Duck Raising

Duck Raising
If you are interested in poultry farming, you may consider raising ducks. You do not have to keep a large flock but you can keep a small flock for a start which minimizes costs and increase their number with time. Ducks are easy to rear but before starting such a project, you have to know that ducks have needs that you should understand if you want to be successful in raising them. Duck raising can be a worthwhile venture since ducks can thrive on diverse environmental conditions. However, certain requirements must be considered for proper raising of ducks.

You will need to provide proper housing for the ducks. Ducks require simple housing structures but you still need to make them conducive for their survival. Make their housing safe and clean to prevent them from catching diseases. Housing is also important for the ducks as they normally lay eggs at night or early in the morning hence making them a proper house gives them a safe place to do so. Put something on the floor such as litter or hay to provide dryness and warmth. Determine whether you have enough space in your farm to make them a house as well as the materials needed.

The ducks will need to be fed hence you need to ensure that their food will be readily available. You may not have enough food on the farm to feed them hence decide whether you will be comfortable buying their food or its going to be expensive. Young ducklings have special needs in terms of food hence you have to bear this in mind. Ensure you are able to provide a balanced feed for all nutritional needs of the ducks. They also need regular supply of water especially for the ducklings otherwise they fall sick and may die and you have to incur costs treating them.

Decide whether you will keep the ducks for domestic consumption or for commercial use. Ducks provide eggs and meat which can be sold for profit. If the project is for business, determine whether there is a market for the eggs, meat or any of the by-products because you may end up not making any profit out of your venture if no one is going to buy the produce. Make sure that you keep a flock that caters for only your needs if you decide to raise them for domestic consumption.

Although ducks hardly become sick as compared to other poultry animals, you still need to take care of their health. Diseases need to be prevented by keeping the ducks and their surroundings clean and dry including their shelter. You can have them inoculated as this also helps to prevent diseases. Sick ducks need to be given good care and even be moved from the rest if the disease can easily spread to the others. This may be costly hence you need to plan for all these before you decide to start keeping ducks. Otherwise, with proper planning, duck raising can be profitable.