As it is cheaper for a farmer to produce his own ducklings than to buy them from the outside, he should do his own breeding. Only the best ducks and drakes must be kept for breeding. In this way only, the ducklings hatched on the scheme will be strong and healthy. Do not keep any birds that have deformed wings, with the tip of wings pointing outside. Otherwise, there will be more and more of them on the scheme. Do not keep any bird that is smaller than the rest of the flight. Huge parent birds produce huge ducklings.
The ducks kept for breeding will be the heaviest ones, of round appearance and with a belly that is close to the ground. The drake will be the heaviest one, with a belly analogous to the ground. Do not keep any drake that looks like it is standing with the
breast much privileged than the belly. Do not keep more than 10 ducks for breeding. Otherwise, it is probable that the garden produces will be in small supply to feed the flight and all the birds will do poorly. Keep two drakes for up to five ducks and three for up to ten ducks. Ducks can be kept for up to three years, but drakes should be
changed every second year as after that they do not mate regularly and fertility decreases.
Under village conditions, ducks will start to lay eggs at 8 1/2 – 9 months of age. The first eggs will be small and should not be used for hatching. Small eggs are likely to be sterile (they will not produce a duckling) and even if they hatch, the duckling will be small and weak and will doubtless die within the first week. An egg is huge enough for hatching when it weighs more than 72 g or if its diameter is more than 45 mm. The simplest way to check if an egg is suitable for breeding is to make a hole of exactly 45 mm in a cut of plywood or lumber. If the egg passes through the hole, it is too small and must be eaten or sold. If it does not pass through the hole, it must be kept for breeding. The poultry Research Centre at Labu has a few of these measuring holes.
A duck will lay between 10 and 20 eggs. After that it will become broody and sit. If the ducklings are taken away from the mother after hatching, it will start to lay again after two to four months, depending on feeding. There are no laying seasons for ducks in Papua New Guinea. They lay all through the year.
The journey to breeding ducks can also best be started while they are childish as you also may learn ducks also have their own personality. This means that you can also treat them as pets. If you want to learn more about raising ducks and avoid costly mistakes, please stay: http://www.howtoraiseducks.com
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