How Do You Raise Ducks? A Detailed Explanation of Methods and Key Technical Points

Ducks are a common type of poultry in our country. Both duck meat and duck eggs are delicious, and duck down can also be used to make clothing, so the economic value is quite good as well. So how do you raise ducks?

1. Living habits of ducks

Ducks are a type of the family Anatidae and the genus Anas. They are chordates, domesticated from the wild mallard and spot-billed duck. They can be in water, but cannot stay in water for too long.

Ducks are the general term for waterfowl of the order Anseriformes, family Anatidae, subfamily Anatinae, and are divided into wild ducks and domestic ducks. Wild ducks are relatively small in size, with short necks, live on the water surface year-round, have strong diving ability, and feed on small aquatic animals (small fish, small shrimp, etc.). Domestic ducks are relatively larger than wild ducks, live in water or on land, and feed on small aquatic animals (fish, shrimp, loach, etc.) and plants (aquatic plants, barnyard grass, rice, etc.).

Male ducks molt twice each year; the eggshells are smooth; the legs of both sexes are covered with overlapping scales. All ducks reach sexual maturity within their first year and pair up only during the breeding season.

2. How do you raise ducks?

Choose healthy breeds with strong stress resistance and strong digestive ability for raising, and also choose a suitable raising site. They can be free-ranged in orchards and rice fields, and sheds also need to be built. Confined ducks need to be fed on time, and free-ranged ducks also need timely supplemental feeding. Ducklings are given supplemental feeding once each in the morning and evening, and weeds, wild vegetables, insects, and so on can all be used as feed.

If orchard free-ranging is chosen, then any orchard with relatively good soil and water source conditions and relatively tall trunks or older trees, such as apple, pear, apricot, hawthorn, persimmon, and walnut orchards, can be used for free-ranging.

The most suitable free-ranging period is the peak period of animal and plant reproduction and growth in the orchard, generally from mid-April (after Qingming and before Guyu) to the end of October. At this time, the pasture grass in the orchard grows luxuriantly, and there are many residual by-products of the fruit trees. Ducks can eat various green grasses, wild vegetables, fallen flowers, leaves, and fruits and other plant-based feed, as well as various insect eggs, pupae, crawling insects, and flying insects near the ground and other animal-based feed.