Feeding and Management Methods for Laying Ducks During the Initial Laying Period

The period from the start of laying the first egg to the peak of egg production is generally called the initial laying period. The main means of feeding and management at this stage is supplementary feeding, and natural pastures should be used as much as possible so that the duck flock can complete their molt and build up good body condition. When letting the ducks out each morning, feed one supplementary meal of morning feed. The amount of supplementary feed should generally be about 80% full. If rapid fattening is needed, they can eat a little more, but they must not be fed to full, so as to encourage the ducks to go peck for wild food. The feed for supplementary feeding can be the poorest quality of the year, such as blighted grain, sprouted grain, floating wheat, floating beans, sorghum, etc., because at this time the ducks can make full use of these low-quality feeds. When light is insufficient, in order to stimulate the development of the ducks' gonads, artificial lighting can be appropriately added. In order to make full use of natural light, they should be let out early and brought back late. In grazing areas with better wild feed conditions, after one supplementary meal, the ducks' new feathers grow very quickly, body fat increases, egg yolks enlarge, and some ducks become more active in their behavior, often leaving the flock to seek food and spending longer periods foraging. If the feed in the grazing area is not abundant, the duck flock sometimes calls out loudly in a group, and at this time it is necessary to add a meal.

Before "Yushui" (Rain Water), it is the peak period for ducks to accumulate fertilizer. In grazing areas where wild feed is poor, they should be fed two meals, and the second supplementary meal is often at noon, fed as fully as breakfast. In order to prevent a decline in the duck flock's body condition and laying rate, a third meal should be added, generally feeding morning feed from 6:00 to 6:30 in the morning, midday feed at noon, and evening feed at night. Under normal circumstances, only when the laying rate reaches 50% should they be fed four meals a day, which has a significant effect on increasing the laying rate of the duck flock, can increase the daily number of eggs by more than 10%, and within three or four days can reach a laying rate of 80% to 90%.