How to Feed Laying Ducks During the Laying Period? A Detailed Guide to Scientific Feeding Methods

Feeding laying ducks during the laying period is crucial. How can you make the most of the laying period of laying ducks? Below we offer some experience.

Because of continuous egg production, the nutrients consumed are especially high. For example, if one egg is laid daily and the egg weight is calculated at 65g, then 8.75g of crude protein is needed (calculated on the basis that a whole egg contains 13.5% crude protein) and 9.43g of crude fat (calculated on the basis that crude fat accounts for 14.5% of the whole egg). In addition, large amounts of inorganic salts and various vitamins are also needed. If the nutrients in the feed are not comprehensive, or if certain elements are lacking, egg production will decline, such as fewer eggs, delayed laying time, rough eggshells, or loss of body weight in the ducks, loose and ruffled feathers, poor appetite, slow reactions, and reluctance to enter the water. Therefore, laying ducks require feed of relatively high quality.

Feed for laying ducks during the laying period

1 Early laying period

This is generally the period when female ducks are 17 to 24 weeks of age. At this time the ducks have reached body maturity and sexual maturity, the flock has begun laying one after another, and the laying rate is rising rapidly. High-yielding ducks can reach a laying rate of 80% at 24 weeks of age. The focus of feeding and management at this stage is to closely monitor the upward trend in laying rate and egg weight, and accordingly increase the feeding amount and raise the nutritional level, so that they reach the peak of laying as soon as possible. In the early laying period, it is recommended to use the feeding standard for the laying period, with particular attention to the levels of energy, protein, calcium and phosphorus. The requirements are 11.2MJ metabolizable energy, 18% protein, 3.5% calcium and 0.5% phosphorus. Flocks not fed green fodder need a moderate increase in vitamins. The lighting principle for the early laying period is: it should only be lengthened, never shortened. The weekly increase in supplementary light should not exceed 0.5 hours until 16 hours is reached at 22 weeks of age. A light intensity of 5lx is appropriate. In concrete terms, installing one 25W bulb at a height of 2m for every 18 sq m is sufficient. In the early laying period, various stress factors should be reduced, and a relatively ideal laying environment should be provided for the laying ducks, so as to promote laying to enter the peak period.

2 Mid laying period

Also called the peak laying period, generally 24 to 46 weeks of age. The focus of management at this stage is to maintain the laying peak as much as possible and strive to keep the peak laying period beyond 46 weeks of age. During the peak laying period, the quality of the feed should be improved and its nutritional needs ensured. Feed a compound feed containing 18% to 20% protein, and appropriately increase the feeding of animal-based feed, granular calcium and green fodder. The feed form generally does not change during this period, but the feeding amount should still be adjusted by observing the laying ducks' feed intake, laying rate, egg weight, laying time, shell quality, droppings, and changes in the ducks' body feathers. During the peak production period, the laying rate of the laying ducks remains unchanged, and the egg weight reaches the standard egg weight for the breed at 300 days of age (small-type laying ducks at 260 to 280 days of age). Body weight remains basically unchanged. A Shaoxing duck weighs 1450 to 1500g and a Jinding duck 1600 to 1700g, indicating that the feeding amount is appropriate. At this time, if body weight decreases, more animal-based feed needs to be added. If body weight increases, the metabolizable energy in the feed can be reduced, and green and coarse fodder can be appropriately increased or feed intake controlled, but the animal-based feed remains unchanged. For large-bodied breeds, it can be slightly higher, that is, maintained at the body weight level when entering the peak period. For specifics, refer to the feeding standard for that breed. In addition, the supplementation of grit is also indispensable, and it should be continuously supplemented throughout the entire feeding process. Light should be kept constant at 16 hours per day, with dim light at night.

3 Late laying period

This refers to the laying period of laying ducks from 47 to 72 weeks of age. After more than 5 months of continuous laying, the ducks can hardly maintain the laying peak, and the general weekly decline should not exceed 1%. However, for high-yielding breeds, if managed properly, a relatively high laying rate can still be maintained. But if managed improperly, the laying rate will also decline, and they will enter the resting period early. Generally speaking, when the laying rate of a flock around 72 weeks of age drops to 60%, it enters the resting period or is culled for meat use. The management point at this stage is to determine the quality and amount of feed according to the ducks' body weight and laying rate. If the flock's laying rate is still above 80% while the ducks' body weight shows a slight downward trend, animal-based feed should be appropriately increased in the feed. If the ducks' body weight increases and shows a trend of becoming fat, but the laying rate is still around 80%, then the energy level in the feed can be lowered, and green and coarse fodder can be appropriately increased or the flock's exercise amount increased. If body weight is normal and the laying rate is still relatively high, the protein level in the feed should be slightly increased compared with the previous stage. If reduced egg weight or declining eggshell quality occurs, protein feed, cod liver oil and inorganic salt additives should be supplemented. Light should continue for 16 hours. When the flock is 60 weeks old or the laying rate drops to 80%, the light duration can be extended to 17 hours. In managing the flock, attention should be paid to letting them out more and confining them less, promoting exercise to prevent obesity, and at the same time culling low-yielding ducks.

For ducks that have entered the laying period, in order to maintain high and stable production, on the basis of doing well in “fullness, cleanliness and quietness”, you should also learn to carry out daily observation.

First, observe egg shape. If the large end of the egg is somewhat small, then the early feed is insufficient; if the small end is somewhat small, the midday feed is insufficient. If soft-shelled eggs are laid or the eggshells have sand holes and are relatively rough, it indicates a lack of calcium or vitamin D in the daily ration.

Second, observe laying time. Ducks' laying time is generally concentrated from 2 a.m. to 8 a.m. If the daily laying time cannot be concentrated, or if they even lay during the daytime, concentrate feed should be supplemented in time.

Third, observe the ducks' body weight. After a period of laying, the ducks' body weight should be sampled proportionally. If the body weight at the early laying stage can basically be maintained, then feeding and management are relatively appropriate. If the body weight is too light or too heavy, the daily ration should be adjusted in time so that the ducks quickly return to normal body weight. A slight increase in the late laying period is normal.

Fourth, observe egg weight. When laying ducks first begin to lay, the egg weight is about 40 grams. By about 150 days of laying, the egg weight reaches 90% of the standard egg weight, and by about 200 days it reaches the standard egg weight. If the egg weight increases too quickly or too slowly, the cause should be identified and the management method improved.

Fifth, observe the rise in laying rate. For excellent laying duck breeds, the laying rate generally reaches 50% at about 150 days, and at about 200 days they enter the peak laying period, with the laying rate reaching 90%. If the laying rate rises too slowly or fluctuates up and down, it indicates an abnormal situation, and attention should be paid to identifying the cause.

Sixth, observe the feathers of the laying ducks. If the feathers are smooth, tight and close to the body, it indicates good nutritional status. Otherwise, the quality of the feed should be improved.

Seventh, observe appetite. Whether raised in confinement or grazed, high-yielding laying ducks have a very strong foraging ability and will scramble for food. Otherwise, the cause should be identified.

Eighth, observe the ducks' water-playing condition. After entering the water, high-yielding laying ducks dive for a long time, and after coming ashore their feathers are smooth and not wet. If they are afraid to enter the water, do not bathe, or have wet feathers after entering the water and move weakly, then the cause should be identified, and animal protein feed and cod liver oil should be added.

Ninth, observe mental state. Healthy ducks are lively in spirit, agile in movement, and quiet at rest, while sick ducks are listless, stand apart from the flock in a daze, tuck their heads and droop their wings.

Tenth, observe droppings color. The droppings of a healthy flock are neither hard nor soft, grayish-black in color, with a small amount of urate deposits on the surface. The droppings of sick ducks include abnormal thin droppings that are green, white, golden yellow, and so on.