Raising Ducks 101 for a Beginner Duck Farmer

A lot of people who raised chickens are now turning to raising ducks. The main reason for this being that duck meat and eggs are growing in demand. Consumers enjoy eating duck meat and eggs because they taste a lot better then chicken. Its now estimated that the United States raises over 19 million ducks in a single year.

Ducklings require a lot of proteins to mature. When they are about 3 weeks old they should be feed starter feeds with 22% of proteins. Once they are over 5 weeks you can then decrease the amount of protein intake. Its very important that you follow this procedure so your ducks grow healthy and strong.

Other farmers prefer raising ducks for meat because they cost less then those of eggs. Its estimated that egg ducks consume 75% more laying feed when compared to egg chickens. Duck eggs are usually hatched to be sold later.

Make sure that your ducks have some kind of shelter. Duck shelters are not that expensive because they can be made of wood and bamboo. Just make sure the shelter has good roofing so that rain doesn’t come in. If the shelter gets wet bacteria can begin to form thus causing diseases. For your ducks to be comfortable you can put hulls and corn cobs on the floor. This will also give warmth to your ducks.

Your ducks should be fed multivitamins to keep them healthy. They also should receive pesticide spray at list once a year so they can be resistant to mites and worms. You can also have a veterinarian come check your ducks to make sure they are disease free and are getting the right amount of nutrients.

>>>> Click Here For A Complete Guide To Raising Ducks <<<<

Finally a Beginners Guide to Raising Your Own Ducks

These days raising your own ducks is becoming popular. People raise ducks as pets because they are interesting to watch as they go about living their lives. On the other hand a lot of people raise ducks for profit. Their meat and eggs are in high demand making it a great way for duck farmers to make some extra income.

When getting into raising ducks for what ever reason you my have you have to start by choosing the right breed. The most popular duck breed to raise is the Peking duck. Another duck breed that is popular is the Rouen duck. A good choice for pasture is the Muscovy duck, other good ducks for pasture are Wood Ducks and Mandarin Ducks.

When it comes to hatching your duck eggs a lot of duck farmers use broody chickens whilst others use incubators. If you choose to use an incubator choose one that does not need the eggs to be turned by you.

It takes about 28 to 30 days for duck eggs to hatch which is longer then those of chickens. Other ducks breed eggs take longer like the Muscovy duck.

Once your ducklings hatch its important that they are placed in a brooder. You should make sure the duck brooder is dry and clean. A soft litter should be put in the brooder as well. To ensure your ducklings are getting enough heat a 250-watt lamp can be put in the brooder. Make sure you maintain about 90 degrees Fahrenheit temperature.

When feeding you ducklings you can use chick feeds. Chick feeds are high in proteins which is good for your ducklings. As your ducks grow you can give them grower feeds. You also have to give your ducks and ducklings plenty of clean water.

You also have to build some shelter for your ducks. The shelter you build can be in a form of a chicken coop. Just make sure there is enough space for your ducks to move around. It also wouldn’t be a bad idea to build an artificial pond next to your duck house for the ducks to swim and enjoy themselves.

>>>> Click Here For A Complete Guide To Raising Ducks <<<<

What You Need to Know Before You Start Raising Your Own Ducks

Raising ducks can be a straight forward when you know what you are doing. They are many resources online and offline that can guide to you on how to be a happy duck owner. But you don’t have to look any further because this article will give you all the information you need in raising ducks.

When starting out in raising ducks the first thing you have to do is learn about the different types of duck breeds. Once you know of the different duck breed you will then be able to make the right choice on which breed you want to raise. They are duck breeds that are just good as pets, they are duck breeds that are good for meat production and they are those that are good for laying eggs. All these breeds are cared for in a different way.

The next is to prepare some land where you will keep your ducks. Ducks don’t need that much space so your backyard can be enough. Once you have located space where you want to raise your ducks you can go ahead and build a duck coop. This is where your ducks will sleep and seek shelter. The duck coop should be built in a way that it will protect your ducks from uncomfortable temperatures and keep away predators. The coop should also be kept dry so that bacteria doesn’t grow and infect your ducks.

Its also very important that you learn how to care for ducklings. Your older ducks will begin to mate and it will require you to offer a helping hand. You have to know of the type of food to feed ducklings, the required temperature they have to grow under and if they need any medication.

If you will be raising ducks for egg production then you should know that it takes about six months for ducks to lay their first eggs. The eggs are layed once a day, so can collect them every morning. The eggs are bigger and taste much better then chicken eggs. This is also a good way to make some money because you can sell the eggs to your friends and shops.

>>>> Click Here For A Complete Guide To Raising Ducks <<<<