Rapid Finishing Breeding Technology for Meat Ducks in Multi-Tier Cages
I. Advantages of Cage Rearing for Meat Ducks
First, it makes full use of the duck house space, increases stocking density and raises output per unit area. Second, mechanized equipment can be used to reduce labor intensity. Third, the diet is nutritionally complete and feed intake is uniform, and the finishing time is shortened to about 60 days, saving about 10% in feed costs. Fourth, cage rearing is entirely under manual control and is subject to little external stress, so it can effectively prevent some infectious and parasitic diseases.
II. Duck House and Duck Cage Setup
Use 2 rows in the middle or 1 row each on the north and south sides, with aisles left on both sides or in the middle. Each duck cage is 2 m long and 1.2 m wide, made of bamboo strips or wire mesh, with a floor mesh opening of 1.5 sq cm. Set up 0.5 m high railings around the sides, nailed together with wooden strips 2.5 cm wide and 2 cm thick, with 3-4 cm spacing between the strips, so that it is convenient for the ducks to eat feed and drink water. Feed troughs and water troughs should be set in front of the railings, or automatic drinkers can be installed. The mesh cages can be arranged according to the space in the house, stacked 2-4 tiers; for a 2-tier stacking arrangement, the upper floor is 1.2 m above the ground and the lower floor is 0.6 m above the ground. Install manure collection boards between the upper and lower tiers of mesh cages; the manure collection board should be 20 cm below the upper cage floor to make manure cleaning easier.
III. Rapid Weight-Gain Feed Formula (1) Feed requirements for ducklings (days 1-25) (%): crude protein 20, crude fiber 3.9, calcium 1.1, phosphorus 0.1; reference formula (%): corn 50, rapeseed cake 20, broken rice 10, wheat bran 10, fish meal 7.5, meat meal 1, shell powder 1, salt 0.5. (2) Feed requirements for growing ducks (days 26-45) (%): crude protein 17.5, crude fiber 4.1, calcium and phosphorus 0.5. Reference formula (%): corn 50, wheat bran 12, broken rice 10, salt 0.5, rapeseed cake 5, barley (wheat) 17, fish meal 4.5, shell powder 1. (3) Fattening period formula (%): for the early stage use corn 35, flour 26.5, rice bran 30, beans (roasted) 5, shell powder 2, bone meal 1, salt 0.5; for the late stage use corn 35, flour 30, rice bran 25, sorghum 6.5, shell powder 2, bone meal 1, salt 0.5.
IV. Comprehensive Epidemic Prevention Measures
From 1 to 5 days of age and from 9 to 13 days of age, ducklings are given drinking water with 0.02% potassium permanganate solution; from 6 to 8 days of age and from 14 to 16 days of age, they are given drinking water with 0.02% furazolidone solution. Manure on the mesh is swept once a day, and the manure collection boards are cleaned once every morning; the manure can be used to raise fish or feed pigs. Outside the duck house, lime water should be used for disinfection once every 7 days. Common diseases of ducklings include duck plague, cholera and viral hepatitis. Regular vaccination should be carried out. The method is: at 1 day of age, give ducklings attenuated viral hepatitis vaccine (inject according to the instructions); at 20 days of age, inject ducklings with chicken embryo-attenuated duck plague vaccine. Ordinarily, drugs can be added to the feed for prevention; add 0.1% oxytetracycline powder once every 5-7 days and feed continuously for 3 days. Also pay close attention to observing the duck flock, and if disease occurs, treat it promptly.