Introduction

Rearing ducks is not as difficult as rearing chickens.  In fact the ducks possessed a higher survival rate and are not prone to disease attacks.  The method of rearing and management of layer ducks are easier and varies slightly from those of chickens.

Breed Selection

Selecting a good breed is the main factor in ensuring good egg production.  Only ducklings from good farm producers or from accredited hatcheries should be purchased for this purpose

Characteristics for good layer duck

• High survival rate

• Free from any deformity

• High egg production (around 260 to 300 eggs per year)

• Produce good quality eggs:
  (i) Weight between 65 to 75 gm per egg
  (ii) Hard shelled eggs
  (iii) Golden egg yolk

• Average body size.  Bodyweight during lay (between 1.3 - 1.8 kg.)

• Broad pelvic bone

Most suitable layer ducks are the crossbreds from Khaki Campbell from Thailand, Taiwan and Australia.

Khaki Campbell

Housing and Equipment

Housing for layer duck should have the following criteria:

• Good ventilation.  Good ventilation helps to dry up the moisture content and also remove ammonia gas from the duck faeces

• The size of the house should be suitable to the total number of ducks reared.  Do not build the house that is too small or too big.  The space area for an adult duck should be 3 to 4 square feet.

• The roof of the hose should be more than 3 feet from the floor level and several doors be installed facing towards the opened areas.  The purpose of the doors is to ensure that the ducks are enclosed in the house during the night so that they are safe from enemies and at the same time the eggs are not lay indiscriminately which cause the eggs to be dirty or lost.

• The design of the duck house should be suitable for the farmers to move around like washing, treating and collection of eggs.

Equipments

• Amongst artificial brooder are hover, infrared, high voltage bulb, kerosene lamps

• Feeding and drinking troughs

• Laying boxes

• Egg trays, pails, spades for mixing feed etc.

Feed

An important factor to ensure successful production of the project is feed.  Feed is an important factor in controlling satisfactory profit.  From the economic point of view, feed will determine the cost of production.  As a result the farmers must be smart in evaluating different kinds of feed to save cost in managing the project.

There are 2 types of feed suitable for layer duck

• Commercial feed

• Self mixed feed

1.Commercial Feed

Commercial feed is manufactured from feedmills whereby the feed contained essential nutritious food values and vitamins that are formulated according to age and species of the animal.

2. Self-Mixed Feed

One formulated feed which contains all the necessary vitamins that is easily available can be self mixed for the good production and health of the duck. The ingredient are: Broken rice, padi grain, fish meal, prawn meal, soya bean meal, layer premix vitamins and minerals, grounded limestones, corn, synthetics pigments and others.

Estimated Feed requirement for a layer duck

For a layer duck controlling the feed intake is necessary when they are 7 weeks old.  Controlling the feed can be observed by looking at the bodyweight and for a layer duck that begin to lay, the feed intake should be around 1.3 kg - 1.75 kg. (for Campbell Duck the maximum weight is 1.9 kg )

Health and Disease Control

Duck can succumbed to disease.  Prevention is necessary to prevent ducks from getting infectious diseases and the followings should be observed:

• Always keep the farm clean

• Give fresh quality feed without any moulds

• Supply fresh water.  Water mixed with 'anti-stress' should be given to 1 to 3 days old ducklings

• Those duckling that signs of sickness should be isolated and treated or culled

• The housing sheds should be sprayed with disinfectants such as lysol or lindoress before the arrival of the new ducklings

• Notify the Veterinary Department if there are any signs of diseases

Daylight Requirement

Daylight is an important aspect in the management of layer duck.  Daylight can be obtained from natural sunlight or additional light from electrical bulbs or kerosene lamps.

2 aspect why light intensity is important at night

• To brighten up the whole shed to avoid the ducklings from unnecessary fright against foreign objects or noise at night

• To speed up and increase egg production

Layer duck above 20 weeks require not less 16 hours of continuous light.  In view of the fact that only 12 hours of daylight  is available, it is suggested that an additional supply of another 3 - 4 hours of light must be obtained from lamps in the sheds

• Daylight intensity/electric bulbs of 250 watts/1000 square feet

• The distance between the floor and the electric lamp should be 7 feet

• If necessary the farmer can use a time switch for easy management

Management

Efficiency in the management of duck rearing is an important aspect in determining maximum profit with minimum cost of production.  The following aspects in the management are:

• Preparation before the arrival of the new ducklings

• Rearing the ducklings in the brooder

• Managing the growers

• Managing the layers

Preparation before the arrival of the new ducklings

• Get ready the hover guard and artificial brooder (3 meter in diameter will accommodate 500 ducklings)

• Place some sawdust /padi husk into the brooder guard to a depth of 3 -4 inches

• Supply with water and put on the heater 2 - 3 hours before the ducklings arrive

Rearing the ducklings in the brooder

• The duckling should first be given with water.  After 1/2 an hour, feed is then given

• The brooding period is 20 - 25 days.  Adjust the heater by observing the concentration of the ducklings around the heater.  If the heater is too hot the ducklings will stay far away from the heater.  If it is cold the ducklings will crowd around the heater.  The ducklings will be evenly distributed if the temperature of the brooder is ideal

• Give the duckling anti-stress for 3 days

• Give crumble starter feed ad lib

• The brooder guard should be enlarged according to the size of the ducklings and increase the number of feeding and water troughs if necessary

• Ensure the flooring materials are always dried and evenly distributed

Managing the Growers

• Remove the heater and brooder guard

• Change into bigger feeding and water trough

• Flooring material (sawdust) should always be dried

• Give grower pellet feed or used mixed feed which should contained 16% protein and energy 2500-2800 kcal

• Weigh 2 - 3 ducks from each group to check their weights

• Ducks whose age exceed 7 weeks old need to control the amount of feed so that they are not too fat until they cannot lay

Managing the Layers

Ducks start to lay when they are 20 to 22 weeks

• Give layer pellet feed.  If used mixed feed, ensure it contained 2600 - 2900 k/cal

• This feed must begin when the ducks are 16 weeks or 4 - 5 weeks before they start to lay

• Give feed according to correct measurement ( 150 - 170 gm ) per day per bird

• Other additional feed such as grass and vegetables can be mixed together

• To ensure good quality eggs, coloring ingredient Synthetic Pigment can be added into feed (100 gm SP + 100 kg of self mixed feed)

• Place the layer boxes ( 1 box = 5 ducks )

• Keep the ducks within  compound so that so that they won't lay all over the compound.

• Collect the eggs in the morning before feed is given

• Check the necessary amount of light according to age

Products

The products that can be obtained by keeping layer ducks are:

Fresh Duck Egg

Can be sold to wholesalers, retailers, or individuals for making local cakes.  The eggs are graded according to the yellow contents of the eggs.  This can be observed by using a color instrument (Kipas Roche).  Good quality eggs sold in the market measured between 13.6 - 15.0.

Salted Eggs

Salted eggs are preserved eggs meant for consumption or storage.  The price of salted eggs is much better than the fresh ones. The method of preserving duck eggs had being explained in " Guideline In Processing Salted Duck Eggs"

Record Management

Keeping records is important.  Recording is one of the important aspects in establishing a good management system.  It also assists us in evaluating a given project whether it is profitable or not.  Besides records it also give us a clearer picture so that we can do the planning for future

There are 2 types of record:

• Rearing/Management record

• Financial Record

Ducklings & Goslings - MO  Ducks of the World  Ducks informations  Muscovy Cayuga  Crested  Khaki Campbell
Pekin  Pommeranian Duck  Rouen  Runner