How to improve profitability when raising ducks in winter? Master these key points
In winter, duck raising is prone to high production costs, low survival rates and unsatisfactory economic returns due to factors such as the climate and environment. Improving winter duck-raising profitability requires solving the following problems well.
Hygiene and disinfection
Hygiene and disinfection work is an important part of basic duck-raising management. When winter arrives, the weather is changeable, with much rain and snow, and temperatures drop, which reduces ducks' adaptability and bodily resistance. Therefore, hygiene and disinfection work must be timely, thorough and effective. Particular attention should be paid to the environmental hygiene and disinfection of young and medium duck houses to prevent young and medium ducks from being infected with diseases and from poor early growth. Disinfecting young and medium duck houses with the ducks inside every day helps purify the floor, litter and air of the duck house and prevents young and medium ducks from contracting common diseases such as duck infectious serositis through the respiratory tract and damaged skin.
In winter, the ducks mostly live indoors, so keeping the interior of the duck house clean is the key to solving the overall hygiene level of winter breeding. Practice has proved that dry, hygienic litter directly affects the weight gain and feed-to-meat ratio of commercial ducks. Wet litter produces large amounts of ammonia, causing air pollution in the duck house, leading to disease outbreaks in the flock and affecting growth and development.
Temperature and ventilation
In winter, correctly solving and handling the problems of temperature and ventilation and the relationship between the two will directly affect the performance of the overall production level. In ordinary farms, insulation is mainly regulated by simple stoves, agricultural film, etc., and the indoor temperature for ducks of different ages must be strictly adjusted according to technical standards. Before 7 days of age, the temperature is 34°C-27°C; from 8 days to 21 days of age, the temperature is 26°C-18°C; from 22 days of age to slaughter and market, room temperature (15°C-20°C).
Whether to ventilate should be determined by the ammonia and carbon dioxide concentrations in the duck house. Generally, if you do not feel eye irritation or difficulty breathing when entering the duck house, and the temperature is suitable, you can open a small ventilation hole in the safe ventilation facility above the duck house ceiling for small-airflow ventilation; if you feel eye irritation and difficulty breathing when entering the duck house, it means the ammonia and carbon dioxide concentrations in the air are too high, and you should look for the cause, such as the dryness of the litter, the hygiene of the drinking and feeding utensils, disinfection, etc. Problems should be dealt with promptly, and at the same time open the ceiling ventilation facility or ventilation holes for large-airflow ventilation. Never carry out cross or longitudinal ventilation, which causes a sudden drop in indoor temperature and leads to the flock catching cold.
Drinking water and water temperature control
Water is a necessary substance in the growth process of ducks. Ducks should always be provided with drinking water that is easy to take in, clean and hygienic, and attention should also be paid to the water temperature, especially the drinking water temperature of ducks during the brooding period. The ideal drinking water temperature for ducklings is 20°C-25°C; the ideal drinking water temperature for growing and adult ducks is 10°C or slightly above. Never let ducks drink ice water in winter. If the ducks' water intake decreases, within 24 hours to 28 hours it will cause a decrease in the ducks' feed intake, thereby affecting growth speed, and at the same time the flock's resistance to disease will also decrease accordingly.