Indoor winter keeping rules
Indo-duck came to our countries from South America, so it is not at all difficult to guess that she is a thermophilic bird and does not tolerate severe cold winters. Indo-female appeared on our territory in the 80s of the last century and very quickly won the love of poultry farmers. It is bred not only in private households, but also on farms. Such popularity can be easily explained by the fact that the bird of this breed is very calm, hardy, unpretentious, easily gets along with other poultry. It can be deservedly called the most productive poultry. Also a plus is that it consumes much less feed than other breeds and at the same time gives tender dietary meat. The only thing that Indo-girls are afraid of is low air temperature. Therefore, if you decide to breed them on your personal plot, then you need to familiarize yourself with the rules for keeping indoor dogs in winter.
Indo-women tolerate the cold winter rather poorly. Despite the fact that the immunity of these birds is very good and they practically do not suffer from infectious diseases, the cold weather is a real test for them. If the room in which you keep the ducks is not warm enough, then there is a high probability that the bird will freeze its legs, scallops on its head, and it can also become seriously ill, and sometimes even die.
When building the room in which you plan to grow these birds, the walls and floor must be very well insulated. A wooden floor keeps warm best of all, but few people use it, since this material is short-lived. But if you nevertheless decide to cover the floor with this natural material, then it is recommended to raise it 12-15 cm from the ground and only then lay the boards. Also, to make the floor even warmer, you can lay linoleum on top of the boards.
Most often, the floor in the duckhouse is made of concrete, but remember that without a proper layer of bedding in winter it will be very cold and this can have a bad effect on the health of the birds. The bedding is best made from sawdust, straw, and sand added to it. Make sure it is always clean and, most importantly, dry.
The room should not have a musty smell, so even in winter it is necessary to ventilate the duck.
Remember that if in winter the air temperature drops below -5 degrees, then the barn in which the Indo-women live must be heated. You can heat the room in several ways: with electric lamps, potbelly stoves or special stoves.
To heat a room with electric bulbs, you need 5-6 pieces of blue light lamps, which must be fixed in the ceiling. The power of the light bulb should be average, about 50 watts.
When installing a stove or potbelly stove, be sure to take care of a reliable fence so that the Indo-girls do not climb on it and get burned.
The air temperature in the room in which the Indo-girls live should not fall below +12 degrees.
Check that the walls and roof of the duckhouse are well insulated and have no cracks or holes, as drafts are very bad for the health of birds. Additionally, you can insulate the walls with sawdust and spruce branches.
About walking
Like any poultry, Indo-duck loves to walk in the fresh air; it is strictly forbidden to keep it indoors at all times. In summer, with a walk, poultry farmers have no questions, but what to do in winter? Is it possible to let heat-loving Indo-girls out into the street? The answer is yes, as they just need fresh air.
To make the ducks comfortable to walk, and they are not very cold, it is necessary to properly equip the walking yard. It is best to place it on the south side, enclosing it with a high fence. It will not only protect from the wind, but also will not allow them to escape outside the enclosure. Also, make a sturdy canopy so that neither snow nor rain will get the birds wet.
It is advisable to release birds outside at a temperature of at least 10 degrees below zero. Be sure to clean the surface of the fence well from snow and frost, and then cover it with several layers of litter. Thanks to this action, the paws of the birds will not freeze. The bedding is best made from sawdust, sand and straw. It keeps heat very well and absorbs moisture.
During the walk, the feeders and drinkers must also be taken outside. Also, Indo-girls will not refuse to take ash baths in the fresh air. But it is categorically forbidden to admit indotok in winter to water bodies. Swimming in icy water will not only lead to colds, but also to death.
What to add to feed
It is not necessary to strongly adjust the diet of Indo-duck in winter. The basis of the diet, as at other times of the year, should be grain. For a day, one Indo-duck eats an average of 300-350 grams of feed. Birds of this breed are very fond of wheat, oats and other cereals. It is better not to add barley to feed, as it is very dangerous for the health of birds of this breed. But if you do decide to feed this cereal, then pre-soak the grain in water for 2 hours. In winter, the grain helps to maintain the muscle mass of the birds.
Also, do not forget about wet mash. They are best prepared with steamed barley, wheat bran, and grass flour. Vegetables should also be present in the diet, such as beets, carrots, and cabbage. They will perfectly fill the lack of vitamins. Potatoes should only be given cooked.
In winter, experts recommend adding additional vitamin and mineral supplements to the diet of birds. They stimulate poultry growth well and increase immunity. They should also have free access to mineral feed. It is best to give seashells, crushed shells, table salt and chalk. There should be a separate feeder for this food; it is undesirable to mix it with the rest of the food.
The water in the drinking bowls should be constantly, but in winter it cools quickly, so make sure that it is not too cold, otherwise the Indo-milkers may catch a cold.
After studying this article, it becomes clear that Indo-Ducks are absolutely unpretentious, and provided that the poultry house in which they live is properly equipped, the birds will easily endure the winter and at the same time will not lose their ability to lay eggs.
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