Methods and Technical Key Points for Intensive Dry Farming of Meat Ducks
The new intensive dry farming technology for meat ducks is a practical breeding technique provided for water-scarce areas. The entire rearing process requires no access to water for the ducks. By adopting new rearing methods such as full confinement, [slaughter] feeding and lighting, it can avoid parasites and infectious diseases, save labor and feed, and is easy to manage.
House construction: Choose a site with good soil permeability, a slope of 5-10 degrees, facing the sun and sheltered from the wind. The site should be level to prevent water accumulation.
Selection: At present, the main breeds include Shanghai White Duck, Beijing Duck, Cherry Valley Duck, Gaoyou Duck and others. These meat ducks are docile in temperament, highly adaptable and good at fattening, and are very suitable for intensive group feeding in confinement.
Feed formula: Formula for ducklings (1-25 days): corn 50%, rapeseed cake 20%, broken rice 10%, wheat bran 10%, fish meal 7.5%, bone meal 1%, salt 0.5%. Mid-stage ducks (26-45 days of age): corn 50%, rapeseed cake 5%, broken rice 10%, wheat 17%, wheat bran 12%, fish meal 4.5%, shell powder 2%, bone meal 1%, salt 0.5%. In the late stage, remove the soybean, reduce rice bran by 5%, and increase corn by 10%.
Feeding method: When ducklings hatch, water should be given within 24 hours. The method is to place a piece of plastic film on the ground, sprinkle some boiled water or a 1/10000 oxytetracycline aqueous solution on it, and let the ducklings drink freely. At the same time, mix the previously prepared feed with water until moist and scatter it on the plastic film for them to eat freely. Start with a small amount, scatter while calling them to eat, and guide the ducks to finish eating within a short time. After 4 days of age, give less feed but add it frequently, encouraging the ducks to eat freely day and night, while drinking water should be clean and sufficient. The mid-duck stage is the period of fastest weight gain, so feed should be given at fixed times, letting them eat their fill and eat well, and increasing their activity level so they develop robustly. The fattening stage mainly involves increasing the ducks' feed intake. Artificial force-feeding is best: mix the compound feed with suitable warm boiled water to a medium softness, roll it by hand into finger-sized pellets, and force-feed by hand 3-4 times a day. Each feeding amount should be determined according to the duck's digestive capacity, and it is best to feed them until full, while reducing their activity level.
House temperature: 1-3 days of age, house temperature 30-31°C; 4-7 days of age, 28-80°C; 8-17 days of age, 25-28°C; over 15 days of age, maintain 20-25°C.
Keep the air fresh. Feed troughs and drinking troughs should be kept clean, feed should be kept fresh, and drinking water should be clean. During the duckling stage, litter should be changed and added frequently. Provide supplementary light at night. Stock 35-40 ducklings per square meter, and 10-15 adult ducks per square meter.