How are dry-reared meat duck houses built and disinfected?
Suitable duck house construction
The construction of a standard duck house can ensure a comfortable living environment for the ducks, fast growth and a high survival rate. The site should be chosen on open, well-drained ground with high terrain and a low water table, and at least 500 m away from residents and factories, which helps keep the house warm and dry, with good air circulation and ample light. The duck house should preferably be built with a length x width x height of 100 m x 10 m-12 m x 2.8 m-4 m (2.8 m to the drip beam, 4 m to the top beam). Use 3 cm thick foam for the suspended ceiling, and hand-cranked colored striped cloth, which is easy to handle, can be used for the sides to help with insulation, prevent cold drafts, keep the house warm in winter and cool in summer, lower the feed conversion ratio and improve disease resistance. If conditions permit, set up slatted flooring inside the house; floor rearing saves labor, helps with sanitation, gives a higher rate of first-grade commercial meat ducks and reduces bare-breasted ducks. Along the wall above the slats, the duck house should have a long drinking trough using a 4 m long water pipe, with an opening width of preferably 6 cm. The duck farm can build a water tank or buy 2-3 water containers to allow medication and an adequate supply of clean drinking water, supplied as a low-flow, continuously running water system. For harmless treatment, the duck house needs a drainage ditch (preferably 30 cm-40 cm deep x 80 cm wide), a septic tank (calculated as 10 cubic m per 1000 ducks) and a carcass disposal pit (8 cubic m).
A sound disinfection system
Disinfection during the empty-house period. After selling the ducks, promptly clear away duck manure, leftover feed and other items within 1 week. Rinse the feed troughs, drinking water channels and ceiling of the duck farm clean. Disinfect the duck farm at multiple levels: first spray and disinfect the whole site with 2%-5% caustic soda water or a coal tar phenol disinfectant; disinfect once every 3 days, and finally spread quicklime over the ground until it turns white; leave the house empty for 10-15 days before use; before introducing the ducklings, disinfect the whole site again with a conventional disinfectant such as Jundumie.
Disinfection during the rearing period. 1. A disinfection pool must be set up at the entrance and exit of the farm, and disinfection basins must be placed at the entrances and exits of the duck pens. Replace the disinfectant in the disinfection pool (basin) once every 2-3 days to ensure it remains effective. Vehicles and personnel must pass through the disinfectant before entering. 2. During rearing, disinfect with the ducks present once every 3-5 days, and disinfect the surrounding environment once a week; during disease outbreaks, disinfect with the ducks present 1-2 times a day, and disinfect the surrounding environment once a day; alternate the use of several disinfectants. 3. Regularly remove duck manure and disinfect to reduce infection of the ducks by viruses, bacteria and other pathogens. Generally, for 1000 ducks consuming 200-220 bags of feed, manure removal with the ducks present is usually done once each when 1/4, 1/2 and 3/4 of the feed has been eaten, and a full removal and cleaning is done after the ducks are sold for market. Liu Zhenghua