Feeding Ducks
Duck rising is not an easy task. If a farmer wants to rear duck for commercial purpose, he must have to know what food is essential and what should not feed to them. To get desired profit from duck farming, a farmer has to ensure balance diet. This makes sure that the ducks will grow up in a healthy way. Most of the ducks are reared in farms. However, a number of ducks are also reared in open space or ponds. Many people think that bread or bread crumbs are suitable food for duck but it not absolutely true. Just like all the creatures ducks need balance diet for proper growing.
Farmer should provide feed four to five times a day that is sufficient for over 2 weeks old ducklings and provide plenty of clean, fresh water.
Feeding Ducklings
Ducks are considered as a good pet and egg or meat source. So, if farmer wants to raise ducks, they must have to feed them properly. In this case, feeding ducklings is very important because baby ducks are very weak and sensitive. After the birth of ducklings, farmer should provide wet started mash for eight weeks. It is better to provide food at night during the first few days and drinking water can be given from the 2nd day through fountains and troughs. After the fourth day, farmer must add finely chopped small shrimps boiled rice. Besides, amount of feed must be increase with the increase of ducklings’ age. When ducklings reach at the age of one month, farmer should provide tiny fresh water snails and boiled unhulled rice. Mask feed that is given to ducklings is composed of fish meal, rice bran with oyster shell, corn, soybean meal, dried whey and bone meal with mineral vitamin supplements. Starter mash with 10-20% crude protein gives one day to six weeks aged ducklings; mash with 16% crude protein gives for 6 weeks old to 4 month old ducklings; layer mash with 16% crude with gives 4 month old ducks and above aged.
Provide enough mash to consume quickly at one time for 10 to 15 minutes, if mash feed is preferred. Wet mash trends to spoil when left long in hoppers. It is better to give feed at regular intervals. For this reason, ducklings learn to eat more food and appetites are developed to stuff themselves in between drinks, digest food quickly.
When ducks eat their food they waste too much food for this reason gives enough food to prevent much waste.
Feeding Growing Ducks
Ducks, generally raised as farm or pet animals, are useful animals to keep domestically and a reliable source of meat and egg. However, ducks need special nutrition to survive. If ducks do not get enough nutrition, they will not grow properly. Besides, they also suffer from malnutrition that may cause of illness and even death of duck flock. If a farmer provides wrong food malnutrition, it can lead ducks to waste food. Here are some instructions about how to feed fully grown ducks.
- At first prepare the bin feeder. Properly clean and dry the surface of the feeder and then any sharp egged should be covered by duct tape and hang it in a safe place within the ducks’ enclosed space.
-
- For providing correct amount of nutrition provide a commercial amount food. Egg laying ducks need 16-18 percent protein in their food. 14-16 percent protein needs non-laying adults in their food.
- Too much protein can cause of angel wing that causes the wing feathers to stick up. Besides lack of enough protein may cause of serious nutrition problem that hamper egg laying.
- Give your ducks fresh greens, such as vegetable trimmings, although your ducks may eat weeds and grass in your yard whenever you keep your ducks in outside.
- Makes your duck’s diet with the help of chopped up hard boiled eggs, cracked corn and worms. You have to keep away from using whole corn because it is not easy digestible. In winter season much amount of cracked corn should be feed. A study ensures that cracked corn contains half of the protein that the ducks need.
- Whenever you feed your duck, you must provide fresh water to ingest the food that you provide and clean their beaks. Your ducks could choke because of not providing enough water.
- You should preserve your ducks food carefully because it may grow bacteria and other microorganism that is harmful to your ducks health.
What Not to Feed Ducks
The most common items and waterfowl contains least nutritious and also unhealthy such as bread, chips, crackers, popcorn etc. you should not feed bread to your ducks because it has no healthy value and also hinders ducklings’ growth, make dirty water ways and attract rodents. Similarly, ducks must not be feed any products which are spoiled. Besides, spoil food can be fatal to waterfowl.
Good Foods for Ducks
The foods that contain the nutrients, minerals and vitamins and necessary for healthy growth and development of ducks are the best food for ducks. Many of these foods have a similarity to the natural grains, seeds and plants that the birds search for their own. The best foods include below foods list:
Cracked corn
Milo
Birdseed
Oats
Barley
Grapes
Chopped lettuce
Earthworms
Vegetable trimmings
It can be added that pellets or poultry starter pellets are another great food for duck that can be purchased from farming or agriculture supply stores.
Tips for Feeding Ducks
You should not feed the ducks when the ducks shows uninterested to eat food and leaving the food uneaten.
You should be careful of that birds that come closely and remember that they are still be aggressive.
Clean all the garbage properly.
Be aware about children and others pets so that they cannot disturb the ducks.
Always follow the local facilities that help to feed ducks or waterfowl.
