Key Technical Points for Winter Feeding and Management of Laying Ducks

Winter has arrived, the weather is getting colder day by day, and the daylight hours are getting shorter. This is the season with the lowest egg production rate for laying ducks. If feeding and management are done well, the egg production rate of laying ducks can be kept above 80%; if management is poor, the egg production rate will drop significantly. The focus of winter management for laying ducks is keeping them warm and maintaining a certain amount of light time.

1. Keep warm. Repair doors and windows, block up holes and north-facing windows, strictly prevent drafts from entering, keep the litter in the house dry and replace it promptly, keep the temperature inside the shed above 5°C late at night, and pay attention to ventilation when the temperature is high.

2. Scientifically formulate the diet. During the wintering period, laying ducks must both resist the cold and lay eggs, so energy consumption is relatively high. The proportion of energy feed such as corn in the feed formula must be appropriately increased, the feeding amount should be increased by 10%-15%, and sufficient green feed should be provided or vitamin A, vitamin D, vitamin E, etc. should be supplemented regularly. If 2 grams of lard is added daily to each laying duck to supplement its energy consumption, it will help increase the egg production rate.

3. Frequently "exercise the ducks." Ducks are originally grazing animals, so when kept in pens, their activity level must be artificially increased. Every day the flock should be driven in a circular movement within the pen to prevent the ducks from becoming too fat, enhance their cold resistance, and encourage them to lay more eggs. If conditions permit, the exercise area should be made as large as possible. When exercising the ducks, walk slowly to prevent them from being startled. When it is too cold, the ducks should also be exercised when let out of the shed in the morning to prevent a sudden drop in temperature and the ducks catching cold.

4. Increase light time. Less natural light in winter easily leads to a decline in the egg production rate. One 60-watt light bulb can be installed every 30 sq m inside the duck shed so that the total daily light time is maintained at about 16 hours, promoting egg maturation and increasing the egg production rate.

5. Keep feed hot and drinking water warm. In winter, ducks consume relatively more energy, so hot water should be used to mix the feed, and it should be fed while warm (about 38°C). Warm water should be supplied for drinking, and ducks must never be given ice-cold water.

6. Allow normal water play. Let the ducks out late in the morning and pen them early in the evening, reduce the number of times they enter the water, and shorten the time spent in the water. In harsh weather, when the temperature is below minus 5°C, the ducks need not play in the water if the flock does not make loud calls.

7. Appropriately increase density. The stocking density per unit area can be increased, with 8-9 ducks per sq m, to help them keep each other warm and maintain a higher shed temperature.

8. Feed at night at the proper time. Winter has short days and long nights, so adding one feeding of warm feed at night helps the ducks resist the cold and can increase the egg production rate by more than 10%. Two points should be noted when supplementing feed at night: first, provide warm drinking water; second, the night feed should be mainly energy feed such as corn, with protein feed as a supplement.

9. Do a good job of immunization and disinfection regularly. Before the beginning of winter, immunization against avian influenza, duck plague, and other diseases should be carried out. The duck house should be cleaned and disinfected regularly, and deworming should be done regularly. Once sick ducks are found, they should be isolated and treated promptly, and the duck house should undergo emergency disinfection.