Ducks are a great option for breeding as poultry. They are not very demanding on nutrition and rarely get sick. In addition, ducklings give a good weight gain in a short time.
In order to raise a strong and healthy bird, it is important from the very birth to approach the issue of feeding correctly. Ducks can be bred using a reservoir or, if there is no one on the site, it is possible without it.
Food for the smallest ducklings
Newly hatched ducklings are not given food. The fact is that the egg, where they were before hatching, contains nutrients, thanks to which the ducklings can be without food for 1-2 days. But they should not be kept without water in order to avoid dehydration of the body.
When feeding day-old ducklings, you need to watch them to see if they are taking food. In order for the ducklings to learn to eat, chopped eggs are poured onto their backs, and then the young will begin to peck it off each other. If the ducklings don’t drink, they may die. To avoid this, they need to pour water diluted with potassium permanganate from a pipette, a very weak solution. For the smallest ducklings, the same food is suitable as given to chickens. That is, it should include hard-boiled chicken or duck eggs, finely chopped or minced. This feed is distributed in small tray feeders or on thick paper. In the latter case, the paper is replaced with a new one daily.
During the first week of life, ducklings are fed 6-7 times in small portions. This should include low-fat cottage cheese, boiled egg, and dairy products. At the same age, fresh chopped nettles are slowly introduced into the composition of the feed. Remember to give your chicks clean water every day.
How to feed grown ducklings
In the second week of life, boiled root vegetables are added to the feed. A mash is prepared from them, to which millet and greens are added. To keep the ducklings healthy, they need calcium supplementation. You can prepare it yourself as follows: finely grind eggshells or bones, you can take shells as a starting material. The mash can be cooked with milk or meat broth. It is not recommended to give pure milk, as ducklings sprinkle it more than drink it. Grown chicks can also be added finely chopped fruits. From the age of one month, they are given pelleted food. Milled fish waste, which contains many useful nutrients for growing ducklings, is also suitable as an additive. Stale, moldy crusts of black bread are soaked with water and given to young growth. It is recommended to add quinoa or horse sorrel seeds to a variety of mash. As the chicks grow, they are fed less often than weekly, and gradually switch to 3 meals a day.
With the onset of warmth, young animals can be released into the reservoir. Here they will find an additional source of power for themselves. If there is no reservoir on the site, the ducklings can be released to free grazing on a grassy meadow or meadow. They will gladly nibble small grass. In rainy weather, the ducklings are mowed green and served in the enclosures where they are kept.
Keeping and raising ducklings is a profitable business even at a summer cottage, provided that you live there every day.
