Novice poultry farmers: the basics of feeding newborn ducklings
Ducks are very handy for household use. They are not too capricious in their care, they grow quickly, which allows them to grow not only for rural residents, but also for summer residents. Taking a few domestic ducks or mulard at the beginning of the summer season, you can get a ready-to-eat bird by the end of it. If this is your first time raising ducks, the following few tips will help you not to get confused when ducklings appear in the house.
Feeding ducklings in the first days of life
When a poultry farmer has little ducklings for the first time, he first of all asks the question not "What to feed them with?", But "Do they even know how to eat on the first day of their life?" This is especially true for breeding ducklings in a home incubator or by incubating an adult duck. If you see that the kids are not eating, do not be afraid. In the first 24 hours, the ducklings do without food, since they consume the substances that they received while still in the egg. But on the second day, they already need to eat.
Unfortunately, all too often little chicks die of hunger because they cannot eat on their own. If they do not suit food, then you need to add water to them: this will make it easier for the chicks to swallow. If the newborn chick refuses to eat even in this case, it is necessary to take a weak solution of manganese and use a pipette to pour the duckling into the open mouth. After that, the appetite should be normalized.
At first, that is, the initial two days, feeding the ducklings can be limited to a special starter feed or a mixture of crushed grain. Place a small saucer of food for the ducklings in the crate and refill as soon as they are eaten. When you see that the ducklings are picking up food quickly and actively, the diet can be expanded. We do this and usually the kids are okay. Yes, do not forget to put a drinker with clean boiled water next to the feeder from the first day. To prevent intestinal disorders, you can lightly tint the water with tea from a teapot.
In the first few days of life, ducklings need protein. This substance is found in sufficient quantities in boiled eggs and dairy products. Also, from the first days of life, ducklings need to be taught to eat grass, because in the future they will have to get food on their own. In the meantime, the birds are still very small, they can be given finely chopped nettle leaves mixed with cottage cheese and boiled eggs. Do not forget about mineral dressings. For example, ground chalk and shell rock are a source of essential calcium.
In addition to food, ducklings need to drink. It is necessary to ensure that there is always fresh and clean water in the drinkers for them. As I wrote earlier, in the first week it is better to give it boiled, later you can switch to the usual one. In this case, the water should not be too cold or, conversely, too hot. The optimum temperature is 20 ° C.
The growth and development rate of a duckling directly depends on the variety and nutritional value of its food. The more varied the food, the faster the bird will grow. But if the nutrition is wrong, there can be serious problems, in particular, the ducklings will become weak or they may fall on their legs. What to do in such cases is told. The recommendations outlined in it will help eliminate errors in feeding the ducklings and other possible causes.
Special compound feed belongs to the universal food. It can be mixed with dairy products, and ducks will not refuse this mixture. The compound feed contains a sufficient amount of nutrients, all vitamins and minerals necessary for growth and development. The easiest way is to purchase a ready-made mixture for feeding ducklings in the store, but you can prepare the compound feed yourself using barley, corn, peas and millet for this. The cereals are mixed, a dairy product is added to the resulting mixture, as well as finely chopped herbs and vegetables. Cabbage, carrots, pumpkin, potatoes are well suited. This mixture should be given to ducklings three times a day.
Organizing proper nutrition for little ducklings at home is not difficult. All the products required for the preparation of duck compound feed are always at hand, especially in the warm season. Yes, and problems with the purchase of combined feed today should not arise either.