Detailed Explanation of Key Techniques for Raising Ducks in Rice Paddies, Teaching You to Master It Easily

I. Variety Selection: Raising ducks in rice paddies is an extensive rearing method, and in the rice-duck symbiotic planting and rearing model, raising ducks is only an auxiliary industry for the production of green, high-quality rice, mainly playing a role in biological control. Therefore, when selecting duck varieties, the key considerations are strong vitality, wide adaptability, tolerance of coarse feed, and strong resistance to stress in small and medium-sized excellent varieties. It is recommended to raise dual-purpose egg-and-meat varieties such as the Ji'an Red-Feathered Duck and the Cema Duck.

(1) Ji'an Red-Feathered Duck: The Ji'an Red-Feathered Duck has a short, round body and a thick, short neck. The male duck is moderate in size, compact, with a broad breast and well-developed breast muscles. The female duck has a peach-shaped body, a plump build, large protruding bright eyes, and well-developed breast muscles. It has stable genetic performance, good production performance, tolerance of coarse feed, strong foraging ability, tender meat, a high lean meat rate, and feather growth synchronized with body weight gain, making it a high-quality raw material for processing pressed salted duck. According to rural surveys, mainly under grazing, after 80-90 days of rearing, body weight can reach 1000-1150 grams, during which 3-4 kg of paddy rice is supplemented; after 28 days of fattening at a pressed salted duck factory, body weight reaches 1350-1400 grams (consuming 4 kg of paddy rice), meeting the requirements for pressed salted duck processing. The Red-Feathered Duck reaches the age at first laying at 112 days, the age at which the laying rate reaches 5% is 134 days, 50% is 186 days, and the average body weight of adult female ducks is 1450 grams. This duck is suitable for various rearing methods in the rural areas of our province. (2) Shanma Duck: The Shanma Duck originated in the Longyan area of Fujian and is one of China's excellent egg duck varieties. The male duck has a broad breast and back and a relatively long body. The beak is yellow-green, and the iris is brown. The shanks and webs are orange-red, the back feathers are grayish-brown, and the abdomen is grayish-white. The female duck has a slender, well-proportioned, and compact body; when standing and walking, the trunk forms an angle of more than 450 degrees with the ground; the head is relatively small, the beak is bronze-colored, the iris is brown, the shanks and webs are orange-red, and the whole body is hemp-brown. According to measurements by the Provincial Institute of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Medicine, the average birth weight of male and female ducks is 42.78 grams, the 4-week body weight is 553.10 grams, the 90-day-old body weight is 1330 grams, and the 72-week-old (504-day-old) body weight is 1515 grams. The body weight of adult male ducks is 1300 grams, and the body weight of adult female ducks is 1500 grams. The female duck reaches the age at first laying at around 120 days and lays 280-300 eggs by 500 days of age. The Shanma Duck has early laying, high egg production, and wide adaptability, and is suitable for various rearing methods in rural areas. II. Feeding Management (1) Feeding and Management of Ducklings: The feeding and management of ducklings, commonly known as brooding, is a very important foundational stage in duck raising. Therefore, scientific management is required, creating for the ducklings a suitable environment of temperature, humidity, air, light, nutrition, and cleanliness and quiet, and minimizing the effects of harsh stress. 1. Selection of Ducklings: The brooding season must be carefully considered, especially in the rice-duck symbiotic model, where the optimal brooding season should be chosen to achieve the best production results and economic benefits. The ducklings for rice-duck symbiosis are mainly spring ducklings and summer ducklings; autumn ducklings and winter ducklings are not selected. ① Spring ducklings refer to ducklings hatched from March to May. In spring, the climate gradually warms, sunlight is sufficient, and it is favorable for the growth of ducklings; the survival rate and robustness rate are high. By the young duck stage, because the temperature is suitable, the time for outdoor activity is long, the physique is good, and growth and weight gain are fast. The ducklings for rice-duck symbiosis should be spring ducklings, and the end of brooding just connects with rice transplanting. However, spring ducklings require attention to good insulation work, and spring is rainy and highly humid, with changeable climate and easy invasion of disease. During the growing period in the hot summer, work such as heat prevention and shading must be done well, so management must be careful and conscientious, and all aspects of the work must be done fully and perfectly. ② Summer ducklings refer to ducklings hatched from June to August. At this time, it is hot and humid, the ducklings have poor appetite, growth and development are affected, the productivity of adult poultry is relatively low, and the workload for heat prevention and dehumidification is large. However, summer ducklings generally do not need heating and insulation; when used as commercial meat ducks, as long as heat prevention is properly done, the feeding cost will not be very high. ③ Autumn ducklings and winter ducklings: Autumn ducklings refer to ducklings hatched from September to October. Winter ducklings refer to ducklings hatched from November to December. They do not match rice planting in terms of season. 2. Brooding Methods: According to the specific conditions of the existing duck house, various brooding methods can be adopted. In view of the specific situation of raising ducks in rice paddies, brooding should be concentrated and then dispersed to the fields for grazing. Several methods are introduced: ① Flat-floor brooding on the ground: That is, directly spread thick bedding on the floor of the duck house, such as wood shavings, coarse sawdust, dry straw, dry sand, etc., and brood on it, regularly cleaning and replacing the bedding to keep it clean and dry. This method is simple and easy to carry out, with low cost, but it is not easy to control disease, and the brooding effect is average. ② Semi-floor, semi-net brooding: That is, 1/3 of the floor of the duck house is covered with an elevated net surface, while the rest of the floor is not covered with netting and only bedding is spread. All drinking water is placed on the netting, so the floor inside the house remains dry. Note that the slope of the incline must be less than 250. This method has moderate cost and is conducive to cleaning work, with a relatively ideal effect, so it is relatively commonly used. ③ Cardboard box brooding: Use an ordinary larger hard cardboard box and raise the ducklings in it. With this method, in warm weather no heat source is needed for heating, and the ducklings can brood by self-warming, greatly reducing insulation costs, and it is simple and easy to carry out with small investment. However, attention must be paid to keeping it dry, hygienic, and ventilated; holes are often punched in the cardboard walls for ventilation; the flock must be divided and transferred in a timely manner. As the ducklings gradually grow, some ducks are gradually moved out to other cardboard boxes or brooding houses, so that the rearing density is moderate and they gradually leave the heat. Because this method is greatly affected by weather, the work is complicated, and the number of ducklings brooded is limited, it is suitable for small-scale rearing. 3. Drinking Water and Feed ① Drinking water: Ducklings must drink water within 24 hours after hatching. The general practice is to place the ducklings in a shallow water basin 1 cm deep for a few minutes, allowing the ducklings to wet their feet and drink water, which is commonly called “dipping water”. The water quality must be fresh and clean, and the water temperature should be close to room temperature. As the age in days increases, the drinking water volume of the ducklings increases. Frequently clean the drinking utensils and replace dirty drinking water with fresh water. ② First feeding: Within 24-28 hours after hatching, after all ducklings have drunk water, let the ducklings begin feeding. At the latest, it must not exceed 36 hours. In the first few days after the ducklings begin feeding, a “small amounts, many meals” system should be adopted, that is, feeding 7-8 times a day, with a very small amount each time, but ensuring the ducklings eat their fill. Afterward, let the ducklings feed freely and drink freely, with no artificial lighting at night. ③ Feed: Duckling feed should be fresh, clean, nutritious, moderate in particle size, good in palatability, and easy to digest. During the 10-15 day period, each duckling is given 500 grams of complete formula feed in portions, mixed with a small amount of cooked rice during feeding. Then, feed with cooked rice plus grains such as paddy rice and crushed corn until body weight is above 75 grams, after which they can be released into the field. 4. General Management ① Ventilation: At present, the vast majority of open-style duck houses mainly use regulating the temperature and humidity inside the house as the main standard for ventilation and air exchange, relying on the number of doors and windows opened and closed and the length of opening and closing time to control ventilation. Windows should be set high, so that wind does not blow on the ducks and it is also conducive to discharging hotter and lighter stale air. At the same time, prevent drafts and temperature fluctuations from causing colds and poor growth in ducklings. ② Density: Usually, a duckling flock of 400-1000 is appropriate. For flat-floor rearing on the ground, about 20 per square meter in the first week of age, about 14 in the second week of age, and no more than 10 after the third week of age; for flat rearing on netting and combined floor-net rearing, the density can be greater, at most 1/3 more. ③ Temperature: Ducklings need suitable temperatures for growth, and large fluctuations in indoor temperature should be avoided. At 1-3 days of age, the temperature is 28-30Cº; at 4-6 days of age, the temperature is 24-26Cº; at 7-10 days of age, the temperature is 20-23Cº; after 11 days, follow the same pattern. In the early stage, when the indoor temperature is below 20Cº, infrared lamps or electric heating plates can be used for heating. Be careful to prevent ducks from piling up and disperse them promptly. ④ Humidity: The suitable relative humidity during brooding is 56-70%, which is close to the humidity inside the machine when the ducklings hatch, and can avoid ducklings losing a large amount of water from the body due to breathing dry air, which affects normal body functions. ⑤ Lighting: After the ducklings begin feeding, their feed intake is small and feeding speed is slow. In order to ensure that the ducklings have enough time to eat and drink, generally full 24-hour lighting is used for the first 3 days, that is, artificial lighting is added at night, and the light intensity should be such that the ducklings can see the feed and water. ⑥ Immunization: The procedures and types of immunization vary by region, depending on the occurrence of local infectious diseases. It is best for poultry disease experts to conduct an investigation, formulate an immunization plan, and strictly implement it. ⑦ Timely culling: Because raising ducks in rice paddies is mainly carried out under natural, extensive conditions, the duck flock must be healthy. Ducks with poor health and poor growth should be culled in a timely manner. (3) Management of Releasing Ducks in Rice Paddies

1. Time of Entry into the Field: When raising ducks in rice paddies, attention must be paid to the time of release into the field. Ducklings hatched for 20 days with a body weight of about 100 grams or more, rice 15 days after seedling throwing, or more than 12 days after transplanting, can be released into the field. Adult ducks should appropriately be delayed by 2-3 days before being released into the field. 2. Preparation of Field Rearing Facilities ① Prepare about 2.5 kg of high-quality nylon netting per rice paddy; for irregular rice paddies and long, narrow rice paddies, more should be prepared. Use three-finger nylon netting around the field to form an escape-proof enclosure, with the enclosure net 60 cm high, and plant a support pole every 1.5-2 m. ② In one corner of the field, build a duck house calculated at one square meter per 10 ducks. The top of the house needs covering to avoid sun and rain, with three sides enclosed, but it must be ventilated and breathable. The bottom of the house is laid flat with wooden boards or bamboo boards, and beneath the house dig a water pit 2 times the size of the duck house and 50-60 cm deep. ③ Dig several high-yield ditches 35 cm wide and 30 cm deep in the rice paddy, kept full of water throughout the duck-release period, for the ducks to splash in. 3. Stocking Density: About 15 large ducks per mu, and young ducks can be appropriately increased according to circumstances. 4. Ducks do not have a habit of grazing during the brooding period, so feeding training should be carried out before release into the field. When releasing ducks in rice paddies, they mainly eat weeds, insects, aquatic animals, and other food in the rice paddy. First train them to eat fallen grain, then scatter the grain into shallow water and let the ducks peck at it. After many times, a conditioned reflex is formed, and afterward, when released into the rice paddy, they will actively look for food. 5. Each duck should be supplemented daily with 50-100 grams of feed such as paddy rice, corn, and forage grass. Pay attention to feeding at fixed times and fixed locations, and appropriately increase or decrease the feeding amount according to circumstances; it must not be too much or too little. It is strictly forbidden to feed moldy, smelly feed or smelly, maggot-infested animal feed. 6. Reasonably arrange grazing time. ① Determine grazing time according to air temperature and water temperature. In rice paddy grazing, the degree of ventilation is not as good as rivers and ponds. Because the water is shallow, it is easily heated by the sun. When the temperature exceeds 30Cº, it is not suitable to release ducks into the field. Especially in hot summer, it should be done before 9 a.m. and during the cool afternoon. ② Appropriately rotate grazing. The same rice paddy should not be repeatedly grazed many times; it should be rested for a few days before grazing again. It is best to match different growth stages and harvest periods of rice paddies. ③ After the rice harvest, there is a large amount of leftover grain in the field, and at this time concentrated grazing can be carried out. 7. In rice-duck symbiosis, duck release occurs for a long period in the hot summer. Therefore, on the basis of preventing rodent damage, the duck house should be kept ventilated, and some shade branches or a small cool shed should be set up. The high-yield ditches should be full of water so that the ducks can splash more, playing a role in heat prevention and cooling. 8. Combine duck release with pest control. First understand the pest situation clearly. If the pest damage is relatively severe, reduce supplementary feed and keep the ducks in a semi-starved state so they consume a large amount of pests, fully giving play to the purpose of pest control. 9. Before spraying pesticides on rice, lure the ducks and pen them in the duck house. 10. Later-stage management. ① Collect the ducks at the rice milk-ripening stage to prevent the ducks from eating rice ears. To facilitate collecting the ducks, usually during feeding, develop the habit of the ducks gathering when they hear a certain sound. ② The collected ducks can be taken back home or enclosed in a field house. III. Prevention of Common Duck Diseases: Rice paddy duck raising is open-style rearing and is prone to infection and spread of epidemic diseases, so great attention should be paid to duck epidemic prevention work. 1. Duck plague: For meat ducks, at 7 days of age, chicken embryo attenuated vaccine, 0.2-0.5 ml per duck by intramuscular injection. After 7 days, antibodies can be produced, and it protects meat ducks until market. 2. Duck viral hepatitis immunization for ducklings: at 1-3 days of age, chicken embryo-attenuated vaccine, 0.5 ml per duck, subcutaneous injection in the neck; antibodies are produced after 2 days and reach a high level at 5 days. 3. Duck cholera immunization procedure: The vaccine for duck cholera is avian Pasteurella vaccine, such as 731 attenuated vaccine, inoculated into duck flocks over 2 days of age, with an immunity period of three and a half months. Avian cholera aluminum hydroxide gel vaccine is used for duck flocks over 2 months of age. Each duck is injected intramuscularly with 2 ml, and a second injection is given after an interval of 10 days, with an immunity period of 3 months. Avian cholera oil emulsion inactivated vaccine is used for duck flocks over 2 months of age, with each duck injected subcutaneously with 1 ml. The immunity period is 6 months. There are also reports that a vaccine made from duck Pasteurella A, injected intramuscularly at 2 ml per duck, can produce immunity for 4-5 months. IV. Precautions 1. It is recommended to use low-toxicity, high-efficiency, low-residue pesticides to control rice pests and diseases, and to avoid using pesticides as much as possible. 2. When building duck houses in the field, consideration should be given to preventing rodent damage. 3. During the period of applying pesticides in rice paddies, ducks should be collected and removed from the field in a timely manner, and only after the safe interval period should they be released into the field again for grazing. During the safe interval period of pesticide application in rice paddies, the ducks' drinking water and the rice paddy water should be separated to prevent duck poisoning and contamination of duck products. 4. In places where duck plague has occurred or where ducks carrying infectious diseases have walked, as well as water surfaces and rice paddies polluted by mineral oil, ducks must not be released for rearing.