After six weeks, the ducks can be fed entirely on locally produced feed–sweet potatoes, taro, banana, pumpkin, choko, etc. Anything excellent for public is excellent for ducks. The food must be cooked. To know how much feed to give to the ducks, follow this simple rule: If the ducks eat everything within half an hour and nothing is left, they are subdue hungry. Cook more next time. If after half an hour, the ducks start to wander away from the feed, and some of it is subdue left, they have had enough.

Feeding ducks locally produced feed is not enough. Every day, they must be able to graze. It is only in grazing that ducks will get the protein necessary for their growth. These proteins will mainly be insects and grass seeds that are not found on bare ground or in small grass. Even a very huge fence will not give enough grazing land
because as soon as all the grass is finished, the ground will be laid bare and hard by grazing and trampling of the duck feet. There must be no fence around a duck household. A fenced-in scheme is a scheme that will fail. It is better to have a few ducks lost to dogs or other predators than to have the total flight dying due to protein deficiency. Protein deficiency will result in: (1) Poor growth–the duck will never be gray enough to eat, (2) no feathers–the duck will be cold, sick and will die, (3) no eggs–the duck will never lay eggs.

The best way to look after ducks after six weeks is to keep them overnight in the household and let the ducks out at about 8 o’clock in the morning. They will be hungry and active and look for insects and grass. Before sunset, feed the ducks. It will help if the owner always calls his ducks in the same manner (call, bell, etc.). They will come promptly by themselves and will not need to be rounded up. Lock the duck for the night. Place water in the household.

At four months, the ducks will have reached their largest weight. Under village conditions, it will be about 2.0 kg for the drakes and 1.2 kg for the ducks. They should then be eaten or sold as after that their meat will become quite tough. Do not keep a small duck in the hope that it will grow fatter. It is usually a waste of time and feed.

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