Farmers raise ducks for meat, hatching material and feathers. The productivity of livestock is influenced by many factors: age, health status, living conditions. Egg production depends on breed data and sexual maturity. To achieve maximum business profitability, you need to know when domestic ducks begin to lay eggs and how many eggs individuals lay annually.
At what age do ducks lay eggs?
Representatives of wild breeds breed in the spring. The female hatches new eggs the following year.Adult laying hens reach puberty at 10-11 months. Maximum fertility occurs only at 2 years of age.
Breeders have managed to accelerate the puberty of laying hens. Individuals at home are capable of laying their first clutch as early as 4.5-5 months on the 140-160th day. Egg production in meat breeds begins at six months, on the 175th day.
The farmer needs to monitor the first clutch of eggs, which should appear in a timely manner. Early egg production does not bring positive results; usually the hatching product is of poor quality and does not meet the requirements of poultry farmers. The clutch contains small specimens with a meager supply of nutrients, which are not enough for the normal development of the fetus.
Late laying is also not advisable. Chicks emerge with good immunity and their muscle mass develops well. But the egg production and quality of incubation material in such offspring are low.
How often do they do this?
The lifespan of poultry is about 20 years. At 5-6 years old, laying hens already lose the ability to lay eggs. Each female brings the farmer up to 120 eggs per year. Livestock productivity is affected by:
- timely care;
- organization of optimal conditions of detention;
- balanced diet;
- nutritional supplements in the diet;
- constant access to water and food;
- breed;
- age.
Oviposition in females begins at six months of age and continues almost every day. The young produce up to 2 dozen eggs within a month. After 1 or 2 months, the female is able to lay up to 23-26 eggs.
If a duck is kept in favorable conditions and receives a balanced diet, its egg production only increases.
By the age of 10 months, hens lay up to 27 eggs.After a year of life, the duck lays high-quality eggs and raises healthy offspring. After another year, egg production declines, and clutch volume is reduced by 5-10 percent. By the age of 5-6 years, the bird reaches its minimum value.
What factors influence?
The breed of hens influences the fertility of laying hens. The most productive are Peking ducks, which produce up to 200 eggs per year. High profitability is observed on agricultural farms that breed English breeds of birds, as well as Indian runner. The productivity of the livestock is up to 170 eggs.
To improve the quality of meat and the productivity of pets, poultry farmers cross different breeds. This is how the offspring of the Mulard breed are obtained. Such individuals grow quickly; females lay eggs as early as 6 months of age, bringing up to 100 eggs annually.
The egg production of laying hens is influenced by their housing conditions. The temperature in the poultry house is maintained at least +8 degrees. It is important to ensure cleanliness inside the premises, regularly change the bedding, and organize a ventilation system. In winter, the duck coop is equipped with artificial light so that the temperature remains comfortable for the birds.
Possible problems
When feeding ducks, you need to follow a diet and give the birds high-quality food. You cannot overfeed females, otherwise they will suffer from obesity and stop laying eggs. The diet includes grain, special herbal mixtures, and bone meal.
If you follow simple rules for keeping ducks, they will lay eggs in a timely manner. In this case, only health problems can reduce egg production.If a disease is detected, the help of a veterinarian will be required.
To increase the productivity of birds, the farmer must regularly monitor the health of laying hens and drakes. In addition to the usual diet, various vitamin and mineral complexes are added to the food.
Ducks do not tolerate a change of residence, so it is better to exclude updating the nesting box or moving the birds to a new place during laying. Laying hens may become stressed due to this and they will stop laying eggs. Also, you should not arrange joint grazing of ducks with another type of poultry.
Ducks are easy-to-care birds that, if kept under proper conditions, produce good offspring. They have a long life expectancy, so a few individuals are enough for breeding. To obtain high-quality incubation material, not only laying hens, but also drakes are carefully selected.
