Homestead Duck and Goose Production
(Page 4 of 10)
Duck eggs hatch after 28 days for all the breeds except the
Muscovy which requires from 32 to 34 days, and inasmuch as
duck eggs require more moisture than chicken eggs they
should be sprinkled two or three times during the
incubation period and certainly just before the ducks are
ready to pip.
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Hens should be confined to the incubating nest for the
first 24 hours after the ducklings start to hatch as a set
of duck eggs will not hatch as rapidly as will chicks and
the chicken hen may get off the nest prematurely with the
first of the hatch, leaving the rest to spoil.
For those duck fanciers who are interested in raising but a
few ducks each year it would not be practical to maintain
an incubator for artificial incubation. Instead (as in the
case of turkeys) it is recommended that fertile eggs be
taken to the commercial hatchery to have them custom
hatched.
After the ducklings are from 24 to 36 hours of age they are
removed from either the natural or artificial incubator and
are placed either under the hen (that is, shut up in a
brooding coop) or under the artificial brooder as already
described under "Day-old Ducklings"
DUCK FEEDING
Ducklings are fed as soon as they are placed under the
brooders and, unlike the turkey poult, there is no need to
worry about them learning to eat . . . they are hatched
hungry. Their ration for the first five days should be a
moist mash, fed on boards or shallow troughs and made up
something as follows:
Some small operators have found that they that they may
start ducklings on chick starter that has been made into a
wet mash, while others have been able to purchase duck
starter although this is not always obtainable in the
average community.Ducklings are fed all they will clean up
three or four times daily for the first four weeks and then
may be cut down to two feeds daily. Sand or grit, or both,
must be kept before them at all times and they should have
water available in deep enough pans so that they dip their
bills nearly to the eyes. This is important so that they
may clear their nostrils of mash. These watering devices
should be covered with a wire basket so that ducks will not
play in the water and thus make a mess of their litter.
After the first five to seven days, the ration may be
changed to a wet mash made up of the following:
This ration is fed until the ducklings are from six to
eight weeks of age at which time they are changed to a
fattening ration made up as follows:
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