How to Increase Duck Egg Production in Winter? Detailed Notes and Precautions

1. Pay attention to cold protection and warmth. Cold air activity is frequent in winter, which makes it difficult for laying ducks to adapt and leads to a decline in egg production. Therefore, cold protection and warmth work for laying ducks must be done well, such as closing the doors and windows of the duck house to prevent cold wind from invading; spreading bedding straw so that the abdomen of the ducks will not get cold when they roost; supplementing light to promote the secretion of pituitary gonadotropins in ducks and promote follicle maturation and ovulation; appropriately increasing the stocking density per unit area, using their body heat to raise the house temperature, and keeping the duck house temperature above 5°C day and night.

2. Raise feed standards. The feed should meet the various nutritional needs of laying ducks, especially the content of energy and protein. The outdoor temperature in winter is low, and the energy maintenance requirement of laying ducks is greatly increased compared with other seasons. Therefore, the content of energy and protein in the diet of laying ducks should be increased so as to promote sustained high egg production of laying ducks.

3. Supplement green feed. Green feed is rich in protein, vitamins, and chlorophyll, and especially contains some special nutritional factors that can activate the reproductive function of laying ducks. Feeding laying ducks an appropriate amount of green feed every day can not only increase their egg production rate, but also improve feed utilization.

4. Release them at the right time. Because winter is cold, laying ducks should be released late and brought in early. When severe frost and freezing weather occurs, laying ducks should be released only after the sun comes out and disperses the frost and fog. This is because laying ducks that breathe in frost and fog are prone to illness, and when their webbed feet step on frost, the webs can crack and bleed. Therefore, the release of laying ducks must be properly managed according to the weather, time, and frequency.

5. Pay attention to duck house hygiene. Doing a good job of environmental sanitation in the duck house is the foundation for ensuring the health of the duck flock and increasing the egg production rate. Therefore, it is required to change the bedding straw in the duck house frequently, disinfect the utensils frequently, and isolate and treat problems promptly when they are found.