Keeping Ducks For Meat
Duck raising was just a small business venture in the past, but now it
is slowly growing in significance in the poultry industry. With the
rapid growth of demand for duck meat, the industry of duck farming has
started to follow the same pattern of the chicken broiler industry.
This could be seen in the establishment of more particular business
ventures with modern poultry farmers, processing for greater packaging
and presentation to consumers.
About 12 million duck meats are produced every year in the United
States. Most of these are produced under intensive confinement in some
commercially duck farms scattered in the country. Duck meat producers
usually raise Peking, Muscovy, Cherry Valley and Jawa breeds because
they grow in just a short period of time.
The ideal brooding technique for meat production is a mixture of pen
heating and local heating.
Meat ducks do not need a very specialized housing as compared to
chicken broilers. The pens are normally made of inexpensive materials
such as wood and wires.
If you would build your own duck pen, its walls should at least be
20-25 inches from the ground and are made of concrete planks. The rest
of the wall can be built using wires. In building the floor area, it is
cement, earth or slatted wire that is needed. To provide fillers, you
can use wood shavings, dry straws, husks or fine sands to cover the
floor for a depth of about eight centimeters.
With the roofing, the design and shape is normally based on the
direction of the wind, the sun rays and frequency of rainfall in the
region. These factors aid to provide proper ventilation, moisture and
dryness of the fillers, and the pen in general. The other important
factor in building the housing pen is to make sure that the ducks are
comfortable and well-provided with adequate space while they are
inside. Inadequate space and overcrowding can result to malnourishment,
fighting and the spread of diseases.
After brooding the duck broilers, the ducks can now be reared for their
meat. Rearing habitats with proper ventilations, away from intense sun
heat, heavy rain and predators are the proper place for your ducks. The
floor should be kept dry at all times, not too crowded and can give
enough space for feeding and drinking. The ideal space for rearing is
2.5 – 3 sq. feet per duck. Fences of 18 inches to 24 inches are
designed so as to allow at least 350-450 ducks in each pen. This is
done to ensure their proper maximized growth.
In about seven to eight weeks, meat ducks are ready for slaughtering,
but to get the desired meat produce, considering their food and feeding
is very essential.
The quality of the feeds is vital, particularly in the first three
weeks of the ducks existence. It is crucial to sustainable growth and
proper nutrition, and to fortify their bodies to avoid diseases. You
can give them medicated-feeds, but you should consult first a breeder,
as the type of feeds, protein mixture and medications depends on the
duck breed, and the desired production.
Articles
Keeping Ducks:
The Mallard Breed
Keeping Cayuga Ducks
Keeping Ducks:
Pinioning
Keeping Call Ducks
Feeding Ducklings
Keeping
Ducks: The Top Duck Breeds
Keeping
Ducks: Feeding and Behavior
How to Raise
Ducks In Your Home
Keeping Ducks As
Poultry
Keeping Ducks As Pets
Hatching Baby Ducks
Keeping Ducks:
Mating Systems
Keeping Ducks For Eggs
How
to Tell the Difference Between Male and Female Ducks
Two
Respiratory Diseases Common to Ducks
Raising Pekin duck
Keeping Muscovy Ducks
Keeping Crested Ducks
Keeping
Ducks: Frequently Asked Questions
How to Feed
Fully Grown Ducks
Keeping Baby Ducks
Keeping Ducks: Breeding
Keeping Black
East Indies Ducks
Keeping Ducklings
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