Always try to take good care of your birds and animals who are producing nutritious foods for us. You must have to fulfill all their needs or demands and keep them happy.
Ducks also a good creature of nature. They produce tasty and nutritious meat and eggs for us.
For proper growth and production from ducks, you must have to take good care of them. Your laying ducks will live happily and produce higher quality eggs, by proper care and management.
There are some duck breeds are available that can produce eggs like chickens throughout the year.
How to Care For Laying Ducks?
For better egg production, you have to manage them well and take good care of them. You have to apply the same rules in caring for your ducks for both in your own backyard flock or if you run a large scale duck egg production business.
Here we are describing about how to care for laying ducks. Follow all the process and your ducks will be happy, healthy and produce their maximum.
Feeding
Regular feeding habit of duck affects it’s health. Egg production and egg quality of an egg laying duck are greatly influenced by the food that she is eating. So, it’s very important to feed your laying ducks balanced diet feed containing sufficient amount of necessary vitamins and minerals.
A feed mixture of laying ducks should contain about 16% to 18% protein. But the amount of protein can vary according to the breeds of duck.
Generally, an egg laying duck consume about 6 to 8 ounces of feed daily. And she will supplement her diet by scavenging for bugs or other types of insects, grasses etc.
You can also serve her small treats like fruits, vegetables, greens or mixed corn. Always provide sufficient amount of clean and fresh water to your ducks.
Keep watering pot directly next to the feeder and make it available for almost all time. Because without water, the ducks could choke.
Housing
Good and comfortable housing is also another important factor for raising egg laying ducks. Overcrowding environment is certainly not an ideal and comfortable environment for laying ducks because this situation can lead to peckish ducks.
Proper ventilation system is a must. So, ensure proper ventilation system in your coop.
You have to ensure a minimum floor space of 3 square feet per laying ducks. Keep some large sized nesting boxes inside the coop. Keep one nesting boxes for each 3 to 5 ducks. Ensure good protection for your ducks from various types of predators.
Lighting
Proper lighting is another important component for caring your laying ducks. The ability of producing eggs is mostly dependent on how much light is present during the day. The amount of sunlight decreases from July to December and increases from January to June.
When the days become shorten, increase the amount of artificial light gradually in in half hour increments at the beginning and end of each day, until the ducks are exposed to 14 hours of total light daily.
At the same way decrease the amount of using artificial light slowly when the sun stays for long time. This help the ducks for producing more eggs and also warm them during cold winter season.
Other Caring
An egg laying duck will produce her maximum if she feel less stress that means sticking to a routine. Complete the feeding and egg collecting process by the same person and same time daily.
Check the bedding of your laying ducks daily and always keep it clean and dry. If you are in need of fertilizing duck’s eggs, then keep one drake for every 5 to 6 laying ducks.
Keeping sufficient number of drakes is very important. It will help you preventing aggression and injury. Swimming water is a must while mating of ducks. But water is not so necessary for your laying ducks.
Swimming water is only necessary during mating or breeding period. You can use small pool or pond for making suitable swimming place for your ducks. They will enjoy swimming there very much.
However, I think you have learned something about how to care for laying ducks. For producing good quality and fresh eggs you must have to take good care of your ducks and provide them good housing, nutritious feeding and good care. Enjoy!
