At home, it does not present great difficulties for the poultry breeder. Domestic ducks eat almost everything. However, there is such a thing as full-fledged feeding of ducks. With full feeding, the bird receives that set nutrients which she needs throughout the day. Proper, nutritious feeding will have a positive effect on the productivity of your domestic ducks. More precisely, if you follow these rules, you will get the maximum productivity from your birds.

In this article, we will analyze all the rules for proper feeding of ducks. And also let's talk about the importance of a particular nutrient, and about what consequences its lack in the diet can lead to. In the end, we will summarize and summarize all the knowledge gained in a compact table, according to which you can easily navigate and know why this or that product is needed in the diet of ducks.

Correct duck feeding means in itself to make the right diet for your birds. In order to do this, it is necessary to know the nutrients that are necessary for the body of ducks, as well as to know the products that include certain nutrients. Therefore, below is a list of nutrients, as well as what foods contain them and how much they should be given to ducks.

Like any other living organism, both nitrogenous substances and non-nitrous substances are obtained with food. Nitrogenous include proteins and various amino acids. And to without nitrogenous - carbohydrates, fats and various vitamins. Determine in what quantity and ratio these substances are necessary for birds and introduce them into the daily diet, and the correct one is called duck feeding.

Also, for proper metabolism in the body, minerals are necessary in the diet of ducks: copper, phosphorus, calcium, potassium, manganese and others.

Feeding Domestic Ducks: Nutrients

Now, let's look at each substance that is simply necessary in the diet of ducks.

Proteins (Protein). Proteins are the building material of any living organism, including ducks. Therefore, their presence in the diet is simply necessary. The importance of protein in the diet poultry very high, or rather life is impossible without it. However, we will not delve into the importance of protein in the life of all organisms, but we will only say about ducks. On free range, ducks feed on various larvae, worms and other living creatures, which contain a lot of animal protein. Therefore, domestic ducks that are kept on a free range require a smaller amount of specialized protein feeds, compared to those birds that are kept in a paddock or even worse indoors.

Proteins, in turn, when they enter the food tract, are divided into amino acids. Ducks are constantly deficient in the following amino acids: tiptophan, lysine, cystine, and methionine. Due attention must be paid to this. The listed amino acids are found in large quantities in feed of animal origin: meat and bone meal, in fish and meat products, as well as in dairy products.

The lack of protein feed in the diet of ducks will have a very negative impact on the productivity and health of the bird. The bird will feel depressed and will not gain weight well.

Carbohydrates. Carbohydrates are also necessary for the life of any organism. First of all, carbohydrates are energy. Carbohydrates are contained in almost all feeds in the duck diet, but most of them are in cereals: oats, wheat. There are also a lot of them in the roots of potatoes, beets, etc. Carbohydrates also perform the function of maintaining the body temperature of the bird.

With a lack of carbohydrates in the diet of domestic ducks, the bird will feel very lethargic and will lose a lot of body weight. With an excess of carbohydrates in the diet of ducks, this will lead to bird obesity, because if the energy is not spent, then it goes into reserve, that is, into fat.

Fats. Fats are a very important element in the diet of domestic ducks. First of all, fats are a huge source of energy. When digesting fat, several times more energy is released than when digesting proteins and carbohydrates. First of all, fats are essential in the nutrition of poultry in winter time of the year. However, it should be remembered that with excessive feeding with fatty foods, in ducks, it begins to be deposited not only under the skin, but also on the internal organs, which can adversely affect her health.

Minerals. Minerals are very important in the body of ducks. They can perform a variety of functions. Substances such as phosphorus and calcium are part of bone tissue. Also, minerals are able to regulate osmotic pressure.

The lack of one or the other minerals can lead to various deplorable consequences regarding the productivity and health of the bird. For example, with a lack of calcium, ducks can completely stop laying eggs. It can also lead to bone damage.

Vitamins. Vitamins are also very necessary in the diet of poultry. They also perform many functions in the bird's body. The use of a large amount of vitamins has a positive effect on the immunity of ducks, the ability to not become infected with various diseases appears, and if the bird does get sick, thanks to vitamins, the disease is much easier to tolerate.

The main source of vitamins for ducks are various green feeds. There are also many vitamins in feeds that are of animal origin: fish fat, dairy products and more.

What to feed domestic ducks? Many poultry farmers ask a similar question. Proper feeding domestic ducks are produced in a combined way. The diet of the bird should be the most varied. With combined feeding, ducks receive a variety of essential nutrients necessary for the bird's body.

The composition of the diet of domestic ducks must necessarily include green food, root crops, food of animal origin. At home, ducks are fed with various waste from the table.

Domestic ducks, unlike chickens, are herbivores. Therefore, in their diet, over grain products, various herbs should prevail. For example, ducks are very fond of duckweed from ponds.

Ducks receive the most diverse feed on free-range with access to a reservoir.

The exact diet for feeding ducks is determined depending on the desired production of products. If you want to get eggs from your ducks, then the diet should be one, and if you only keep them for meat, then another.

But before drawing up the correct diet for feeding ducks, let's talk about what kind of feed to give to ducks and how much they satisfy certain nutrient needs.

Duck food

At home, grains and cereals occupy the bulk of the diet of ducks. Grain is the main source of carbohydrates for ducks. The grain is perfectly eaten and quite well absorbed by the body of the duck.

Wheat is an excellent food for ducks. This grain crop has a very high nutritional value. In terms of protein content, wheat is the leader among all grain crops (12-14%). Wheat contains in its composition a lot of B vitamins, as well as E.

For feeding ducks, it is best to use wheat not intended for human consumption. Because it's much cheaper.

Wheat is also perfectly absorbed by the body of ducks.

Barley. Barley is very fond of both adult ducks and young ducks. This grain is given to ducks in the amount of 20-30% of total grain crops in the diet of ducks.

Small ducklings, before feeding, barley should be ground.

Adult ducks willingly eat whole barley. Barley can also be fed sprouted or soaked.

The only drawback of barley is the outer film that envelops the grain. It contains poorly digestible fiber, so the overall digestibility drops.

Oats are a very good complete feed for ducks. Oats have only one disadvantage: they have a grain film, which reduces the overall nutritional value. However, oats are very rich in essential amino acids. Oats contain enough a large number of fat - 4-5%.

It is best to feed ducks with oats without an outer shell (film). To date, such varieties are sold on the market. In the diet of ducks, oats should be approximately 10-20%.

Corn. An excellent food for domestic ducks is corn. In terms of nutritional value, it occupies a leading position among cereals. The main advantage in corn is that it contains quite a bit of fiber (only up to 2.5%), so it is very well absorbed by the bird's body. Yellow varieties of corn provide the highest value for poultry. This is due to the content of carotene in it, which, when digested, turns into vitamin A.

Corn contains insufficient amounts of protein, so feeding this crop should be combined with other protein feeds. In the diet of ducks, corn should be 30-50%.

Domestic ducks also willingly eat the fruits of legumes. These crops include peas. The main advantage of peas is that they contain a very large amount of protein. And in this protein there are a number of essential amino acids necessary for the body of ducks. Protein in peas contains about 21%.

The disadvantages of peas include a bad smell and taste. Ducks cannot eat a lot of peas. Usually, before feeding the ducks, the peas are ground. The diet of adult ducks should consist of 15-20% of peas.

Green food for ducks

It implies feeding the birds a large amount of green fodder. Green food in the diet of ducks is very important. As mentioned earlier, ducks, unlike chickens, are herbivores and not naturally granivorous. Therefore, the presence of green fodder in the diet of ducks is simply necessary. Domestic ducks can be fed with almost any grass, among them: nettle, alfalfa, clover, dandelion, common sedge, and more. Nettles, before feeding, must be scalded with boiling water.

Green foods are rich in beneficial vitamins and micronutrients.

Green fodder can be fed both in mash, and simply by throwing grass into the room or paddock.

Feeding ducks: other feeds

Also, for the full feeding of ducks, it is necessary to include other feeds in the diet. Among them are mineral feeds, and at home, other feeds from your tables.

Natural everyday duck food does not contain enough minerals that can satisfy the body of ducks. Therefore, for proper feeding of ducks, it is necessary to additionally include mineral supplements in the diet. Below we will briefly talk about all the necessary minerals necessary for ducks, as well as about the norms of their consumption per bird per day.

Shell. Shell is the main source of calcium for ducks. And it is contained in it in an easily digestible form. It should be given to the bird, interfering with the mixers, at the rate of 1-2.5% of the total mass of feed at a time. It is best to give ducks a shell mix in the morning.

Chalk.Chalk is also an excellent source of calcium. It should be fed to ducks in the same way as a shell.

Bone flour. Bone meal is a necessary mineral supplement in the diet of domestic ducks. In addition to calcium, it contains phosphorus and other very necessary trace elements. Bone meal should also be given with wet mixers. The amount of bone meal in the poultry diet is based on the calculation of 1-2.5% of the total daily feed weight.

Some poultry farmers, as a mineral supplement, use table salt. However, this is not an urgent need, since the daily food of domestic ducks contains a sufficient amount of those substances that are found in table salt.

Eggshells are also an excellent source of calcium.

In conclusion of the topic "" it should be said that ducks are great at eating waste from the table. Potatoes, carrots, any animal products can also be a great addition to the general diet of domestic ducks.

Duck diet

Now you are savvy enough to make a diet for feeding ducks. To do this, it is necessary to proceed from the goals of keeping domestic ducks. For high egg production, the diet of ducks is one, and for obtaining tasty and high-quality meat, it is completely different. Below will be presented the correct diets for feeding ducks, for convenience, listed in the tables, as well as a few words and comments will be said.

It is produced in a combined way, and this fact must be taken into account.

When feeding laying ducks, it is necessary not to forget about mineral feeds and give them as much as they should (this was discussed above). This is justified by the fact that laying ducks carry a lot of eggs and thereby deplete the reserves of calcium and other minerals in their bodies.

It should be borne in mind that the length of feeders and drinkers should be calculated at least 4 centimeters per head.

It is necessary to feed ducks in winter 3 times a day, and by the time of laying eggs, switch to 4 meals a day.

Dry food in the diet should be distributed as follows: 65-70% - grain, 5-10% protein food (for example, peas). 10-20% of the diet should be green fodder.

There is not much more to say about the diet of laying ducks, for exact feeding rates, see the table below.

As a rule, ducks are grown for meat for no more than two months, so they are prepared for slaughter right from birth.

In the first few days from birth, it is necessary to monitor whether all ducklings eat food. If there are ducklings that do not eat, then they should be force-fed - from a pipette. Later, after force-feeding, they begin to eat on their own.

In the first days of life, ducklings eat various dairy products very well. Thanks to them, they grow very quickly and gain weight.

Mineral supplements should also be in separate feeders all the time.

Some poultry farmers, when fattening their ducks for meat, prefer to feed them exclusively with dry grain mixtures. Feed should also be rich in vitamins and minerals.

Feeding ducks for meat according to the diet, which is presented in the table below, will provide an increase in live weight by 60 days of age up to 2.5-3 kilograms.

Feeding ducks before laying eggs

Before the start of the laying period, in order to receive hatching eggs High Quality it is necessary to slightly improve the diet of feeding ducks and make some adjustments to it. Approximately two weeks before the expected start of the egg-laying period, sprouted grains are included in the feeding ration of ducks, if available, greens. During this period, ducks simply need to improve the feeding ration, otherwise, the laying period may not be long and the quality of hatching eggs will also fall. before laying, see the table below.

Ducks are rather unpretentious birds in terms of keeping conditions and feeding regimen. However, adherence to the principles of a balanced diet, taking into account seasonal and other features will not only achieve the target indicators for meat and egg production, but also ensure good health for ducks and their cubs. Compliance with the diet in a private economy is not difficult, especially in summer time when the ducks themselves can find enough food by eating greens, aquatic animals and insects. We will tell you in detail about how to feed ducks in this article.

Duck feeding norms different ages based on one day

			Age, days
Feed, g per head	1 to 10	from 11 to 20	from 21 to 30	31 to 40	41 to 60
compound feed	26	41	21	-	-
crushed barley	-	41	110	205	205
fresh greens	15	31	62	105	150
bran	-	21	62	80	105
fish fat	0.5	1	1	1	-
crushed chalk	1	1	1	1	-
small shells	0.5	1	1	1	-
Total	44-45	130-135	250-255	380-385	440-450

The recipe depends on age: in the early days, a limited set of ingredients is used, taken in minimum quantities, then other components are introduced, and the mass of portions gradually increases.

Feed recipes

First 10 days

At this time, the following products are given (per chick):

1. Hard boiled eggs - 10 grams.
2. Finely chopped greens - 5 grams.
3. Wet mash - 6 grams.

These products (listed above) are fed to ducklings in the first 4-5 days. Further added:

1. Bone, fish and meat and bone meal - 1 g each.
2. Millet - 3 g.
3. Dirty (corn, wheat) - 6 g each.
4. Powdered milk - 2 g.

Thus, at first 20-21 g of raw materials fall on 1 individual, then it is brought up to 30-31 g per day.

From 11 to 30 days

At this time, others are added to the listed products. The number of all components is gradually increasing:

1. Dirty (corn and wheat) - 35 g each.
2. Millet - 9 g.
3. Cereal mix 14-16 g.
4. Fat-free cottage cheese 20 g
5. Fish meal 8 g, bone meal 3 g, meat and bone meal 5 g, hay meal 5 g.
6. Chalk, small shells - 1 g each, salt 0.5 g.
7. Cake from sunflowers 5-6 g.
8. Yeast 4 g.

Altogether, it turns out that daily rate on the head - about 120-130 g.

From 31 to 50 days

At the last stage, the composition does not change, but the content of the components changes (both upward and downward):

1. Cereal mix 50-55 g.
2. Dert wheat 25 g.
3. Tear corn - the main component: 65-70 g.

All other ingredients (from the previous list, calculated for feeding ducklings from 11 to 30 days) are increased by 2 times so that the daily rate per individual is at least 215-225 g.

Types of feed for ducks

Depending on the composition of raw materials, all feeds are classified into several groups:

• based on cereals;
• juicy;
• obtained from raw materials of animal origin;
• mineral supplements.

Every day, if possible, all these components should be present on the menu. Their ratio is determined by the purposes of breeding (for meat or laying hens), as well as seasonal characteristics (in summer, the components of fresh herbs and other natural types of food are enhanced).

Cereal feed

These are traditional food sources used for fattening any poultry, and are also suitable for ducks. They make up to 75-80% of all animal food, regardless of the season. The valuable nutritional properties of this raw material are explained by its chemical composition(see diagram).

Each crop brings its own livestock benefits:

Ducks assimilate grain to a more complete extent than chickens - 80% and 60%, respectively.

Succulent fodder and fresh root crops are the basis of summer livestock nutrition, which allows you to significantly increase the profitability of their breeding due to very low costs. Along with the fact that in summer the livestock receives the most large quantity really balanced food, special work on the part of the farmer is not required for this: often it is enough just to release individuals into a pond or lawn.

The main components of succulent feed are as follows:

1. Aquatic plants, algae are the main source of energy for wild ducks, so domestic ducks always eat them in large quantities. It should be given to ducklings on the 6th day after birth.
2. Ground Green Plants - especially often produce chopped clover, pea tops, nettles and alfalfa. Usually greens are mixed with wet food.
3. Combined silage should be prepared in summer. In fact, this is the same grass that individuals eat fresh. It is important that the silage ceases to smell like pickled apples (usually for this it must mature for at least 1.5-2 months). To neutralize excess acids, 2 tablespoons of crushed chalk are added to each kilogram of raw materials.
4. The green part of vegetables and root crops are the main sources of vitamins, so it is advisable to include them in the menu every day. Served in grated form. You can also ensilage for the winter. Potatoes are also served among vegetables, often boiled. They can replace cereals (for a change), but not more than a quarter of the usual dose.

Feed of animal origin

The need for constant inclusion in the menu of these ingredients is explained by the fact that in wild nature animals constantly eat small crustaceans, frogs, tadpoles and insects. It is especially important to provide such feed during the laying period, because otherwise the egg shell may not be so hard. The components are as follows:

1. Fishmeal is the most best option in terms of storage time. It has a rich mineral and organic composition: proteins, vitamins, inorganic salts calcium and phosphorus. It is best to give flour with a fat content of no more than 10%. Otherwise, the entire mass gain will occur due to fat, and not muscle growth.
2. Meat and bone meal is rich in proteins (up to half of the composition). She feed ducklings from 6 days after birth. Then they will quickly gain in mass, and by the age of 2 months they can be slaughtered.
3. Fat-free cottage cheese is the main protein product for ducklings. It is given from 2-3 days and then constantly given until slaughter. You can add curdled milk, but it is better to exclude fresh milk - it quickly turns sour and can cause problems with the digestion of animals.

Mineral Supplements

The inclusion of mineral additives performs 2 important functions - the raw materials help digestion, and also have a beneficial effect on the formation of normal eggshells during laying hens. The following ingredients are used:

Seasonal features of feeding

Depending on the season, the menu has its own characteristics. Summer is the most auspicious time for birds and all other animals, since it becomes possible to provide each individual with a sufficient amount of balanced feed. In winter, there are nutritional features that provide the livestock with good health.

Feeding in the summer

In summer, there are three feeding options. Each of them is selected depending on the location of the site in relation to natural reservoirs and meadows:

In summer, it is better to give the livestock less wet mash: if they do not eat a portion, it will quickly deteriorate due to heat and humidity.

Feeding in the winter

In winter, not only the composition of the feed changes (greens, insects and other natural springs), but also the mode of feeding. Ducks are given food only in the morning and evening. In this case, the composition in each case is different, you can choose from two options:

• dry food (cereals, meat and bone meal, fish flour, dust);
• wet mash (steamed hay, silage, boiled potatoes).

In winter and autumn, the livestock does not gain weight even with a significant mass of portions. However, do not reduce the norm - the birds lay fat, allowing them to endure negative temperatures well.

Features of feeding laying ducks

Laying hens require a special approach to maintenance, including the feeding regimen. The main direction of fattening is associated with a sufficient supply of substances containing calcium. It is these components that can ensure sufficient shell strength and favorable development of the embryos. You need to take into account several recommendations at once:

1. Typical feeding ration before laying and during it: 4 meals a day: 3 wet mixers and grains of oats, barley (in germinated form) for the last meal.
2. Mixers should be mixed with yeast: for this, a teaspoon of yeast is taken, diluted in heated (but not hot) water and mixed with a liter of mixer and a kilogram of grain. The food is infused all night, and then it can be mixed into any portion.
3. If the duck lags behind the weight gain and outwardly differs from more well-fed individuals, it is transferred to enhanced fattening approximately 6 weeks before laying: the proportion of protein food should be significantly increased and at the same time the fattening rate should be reduced by 1.5-2 times with juicy feed and roughage.
4. Food should be moderately moist. An important role is played by the presence of a sufficient amount pure water: based on a liter per head per day.

Principles of feeding ducklings

The composition of the menu of ducklings is extremely diverse - several products are suitable here:

• boiled eggs;
• skim cheese;
• boiled potatoes;
• chalk or shells;
• ground cereals (barley, corn, oats);
• cake;
• chopped fresh herbs and many other ingredients.

Fattening ducklings for speed dial in weight starts from the very first day and continues within 8-10 weeks. On different stages the diet will have its own characteristics:

Detailed table with the approximate content of the components (in grams per 1 head)

feed component	Age of ducklings (in days)
	1 to 10	from 11 to 20	from 21 to 30	31 to 50	51 to 60
boiled eggs	3	-	-	-	-
fresh herbs	20	30	50	70	80
wheat bran	5	15	30	35	40
yeast	0,3	0,5	0,9	0,9	0,9
ground cereals	2	40	60	80	100
grain waste	-	22	25	28	38
boiled meat waste	-	8	17	21	25
skimmed milk	6	11	21	-	-
bagasse and grottoes	0,8	3	9	16	21
bone meal	0,6	1,2	1,5	2	3
edible salt	-	0,3	0,3	0,8	1
chalk or shells	0,8	1,5	3,5	4,5	6
crushed gravel	-	1	1	1,5	2
skim cheese	4	9	10	-	-
Boiled potatoes	-	15	35	60	80

As a rule, among the offspring there are few weak individuals. They look lethargic and are almost incapable of eating food on their own. They can be culled only if the offspring is large, and the loss will not be noticeable. However, it is also quite possible to grow them: in the first 1-2 weeks they are fed manually (using a pipette).

Video - Cooking duckling food

Tips for developing your own feed when fattening ducks for meat can be seen here.

What do wild ducks eat

Most ducks live and feed near small, calm water bodies. They pass water through their beaks, catching small lake animals, and also nibbling grass. Often, animals collect food from the very bottom - for this they sink deep into the water with their beak, and only paws and tail are on the surface.

In summer, the choice of food is very large, and the duck can easily find a variety of food for itself:

• small crustaceans;
• small fish;
• tadpoles and small frogs;
• insects;
• algae and land plants.

In winter, when the surface of water bodies is completely covered with ice, birds switch to a vegetable diet - in autumn they prefer the fruits and seeds of some plants, berries.

In the urban area, parks, gardens and natural monuments, artificial reservoirs are specially created so that as many ducks as possible can settle in them. The reason is that birds eat a lot of mosquitoes and larvae of various insects, due to which a balance is maintained in the food chain.

In cities, birds are often fed by vacationers and bystanders. Most often they are given bakery products and various cereals. It is important to consider a few rules:

1. The best option is white dry bread or specialized duck food.
2. It is undesirable to feed birds with black and gray bread.
3. It is strictly forbidden to give chips, sweets, confectionery and any other sweets - such food can greatly harm the digestion of ducks.

Conclusion

Feeding ducks allows you to solve several problems at once: to ensure good bird immunity, prevent various diseases and get required amount meat and eggs. At the same time, birds are not very demanding on their menu, so duck breeding is the best option for those who are taking their first steps in maintaining a farm.

What do ducks eat in the wild? This is a very important question that does not occur to everyone who has ever fed birds on city ponds. And not many people pay attention to posters with calls not to feed waterfowl.

What do wild ducks eat

The largest and most conspicuous duck on the city pond is the mallard. Representatives of this species are most numerous in any reservoir. They are almost not afraid of humans and sometimes take food from the hands.

In nature, these ducks, like other waterfowl, feed mainly on plant foods. The basis of the diet is aquatic plants (algae, duckweed, moss) and grass growing along the banks of the reservoir. In autumn, birds often visit mowed fields, where they collect the remains of grain.

Living near the water, ducks have the opportunity to eat various aquatic fauna:

• shellfish;
• fish fry;
• tadpoles and frogs;
• invertebrates living in the silt and wet soil of the coastal strip (worms, beetles, larvae, etc.).

During the breeding season of frogs, amphibian caviar is also added to the diet.

The food of wild ducks contains a large amount of vegetable fibers and protein. An insignificant part of the diet is occupied by wild grass seeds and cultivated plants. In winter, wild ducks migrate to regions where shallow ice-free waters and familiar food can be found.

Is it possible to feed wild ducks bread

More often migratory birds remain for the winter in the same city ponds where they spend the summer. This is partly due to the fact that winters have become warmer and duck ponds in the park practically do not freeze. But much more often, wild ducks stay in the city for the winter due to the availability of food.

They get used to getting food from people who actively feed supposedly starving birds. Indeed, ducks greedily rush for every piece of bread and even fight over food. But this instinctive behavior is formed even at the chick age, when the survival of ducklings directly depends on the ability to compete. In summer, there is enough food for birds even in a relatively clean city pond. If necessary, the bird would fly away to abundant feeding grounds.

For the sake of their own entertainment, vacationers throw pieces of bread, pies or rolls to the waterfowl. Ducks react with interest to a new object, tasting it. Upon discovering that it is edible, they actively consume the offered food, which does not need to be obtained on their own. The attention of birds to a piece that has fallen into the water is interpreted by people as a sign of hunger and they begin to purposefully feed them.

But a mass containing a minimum of fiber, fat, yeast and a large amount of salt is very poorly digested by a duck stomach. Bread swollen in the digestive system is practically not processed by the gastrointestinal tract and is excreted very slowly, preventing the normal nutrition of ducks. Rye varieties of bread (Borodinsky, hearth, Poltava, etc.) are a real danger to duck health. Causing fermentation processes in the intestines, this food poisons the body.

But the most terrible consequence feeding a wild bird is its unwillingness to fly away for the winter from places where food can be obtained at any time and without difficulty. In the wild, the signal for the beginning of migration is not only the length of daylight hours, but also a decrease in the amount of available food. On a pond in the city, where vacationers feed ducks until winter, the birds do not feel the need to fly.

With the onset of cold weather, when there are fewer breadwinners, and the coastal zone of the pond is covered with ice, the ducks can no longer fly anywhere. Examining the surrounding areas, they do not find conditions acceptable for existence and return to their pond. With the onset of severe frosts, some birds die, freezing into the ice or becoming the prey of stray dogs. And even in warm winters, they can start to starve for real, unable to get food in shallow water near the coast.

How to help ducks in winter

In zoos, in winter, waterfowl are fed specially prepared food. They include all the nutrients (protein, carbohydrates, fats) that ducks can get from their usual food. But the compassionate townspeople continue to feed the ducks left for the winter with muffins and leftover bread.

Not getting the necessary nutrients, the bird weakens and becomes more vulnerable to cold and disease. Trying to help starving waterfowl, a person most often causes irreparable harm to them. What to feed ducks in winter to really help them survive the harsh cold?

It is advisable not to give the bird baked goods. There will be ducks, but they will not be able to get anything but harm from such food. High-quality food for ducks overwintered on the pond different types you can cook by yourself. Its basis can be whole grains (oats, barley, wheat) or pearl barley, oatmeal, whole grain crushed (corn, barley, wheat). Never feed a bird semolina and rye (rye flour) in its purest form. These feeds can be included in the composition of the grain mixture in an amount of not more than 10% of its volume.

The protein components of bird feed can be as follows:

• fish or meat waste;
• egg;
• meat, fish, bone meal;
• bone residue in the form of minced meat (sold in grocery stores);
• peas;
• cake or meal sunflower, soybean, rapeseed;
• low-fat cottage cheese.

Meat or fish waste should not contain large bones. They can be fed raw or cooked. Before feeding, the egg should be hard-boiled and chopped together with the shell.

Protein components are mixed with grain feed. Grain for ducks can be pre-boiled or steamed, but in severe frosts it is better to give it dry so that the food does not have time to freeze. Whole grains can also be germinated before feeding until green sprouts 1-2 cm long appear. In such feed, the content of vitamins and biologically increases significantly. active substances, which are lacking in the winter diet of birds.

Vitamin feed for wild ducks

But what to feed wild ducks to enrich their diet with the fiber and vitamins they need? For waterfowl wintering in urban reservoirs, you can also prepare the following food:

• dried nettle, clover, alfalfa, dandelion;
• any root crops;
• pumpkin or zucchini;
• fresh cabbage.

Dry herbs in the summer can be cut and dried in small bunches in the shade to retain more beneficial vitamins. Everything else can be grown in your own garden or bought specifically for poultry at a grocery store. But it is much more economical to use the leftover vegetables that the townspeople used to throw away. Peeling potatoes, trimming carrots and beets, unnecessary leaves of white or Chinese cabbage, lettuce, yellowed dill or parsley, watermelon and melon peels, zucchini seeds and much more will be eaten by ducks.

Some vegetables need to be chopped before feeding. This applies to hard root vegetables and raw potatoes. Since birds do not have teeth, they will not be able to gnaw hard vegetables, and the flat beak of ducks does not allow them to peck at carrots or beets. Therefore, all root crops with a dense structure must be grated or, raw or boiled, passed through a meat grinder. The same should be done with zucchini, pumpkin, watermelon peel.

Leafy vegetables such as cabbage can also be given as a whole. Ducks do well with them, tearing off small pieces. Dried herbs or bundles of hay are also not crushed.

Closer to spring, vegetables even in a cold cellar begin to sprout. Young leaves of carrots or beets will appeal to ducks. Cropped tops of root crops or green feathers of onions and garlic will be very useful in the winter diet of birds poor in vitamins. If desired, you can specially germinate small root crops by planting them in a box with wet sand, sawdust, soil, and then feed the ducks with fresh herbs.

Mineral top dressing

When compiling a winter diet for ducks, one should not forget about useful minerals. Part of the calcium and phosphorus needed by the bird in vivo it receives from the bones of fish and frogs, the shells of snails and crustaceans, on which it feeds in the pond.

With artificial feeding, you can include crushed egg shells in the diet. It is convenient to use fodder chalk or shell rock (sold in pet stores). When meat and bone meal is included in the feed as a protein source, additional mineral supplements are optional.

We should not forget about the addition of gravel or coarse river sand, which is special and important for all birds. For ducks, the size of the pebbles can be about 0.5 cm. As such top dressing, it is recommended to use marble chips, and PGS, and natural river sand for the aquarium. Gravel for ducks can be added to the feed mixture in an amount of 5% of its volume or periodically poured into a special container. Pebbles help birds grind food in the stomach.

Proper feeding of wild ducks in winter can be of real help. Having survived severe frosts, large and beautiful birds will continue to enliven the landscape of the park next summer.

Today, many farmers raise poultry. Breeding ducks is very profitable, because you will not only always be provided with fresh and high-quality meat and duck eggs, but you will also be able to make good money on it. However, in order for the bird to gain weight well and quickly, it is very important to choose the right duck food and create suitable conditions for keeping. Currently, specialized stores offer a wide range of feed for various breeds of birds.

What breed is better to choose for breeding?

There are quite a few breeds of ducks, each of which has certain preferences in content and diet. In addition, depending on the breed, the taste of meat may also differ. Therefore, if you want to start breeding ducks as a business, you must first decide which breed of this bird you will keep.

Musk

You can recognize a duck of this breed by the characteristic red growth above the beak and the white or black and white color of the feathers. Most farmers prefer to breed musky ducks because of their very calm disposition and unpretentious diet. What to feed a duck of this breed? Yes, absolutely everything that is only edible. In addition, Muscovy ducks consume less feed per day than other breeds. The average weight of an adult duck is 2.5 kilograms.

Moscow white

A relatively new breed, which is valued for its incredibly tasty, tender and juicy meat. An adult bird weighs an average of 3.5 kilograms. Distinctive features of the Moscow white duck are a larger head size and a very wide beak.

Moulards

Moulards are representatives of the meat breed of ducks for home breeding, which is characterized by very rapid growth and weight gain. Ducklings are fully grown in just 2 months. The average weight of an adult is 3.5 kilograms. Moulards are unpretentious in care, so if you do not have any experience in breeding birds, then it is best to start breeding with this particular breed.

Favorite

IN last years more and more farmers began to breed this breed of ducks. The bird is very beautiful and grows to a large size. An adult can weigh up to five kilograms. In addition to being very fatty and tasty meat, favorite breed ducks have excellent egg production. One duck is capable of producing up to 120 eggs per year.

mute

The mute duck, which has some differences from other poultry breeds, is an ideal choice for farmers who have absolutely no experience in caring for ducks. Mute are not demanding in care and nutrition and have excellent resistance to various diseases. The average weight of an adult bird is 4.5 kilograms. The mute received great popularity around the world thanks to palatability meat. Due to its low fat content, mute duck meat is considered dietary.

What to feed mute ducks? This breed is unpretentious to food, so its diet can consist of a wide variety of products. In order for the bird to quickly gain weight, it is best to give it oats, grain, wheat, cucumbers, as well as the tops of various root crops. In addition, you can give various combined feeds, which do not contain any harmful additives in their composition.

Breeding ducks for slaughter: how to feed little ducklings?

Regardless of the choice of duck breed for home breeding, it is very important to make a correct and complete daily diet for the bird. This is especially true for little ducklings. In order for them to grow up healthy and fleshy, they must receive all the necessary vitamins and nutrients from food.

On the first day after hatching, ducklings should be given finely chopped boiled eggs and oats. The next day, you need to introduce cottage cheese into the diet. In the second week, when the ducklings are a little older and stronger, you can start giving them fresh plant foods. Various mashes made from chopped potatoes and root crops will be excellent food.

As for the intensity of feeding, during the first month the ducklings are given food up to 8 times a day, in the second month the number of feedings is reduced to five, and it will be enough to feed an adult bird 3 times a day.

Keeping ducks is a very troublesome task, since it is necessary to create suitable conditions for the bird in the room in which they will be. It depends on how much the bird will grow and develop normally, as well as gain weight. After hatching, the ducklings are placed for several days in a room protected from drafts, in which the air temperature is maintained at 24 degrees. In such conditions, ducklings are usually kept for two weeks, after which temperature regime gradually decrease. Adults feel comfortable at a temperature of 17 degrees Celsius.

Feeding an adult bird

Many people are interested in the question of how to feed a duck at an older age. It all depends on the characteristics of the bird. With free range, food is given only twice a day. In the morning it is best to give concentrated feed, and in the evening - mixers made from fresh grass and chopped root crops. If the ducks are not allowed outside, then the number of feedings should be increased to four.

Ducks are very unpretentious in food, so they can be fed food waste that you have not eaten. Many people are interested in the question of whether it is possible to feed ducks with bread. The answer is you can. In addition, whey will be an excellent food for this bird, as well as bone meal, which must be added to the mash and all combined feeds.

If there are one or more weakened ducklings in the brood, then it is recommended that they be placed on separate content, since healthy individuals may simply not let them near the feeder. In addition, weak ducklings may not be able to feed on their own, so they will have to be fed with a pipette for the first weeks. In this case, the answer to the question of whether bread can be fed to ducks will be negative, since weak individuals need a special diet with a high content of vitamins, minerals and nutrients.

If you breed poultry exclusively for meat, then in two weeks you should introduce products into their diet that contain an increased amount of protein necessary for gaining live weight. At the same time, it is recommended not to release the ducks for walking and to minimize their movement so that they do not burn the calories gained.

So, we talked about what to feed the duck so that it grows quickly, gains weight well and is healthy, but it is necessary to provide for the bird good conditions content and follow some rules.

It is important to create the correct daily routine for ducks and follow this regimen until slaughter. Experienced farmers recommend using a certain mode.

1. Ducks should be released for walking after 10 hours, when the bird finishes laying eggs.
2. The walk should last about six hours, after which the ducks are sent for feeding.
3. Then the bird is again released into the fresh air until evening, after which it is driven into the poultry house.
4. Before going to bed, ducks should be fed again.

Over time, the ducks will get used to the daily routine and will themselves go to the watering place and to eat. It is worth noting that the daily regimen is compiled taking into account all the characteristics of the behavior and preferences of a particular breed.

Breeding ducks without walking

The barn can be built from any materials, but it is better to lay the floor from wooden beams or stone. It is also very important that there is a hay bed on the floor, which will protect the bird from mice and other pests.

It is very important to equip the poultry house with a feeder and drinker so that the ducks can freely and in the right amount consume enough food and water. It is also necessary to make nests for the bird in which it will sleep and rush. The optimal dimensions of the nest are 50 x 50 x 35 centimeters. In the center of the barn, it is worth putting a large container of water in which the ducks can bathe.

You can breed ducks for all year round, however, it is necessary to take into account the fact that the rules for keeping in summer and winter are different. At the same time, it is important to solve not only the question of what to feed the duck, but also the task of maintaining the optimal air temperature in the barn for a comfortable living for the bird. The temperature in the barn should not fall below 8 degrees, and the room itself should be reliably protected from drafts, which can lead to various diseases and the extinction of the entire livestock.

The winter diet of ducks should be plentiful and contain more high-calorie foods, and the number of feedings should be at least three. In the morning, the bird should be given various mashes prepared from different root crops, and in the evening - combined feed.

If you are raising ducks not only for slaughter, but also for the purpose of obtaining eggs, then it is recommended to periodically change the hay bedding so that air humidity does not increase in the barn. Otherwise, the egg production of the bird will drop dramatically.

As it turned out, breeding ducks is easy. The most important thing is to provide them with the right diet and proper care.

I just saw again how elderly women, parents with small children and even a few young couples had fun by feeding wild ducks bread by the Rainbow ponds!

Well, evil is not enough! For several years, detailed articles have been published on the Internet that WILD DUCKS SHOULD NOT BE FEED WITH BREAD! THIS LEADS TO THEIR DEATH!!!

And next to the ponds, ads like this are regularly posted:

Many people do not read ads at all, the rest do not think why not, and even more so do not worry about the consequences.

In addition, older people simply do not read any explanatory articles on the Internet and often distrust any new information that is at odds with their personal point of view with disbelief.

But it’s hard for me to understand the position of young parents - is the minute entertainment of their precious children really more important than the life of beautiful wild birds?

And do these people really not want the next generations to be able to admire the flocks of ducks and little ducklings on our city ponds and lakes?

There are also such stupid people who live by the principle: “I don’t care! Most importantly, it's fun!" I do not comment on their position, because non-normative vocabulary is prohibited on our site.

Feeding the birds in warm time year, man brings great harm to birds.

Their natural instincts to seek natural food favorable to their digestion are dulled, and they become almost tame, not shy, and dependent on humans. Often such birds do not fly away for the winter and die in harsh winters.

So let's talk again about what you can and cannot feed wild ducks.

What can not be fed wild ducks

1. First of all, no wild birds You shouldn't eat black bread at all.

Giving ducks black bread is even more dangerous than white bread. Black bread contains more ingredients: malt, honey (artificial), spices. Even a small amount of it instantly causes stomach sticking, fermentation and bloating or volvulus in a bird.

2. You can't feed the ducks chips or popcorn- this is alien food for them and their stomach is not able to digest it, which leads to quick and painful death.

3. You can not feed wild birds sweets (especially chocolate, even chocolate-coated buns!)

4. It is forbidden to feed ducks and salty foods (such as saltine crackers or crispbread) - they may experience salt poisoning.

5. White bread does ducks much more harm than good.

And now in more detail Why is it harmful to feed ducks with white bread.

In the natural diet of wild birds there is nothing even remotely similar in composition to bread.

Bread made from white flour it's not just junk food for animals - uhthe worst thing that could happen to them!

The reason is that in bread contains nothing but carbohydrates, i.e. for animals, it does not provide any value. Although ducks eat it with pleasure.

But a well-fed duck is unlikely to look for food in a natural way. As a result, she will not get the nutrients she needs - in particular, vitamins D and E, as well as manganese. And soon get sick.

In fact, feeding the birds with bread, you doom them to death in severe suffering.
Because of bread, ducks develop a disease with a poetic name "Angel wings". This is when, due to an unhealthy diet, the wings of birds begin to go to the side, and not rest against the body.

Growing feathers become engorged, heavy and curl. As a result, the shape and span of the wings change: they rise and move to the side. For this reason, birds are deprived of the ability to fly. And the condition is incurable! It develops due to the high calorie content of the diet and the excessive content of protein and carbohydrates in it.

Often bread remains uneaten due to the appearance of mold on it. Here it should never be fed to wild birds - mold is strictly contraindicated for ducks.

It can cause fatal disease aspergillosis. The infection strikes respiratory system and serous membranes. This disease is fleeting and difficult to self-diagnose. With a rapid course, the death of a bird occurs 2–6 days after infection.

Getting constantly food (and not only bread), ducks become lazy and do not try to get their own food. They feed only on what a person gives them, and do not receive the necessary trace elements, vitamins. This leads to a reduction in the life span of the bird.

Feed ducks bread is the same as feeding small children unhealthy fast food. Birds get used to this food and no longer want to eat other healthier foods.

Often eating high-calorie bread, ducks quickly put on weight and it becomes difficult for them to fly and elude danger.

Feeding ducks in city ponds is also dangerous because the birds, receiving constant food, multiply rapidly. In a closely crowded cluster of birds, infectious epidemics begin to develop.

Often, rats begin to flock to reservoirs where pieces of bread remain.

Zoologists urge to feed waterfowl only during extreme wintering periods, when the temperature drops sharply below -20 degrees, and only in places of mass accumulation of birds (flocks of more than 200 individuals), or when rescuing birds with physical injuries, when they can die without human help.

What can you feed wild ducks

1. Sprouted cereals: oats, wheat and barley
2. Lightly boiled cereals - barley or barley
3. A mixture of oatmeal with finely chopped raw and boiled vegetables (beets, carrots). Grapes cut in half are very useful for ducks, but who will carry them?
4. Earthworms and duckweed
5. It is best to buy a special balanced compound feed for poultry in the market or in a specialized store

By the way, in nature, ducks feed on catching duckweed, algae, small crustaceans and insects from the water with their beaks. Basically, these birds consume plant foods and also do not refuse insects, small fish, tadpoles and crustaceans.

Sometimes ducks are able to dive to a depth of half a meter to catch the food they like.

At the beginning of winter, ducks eat the stems and seeds of plants. In the middle of summer, various berries and fruits from nearby trees and shrubs are added to the grass and crustaceans.

I would like to note that a duck in the wild is a wonderful bird, and its vital activity and way of eating plays a very important role. important role in the formation of the ecological balance of our land. In summer, in addition to plant and animal food that wild ducks find in water bodies, they eat a large number of mosquito larvae. Due to the fact that ducks destroy a large number of larvae, mosquitoes do not breed in huge quantities. Thus, ducks, getting their own food, help people and nature.

I must say that feeding ducks with bread is still an actual problem in different countries.

The Times newspaper wrote that more than 6 million loaves of bread fall into the canals and rivers of Great Britain and Wales every year, most of which remain uneaten by birds.

Conservationists demand that the British do not feed ducks with bread, as this leads to the growth of dangerous algae and the death of birds.

Let's think about how not to amuse ourselves, but to help the birds in the right way and not harm their health.

And in the warm season, we will simply watch these beautiful and positive birds with pleasure.

Wild ducks are an integral part of the ecosystem, and besides, these birds get along well with humans and cheer us up, especially touching fluffy ducklings.

Note. This article uses photographs from open sources on the Internet, all rights belong to their authors, if you think that the publication of any photo violates your rights, please contact me using the form in the section, the photo will be deleted immediately.

Why can't ducks be fed bread?

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