What are the requirements of ducklings for the rearing environment?

With the progress of society, intensive farming has been continuously expanding. Ducks are one of the common poultry we see, and brooding is always part of the rearing process. Newly hatched ducklings are weak and cannot tolerate as many environmental conditions as adult ducks. Their ability to regulate body temperature is poor, and only in an environment with stable temperature can they grow up healthily. Below, Qinnong Web brings you the requirements of ducklings for the rearing environment.

1. Temperature conditions

After hatching, ducklings have short down and poor cold resistance. If the outside temperature is low at this time, they may die from hypothermia, so the temperature of the duckling rearing environment should be slightly higher, around 30 degrees. As the ducklings' age in days increases, the temperature of the rearing environment can be appropriately reduced. By the time ducklings are over 3 weeks old, they already have some cold resistance, and if the temperature is around 15 degrees, artificial heating is no longer needed. The temperature during brooding must be stable and should not fluctuate sharply; daily temperature changes should not exceed two degrees. If the ducklings lie quietly in small groups of three or five and eat and drink regularly, it means the temperature is suitable; if they show hunched necks and raised wings, huddle together, and make chirping screams, it means the temperature is too high or too low and needs adjustment.

2. Humidity conditions

Although ducks are poultry that like water and swimming, this does not mean they can stay soaked in water all day, especially during the duckling stage, when entering water must be strictly controlled, and the humidity of the rearing environment must also be controlled and should not be too high. In particular, the floor and litter must be kept dry and clean. After eating and swimming, ducklings will lie quietly on the floor and litter to rest, but if the floor and litter are damp, it will not only affect the digestion and absorption of feed, but also easily cause feather rot, harming the health of the ducklings.

3. Lighting conditions

Lighting is also extremely important during brooding. Sunlight can raise the body surface temperature of ducklings, promote their blood circulation, speed up metabolism, enable nutrient conversion, and promote bone growth. Generally, within 7 days of age, light should be maintained for more than twenty hours, and the light intensity should also be slightly greater. Later, as age in days increases, the duration and intensity of light should gradually decrease and lower. When brooding in summer, use sunlight during the day, and at night use weaker light. In autumn, the daytime is short, so in the evening artificial light can be used to simulate sunlight for one or two hours, and at night dim light can be used as well.

4. Ventilation conditions

In the early stage of brooding, the temperature of the rearing environment is relatively high, and ducklings breathe faster. If the rearing environment is too closed off, causing a high concentration of carbon dioxide in the air, carbon dioxide poisoning may occur. Therefore, during brooding, attention must also be paid to strengthening ventilation, especially in high-temperature and high-humidity environments, where ducklings and feed will decompose and ferment, releasing some harmful gases that irritate the ducklings' eyes, noses, and respiratory tract, and in severe cases cause death. During ventilation, prevent cold wind from blowing onto the ducklings.

The above are the requirements of ducklings for the rearing environment brought to you by Qinnong Web. We hope it can help you. To learn more about duck raising knowledge, please stay tuned to Qinnong Web.