How much does a duck weigh on average, a table of indicators by day and influencing factors
Home breeding of poultry for farmers is a profitable business. Ducks are viable, early maturing species, with proper care and nutrition, gain the desired weight by 60 days. Poultry is bred for meat and eggs, in industrial production - additionally for fluff and feathers. When breeding game for meat, it is important to know how much the ducks weigh during the period of growing up to two months of age. Further fattening the individual becomes unprofitable.
Average weight of ducks
Ducks have an average weight, an adult reaches 2.5-2.7 kilograms by the age of 60 days. Weight is also influenced by: breed of animal, age, gender. Some bird species can weigh up to 6 kilograms in 2 months. On farms, ducks are placed in restricted-range poultry houses. Food and cleaning are done mechanically. This is how poultry is fed for meat. Intensive fattening of meat breeds allows you to get an elite bird of the corresponding weight by day 50.
The average weight of ducks by day is shown in the table:
Index | Ducklings age, days | |||||
1-10 | 11-20 | 21-30 | 31-40 | 41-50 | 51-65 | |
Duck weight (average), g | 220 | 530 | 950 | 1450 | 2000 | 2300 |
A daily duckling weighs, on average, 55 grams. At 10 days, the body weight of the chick is added 4-5 times.
Factors affecting performance
The meat productivity of ducks lies in the weight and quality before slaughter. The quality of meat products depends on the breed and age of the individual. Feeding and proper care are important factors. The quality score is also influenced by protein level, metabolic energy and diet. The level of fatty acid composition of meat depends on the amount of vegetable and animal fats added to the diet.
In addition to proper nutrition of ducks, the issue of their maintenance is also important. Individuals of the meat breed are unpretentious in their maintenance and care. When breeding, choose one of two options for placing the bird: on a litter or in an aviary. In summer, they are placed in a clearing with fresh grass near a reservoir. In winter, livestock are housed in a warm room.
Drinkers and feeders are installed in the poultry house. Aviaries are fenced off from each other. There must be good ventilation in the room. In the northern regions, heating is additionally installed in the poultry house. During breeding, the birds must observe the cleanliness and freshness of the air inside the enclosures. When breeding ducks, important points are taken into account:
- No more than 3 adult ducks are placed on 1 square meter to eliminate the risk of infection or other diseases.
- Individuals are placed in spacious enclosures of at least 70 * 70 centimeters, with a height of 35 centimeters.
- More than 10 young animals are not placed on 1 square meter.
- If the ducks are kept on a litter, the floor is covered with hay or straw, previously covered with a layer of slaked lime.
- The floor is covered with a net on top, trays are installed below to collect droppings, dirt, feathers.
- The temperature in the poultry house should be within the range of + 7 ... + 14 degrees, with an air humidity of 70 percent. For young animals, they maintain an air temperature of +22 degrees, with a humidity of 65 percent.
Before the first placement of birds in cages, disinfection is carried out. The poultry house is ventilated, cleaned, feeders and drinkers are treated with an antiseptic. The enclosures are closed for quarantine for 20 days.
How to feed ducks to gain weight?
In home farming, livestock are fed in two ways:
- ready-made compound feed;
- natural food.
Feeding livestock with ready-made feed is simple and affordable. Additionally, the bird is fed grass. Birds grow quickly on this diet. The disadvantage of this type of feeding is the high cost. With natural feeding, simple foods are included in the diet, grazing is organized. A balanced diet allows poultry to grow quickly.
You can fatten livestock for rapid growth using available products:
- Cereal feed, including barley, corn, wheat, oats, and other crops. The grain is crushed, given in the form of crumbly mash. If it is impossible to crush the product, it is steamed in boiling water for several hours. Young animals and adults willingly eat steamed food.
- Juicy food - grass and vegetables can make up half of the total weight of duck food. Such food is enriched with fiber, vitamins. Pets organize grazing or lay vegetation in the feeders.
- Animal feed. Individuals in nature feed on insects, snails, worms. Households in the diet include: whey or reverse, cottage cheese, bone meal.
- Mineral supplements are required in the diet of duck livestock. The menu includes: chalk, eggshells, table salt. Calcium helps to strengthen bone tissue, sodium helps in the rapid absorption of food. The products are left in the trough, the bird itself uses the right amount of additives.
Adults are fed twice a day, young animals are given food 3-4 times at knocks. When grazing, ducks are fed in the aviary only in the evening.
Feeding ducks is not a problem and does not require large financial costs. It is enough for the livestock breeder to monitor the cleanliness, freshness of the feed, to choose the right balanced diet. If you follow simple rules, ducks gain weight quickly and produce quality meat.