Key points for feeding and management of captive laying ducks

Laying ducks are ducks raised for the purpose of producing breeding eggs and edible eggs . They are characterized by small size, high egg production and low feed consumption. Below, the editor will introduce the key points of feeding and management of captive laying ducks. Let’s take a look.

1. Feed management

The feed for laying ducks is mainly composed of grains, accounting for 50%-60%. At the same time, 10%-20% of cakes, 10%-15% of fish meal, 1% of shell powder, as well as appropriate amounts of salt, multiple vitamins and additives are added for feeding. Feed 4-5 times a day, and the daily feed amount for each duck is about 125g-150g. During the egg-laying period, it is important to ensure that laying ducks receive adequate nutrition to maintain their high egg production rate. During the rest period, the number and amount of feedings can be appropriately reduced.

2. Male-female ratio management

There should be a certain number of drakes in the duck flock. When raising laying ducks in large groups, 1-2 drakes can be raised for every 200 female ducks. During the laying period or molting period of laying ducks, male ducks should be kept in isolation to avoid unnecessary harassment to female ducks.

3. Lighting management

During the egg-laying period, attention should be paid to supplementing light to promote the activity of duck glands and increase the egg-laying rate. Generally, you can turn on the lights for 3-4 hours immediately after dark every day, and then turn on the lights for another hour before dawn, so that the total lighting time during the day and night reaches 14-16 hours.

4. Daily management

The floor of the duck house should be made of rice husks, straw, sawdust, etc. as bedding, and it should be re-padded once a day to cover the duck droppings. In the egg-laying area, the litter should be thickened and replaced regularly to keep the duck house clean and dry. Strengthen the ventilation of the duck house and keep the air in the house fresh. At the same time, the duck house should be disinfected regularly to kill bacteria and viruses and provide a safe and hygienic growth environment for laying ducks.

5. Disease prevention and treatment

Carefully observe the ducks' mental state, feeding habits, feces color and shape every day, detect abnormal conditions in time and take appropriate treatment measures. According to the local epidemic situation and the advice of veterinarians, a reasonable immunization program should be formulated and laying ducks should be vaccinated on time to prevent common infectious diseases.

The above is an introduction to the key points of feeding and management of captive laying ducks. Laying duck breeds have the characteristics of high egg-laying performance, low feed intake, and high feed conversion efficiency. A laying duck can lay about 300 eggs a year, and the breeding benefits are very considerable.