What is "late molting" (laying stoppage) in laying ducks, and how should it be prevented and treated?
A female duck from the start of laying until culling is called a laying duck. Generally, the useful period of egg-type Ma ducks is about 350 days (150-500 days of age), which is called the first laying year; some are also used in the second and third years after molting and resting, but their production performance declines year by year, so they are not suitable for retention. Nowadays the demand for duck eggs in daily life is increasing day by day, so the breeding technology of laying ducks is also receiving more and more attention. The “late molting” of laying ducks seriously affects the egg-laying benefits of laying duck breeding, so laying duck breeders should pay special attention. Below we will look at what the “late molting” of laying ducks is, and how to prevent and treat it.
What is the “late molting” of laying ducks?
The “late molting” of laying ducks refers to female ducks raised in spring entering the laying period in November, when the temperature gradually turns colder, the temperature difference between day and night is too large, or nutrition is insufficient, causing the laying ducks that have just started laying to stop production and go on “vacation.” If laying ducks experience “late molting,” they begin to molt, and once they molt they will not lay eggs again until the next spring.
How should the “late molting” of laying ducks be prevented and treated?
When ducks show signs of “late molting” such as smaller eggs, thinner eggshells, delayed laying time, wet feathers after drinking water and coming ashore, and burrowing into the duck house, the following measures should be taken promptly:
Adjust the duck flock
In early winter, promptly cull the old, weak, sick, and disabled ducks from the flock, and keep female ducks with good production performance and strong physique. At the same time, appropriately keep more male ducks so that they chase each other and increase the amount of exercise of the duck flock.
Increase protein feed
Appropriately increase the proportion of corn, broad beans, and soybean cake, control the ducks' feed intake, and increase the nutrient concentration of the feed.
Protect against cold and keep warm
Seal the holes in the duck shed well, hang straw curtains on doors and windows, and spread thick dry soft thatch, rice straw, and other materials on the ground inside the shed to ensure the ducks' abdomens are not exposed to cold. At the same time, also pay attention to related sanitation and epidemic prevention work to ensure the health of the laying ducks.
Supplement lighting
Laying ducks need 16 hours of light per day during the laying period. In winter, the days are short and the nights are long, so light is obviously insufficient. Therefore, 40-watt to 60-watt bulbs should be installed in the duck shed (one bulb per 20 sq m), with the bulbs 2 m above the ducks' backs, and covered with lampshades so that the light is concentrated on the ducks' bodies. The light should be even, and the lights should be on for 3 hours to 4 hours every night.
“Driving around the shed”
“Driving around the shed” can enhance the cold resistance and digestive ability of laying ducks and prevent them from stopping laying. The method is to gently call out inside the duck shed to make the duck flock start moving, slowly making circular movements in the same direction, generally 4 to 5 circles each time, once every 1 hour, and 2 to 3 times a day. Especially before driving the ducks into the water, “driving around the shed” should also be done. When more than 80% of the ducks are loudly “quacking,” the shed can be opened and the ducks released into the water, so as to improve the duck flock's ability to adapt to the temperature outside the shed and the water temperature.
Add cod liver oil
Because cod liver oil is rich in vitamins A and D, it is beneficial for enhancing the immunity of ducks and stabilizing the laying rate. Specific feeding method: feed each duck 1 milliliter per day. First mix the cod liver oil into 1.5 kilograms of bran, then mix it evenly into the feed. After feeding for 3 days to 5 days, if laying is normal and the feathers are glossy, feeding can be stopped; long-term feeding will affect economic benefits.