg-laying ducks also need higher calcium content to effectively produce eggs, and you can add it to their feed.
- Provide a source of potable water near feeding areas. It helps to lift it off the ground to prevent it from always being full of mud.
Step 8. Keep ducks locked up at night
Ducks should be locked up overnight to protect them from predators. They do not need perches, but the access route should be as wide as possible to accommodate the entire group that enters together. It is important that this area is kept well ventilated.
- The house should have approximately 3700 square cm of space for each duck and be at least 1m high.
- They may be scared of the lights at night so you will need to arrange the openings away from the moon or lights if possible.
- Place the pen against a wall or fence to keep ducks in at night.
- Use a layer of clean straw for bedding and change it regularly to keep it clean.
- If you wish to collect eggs, you should get some nests. This will make it easier for you to find the eggs.
Step 9. Keep the ducks enclosed in the garden
Some predators attack ducks, so it is important to protect them with a fence. The enclosure should keep predators out and ducks in. The heavier meat-producing ducks can't jump very high, but some of the lighter breeds, such as the Call, can jump up to 1.8m in the air.
Ducks can be kept in the same pen as chickens. Several duck breeds can also be kept together, but care must be taken to put smaller ducks with a male of a larger breed as it could injure them
Part 2 of 4: Selecting Breeding Animals
Step 1. Research your race
Each differs in size, conformations, egg production rates, fertility, hatching, food consumption and production cycle. Try to find the expected characteristics of your ducks.
Step 2. Develop an identification system for your ducks
Keep track of them through proper identification. In a small group, individual ducks can be recognized, but, if this is not possible, it may be useful to use bands on the wing or leg to mark individual birds.
Step 3. Use trap nests to record when eggs are laid
The trap nests are designed so that the ducks cannot get out until the egg is released. This way you can record the identity of the duck and whether or not it has laid an egg.
Step 4. Record information about individual ducks
Track the number of eggs a duck lays, the number of ducklings born to that particular duck, the number of ducklings that were marketed for sale or after slaughter, and the age of those ducklings when they reached the appropriate weight for the slaughterhouse.
All this information will help you choose the most effective and productive duck breed to mate for production
Step 5. Select ducks with good conformation according to their breed
Breeding ones should have solid bones, straight toes, and scales that are tight and snug against the legs. They should not have crooked sternum bones or split wings.
Step 6. Select young and vigorous breeding stock
Younger ducks will have bright colors on their legs and beaks, a flexible, stringy sternum, and a soft, easily concave trachea. Older ducks will have discolored legs and beaks with hardened skin, hard sternum and strong trachea.
Farm ducks should not have been treated for any major diseases. They must be healthy with elegant and thick feathers, bright eyes, dry nostrils and a full tail (depending on the breed)
Step 7. Choose breeding ducks based primarily on weight
The main factor when selecting these animals should be weight because it is highly heritable. Do not breed ducks that show deformity, abnormal size or other defects.
In addition to weight, you should take into account the other factors you have noted, such as the number of eggs laid and ducklings born
Part 3 of 4: Mating Ducks
Step 1. Maintain the correct male to female ratio
This will require a little research on the particular breed of your ducks. Heavy breeds such as the Muscovy and other meat producing breeds will usually have a ratio of one male to a maximum of five females. The lighter breeds, such as the Khaki Campbell and the Indian Runner, will have a maximum ratio of one male in ten ducks.
- Keeping too many males compared to a small number of females can cause injury to the latter because they would mate too often.
- If you are attempting to cross breeds, beware of the difference in size between males and females as this can potentially cause injury.
- If you have too many males, you can keep them in a separate enclosure during the breeding season.
- You can have the ducks mate as a pair if you prefer. The problem comes when there are more males and there are not enough females or space.
Step 2. Minimize the time difference between generations
You should breed young animals to keep the generation gap low and achieve the greatest genetic progress. One-year-old females and males are best for breeding, but birds younger than 6 months should not be mated.
Step 3. Get to know the mating season
Although some mallard ducks mate year-round, the typical mating season runs from late winter to spring - early summer. Ducks will likely exhibit mating behavior and spawn around this time.
Typical mating behavior includes bowing of the heads, pecking, neck bites and attempts to mate by the male
Step 4. Try to mix the races
Ducks will typically mate with any other duck, including those of different breeds. If you want to create particular crosses, you need to keep separate the breeds you don't want to mix. If, on the other hand, you don't want to mix ducks and have multiple breeds, you should always separate them during the breeding season.
Mule animals are born from Muscovy ducks that mate with other domestic duck species. Duck mules are sterile, but they can still produce good quality meat. By mixing other types of domestic ducks, sterile animals are not born
Step 5. Calculate the number of birds to mate
It depends on the number of ducklings you want to produce. For most breeds, a duck can produce about 100 ducklings per season to be placed on the market.
You'll get better results with fewer birds paired and housed together. However, commercial breeders use bulk matings for economic reasons
Part 4 of 4: Duck Incubation and Hatching
Step 1. Keep the ducks together for two weeks before collecting the hatching eggs
This will give the ducks adequate time to mate and result in high fertility in the eggs. Also give the males and females time to stabilize in mating.
Step 2. To make sure they are as clean as possible, collect the eggs daily
Keep them in a cool, not cold place, and turn them once a day to prevent the membrane from sticking to the shell. They can be stored for 7-10 days before incubation. It is better to put them all at the same time, so that they are in the same phase.
Step 3. Prepare an incubator for fertilized eggs
Follow the instructions for your incubator (if you don't have it, you can always buy it online). Set the incubator at 37.5 degrees C with 86% humidity to get started.
- Run the incubator for a day or two before putting the eggs inside. This allows you to verify that a uniform temperature is maintained.
- Humidity can usually be maintained by filling trays of water on the incubator and following the instructions. You can also wet the eggs every time you turn them.
- Muscovy ducks are excellent mothers and hens and do not necessarily need their eggs to be incubated. This also makes them easier to manage and raise.
Step 4. The eggs must be turned at least three times a day
Some incubators will automatically move them, but if that's not your case, turn them over an odd number of times a day.
Turning the eggs is critical during the first week of incubation. Turn them over as often as you can
Step 5. Check for fertility after one week
Use the candle technique to check if the eggs are fertile and remove any infertile eggs. Make the room dark and get a small flashlight. Hold it on the egg and wrap your hand around it to avoid reflections in the eyes. If you see clear, distinct veins, then the egg is probably alive.
Repeat the candle light check once a week and remove any eggs that are not alive
Step 6. Incubate for approximately 28 days
Different breeds require different incubation times. Mallards will take around 26.5-27 days, Runners will take 28.5 days, and Muscovy will take longer, around 35 days. All other breeds will take approximately 28 days.
Step 7. Don't interfere with the hatching process
The hatching process can take 3-5 days or even be a little longer, and the ducklings can stay in their shells for a day or two to absorb the yolk, so you'll need to be patient. Do not worry.
Call ducks are notoriously awkward in breaking their shells. If you really think the duckling needs a little help, you will need to be very careful and use tweezers to try to make a small hole in the shell. If you see any bleeding or anything else, stop immediately
Step 8. Keep the ducklings in the incubator for twelve hours after hatching
This gives them time to dry out completely and allows the other eggs to hatch undisturbed. They will stumble and sway here and there, but that's normal for newborn ducklings.
Step 9. Move the ducklings to another incubator
You can use a plastic container with a small enclosure and a 250-watt shielded bulb to provide the light and warmth needed by the birds in their first few weeks of life. Within three weeks he should no longer need a heat lamp.
- If they are huddled together under the lamp, they are probably too cold and you should move the heat source closer.
- If they move away from the lamp, it is a sign that the lamp is too hot and that you should place it higher.
- When they stop sleeping under the lamp, it may be time to remove it completely.
Step 10. Leave the ducklings alone as much as possible for the first three days
Don't even let them follow anyone else these first three days. This could cause them to be imprinted too heavily, which would lead to problems later on.
Step 11. Provide food and water
Make sure you provide a drinking trough that is deep enough for the duckling to submerge its nostrils to clean, but not so deep that it can drown. Feeding is not necessary in the first 24 hours, but afterwards you can give him the weaning crumbs by getting them from the local feed shop. After ten days, switch to breeder feed.
- If your duckling is particularly weak or is not eating, try feeding him a little mashed boiled yolk. This can help him start eating his first crumbs.
- After 16 weeks you can move on to feeding the ducklings as you would feed an adult.
- If you want to allow your ducklings to swim, you need to supervise them so they don't drown. In addition, ducklings do not yet produce the oil that protects the feathers of adult ducks from the cold, so the water must be warm rather than cold. Mother ducks in their natural state normally apply the oil to the feathers of the ducklings.
Step 12. Raise the ducks for their intended use
If you are keeping ducklings as pets, for meat production, egg production, and / or biological pest control, you can now continue raising your ducks. You can take them out when they are around 6-8 weeks old.
- They should have already lost their plumage before being moved outside.
- Predators can easily take the ducklings away - be careful when moving them outside.
Advice
- Ducklings need a rough surface to stand on when they are young. Do not use smooth paper but rather shavings or another form of litter.
- Do a thorough research on the duck breed of your choice to learn how to breed and care for it specifically.
- As long as the ducklings don't have thick plumage, they will need shelter from downpours and thunderstorms.
Warnings
- Ducks and other poultry can sometimes be carriers of Salmonella bacteria. Make sure you wash your hands thoroughly every time you touch a bird.
- Watch out for any signs of disease in your birds, because a flock can be wiped out pretty quickly if a disease appears.
