Duck breeding is considered a fairly profitable agricultural activity. Ducks quickly gain body weight. The meat of these birds contains many useful elements. At the same time, keeping birds does not require any special effort. However, some rules still need to be followed. First of all, you need to know what kind of grass you can give to ducklings.
What grass can you give to ducklings?
The basis of nutrition for young individuals in the summer is succulent food. It is permissible to give ducklings algae, green vegetables, terrestrial green crops, and root vegetables.To add variety to your diet, you can include grains. However, their volume should not exceed a quarter of the total volume of food.
In summer it is worth preparing combined silage. This will help feed the ducklings healthy grass all winter. It is important that the silage stops emitting the smell of pickled apples. To do this, the raw materials must mature for at least 45-60 days. To remove excess acids, add 2 tablespoons of ground chalk to each kilogram of food. This will help provide young birds with useful substances.
In order for ducklings to grow and develop normally, they need to be provided with proper and balanced nutrition. Young animals need the following types of food:
- cereals – oats, barley, corn, wheat;
- legumes – peas are most often used;
- food waste;
- greens - dandelion, beet or carrot tops, cabbage;
- special feed - it must be designed for feeding chicks.
It is quite convenient to use compound feed. To do this, you need to select a mixture depending on the age category of the bird and give it to young birds several times a day. At the same time, farmers who raise ducks usually make their own feed.
Corn should be a valuable source of carbohydrates. It can make up up to half of the diet. When using barley to feed ducklings, it is worth considering that the shell of its grains is difficult to digest. Therefore, they need to be pre-soaked for at least 10 hours. The same applies to oats. Its grains often have a hard shell.
It is important to prepare good pasture for the birds.It is best to choose a site in the south of the farm for this purpose. This is where the maximum amount of light reaches. The area should be fenced with a net and divided into a number of sections. It is advisable that there is a pond in the pasture area - the ducklings will find up to 50% of their nutrition in it, which will help to significantly reduce costs.
What greens should not be given to ducks?
Feeding Mulard ducklings or other varieties of forbidden food is dangerous. This leads to negative health consequences and is fraught with indigestion or other pathologies. In addition, the lack of certain elements negatively affects the appearance of birds. They begin to literally fade away and lose their immunity. One of the terrible consequences for poultry farmers is the stopping of growth processes. This is why it is so important to be careful.
Before filling the feeders, you should palpate the duckling's esophagus. If it remains hard, it means digestion has not begun. Therefore, it is not recommended to load the stomach.
When feeding ducklings with greens, consider the following rules:
- do not give ducklings poisonous greens, which can cause death - such plants include henbane, hemlock, cocklebur, celandine;
- boil the nettles in boiling water in advance - if this rule is violated, there is a risk of damage to internal organs;
- do not give the birds maple leaves, which pose a great danger to ducklings;
- iceberg lettuce - it can be given with great caution, since an excess of this product can cause diarrhea;
- raw eggplants, green tomatoes, white potatoes - these plants belong to the Solanaceae family, and therefore are considered very toxic to ducklings;
- raw dried beans - have toxic properties;
- spinach – interferes with the full absorption of calcium.
In addition, you should not give ducklings the following types of food:
- flour - when adding this product to food, there is a risk of a paste appearing, which causes nasal blockage;
- bread – both fresh and moldy products are harmful, there is a risk of developing aspergillosis;
- citrus fruits – provoke a violation of calcium absorption;
- milk porridge and fresh milk - these products spoil quickly and can cause diarrhea.
At the same time, you can give the ducklings green onions or milkweed. It is recommended to chop the greens first.
Features of winter feeding
In winter, there is a natural shortage of greenery and small animals. To replenish the lack of nutrients, you need to use other substances. Ducks eat twice a day - morning and evening. In this case, poultry farmers can use different nutrition options.
Farmers often give birds dry food. It may include cereals, seeds, and dust. It is also acceptable to use fish or bone meal. Some poultry farmers prefer to give their birds wet food. Silage, boiled potatoes, and steamed hay are used to make mash.
How many times a day should I feed?
The feeding regimen for ducklings depends on their age. Chicks that have just been born need to be fed up to 7 times a day. Birds older than 2 weeks require five meals a day. For ducks after 16 weeks, the adult diet is suitable.
Diet preparation
Before compiling a diet for pets, it is worth determining the goals of their breeding. It is important to take into account the characteristics of the breed. Thus, birds that were bred in production conditions have difficulty adapting to homemade food and require special factory nutrition. In other situations, the menu will not be different.
During the feeding period, you should follow the following tips:
- Feed the ducklings several times a day. Newborn chicks require 7 meals. At 2 weeks, 4-5 feedings are enough.
- Before switching to food, it is worth giving weak birds beaten yolk.
- Ensure constant access to food and water. It is not recommended to use cold water. Its temperature should be +20 degrees.
- After 16 weeks, transfer the birds to adult food.
- Do not give healthy ducklings medicinal types of food. They can negatively affect the condition of internal organs.
- When buying food at a pet store, choose food specifically for ducklings. It is not recommended to use formulations for chickens.
- Do not give birds food that is not intended for them. Thus, it is forbidden to use bread to feed ducks.
It is permissible to allow ducks in green food when the soil has fully warmed up. In bad weather, it is worth giving the ducklings cut greens in the barn.
Feeding ducklings has a number of features. In order for birds to grow normally and remain healthy, they definitely need fresh greens. It is important to take into account that not all herbs are allowed to be given to ducks. Some types of greens have poisonous properties and negatively affect the condition of birds.
