Indo-girls: containment room
Indo-women are very interesting birds, which are bred both in small farms and on large farms. They began to conquer the hearts of our poultry houses in the 80s of the twentieth century. Indoor women have long ceased to be exotic, since they have taken root very well in our territory. Just one small nuance can darken the selfless love for these birds. They are afraid of cold winters, so it is necessary to create comfortable conditions for the cold period in time.
Previously, Indo-women were bred for decorative purposes, but now they are no longer exotic.
What caused the love for Indo-women?
It is more correct to call a bird a musky duck. Many people think that its name is associated with special growths on the head, which give a relative resemblance to turkeys. This is a misconception. Turkeys have nothing to do with this species. The name "Indo-duck" was formed from the phrase "Indian duck". Since these birds came to our region from South America.
These ducks are called musky birds because they give off a persistent musk scent. And the calm and livable character brought great popularity to the species. Indo-women hardly scream, and rarely show aggression.
The muscovy duck is large, has a wide chest and strong legs. It requires special feed, but has a high egg production. For private households, it is important that Indo-women can hatch and raise their chicks themselves, so there is no need to buy an incubator for breeding.
Indoor woman secretes an odorous secret from red glands on her face
Selection of premises
The indoor duck room should be warmer than a regular chicken coop. Cages or a lightweight summer house are not suitable for these birds. When building, it is worth immediately organizing the insulation of walls and floors, so as not to worry in winter. Ideally, build a log shed and line it with bricks on the outside. But this option is quite expensive, so each owner chooses materials based on their financial situation.
When building a warm barn, special attention is paid to floors and bedding. Legs of musky ducks do not have a fat layer, but are equipped with a branched network of blood vessels. High sensitivity of the limbs is a big problem in the breeding of South American ducks. In the cold, the legs freeze over, which leads to the death of birds. Therefore, the floors of the room must be raised above the ground, additionally insulated with mineral wool or slag, and sprinkled with a thick layer of bedding. It is best to lay wood floors, and on top, for warmth and convenience, put a layer of linoleum. Earthen floors will be warm, but they are not very hygienic. If the floor is concrete, the bedding should be thicker than on the wooden floor.
The concrete floor in the indoor shed is poured using a special technology. First, 15 cm of soil is poured to raise the surface, 10 cm of crushed stone is poured onto the ground, rammed and covered with a solution on top.
If for breeding musk ducks it is necessary to adapt an existing farm building, then it is insulated with mineral wool, slag or other material. It is best to plaster the walls of such a shed, and sheathe 80 cm from the floor with plywood sheets or boards. In the room, it is imperative to cut through a window and insert a double frame with a window.
The room for the Indoor girls must be well insulated.
When building a room with his own hands, the owner must take into account how many individuals he plans to breed. The area of the building is determined as follows - every 3 birds should have 2 m² of living space. The height of the house is approximately 1.8 to 2 m.
How to equip a poultry house?
The poultry house equipment consists of the following elements:
- Feeders for 5-6 heads each. The length of such a product is about 1 m, its width is no more than 25 cm, and its height is 10-12 cm.
- Drinking bowls of different sizes, with a depth of at least 20 cm. The width of the drinkers should not exceed 25 cm, otherwise they will have to be covered with grates so that the Indo-girls do not try to swim in drinking water.
- Perches made in the form of a low podium. For musk ducks, you have to build your own perches. They do it from a wooden bar or log. Rest podiums are not placed close to the walls; a distance of 40 cm should be maintained. The height of the perch is 20 cm, its width may be the same.
- Nests made of plank or plywood. A wooden house with a roof and a sill is installed directly on the floor of the barn. It can be a single structure, or several non-communicating sections under one roof. The inside of the nest is lined with straw or shavings. Small sawdust should not be used. In rest, the female will insulate the nest herself.
There is nothing particularly complicated in equipping a poultry house for muscovy ducks. If the owner plans to keep several species of poultry in one room, then the nests for Indo-ducks are placed away from everyone. These birds do not like noisy company at the time of laying. The number of nests depends on the number of females. Each should have a separate egg-laying area.
Indo-duck can be kept in the same barn with other poultry
Bird shed heating
Heat-loving pets will not survive the winter without additional heating, even in an insulated barn. The heaters are switched on already at 5 ° C. For heating, electric lamps, stove stoves, air heaters or electric fireplaces are suitable.
The easiest way to heat a room is with blue lamps. Their power is 50 watts. For a medium-sized shed, you will need 6-7 pieces. The bulbs are fixed to the ceiling and covered with a protective mesh cap.
Comfortable room temperature for breeding musk ducks - 12 ° C.
But the duck house is aired daily by opening the vents. Birds do not like musty air and are sensitive to cleanliness. Room cleaning and bedding should be done regularly.
Indo-women love fresh air
Walking annex
The muscovy duck, like any domestic animal, loves to walk. In summer, there are no barriers to this. But what to do in winter? After all, a bird with such sensitive legs cannot be released on cold snow or frozen ground.
For winter walks, a fenced walk is attached directly to the bird shed. The height of the fence is at least two meters, since ducks fly well. Before releasing the birds, the walking yard is cleared of frost or snow, and lined with a warm bedding of a thick layer of sand or sawdust. It is good to use straw for bedding, it not only creates a warm carpet, but also absorbs excess moisture.
Walking for indoor dogs should be carefully fenced
Usually, the walking area is attached to the south side of the poultry house, protecting it from the wind, and covering it from precipitation with a canopy. During the walk, the feeders are placed in the courtyard. Boxes with bath ash are also taken out there. But the passages to the reservoirs are blocked for this period, swimming in cold water for this living creature is certain death. If the temperature drops below -10 °, then birds cannot walk.
Difficulties in maintenance can arise only in the initial period, when the costs of arranging decent housing for Indo-women will be required. Further, the breeding goes along the knurled track. Each female is capable of laying up to 100 eggs during the cycle, and the weight of one egg is about 75 g. During the season from spring to autumn, females can raise 2-3 broods of 16-17 babies. Which makes breeding and growing very productive. The livestock replenishes very quickly, even if ducks are regularly slaughtered.
Breeding duck ducks is a profitable process. They eat relatively little, when compared with ordinary ducks, they do not require complex care, and carcasses are considered a delicacy.
Housewives bake for festive feasts. So, the musk duck will be a pleasant variety on your table, and will bring profit from the sale of products on the market.