Key Points and Considerations for Spring Duck Farming

Although spring heralds the rejuvenation of all things, temperatures can still be quite variable and sometimes very cold. Therefore, for duck farmers, ensuring adequate insulation during the spring duck farming process is essential. Let's learn together about the management methods and considerations for raising ducks in spring.

Key Points and Considerations for Spring Duck Farming

1. Preparing for Ducklings: Disinfect the duckling room, exercise yard, and feeding utensils with 20% caustic soda or 20% lime water, then rinse with clean water after drying. Ensure that the duckling room, exercise yard, feeding utensils, and necessary facilities are fully equipped to ensure that each duckling has access to feed and water. Prepare sufficient fresh and high-quality full-feed and green feed; adjust the temperature control facilities of the duckling room.

2. Duckling Insulation: Maintaining the right temperature is the primary technical measure for duckling rearing. With appropriate temperature, ducklings expend less body heat, grow and develop quickly, and have a higher survival rate. Ducklings can be raised using ground flue and coal stoves, but harmful smoke and gases must be vented out of the duckling room to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning. The actual temperature in the duck house should be kept at 30°C to 32°C at one day old and gradually reduced by 1°C per day until it is consistent with the environmental temperature.

3. Temperature Adjustments: In different climatic conditions, temperature adjustments should be based on the behavior of ducklings, striving to meet their requirements for optimal temperature. For example, when the temperature is too low, ducklings huddle near heat sources for warmth, often resulting in suffocation or death from overcrowding; when the temperature is too high, ducklings move away from heat sources, pant with their mouths open, and drink more water. When the temperature is normal, ducklings are lively, active, have good appetites, drink moderately, have shiny feathers, stretch their legs and bodies, distribute evenly, lie quietly without sound, and eat, drink, and excrete normally.

4. Water and Feeding: Ducklings do not feel hungry immediately after hatching. After 24 hours of hatching, ducklings' down is dry, they are lively and active, often making "quack" sounds, and they start pecking and moving around. At this point, provide water before feeding. If ducklings appear lethargic, with semi-closed eyes and reluctance to move, it is already past feeding time. Feeding ducklings too early can damage their digestive system and affect their health, while feeding too late cannot supply enough nutrients for growth and development. Therefore, the best time for ducklings to start feeding is between 14 and 24 hours after hatching. Remember to provide water before feeding. Adding a moderate amount of glucose or vitamin C to the water can promote gastrointestinal peristalsis, clean the intestines and stomach, promote metabolism, accelerate the absorption of remaining yolk, stimulate appetite, and enhance physical fitness.

5. Feeding Full-Feed Pellets: Due to the rapid growth and development of ducklings, they require a large amount of nutrients. After ducklings start eating, they rely entirely on feed to meet their nutritional needs for growth and development. Duckling feed should be high in protein and energy, with a protein content of 20-22% in the daily ration, supplemented with calcium, phosphorus, trace elements, and various vitamins. Feeding only rice gruel is inadequate and can lead to illness or death due to nutritional deficiencies. Feeding full-feed pellets can provide all the necessary nutrients for duckling growth and development.

6. Feeding Method: Ducklings have a short digestive tract, small stomach capacity, and immature digestive function. Therefore, when feeding ducklings, avoid overfeeding, feeding them only until they are 60-70% full each time. Overfeeding can easily cause indigestion. Ducklings have small stomachs and fast digestion. If the feeding frequency is too low, causing ducklings to be hungry for a long time, it will affect their growth and development. In the early stage of duckling rearing (within one week), feed less but frequently, with 6-8 feedings per day and an additional 1-2 night feedings to encourage duckling activity.

7. Stocking Density and Grouping: Ducklings' stocking density should be appropriate. Excessive density can cause crowding, humidity, and air pollution in the duck house, leading to poor growth in ducklings. Too low a density wastes space and resources. The ideal stocking density for ducklings is 20 per square meter for ducklings under one week old. Subsequently, the stocking density can be gradually reduced as the ducklings grow. The number of ducks per group should not exceed 250-300.

8. Ventilation in Duck Houses: Carbon dioxide exhaled by ducks, as well as harmful gases such as ammonia and hydrogen sulfide produced by the decomposition of feces and residual materials, can endanger the health of ducklings. Severe cases can lead to ammonia poisoning and mass deaths of ducklings. Therefore, the air in the duckling room must be kept circulating at all times, with proper ventilation to keep the air fresh, remove excess moisture, keep the duck house dry and clean, and improve the living environment for ducks. Ventilation promotes the healthy and rapid growth of ducks.

9. Water Activities: Allowing ducklings to engage in water activities can promote their metabolism, enhance their physique, and clean dirt from their feathers. If ducks are not allowed to swim for a long time, their feathers will lose their water resistance. Therefore, ducklings must be allowed to engage in water activities. Ducklings should be allowed to swim 2-3 days after hatching, with water provided 2-3 times a day for 10-30 minutes each time in spring. In summer and autumn, ducklings under one week old should be allowed to swim 4-6 times a day for 20-30 minutes each time.

These are some key points for duckling rearing in spring. Friends who are starting to raise ducks at this time can learn more!