Feeding and caring for ducklings differs significantly from the content of adult ducks - how fast and healthy the diet depends on how balanced and complete the diet is at the initial stage of the ducklings' life. In this article we will look at all the main nuances of proper feeding of ordinary and musk ducks in the initial stages of their life.
Diet for ducklings
Newborn chicks begin to feed immediately after they have dried: from what food was given in the first hours of their life, will subsequently depend on the ability to absorb the body nutrients.
Did you know? The largest number of ducks in China today is an average annual figure of more than 2 million of these poultry: meat is used in cooking, and duck fat is used for production. Such large-scale breeding of ducklings caused that three-quarters of the world production of these birds is concentrated in China..
The most adapted and balanced diet of ducklings in the first days after their birth looks like this:
- First day. The digestive system of chicks in the first 24 hours after birth is still poorly adapted to the digestion of solid food. The basis of the diet during this period should be a crushed boiled egg - to attract the attention of chicks, you can sprinkle this food on their backs (many refuse to eat from the floor, and also in this way the chicks will learn to catch food in motion). If you have a large population, you can give the ducklings some thick boiled porridge (made from barley, oatmeal, or millet groats) - sprinkle it in the feeder or on cardboard. The next feeding, 5-6 hours after the first meal, begins with the forced feeding of the chicks with water, and then they give a semi-liquid porridge mixed with milk. Do not be afraid if the litter of chicks on the first day is liquid (especially in musk ducks) - this is not a problem with digestion, but a normal phenomenon.
- 3-4 day. During this period, new products are introduced into the diet: barley flour, low-fat cottage cheese, oatmeal and corn grits. You can give special mixtures and feed intended for feeding ducklings (sold in all specialized stores), - so the young will receive all the necessary minerals. You can make mash - feed based on barley or corn flour, boiled eggs and vitamin supplements. Remember that the texture of the food in the first three days should be moist and crumbly - dry, dense food can clog the duck's nasal passage.
- 5-7 days. This is the time for the introduction of greens in food - the component that the ducklings will consume throughout their adult life. Finely chopped fresh nettle leaves mixed with boiled egg and low-fat cottage cheese - the best mixture in this period. Nettle, before giving in food, it is desirable to scald with boiling water - it will disinfect it, remove bitterness and make it softer for consumption. Well eaten young pulp and mash with the addition of milk, as well as whey and yogurt. On the fifth day, you can add flour from the bones of fish or chicken to the feed, as well as introduce duckweed into the diet (it is extracted from any open reservoirs).
- 1-2 week after birth. On the seventh day and further, boiled potatoes, table salt (no more than 0.2 grams per 1 head), eggshell, bran bran, oilcake, fresh grass and boiled meat waste are gradually added to the ration - this menu contains all the necessary nutrients .
It will also be useful for you to learn about the peculiarities of keeping at home such popular duck breeds as ogar, gray Ukrainian, Cayuga, Bashkir, Peking, blue favorite.
On average, the daily menu at ten days old per bird should look like this:- grain bran - up to 40 g;
- boiled potatoes - 20 g;
- low-fat cottage cheese - 2 g;
- fresh grass - 20 g;
- meat waste or flour from offal - no more than 5 g;
- barley flour and flour - up to 20 g each;
- chalk - up to 2 g;
- salt - up to 2 g
Important! After 17-20 days from the moment of birth, the ducklings need to double the rations. Remember that the basis of the menu should always remain a variety of mash on the basis or with the addition of dairy products, as well as fresh chopped grass. Sometimes in newborn chicks in the first hours of life, the swallowing reflex is absent or very poorly developed - in this case, the chicks are forcibly watered with a very weak solution of potassium permanganate: a few drops will suffice, which are most convenient to pour into the throat with a pipette.
Starter feed for regular ducklings
We considered the general provisions that can be applied both to ordinary ducklings, musk as well as quails and turkey poults - only the proportions of feed for each species of bird differ. Now let's take a closer look at how to prepare the right starter food for an ordinary duck at home. 
What is necessary
Unfortunately, not always purchased feed for chicks will have all the necessary micro and macronutrients that are responsible for the proper growth and development of the chick. It is best to prepare starter food at home - so you will be sure that the bird will receive the most balanced and healthy food. In addition, self-produced feed at the exit is less expensive than that purchased in the appropriate store. So, for the preparation of 1 kg of starter feed for ducklings you will need the following components:
- crushed wheat - 200 g;
- crushed corn - 200 g;
- oat flour - 50 g;
- chopped barley - 200 g;
- chalk feed - 20 g;
- crushed shells - 20 g;
- fish meal - 70 g;
- meat and bone meal - 140 g;
- premix "Sun" (additive to the basic ration) - 10 g;
- sunflower meal - 70 g;
- unrefined vegetable oil - 19 g;
- salt - 1 g.
The basis of the feed will be premix - in its composition an abundance of iron, manganese, zinc, iodine, cobalt, selenium and other useful elements.Instruction
Preparation of starter feed does not require much effort - even a novice poultry breeder can handle it:
- All components are measured in the indicated proportions and poured into one container (special scales will be useful for accurate weighing).
- Mix the food thoroughly - the consistency should be slightly moist and crumbly, without dry lumps. Properly mixed feed should not get dusty or stick to hands.
It will be useful for you to learn how to make feeders for ducks, nests and a shed with your own hands, as well as how to make various drinking bowls for ducklings with your own hands.
The greatest difficulty in the preparation of such feed will be the procurement of ingredients: you can gather your own self-grown grain or grind fish or meat meal manually. However, all these components can be found in specialty stores or in bird markets. On average, the price for 1 kg of such food prepared at home is about $ 0.5, while the market price for similar food starts at $ 1. Independently such feed can be harvested in large quantities: within a month it will retain all its beneficial properties.
Video: starter feed for ducklings with their own hands
Musk Duck Food
Feeding musky ducklings has several nuances that are different from normal feeding. First of all, the musky breed is not waterfowl, so the energy consumption and caloric need for such a bird is somewhat lower.
Did you know? Muscovy ducklings are often called indo-sweeps - however, contrary to popular belief, this bird has nothing to do with turkeys. South America is considered the birthplace of the musk duck, and this bird received an unusual name because of the musky smell - if you gently press on the fatty pouch located on the bird's head, a few drops of fat will have a distinct, distinctive flavor.However, according to the external parameters, the representatives of the musk breed often surpass their usual relatives, but the fat is deposited very slowly - and this must also be taken into account when drawing up the menu.
What is necessary
Below are 2 menu options for musk ducklings. Since both of them have a dry crumbly consistency, they are suitable for already mature chicks aged 30 days and eating fresh greens. To prepare a full menu for musky breed, you will need the following ingredients.
Learn more about the content of musk ducks: feeding rules and differences between males and females.
1 option:
- bran - 200 g;
- millet - 100 g;
- soy meal - 100 g;
- fish meal - 50 g
- bran - 400 g;
- sunflower meal - 100 g;
- soy meal - 100 g;
- fish meal - 50 g;
- corn grits - 200 g
These components are quite enough for musk ducks to get all the necessary nutrients from food. In these recipes, fish meal can also be replaced by meat and bone.Important! For the prevention of rickets and bone diseases, musky ducklings should give crushed egg shells and special chalk twice a week.
Instruction
It is important to remember that all the ingredients for musk and ordinary chicks should be chopped - ducklings (especially newborns) are not able to swallow food lumps. Preparation of feed is as follows:
- Grind all ingredients thoroughly (you can use a coffee grinder or a food processor).
- Mix all ingredients in the indicated proportions, mix well.
Preparation of full-fledged forage for ordinary and musky breed of ducklings does not require much time and trouble. The advantage of self-preparation of fodder and mixers for poultry is the confidence of the poultry farmer that all their components will be of high quality and natural. 
When preparing the ration for chicks, be guided by their needs, requests and appetite: if the ducklings refuse to eat any component, do not insist - just replace the menu or suggest another feed option.
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