Keeping Pekin Ducks

Pekin ducks, also known as Long Island ducks, is a duck breed of domesticated ducks used largely for meat production. They can also be raised for their eggs but they are often raised by farmers for meat because they are capable of growing in a short period of time. The Pekin duck was bred from the Mallard duck in Peking, China (hence the name). The ancestors of these ducks originated from the water vessels which linked water canals in Nanjing, and originally had petite bodies and a jet black plumage.

With the relocation of the Chinese Capital to Peking (now Beijing), the supply barge traffic increased going to the new capital that would often spill grain, crops and other feeds during the barge trips, providing a great source of feeds to the ducks. As a result of this, the ducks gradually increased in size and grew white feathers. In five dynasties in China, the evolved species of Mallard ducks had been raised by Chinese farmers.

In 1873, nine ducks were exported from Peking to Long Island, New York, thus it is also called Long Island ducks. It is the most widely known duck meat in the United States, even though some farmers had relocated to Indiana from New York. Today, about 90% of duck meat consumed in North America is the Pekin Duck.

Hatching

Pekin duck eggs take around 28 days to hatch at an incubator with an environment of 99.5 degrees Fahrenheit and 60 per cent moisture. A heartbeat can normally be observed in the third day of incubation during candling. The duck eggs should be regularly turned during incubation. This is to imitate the natural turning of duck hens, as she shifts the position of the eggs while sitting on it for hatching. For artificial incubation, there are machines that can turn the eggs instantly.

When incubated artificially, the eggs are transferred to a hatcher at least three days before they are expected to hatch. This has a slightly decreased temperature and the percentage of moisture is increased, to add the level of survivability for the newly-hatched ducklings while their protective egg sheaths develop.

Compared to other poultries, duck eggs are quite easy to hatch as they are very adaptable in variations in warmth and moisture.

Fully matured adult Pekin ducks can weight about 8 to 11 lbs in confinement. The average lifespan is about 9 to 12 years. Their outer feathers are white, sometimes with a tinge of yellow or orange. This is clearer with ducks that have been brooded inside pens and not exposed constantly to sunlight. The ducks have increased upright posture than dabbling ducks, and have overturned remains.

A mature Pekin will produce an average of 150-200 eggs every year. They will normally lay an egg every day. They will lay eggs in what they think is a safe place and sometimes, where another duck has already laid their own. Ducks can be tricked into laying eggs when desired by placing a lure such as a golf ball or alike objects in a place where you want them to lay their eggs.

Raising 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.

Raising Crested Ducks

With powder-wisp of feathers planted on the head, the Crested Duck is certainly an eye-catcher. An average-weight duck breed, the Crested ducklings can grow fast, making them very prolific ducks for their meat, and they are also good egg layers.

A mature crested drake can weight about 6-7 lbs, and the mature Crested female can weight about 5-6 lbs. The American Poultry Association recognizes two Standard of Perfection for Crested ducks, the Black and White varieties. Other types such as the Grey, Blue and Buff have been a good interest for raisers, and crests can appear on other varieties as well. Crested ducks usually have a large body and should be symmetrical on the forehead when in idle position.

The crested feature of this breed is linked to the fatal situation during incubation. Duckling with both genes for the crest cannot hatch. Of these ducks that hatch, usually a third of them will not have the crest. It is very easy for a raiser to see how the crest will develop on the ducklings, so they can choose which stock to raise and sell the rest as baby ducks, instead of feeding them until they mature.

The crest is basically an abnormality appearing in any color. This is a result of the mutation linked with bone deformities and is has been known for centuries. There are those raisers who claimed that the deformation first appeared in Britain and that is a notion that has been a subject for debate, but it has been recorded in guide books and poultry manuals already as early as the 17th century. The mutations can appear occasionally on any breed of ducks. Careful breeding can increase the number of ducks with the same features.

The crest can appear from a lump of fatty tissues, which surface through a small hole in the skull. From this tissue, protruding feathers grow. The crest can differ from concentrated crests, plump crests, powder puffs, and contorted lumps with just a few plumages, or the rare ear lump when the hole glides near the ears.

The crested breed can be cross-bred with any duck breed excluding the Muscovy, as a parent Crested will produce only a small percentage of crested ducks. Most crested ducks rarely breed successfully but when they do, they are very good livestock. If you are using a crested female with a large crest, you should observe that the male duck will use the crest during the copulation, and the female can be injured during this. The clump of feathers on the head of the female, that rarely appears and is known as an object of attraction, when selected and bred for the offspring, will not carry the crested gene to the line, so a crested male will be needed to turn any breed crested, so watch them during mating.

As you have realized now, breeding crested ducks is a very challenging task and not for amateurs; also if the crest is very large and it hampers the eating and basically, living of the duck, you should trim it to give them a normal life.

How to Feed Adult Ducks

If you want to keep ducks as pets, you should invest in their proper nutrition. This is an investment that will pay off handsomely, not just in profits, but also with the fact that you will have very healthy pets.

Whether they are raised for livestock or for domestic purposes, ducks are great animals to have. However, they have special needs when it comes to proper nutrition. If you do not feed them with the right kinds of food, then they will not grow healthy. Duck malnutrition can cause several illnesses and can also be a fatal case. The wrong diet can cause your pet to discard more waste, making your cleaning a harder task. Before you throw some grains or birdseed to your flock, here is what you should know in getting the proper nutrition for adult or fully grown ducks.

Begin by preparing the feeding equipment, clean and sun-dry the surface of the feeder. If there are sharp edges, you can use duct tape to keep your pets away from any dangerous risks, and then hang the feeder in a safe place near the ducks’ habitat.

Pick commercial duck feeds that has the suitable amount of protein that is necessary for your duck’s health. If your ducks are laying eggs, you should feed them with duck pellets which contain 15-20% protein. On the other hand, if they are non-laying, you can choose a pellet feed with 13-17% protein content. You should take note that too much protein can cause a health condition among ducks called as angel wing which causes the wing feathers to bond together. Inadequate protein in the diet can also cause a multitude of serious health problems, especially if your ducks are laying eggs. Thus, you should consider the condition of your pets before you give feeds with the appropriate protein content.

Aside from protein feeds, you should also give your ducks some green diet composed of chopped vegetables. If your pets are constantly roaming around your farm, allow them to eat some weeds or grass in your field. When you feed your ducks, you should ensure that vegetables or greens are part of their daily food intake.

If your ducks need additional health supplement, you can give them minced hard boiled eggs, garden worms or corn. However, you should avoid giving your ducks whole corn kernels especially if they are still too young, since corns are hard to digest. Give your ducks enough cracked corns especially in the winter, when they need more carbohydrates and proteins. Cracked corn contains at least 50% of the protein they need.

Always give them water during their feeding time. They use water to help them swallow and digest the food. This is very important since lack of water can cause choking. Water is also needed for your pets to clean and groom their beaks and feathers.

Always keep their food fresh. If you think you need to change the food in their feeder because your pets are not eating them then do so, since duck feeds can easily spoil and turn the feeder into a healthy environment for harmful bacteria and microorganisms that can harm your ducks’ digestive system.

Raising Muscovy Ducks

More or less, duck farmers have stated that Muscovy ducks are very easy to raise and keep as compared to other breeds. They are good for domestic purposes, such as pets or for ornaments or for farm production for their eggs and meat. Muscovy ducks can exercise insect control in the yard, farm or ranch. However, this breed is not popular for domestication, but they are still capable of serving domestic purposes making them worthwhile and rewarding to raise them.

This breed, similar to the Mallard, does not form single mate partnership. They will mate either in water or in land, which is very unusual for ducks, that typically mate on the water only. Domesticated Muscovy ducks can mate up to three times every year.

The female Muscovy can lay a clutch of 9-17 white eggs, normally in a tree burrow or tunnel, which are incubated for 35 days, and is seven days longer than most eggs of the duck. The sitting duck hen will leave the nest once daily from 25 minutes to 1½ hours, and will then eliminate waste, drink water, eat and sometimes groom their feathers. Once the eggs start to hatch it may take a day for all the chicks to break through the egg shells. When wild ducklings are hatched, they normally stay with the mother duck for around 10-12 weeks. Their bodies cannot generate the heat they need, particularly in dry regions, so they will stay close to the mother duck particularly at night.

Normally, the drake will stay close with the brood for several weeks. The drake will walk with the ducklings during their regular migration in search for habitation, food, and protection.

During their first weeks, Muscovy ducks feed on grains, corn grits, weeds, insects and almost anything that moves. The mother duck will initially teach them on how to scavenge for food.

If you are keeping Muscovy duck, you should first keep them in a small confinement if they are below three weeks old, allowing them a provision for a heat source. They are still not capable enough of generating their own body heat during this early age. The baby ducks should not be allowed to swim, except in a shallow basin primarily used for drinking water. The main diet at this point should be composed of the recommended protein content according to the age of the duck.

Transfer the baby ducks into a larger pen at the age of three to six weeks. You can introduce swimming using a baby pool at this time as long as the bottom of the baby ducks is entirely plumaged. At this early age, baby ducks should be granted a certain period of time in a yard to learn how to hunt their own food. Also, they will scratch for grains that can be added to their normal diet.

You can house the Muscovy ducklings in the open when they are about 6 to 12 weeks. You should make sure that they are kept in a safe and enclosed pen to keep them away from predators. A small wire fence should be used, but not chicken wire. A wide access to a baby pool should be provided at this time. Ducklings should continue their food nutrition, including egg mixes, grains and green feeds as they grow stronger and more mature.

Raising Ducks For Eggs

A number of the many duck raisers in the US are making profit from duck raising ever since the increasing price of duck feeds and in general, production materials.

Until the 1970s, duck production for eggs was a very lucrative industry in the USA since most breeders have chosen duck eggs over chicken eggs because of its size. Duck eggs as we commonly know are larger than chicken eggs.

However, the rapid industrial growth which began in the 1980s gradually displaced the lucrative industry since most duck farms were sold to commercial and real-estate developers. Presently, only a handful of the country’s original egg farms and hatcheries still engage in the poultry business, many of whom had owed mortgages and loans from banks and financial firms. Also, pollution displaces the once natural and healthy environment for ducks. Some industrial factories near poultry farms eject chemical and toxic wastes, causing serious threat to the local duck poultry.

Presently, while the country still produces duck eggs, the center of duck rising has moved in some agricultural states such as Texas and California.

In the recent duck farming systems, where a farm may confine at least hundreds or thousands of ducks, the drakes (male) and the ducks are maintained at a ratio of about one drake with six to seven ducks. Light rhythms in mating sheds during spring and summer, with artificial lighting for 18 hours out of 24, blocking the duck’s natural copulating patterns. This is performed to stimulate and keep the egg production and fertility in breeder ducks. Therefore, mating is possible throughout the year. This artificial reproduction can lead to diseases of the reproductive organs

Some duck breeds, especially the Mallard (also known as the Campbell), is the best breed for egg production. A mallard duck can lay at least 230-240 eggs during their first 52 weeks.

Some duck farms in California producing eggs have developed a Hybrid called the Golden 300, by crossing and using the characteristics of various different duck breeds. These breeds can produce 290-300 eggs in their first 52 weeks.

The granting of motherly instinct is denied to today’s marketed breeding ducks. Experts suggest that those ducks which were reared by their own mothers have fostered a stronger bond. In the wild, the female mallard normally takes care for her ducklings for about 60 days. In commercial-meat oriented farms, the ducklings are slaughtered before this period ends.

Duck producers collect eggs every day, placing them in egg incubators for hatching. The breeding female meanwhile continues to lay eggs, which are then removed immediately. Through this genetic selection, a modern, breeding female is enervated to lay at least 290 eggs. It will never hatch or tend to take care of a single duckling.  In the wild, a female Mallard lays eggs at least twice, or sometimes three times every year.

The total egg production is a maximum of a 30 a year, all of which she will take care of. This significant increase in egg production from 30 to 290 has caused serious animal rights problems, because it carries complications in the female reproductive organ of duck hens.

Raising Cayuga Ducks

The Cayuga duck is one of the different kinds of domesticated ducks that are raised primarily for their eggs and meat. There are some raisers though that keeps Cayuga ducks for ornamental purposes. The name of this breed, Cayuga, is derived from Cayuga Lake, one of the Finger Lakes in New York. The Cayuga breed was first bred near this lake, hence the name. Some believe that the Cayuga ducks originated when a miller from Duchess, a county in New York captured caught two ducks there and decided to brood them. The meat of Cayuga ducks are very known for its strong flavor.

Cayuga ducks are medium-class breeds and have been a popular variety in the USA since the 17th century. The usual weight for mature males is about 9 lbs and females could weigh up to 8 lbs. The Cayuga ducks are distinguished by their black bill and feathers that are glistening green when flashed with light. During breeding, stress is placed on proper coloration, carriage and a large bosom. This breed has dark brown eyes, dark shaft and toes. However, mature Cayuga drakes can have an orange tone. The Cayuga ducklings start with black feathers. In most farm exhibitions for Cayuga ducks, a tint of white plumage is a ground for disqualification. This breed is very domestic as they have the tendency to be always near their coop.

Unlike the hoarse and load quacks of the Peking Duck, Cayuga ducks have a mild quack, and can only be heard very occasionally. This breed is best if you want to raise ducks in the suburbs since the neighbors won’t be disturbed by the constant quacking that some duck breeds do. Also, since the Cayuga is a very domesticated breed they are very obedient and most of the time docile.

Aside from grower feeds, feed your Cayuga ducks with hunting snails, worms and other small insects.

More often than not, the Cayuga duck will sit and brood their eggs much frequently than other duck breeds. Normally, the egg incubation lasts not more than a month. When you are using an incubator, set the temperature to not more than 100 degrees Fahrenheit, and ensure that it is properly moisturized for the whole period of incubation. You should also slightly lower the temperature to 98.5 degrees Fahrenheit and increase moisture to 94 per cent during the last two days of incubation.

The Cayuga is a very productive duck and can produce 120-150 eggs every year. At first, the eggs will appear black, but as they mature, the eggs become gray, and then slowly turn to white before they hatch. The meat of this duck breed is very flavorful, and in 1874, the Cayuga duck was formally recognized as a quality produce by the American Poultry Association’s Standard of Perfection.

As many have noted, the meat of the Cayuga breed is very palatable, but the body can be very hard to clean due to their black plumage. To resolve this “dark” problem, they skin the ducks instead of the traditional plucking.

Presently, the Cayuga breed is known as the hardiest of the farm ducks but can easily be domesticated if naturally raised. They can adapt to the winter season of the arctic regions, and can still produce offspring during that season.