Key Points of Feeding and Management Techniques for Meat Ducks During the Brooding Period
Meat-type ducklings grow especially rapidly and have high requirements for feeding and management. They are also very sensitive to the environment and rather delicate; the slightest carelessness can cause stunted growth and even lead to increased mortality. Therefore, scientific feeding and management are needed, mainly carried out from the following aspects:
1. Selection of ducklings.
Commercial meat-type ducklings must come from excellent healthy mother duck flocks. The breeder ducks have already been vaccinated against duck plague, fowl cholera, viral hepatitis and other vaccines before laying eggs, so as to ensure that the ducklings do not develop disease during the brooding period. The selected ducklings should be basically uniform in size, with a body weight of 55-60 grams, lively, without a large navel, twisted head or deformed legs, and with wax-yellow down; those that are too dark or too pale are all culled.
2. Grouping.
If the duckling flock is too large, it is not conducive to management, environmental conditions are difficult to control, and flock panic or crushing deaths are likely to occur. Therefore, in order to improve the brooding rate, grouping management is carried out, with 300-500 birds per group.
3. Drinking water.
Water is crucial to the growth and development of ducklings. Ducklings must drink water before starting to eat; drinking water is also called opening water or moistening water. Adding an appropriate amount of vitamin C, glucose and antibiotics to the drinking water of ducklings will have a better effect, both increasing nutrition and improving the disease resistance of the ducklings. The number of drinkers provided must be sufficient, water must not be cut off, and water overflow must also be prevented.
4. Start of feeding.
The first feeding is carried out 12-24 hours after the ducklings hatch or when 1/3 of the ducklings in the flock begin to look for food. For raising meat-type ducklings, complete small-pellet feed gives a better effect. If such conditions are not available, half-cooked rice plus egg yolk can also be used for feeding, and after a few days switch to nutrient-rich complete feed.
5. Feeding method.
Ducklings in the first week of age should be allowed to feed freely, keeping feed often in the feed tray. Do not put in too much at one feeding, to prevent it from remaining uneaten for a long time, becoming contaminated and causing illness in the ducklings or wasting feed. Therefore, feed little but add often. In the first week, feed 35 grams per duck, in the second week 105 grams, and in the third week 165 grams.
6. Strictly pay attention to disease prevention
Meat ducks raised intensively on wire netting have large and concentrated flocks, so epidemics are likely to occur. Therefore, in addition to strengthening daily feeding and management, epidemic prevention work must be done especially well. When raised to about 20 days of age, inject 1 milliliter of attenuated duck plague vaccine intramuscularly per bird; at about 30 days of age, inject 2 milliliters of fowl cholera vaccine intramuscularly per bird. Ordinarily, drinking water with 0.01%-0.02% potassium permanganate can also be used, and the effect is also very good.