Does a wild duck lead domestic chickens. Peculiarities of breeding and types of wild ducks. Basket with hinged lid

The duck has long been included in the list of agricultural birds, often bred in the conditions of domestic farms. Russian poultry farmers prefer this bird because of its many advantages. First of all, these advantages include the unusual pleasant taste of feathered meat. What is interesting in recent times farmers became interested in breeding wild ducks at home, rather than buying breed varieties already domesticated decades ago. Let's see what caused this trend, and what conditions must be met for successful breeding of wild birds.

To understand why modern farmers have suddenly begun, against all logic, to give preference to breeding wild ducks, let's pay attention to the following comparison table.

Table 1. Comparison of the main qualitative characteristics of wild and domesticated duck breeds

Criterion	domesticated breeds	wild breeds
Taste of meat	Tender and sweet, juicy.	More fibrous, bitterness is felt.
Body dimensions	Larger torso, broad forms.	Smaller body, more graceful forms.
shell shade	Domesticated breeds of chickens have a white shell shade.	Eggs wild breeds chickens have a green tint, the shell is covered with a greasy coating.
Breeding	In order to breed ducks of domesticated breeds, it is most often necessary to use an incubator. In addition, ducklings of domesticated breeds are more painful at a young age.	Wild ducks are unpretentious, and in almost 100% of cases they are able to independently breed chicks. At the same time, babies feel great in various climatic conditions and, in principle, in the conditions of the external environment created for them.
Content	The maintenance of domesticated birds is accompanied by the implementation of all sorts of nuances.	Wild ducks are, in principle, unpretentious and quite easy to handle, so the lower quality characteristics of their meat product are more than offset by the ease of cultivation.

Breeds of wild ducks suitable for keeping at home

So, as you might have guessed, not every wild duck is suitable for keeping at home. Let's look at which breeds take root best in humans and have the highest quality characteristics of productivity.

Mallard Ducks

The mallard is a wild duck that lives almost everywhere in our country. It is considered one of the largest wild breeds that can potentially be tamed by humans. The maximum weight of the carcasses of these birds reaches two kilograms.

The wingspan of a mallard can sometimes be a meter. The shade of the plumage of the females of these birds is always brown, although its tones may vary. Nature thus created for them the perfect camouflage suit, thanks to which the survival rate of females increases, because they must raise their babies without fail.

The male has a multi-colored plumage:

• neck emerald-pearl;
• the body is gray with black accents;
• red beak and paws.

Chicks that are born in mallards also have a brown shade of plumage, which changes over time as the birds grow older.

Duck breed Red-headed pochard

The duck of the breed variety under consideration is somewhat smaller than the mallard. So, her body weight is approximately 1 kilogram 200 grams at the maximum value.

This breed got its name for the interesting color of plumage. So, the head of a bird is covered with red feathers, unusually lush and soft.

These birds lead a flocking lifestyle. In the cold season, they roam south, and return to our region only when they have already left the street and the river:

• snow;

The body size of males exceeds the same parameter in females only slightly, by about 150-300 grams.

Representatives of this breed also need to equip a pond, and in addition, plant it artificially with reeds or other coastal grasses, since it is the thickets that are the natural habitat of these wild birds.

Gray duck

Gray duck has appearance, similar to mallard, however, its weight parameters are much more modest. So, the maximum value of this indicator will be no more than one and a half kilograms.

The feathers of the female gray duck are brown and gray, and the wings of these birds are dotted with white spots.

Drakes, on the other hand, can boast of really gray plumage, which, however, completely falls out during breeding, being replaced by feathers of the same color as that of females.

However, in the summer, these ducks molt so actively that both sexes cannot even fly. At this time, in their natural environment, they sit in the thickets, and lead a calm lifestyle.

Unfortunately, not every breed of wild duck is suitable for growing in Russia, with its unstable climate. All three that we have listed will be able to adapt to a person.

However, as you can see, the effectiveness of each breed does vary. So, the best option for taming and raising at home is wild mallard.

It is these ducks that are the most productive in relation to the final meat product and unpretentious bird in everyday life, which is beneficial to keep at home. Despite its body weight, which in any case will be less than that of domesticated bird breeds that have undergone breeding metamorphoses, it is sometimes even more profitable to keep Mallards, since these birds are by nature:

• give a lot of eggs, about 4 times more than other ducks of wild breeds;
• get fat faster;
• have healthier and stronger offspring.

Caught mallards settle in a pre-prepared area, not too far from the place of residence of the farmer himself. However, if you want to form hunting grounds with the help of these ducks, it is best to choose a more distant one from locality zone.

As we have already said, these ducks cannot live without a reservoir, therefore, you will have to equip it with them, or organize a farm near a lake or pond. However, this is required by all the breeds we are considering, and not just mallards.

The breeding of Mallard chicks will be carried out without the use of an incubator, as these ducks have a highly developed maternal instinct. Another point: at a young age, young animals can already be launched into a common room with adult ducks, and not kept separately, since this breed is very careful with the younger generation, taking care of it with the whole flock.

What living conditions should be provided for wild ducks

In order for a wild duck, having got to your farm, to quickly get used to it and be able to continue producing offspring that will be viable, it is necessary to equip several important conditions for her living.

Pond

The pond must be equipped on the site. It can be artificial, or natural if you're lucky enough to live by a body of water, but it's a must.

Note: a simple children's bath or a small pool for children will not be enough, since in the summer ducks prefer to be in the water, for them the warm season is the swimming season. Therefore, the reservoir you have should simultaneously accommodate most of your livestock.

We also want to point out to you one feature of keeping wild ducks: in conditions natural environment birds catch small fish from the pond. Provided that you can populate the reservoir you have, it will be great, and the efficiency of poultry keeping will increase. However, otherwise, such a fish will have to be added to their diet separately.

Large drinkers

However, it must be remembered that the water balance in the body of wild ducks is restored with water not only from the outside, but also from the inside, therefore, it is also necessary to equip the territory where birds live with volumetric drinking bowls, preferably automatic ones, since the requirements for the liquid they contain are as follows:

• freshness;
• purity.

Bad, stagnant water is contraindicated for ducks, since you will not find such a thing in the river, and wild ducks do not survive in swamp conditions.

Duck house

Another prerequisite is the creation of a poultry house that will:

• insulated, but not necessarily heated;
• protected from drafts;
• equipped with high quality ventilation system.

Inside the poultry house, ducks will hide in the cold, fleeing from low temperatures.

That is why, it is necessary to equip it in such a way that the birds are comfortable by making the room:

• spacious;
• cozy;
• equipped with bird nests;
• insulated with peat bedding.

Inside the poultry house, it is necessary to define several zones, and separate them from each other not only visually, but also in reality:

• mother liquor;
• department for keeping adults;
• area for youngsters.

In the mother liquor, as a rule, they contain one duck herd containing a total of:

• 3 laying ducks;
• 1st drake.

However, if you are interested in a higher production intensity, you can add another layer to the herd.

There should also be voluminous drinking bowls inside the house, however, in this case they should already be closed so that:

• the ducks did not pollute the water too quickly;
• water did not freeze in an unheated poultry house;
• ducks did not bathe inside the drinkers if they were of sufficient size.

It is very convenient to use drip drinkers for ducks. However, if in winter you will not be able to equip the automatic replenishment of the drinking system, you can give the bird cleared snow.

In the area where the broodstock will live, it is necessary to equip separate nests for ducks, preferably fenced with walls from each other. Let's look at the instructions for making such duck houses, in which ducklings will be hatched in the future.

How to make nests for wild ducks

Step number 1 - collect the necessary materials

To make nests suitable for wild ducks, you can use improvised materials. So, we need to collect:

• plywood;
• wooden slats;
• self-tapping screws;
• jigsaw;
• ruler;
• pencil or pen.

Now that we have got hold of all the necessary devices, we will proceed to further work.

Step number 2 - cut out the details and assemble the nests

From plywood, we will need to cut out two squares with sides equal to 40 centimeters.

In one of the squares, approximately at the level of the middle, a hole is made, also square, with sides equal to 17 centimeters. It is very important to sand the hole with sandpaper so that the ducks, climbing inside, do not accidentally get hurt on chips or sharp edges.

Now we cut out two rectangular parts, the size of which will be as follows:

• 50 centimeters long;
• 40 centimeters high.

After that, it will also be necessary to cut out a ceiling part of the same size, and then install the segments in place and fix them relative to each other with self-tapping screws.

Then the floor is knocked down from pre-prepared slats, which is then covered with a bed of hay or shavings. Ready-made nests can be installed directly on the floor.

Hooray, our duck nest is ready! Similarly, you can make as many of these nests as you need to breed a new generation of ducklings.

Walk for ducks

Next to the poultry house, it is necessary to arrange a paddock for ducks, such that they can move to fresh air, leaving directly from the chicken coop, thus depriving you of the need to monitor them. It is better to make the top of the paddock closed, for example, to cover it with a steel mesh. The same material is also preferably used for walls.

Provided that you keep a large number of individuals, the paddock will not need to be equipped with a pond during the cold periods of the year, however, you can put a small pool for several ducks.

Feeding wild ducks at home

Feeding wild ducks is the key to their rapid weight gain and overall health. That is why it is necessary to introduce balanced feed substances into the diet of wild birds so that they do not feel worse than in the wild.

Ducks are fed:

• three times a day during the cold season;
• twice a day during the warm season.

At the same time, we remember that birds should receive part of their food in the reservoir that you organize for them, whether it be at least coastal vegetation, at least fish of extremely small breeds.

Two types of food can be used to feed ducks:

• ready-made combined feed;
• wet mixtures made up of plant foods on their own.

On the one hand, compound feed is not cheap, on the other hand, how much easier it will be to feed it to ducks, saving time on making vegetable mixes from:

• grated root vegetables;
• carrot tops;
• serum;
• return;
• grain crops;
• bran;
• hay flour, etc.

In addition, it is necessary to additionally introduce into the diet of ducks with natural feeding also:

• fish and meat waste, either in the form of flour or in the form of minced meat;
• cottage cheese.

Even if you have chosen compound feed, from time to time you will need to feed the ducks in any case:

• shell;
• chalk;
• table salt;
• gravel;
• baker's yeast.

These supplements are essential for duck organisms.

Which feeding method to choose is up to you. We can only say that in reality the choice of a specific nutrition system does not affect the set of duck mass, as well as the quality of duck meat. The main thing to remember is that any bird food should be in abundance, since wild ducks have a much more developed metabolism.

Summing up

Wild ducks today are increasingly found in domestic farms. The thing is that, despite the lower characteristics of the final product produced by the duck compared to the long-domesticated species of this bird, its unpretentiousness causes much lower costs for cultivation, while providing decent quantitative and qualitative characteristics:

• duck meat;
• feather and down;
• fat;
• eggs.

By taming wild ducks, you can also reduce the initial cost of buying ducks for breeding. As a result, you will only need to equip the bird with decent living conditions. If you successfully cope with the breeding of mallards, then you can move on to more demanding and whimsical fruits of breeding work.

Video - Breeding wild ducks at home

One of the most popular in the area Russian Federation bird is a duck. It is found everywhere, has a small size, a wide streamlined body. There are webs on the paws. Long and flexible neck, beak has a flattened shape. Plumage protects the body from water, and subcutaneous fat from the cold. Some birds migrate to warmer climes for the winter. There are sedentary species.

Wild duck is very common in Russia

Many poultry farmers know that breeding wild ducks at home is possible. If everything goes well and the content was competent, then from the first chicks after a certain time you will have a small herd and duck eggs. wild ducks - interesting birds that do not require complex care. Moreover, they can be used to build family business. They regularly lay eggs. It is very exciting to organize and observe the maintenance and reproduction. This process is of genuine interest to all family members, especially children. When a wild duck is fed and feels good, the owner's mood rises, he becomes more cheerful.

These wild birds are not demanding in terms of food and conditions of detention, they do not need special care. Wild duck will live without additional heating, cages, and chicks will appear without expensive incubators. They will feel great in a small brick house. For the full life of the birds, a pasture surrounded by a net is attached to the room. It will protect them from predators. The bird is adapted to frost and survives any vagaries of the weather well. Maintenance in the warm season is much easier. The summer period is referred to as one long swimming season, during which birds swim a lot and splash in the water.

Wild duck spends all summer in the water

The owner needs to control the presence of water in the duck tank in sufficient quantities. In the summer, birds should be fed competently: give green grass and small fish. The wild duck loves sand, which should always be available to her in a special tank. In order for the birds to survive a hot afternoon or heavy rain, a canopy is built for them.

It is worth remembering that the herd can be knocked down by various diseases characteristic of birds. In other cases, meat may be contaminated. If you feed the bird correctly, then the diseases of the digestive system will not be so terrible for her. It is worth observing the recommended conditions in the room for ducks. Otherwise, the bird is threatened with viral and fungal diseases.

With the onset of the first spring days and a noticeable warming, the females begin to create nests. Once settled, they lay eggs and sit on them.

It is very difficult to cope with little ducklings without a mother duck. Because she knows how to hatch eggs well and take care of babies. Curiously, the drake is also involved in caring for offspring. Its function is to protect them and control their movement. At this time, the male goes through the molting stage, and his head turns brown instead of emerald. It is already impossible to distinguish it from the female on this basis. Soon the drake becomes an exact copy of the female. He will receive his “male” appearance at the end of summer, closer to autumn.

The drake acquires bright plumage closer to autumn

Feeding

Ducks play an indispensable role in maintaining the balance in nature. Before feeding a bird, it is worth looking at its diet in natural conditions:

• small fish;
• fry;
• aquatic plants;
• mosquito larvae.

Thanks to these representatives of the fauna, the growth of the number of insects is restrained. But this list is not rigid. Ducks can also feed chicks and saturate themselves with other components, the list of which depends on the specific area:

• wild crops: buckwheat, millet or barley;
• plant tubers from meadows and lake shores.

Remember that it is impossible to feed the birds that are found in the winter on reservoirs for everyone. Otherwise, they can get diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. They should not be given black bread. In a pinch, you can use an old chunk of whitefish, small fish, or dry combined feed. Diseases in birds are caused by foods with a high content of sugar or chemical additives.

In order for ducks to lay eggs at home, they need to be properly fed. Only then they will not develop diseases associated with unusual feed. The diet should include different greens from reservoirs: sea rupee, kelp and distichlis. Keeping wild birds in a paddock can be simplified by purchasing special types of mixtures. It is better to feed those of them that are intended specifically for wild species.

Laminaria is an important component of the diet of wild ducks

The ducklings should be fed the same as the chickens. The diet consists of grass, fish, boiled eggs and vitamin supplements. Ducklings are ahead of chickens in terms of growth and in a couple of months they are already catching up with their parents. Thus, from two babies per season, you can get up to a dozen adult birds. A wild duck can fly and this fact must be taken into account in the care process. If you send them to walk on a green lawn, then they will fly. But not in the field, but in your pen with food and water.

The wild duck has a calm disposition, trustfulness and friendliness. Individuals show concern for each other. Worrying that the bird will run away from you is groundless. To feed and care for her does not need a lot of time and money. She needs very little food. The owner should monitor the condition of the paddock. It should be dry and tidy. Regular ventilation is required.

The experience of breeding wild birds in captivity shows that with minimal care, a duck lays up to three clutches of eggs. From each, an average of 14 chicks grow, which after 2 months become weighing about a kilogram.

Wild duck produces at least 3 clutches per year

Different breeds of ducks are widespread on the territory of the CIS countries. One of them is mallard. This is a wild duck, weighing up to one and a half kilograms. The drake is larger than the female. Among the well-known breeds is the gray duck. The appearance and description of the latter is very reminiscent of a mallard. In winter, this wild duck feels better than the rest, for which it was loved. Other types of ducks are also known: Gogol, Pintail, Savka and others. Some of them are listed in the Red Book. Among them are the species: Mandarinka and Lutok. These birds are very important for nature. Therefore, professional hunters do not touch these species of birds.

Differences between wild animals and domesticated breeds.

wild mallard ducks

• The meat of a wild animal is slightly bitter, a little sweetness is felt.
• In appearance, wild and domesticated breeds differ little. However, poultry has wider shapes, a different color.
• The shell of eggs in wild individuals is green, in domesticated ones it is white. Sometimes a slightly greenish tint appears on it, there is a greasy sheen.
• Cultivation of wild ducks, maintenance. Wild animals are less whimsical. Breeding does not require an incubator. Feel good in any weather.

Features of breeding, keeping a wild duck

No specific conditions needed. In food, animals are unpretentious: they do not need special food. It is possible not to equip the cages additionally, the poultry house is not required to be heated. This is due to the fact that wild animals are less whimsical.

It is not required to purchase an incubator, which will please beginners. At any time of the year, individuals live quietly in a brick building. In order for the birds to feel good, it is necessary to make a corral with a net. Animals calmly tolerate low temperatures, even in frosts wild individuals feel great.

In summer, birds are provided with a place to swim. It could be a pond or a small body of water. For ducks, summer is the bathing season. Water should also be in the drinker. This rule applies to all months. The water tank must always be full. Only clean fresh water is suitable.

Wild individuals extract small fish from reservoirs. It is recommended to add it to the diet of animals. If it's raining outside or it's getting hot, the birds hide in a shelter. It is necessary to build a canopy for this. There you can hide from the rain, the hot sun.

What types of wild individuals can be kept at home?

Mallards - ducks that can be domesticated

1. Mallard. Mallard is the largest bird in Russia. Depending on gender, months can weigh up to 2 kg. The wings are large and strong. The span reaches 1 m. Females and males have a different shade of color. The females have brownish plumage. This color helps them to camouflage and hide from danger in the forest.

The male differs in color. Its plumage on the head and neck is dark green, the bottom of the body is grayish in color. Beak, paws have a bright red tint. The offspring of this breed has a light brownish color. This type ducks require a reservoir. They love shallow shallow lakes.

red-headed pochard

1. Redhead dive. Sizes are average, weight - up to 1.2 kg. The head is painted in a bright red hue, hence the name of the breed. Birds arrive in the spring, when there is no more snow and ice. These birds live in a flock. Males and females differ little in weight and size. The first ones are 300 g larger than the second ones. Representatives of the breed love small reservoirs with thickets of grass and reeds.

In dense vegetation, birds arrange nests and raise offspring. This should be taken into account when arranging a habitat for an individual at home. The eggs are greenish in color.

gray duck

1. Gray ducks. Similar to mallard, but much smaller in weight. Females and males are similar in appearance, they have no differences. Bird weight - up to 1.5 kg. The plumage is a light brown shade, there are small white spots on the wings.

The plumage of the drake is grey. They shed heavily during the offspring, becoming the same color as the female. Birds molt a lot in the summer, so they cannot fly at these moments. They hide in thickets and bushes.

What should be remembered?

If you feed her correctly and systematically, monitor the conditions, provide good maintenance, she will be able to give 4 times more eggs, she will get fat faster.

duck eggs

Next, you need to decide on the site. When creating a farm, this is one of the important points that is not always paid attention to. The site should not be far from the place of release into hunting conditions. In this case, the place should not be closer than 1 km to the settlement.

Be sure to equip the pond on the farm. The drakes are in separate enclosures. The breeding stock is also located separately. It is recommended to locate the site away from the city. The sizes depend on the livestock that is planned.

Chicks are hatched without an incubator, in a natural way. After hatching, young animals are released into common areas. Now it can be walked with the rest of the livestock.

poultry house

Since wild ducks are waterfowl, they react negatively to temperature changes. Therefore, it is worth taking care of the building where the poultry house will be located - there should not be any cracks or holes. Walking is done next to the poultry house. There should be enough room for outdoor movement to be comfortable.

Walking wild ducks

You can limit the walking area with a mesh fence. The height of the fence is 1.5 m. If the maintenance of individuals is planned in large numbers, water is not put in the walking area. Otherwise, the site will be dirty and untidy, and the "residents" will fight.

In the poultry house, you need to choose and equip three places: for ducklings, broodstock, grown-up individuals. The broodstock includes two families of 3-4 layers and one drake. Such a flock will allow you to get enough eggs. In the poultry house there should be not only feeders, but also drinkers, otherwise the animals will look for their own water. Containers for water and feed are also installed on the paddock.

In the poultry house, it is better not to put open-type drinkers. This is inconvenient, especially in winter, because ducks can bathe in drinkers in the cold and freeze.

It is better to purchase drip system products. If this is not possible, you will have to give the birds snow in winter.

Open type drinkers must be removed. Nests should be placed at the locations of the broodstock.

How to feed?

Norms and diet for feeding ducks

In winter, individuals are fed three times a day. In the summer months, the number of meals is reduced to two. At the same time, the farm must have a good reservoir.

You can feed in two ways:

• compound feed (dry food);
• vegetable feed (wet mixes).

Vegetable feed for ducks

More money will have to be spent on dry feed. But you need to cook vegetable mixtures separately, sometimes this requires an additional person.

Vegetables can be grated and mixed with tops of carrots, potatoes, beets. Season the mixture with whey or broth.

Cooking will take time, but this method is more useful, since the birds get everything they need.

You can save on food if there is a real pond or lake nearby. Wild ducks can eat algae, plankton, and other food from the water. You can make a pond yourself if the groundwater passes close. To do this, you can simply dig a hole 3 m deep.

If breeds with a fast metabolism are bred at home, the feeders need to be replenished with fresh food constantly.

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Video: Gutting a wild duck in Evenki

Breeding birds can be a profitable business because of the valuable meat. Wild ducks take root well in captivity, not trying to leave the yard. They reproduce well, producing viable offspring.

If you feed wild individuals in the same way as domestic ones, then the taste of their meat will change and will be no different from the meat of ordinary ducks.

What breeds exist?

The most common breeds of wild ducks are mallard, gray duck and red-headed pochard:

• Mallard is the most common breed. The weight of individuals can exceed 2 kg. Mallards are practically omnivorous, easily adapting to any habitat. A feature of the breed is that drake chicks hatch with more weight than females, and 13-15 hours after the birth of the first duckling, the family leaves the nest. At this age, the chicks already know how to swim and dive, which helps to escape from predators. When breeding mallards at home, it is desirable to have a pond where the birds can not only swim, but also forage on their own.
• Gray duck - due to its discreet color, it is well camouflaged in thickets of grass or reeds. Among breeders, the breed has gained popularity due to its unpretentiousness in food. The food of the gray duck is usually food of plant origin. Females and males can reach a weight of 1 kg and 1.3 kg, respectively. In summer, individuals shed heavily, so for some time they cannot fly.
• Red-headed pochard - the weight of individuals reaches 1.2 kg in the wild, while drakes and females weigh almost the same. When kept at home and good feeding weight may increase. Divers are excellent mother hens, so this breed will never have problems with hatching chicks.

For successful breeding wild bird At home, she will need to create certain conditions. Tamed wild ducks can be used as decoys.

Subtleties of content

In winter, the birds will need a warm room with a walking area. An ordinary barn is suitable for living. If the ceiling and walls are well insulated in it, then additional heating is not required - wild ducks tolerate cold well.

In the summer, individuals do not need a poultry house. A corral fenced with a metal mesh will be enough for them. The height of the fence should be at least 1.5 m. If there is a forest nearby, then it is necessary to completely close the corral with a net so that the birds do not become prey for predatory animals. Also inside you need to put a small house where the ducks could go in case of bad weather and at night.

Unlike adults, ducklings need warmth. A suitable design can be done with your own hands:

1. put a wooden box on the racks;
2. upholstered from the inside with foam;
3. put a container of 10 liters filled with hot water in a box;
4. from above, cover the entire structure with a blanket or a pillow of a suitable size to retain heat;
5. cut a hole in the side wall through which the ducklings can get inside and bask.

The warmer box is able to retain heat for 8 hours.

The room with the chicks should be constantly lit so that they quickly get used to the new environment. As they grow older, the amount of daylight hours can be reduced. Required condition when keeping wild ducklings - the complete absence of drafts.

Feeding

The diet of chicks and adults varies significantly. As for young animals, the nuances of feeding depend on age. Very small, downy ducklings are given an egg - boiled and finely chopped. After a couple of days, you can introduce dry cottage cheese and crushed cereals. When the chick is a little feathered, he is offered coarser food - chopped grass, crushed grain.

After 10 days, the young are given boiled potatoes, chopped greens. It is good to combine potatoes with other boiled vegetables. All food must be semi-dry, as the chick does not yet know how to clean its beak on its own after wet masses. Until the age of 5 days, young animals are fed every two hours. Then the intervals between feedings are increased, by the age of one month, bringing the schedule to three meals a day. Ducklings are transferred to an adult diet only after all their down has changed to feathers.

In winter, fresh grass becomes inaccessible to birds; they cannot catch duckweed or small fish in the pond. They need to make up for the lack of protein and vitamins. The main winter food is a mixture of cereals and legumes. Grain mixtures are given both in dry and soaked form. Part of the grain should be germinated, which will replace fresh grass for the birds.

For winter feeding, oats are relevant, which contains a large amount of amino acids and about 5% fat. A versatile food is corn, especially the yellow-grain varieties, which are rich in vitamins. If wheat is used in the feed, it is recommended to choose one that is designed specifically for pets. Legumes, especially peas, are also suitable for a winter diet.

Many individuals are not able to swallow large peas whole, so they are crushed before feeding.

In summer, the emphasis is on plant and protein foods. If the farm does not have a natural reservoir where the duck can get natural protein, minced fish is added to the mash, bone flour, offal, small fish, fresh meat waste. Protein must be present in the diet daily. To improve digestion give gravel or sand.

Algae, duckweed, beet tops, chopped grass and vegetables (pumpkin, zucchini, various root crops) are offered as succulent fodder. Extremely useful for wild ducks is kelp, the roots of aquatic and coastal plants. It is impossible to overfeed a wild bird, because even when kept at home, it eats less than ordinary ducks.

Fresh and clean water should always be present in the drinker. In summer, for disinfection, you can add a little potassium permanganate to the water - until the liquid turns slightly pink.

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Water

Ideally, if the reservoir is natural - a pond, lake, shallow river. If this is not possible, it is necessary to provide the birds with an artificial reservoir. In the most extreme case, an old bathtub is buried in the ground and filled with water. The water needs to be changed periodically. Wild ducks are used to swimming from early spring to autumn.

It is no secret to anyone that breeding wild ducks is possible at home. With patience, you can get a small herd. This is due to the fact that birds are unpretentious in keeping. Caring for ducks can bring a lot of positive emotions. And in this review we will talk about how to care for them and feed them.

Features of wild ducks

Wild ducks do not need special conditions of detention. They do not need to be fed any specific food. No additional heating of the poultry house is needed, no need for special cages. In addition, you do not need to purchase an incubator. This makes raising birds easy even for beginners.

As numerous videos show, wild ducks can live both in winter and in summer in a simple brick shed. For full-fledged breeding, you will need to design a special corral, enclosing it with a net. Ducks are able to easily endure low temperatures, coping well with adverse conditions.

The summer period can be called the bathing season. Ducks at this time try to spend as much time as possible in the water, to swim.

Birds need water in the same amount both in winter and in summer. Poultry farmers will need to ensure that the drinker is constantly filled. In addition, the water must be fresh. In the summer, greens and small fish should be added to the duck's diet.

With the onset of warm weather, females begin to equip nests and incubate eggs. Little ducklings hatch into the light. Wild birds are considered magnificent mama. They are excellent at incubating eggs.

The drake also takes an active part in raising ducklings. He is next to the offspring, guarding him. You should know that on the 70th day the drake begins to molt. Therefore, it must be sent to the slaughter earlier. Otherwise, it will be difficult to pluck it.

The video will show what wild ducklings look like, which live at home.

How to properly contain

Experts in numerous videos claim that ducklings need warmth. Breeding chicks at home, it is required to equip the house with special equipment.

You can use some tricks:

1. You can construct a wooden box by placing it on racks.
2. The inner side must be sheathed with foam.
3. A container filled with hot water should be placed in the box. Volume - 10 liters. From above, the box should be covered with a blanket or pillow to provide thermal insulation.
4. A hole should be cut in the side wall through which the ducklings can get to the heating pad.

This design is able to retain heat for 8 hours. In the first 7 days of the life of young chicks, a high temperature (28-30 degrees) should be maintained on the floor. After two weeks, the level must be reduced to 22 degrees. In three - up to 16.

As numerous videos show, the easiest time to take care of baby ducklings is during the spring months. For a duck, it is enough to enclose a space in the yard. The main thing is to make sure that the chicks are protected from drafts.

Important! The room with young birds should be constantly lit. This will help the birds get used to the new conditions and environment. Subsequently, it will be possible to reduce daylight hours.

Wild ducklings are not indifferent to water. Numerous videos serve as excellent proof of this. However, experts do not recommend letting them into water bodies until they are 20 days old. If the chicks start swimming in cold water, they can catch a cold. Therefore, it is enough to put a container of water in the duckling.

Feeding wild birds

Ducklings need to be fed once every two hours until they are 5 days old. Boiled and chopped eggs mixed with millet or barley grain should be added to the diet. It is also recommended to include greens (nettle, dandelion, clover) in the diet without fail.

As numerous videos show, birds love to eat mash, which are based on fermented milk products. Fish oil can be included in such food.

An approximate diet for a duck should look like this:

1. Grain in ground form (20%).
2. Wheat bran (10%).
3. Various legumes (10%).
4. Cake (7%).
5. Half of the diet should consist of greens.
6. The rest of the diet falls on chalk, salt, shells.

As soon as the duckling is one month old, it is recommended to feed it three times a day. Experts in numerous videos recommend including potato or carrot tops, food waste in the diet. A real delicacy is duckweed and other vegetation growing in open water.

What should birds not eat?

You can not add sour feed to the diet of ducklings. This is bad for their digestion. Experts in numerous videos claim that it is not recommended to feed waterfowl with bread. The greatest danger is the black edge, which can cause fermentation processes in the gastrointestinal tract of the duckling.

Birds love to swim

Raising a wild duck at home means that it must be released into the water. It is recommended to do this after the age of the chick exceeds the three-week mark. At first, they should swim no more than 3 hours a day. As soon as four weeks old, you can allow ducklings to swim at least a day and a half.

It is necessary to teach the duckling to return home from the pond on its own. To do this, you need to feed him regularly in the evening. The young will understand that food awaits at a certain time. The task can be simplified if an adult bird swims with ducklings.

Quite often, wild ducks are bred in order to obtain meat. In this case, it is important not only to send them to the slaughter in time, but also to know how to pluck. There are many methods. However, you need to know some nuances.

You can pluck the bird in a hot way. However, there is a high probability of discoloration of the meat. Therefore, after this method, it is better to cook the bird immediately, and not store it. If you plan to keep the meat in the refrigerator for a while, you can pluck the duck using the dry method.

If you decide to use the hot method, do not rush to remove the feathers immediately. Otherwise, you may damage your skin and burn your hands. Allow the bird to cool before plucking.

Video "Breeding wild birds"

In what conditions it is possible to keep wild ducks, the video will demonstrate.

Outwardly, wild ducks look more graceful than large farm birds. This makes one think about the difficulties in breeding them. Is it so? And how to grow a healthy and strong livestock, we will tell in our material.

Features of a wild bird

Did you know?During molting, wild ducks lose their ability to fly.

The undoubted advantage of wild ducks over domestic breeds is their strong immunity, which is developed by a bird that lives in freedom. Among the shortcomings, it is worth highlighting the tougher meat and their relatively small size.

But, if the diet of these birds does not differ from the diet of domestic ones, then their meat will soon acquire other taste qualities, it will become like an ordinary duck.
These waterfowl get along well with domestic herds, successfully breed in captivity and breed healthy offspring. A distinctive feature of these birds is eggs with a green shell.

What breed to choose

Most popular breeds:

Important!It is best to catch ducks when there are a lot of grown-up youngsters who do not yet know how to fly well enough.

How to catch a wild duck live for breeding at home

There are three main ways to catch a wild duck alive. Some can only be handled by experienced hunters, and some can be handled even by a beginner.

So, you can catch a wild inhabitant of rivers and lakes alive with the help of:

• loops;
• traps;
• hands.

Video: how to catch a wild duck with a trap Only experienced hunters can handle catching with a noose: the bird is attracted with bait (the food it loves) and the hunter, sitting in ambush, tightens the noose on its paws or torso. The complexity of the method lies in the high risk of bird injury

Trapping is much easier. To catch a bird alive and unharmed, all you need is a box or a cage equipped with a special return mechanism that is triggered by the weight of the duck. When the bird sits on the roof of the trap, it will fall inside. To facilitate the process of fishing, you can use baits that are placed on the lids of the boxes.

Did you know?Duck feathers cannot be wetted with water without subjecting them to special treatment.

Catching wild birds with their hands is only possible for those who know the basic rules for the behavior of ducks. With an approaching danger, the queen diverts the predator's attention to itself, and the young of the bird tries to hide. At this time, he is most vulnerable, because the birds do not move and sit still.

Breeding wild ducks at home

Breeding wild ducks in captivity is almost the same as breeding domestic poultry.

Nutrition and feeding

Whatever the diet of wild ducks, they will never gain the mass of their domestic counterparts. The only thing that can be achieved with such a diet is the similarity in taste of wild and domestic poultry meat. In the wild, these waterfowl eat fish, river vegetation, algae, and small insects.

In captivity, you can feed ducks with hard varieties of barley and buckwheat, fresh fish, small crustaceans, bloodworms. The food should be crushed, but not very finely.
Be sure to eat birds should eat medium-sized pebbles and clean river sand. It is also important that the ducks have 24/7 access to a clean drinking water. Ducklings eat the same things that chickens eat - grass, boiled eggs, vitamin supplements.

Bird care

The owner should take care of regular cleaning in the duck house. This will help prevent the spread of various diseases.

Important! In the summer, a weak solution of potassium permanganate must be added to the water for waterfowl to protect the livestock from intestinal infections.

Since wild ducks have strong immunity, their vaccination is carried out only in farms that are disadvantaged in terms of morbidity.

Video: breeding wild ducks at home It is important that the bird has the opportunity to freely walk around the territory of the poultry house - for wild ducks, walking and the availability of natural or artificial reservoirs are required. The paddock should be equipped with a canopy that will help protect the birds from rain and sun.

These birds tolerate cold well, so the duckling does not need special heating. But it is better if the owner still takes care of protecting the herd from severe frosts and provides for the possibility of warming the room. Also, the duck house should be ventilated daily to avoid the spread of various infections.

The room must be clean and dry. The duck house itself should be spacious enough - the ideal density of heads is no more than three per square meter. In the warm season, waterfowl feel comfortable in the fresh air, where they can stay around the clock.
With the onset of cold weather, they need to organize lighting (daylight hours to preserve egg production should last at least 14 hours) and insulate the floors with a thick layer of straw bedding. In nature, wild ducks build their nests in small holes.

At home, special nests can be built for waterfowl, but it is not a fact that the bird will want to sit on it. These birds are good mothers who boast strong and fast-growing offspring. Therefore, human intervention in the care of newborn chicks is minimized.

Breeding wild inhabitants of reservoirs at home does not require special knowledge and a lot of work. With the right approach, this can become not only interesting, but also quite profitable. After all, tasty and protein-rich meat of wild ducks is highly valued in the market, and the birds themselves are always in demand in forestry.

One of the most common birds in the Russian Federation is the duck. It is found everywhere, has a small size, a wide streamlined body. There are webs on the paws. Long and flexible neck, beak has a flattened shape. Plumage protects the body from water, and subcutaneous fat from the cold. Some birds migrate to warmer climes for the winter. There are sedentary species.

Wild duck is very common in Russia

Many poultry farmers know that breeding wild ducks at home is possible. If everything goes well and the content was competent, then from the first chicks after a certain time you will have a small herd and duck eggs. Wild ducks are interesting birds that do not require complex care. In addition, on their basis, you can build a family business. They regularly lay eggs. It is very exciting to organize and observe the maintenance and reproduction. This process is of genuine interest to all family members, especially children. When a wild duck is fed and feels good, the owner's mood rises, he becomes more cheerful.

These wild birds are not demanding in terms of food and conditions of detention, they do not need special care. Wild duck will live without additional heating, cages, and chicks will appear without expensive incubators. They will feel great in a small brick house. For the full life of the birds, a pasture surrounded by a net is attached to the room. It will protect them from predators. The bird is adapted to frost and survives any vagaries of the weather well. Maintenance in the warm season is much easier. The summer period is referred to as one long swimming season, during which birds swim a lot and splash in the water.

Wild duck spends all summer in the water

The owner needs to control the presence of water in the duck tank in sufficient quantities. In the summer, birds should be fed competently: give green grass and small fish. The wild duck loves sand, which should always be available to her in a special tank. In order for the birds to survive a hot afternoon or heavy rain, a canopy is built for them.

It is worth remembering that the herd can be knocked down by various diseases characteristic of birds. In other cases, meat may be contaminated. If you feed the bird correctly, then the diseases of the digestive system will not be so terrible for her. It is worth observing the recommended conditions in the room for ducks. Otherwise, the bird is threatened with viral and fungal diseases.

With the onset of the first spring days and a noticeable warming, the females begin to create nests. Once settled, they lay eggs and sit on them.

It is very difficult to cope with little ducklings without a mother duck. Because she knows how to hatch eggs well and take care of babies. Curiously, the drake is also involved in caring for offspring. Its function is to protect them and control their movement. At this time, the male goes through the molting stage, and his head turns brown instead of emerald. It is already impossible to distinguish it from the female on this basis. Soon the drake becomes an exact copy of the female. He will receive his “male” appearance at the end of summer, closer to autumn.

The drake acquires bright plumage closer to autumn

Feeding

Ducks play an indispensable role in maintaining the balance in nature. Before feeding a bird, it is worth looking at its diet in natural conditions:

• small fish;
• fry;
• aquatic plants;
• mosquito larvae.

Thanks to these representatives of the fauna, the growth of the number of insects is restrained. But this list is not rigid. Ducks can also feed chicks and saturate themselves with other components, the list of which depends on the specific area:

• wild crops: buckwheat, millet or barley;
• plant tubers from meadows and lake shores.

Remember that it is impossible to feed the birds that are found in the winter on reservoirs for everyone. Otherwise, they can get diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. They should not be given black bread. In a pinch, you can use an old chunk of white, small fish or dry combination food. Diseases in birds are caused by foods with a high content of sugar or chemical additives.

In order for ducks to lay eggs at home, they need to be properly fed. Only then they will not develop diseases associated with unusual feed. The diet should include different greens from reservoirs: sea rupee, kelp and distichlis. Keeping wild birds in a paddock can be simplified by purchasing special types of mixtures. It is better to feed those of them that are intended specifically for wild species.

Laminaria is an important component of the diet of wild ducks

The ducklings should be fed the same as the chickens. The diet consists of grass, fish, boiled eggs and vitamin supplements. Ducklings are ahead of chickens in terms of growth and in a couple of months they are already catching up with their parents. Thus, from two babies per season, you can get up to a dozen adult birds. A wild duck can fly and this fact must be taken into account in the care process. If you send them to walk on a green lawn, then they will fly. But not in the field, but in your pen with food and water.

The wild duck has a calm disposition, trustfulness and friendliness. Individuals show concern for each other. Worrying that the bird will run away from you is groundless. To feed and care for her does not need a lot of time and money. She needs very little food. The owner should monitor the condition of the paddock. It should be dry and tidy. Regular ventilation is required.

The experience of breeding wild birds in captivity shows that with minimal care, a duck lays up to three clutches of eggs. From each, an average of 14 chicks grow, which after 2 months become weighing about a kilogram.

Wild duck produces at least 3 clutches per year

breeds

Different breeds of ducks are widespread on the territory of the CIS countries. One of them is mallard. This is a wild duck, weighing up to one and a half kilograms. The drake is larger than the female. Among the well-known breeds is the gray duck. The appearance and description of the latter is very reminiscent of a mallard. In winter, this wild duck feels better than the rest, for which it was loved. Other types of ducks are also known: Gogol, Pintail, Savka and others. Some of them are listed in the Red Book. Among them are the species: Mandarinka and Lutok. These birds are very important for nature. Therefore, professional hunters do not touch these species of birds.

Breeding wild ducks at home can be quite cost-effective and exciting. Birds can be sold alive to hunting societies, or slaughtered for meat and sold to enterprises Catering, through trade enterprises. It is especially beneficial to breed wild ducks in the presence of a natural reservoir.

bird features

Wild ducks behave calmly in captivity, they are in no hurry to fly away from the yard, where they are taken care of and well fed. And, even swimming in a natural reservoir, they still return to their native poultry yard, where they always have food. But the first two or three generations of wild ducks raised in captivity still need to have their wings trimmed at an early age, of course, if they are not planned to be released into hunting grounds.

In captivity, the bird breeds well, breeds strong offspring, gets along well with another poultry. Wild ducks do not require special conditions for keeping, and are not picky about food.

The meat of wild ducks has a peculiar taste, contains vitamins, minerals, more than 20% protein, and less than 0.5% fat, and is considered the most delicious among wild birds. But taste and chemical composition domestic wild duck meat will vary depending on the feed. If you feed a bird in the same way as domestic ducks, the taste of meat will also change, as a result, it will not differ in any way from the meat of domestic ducks.

And the appearance of wild ducks almost does not differ from a domesticated bird, if you do not take into account the fact that domestic ducks are larger, fatter, wider.

Eggs in wild ducks have a green shell, while in domestic ducks it is white or light beige.

What breed to choose?

Breeding wild ducks should begin with the choice of breed. The mallard is the best at adapting to new conditions. In captivity in good conditions with proper feeding, she quickly gains weight, willingly lays eggs, hatches ducklings, and takes good care of them.

In Russia, the mallard is the largest wild duck, the weight of females and drakes reaches 2-2.3 kg. She has long and strong wings with a span of up to 1 meter. The color of drakes and females is different - females have a variegated brown plumage, thanks to which they are well camouflaged in grass thickets. The color of males is quite interesting and bright - dark green with a sheen on the head and neck, gray or bright brown on the breast, gray-white on the body, white on the wings. Paws and beak are bright red.

Breeding mallards at home is best in the presence of a reservoir - natural or artificial. There they will swim and find useful food for themselves.

The red-headed pochard under natural conditions weighs up to 1.2 kg, the weight and size of females and drakes differ little. Can grow to large sizes on homemade food. The bird is distinguished by beautiful plumage - its head and neck are red or brown, the breast and tail are black, the body and wings are white.

Red-headed pochard in natural conditions settles near rivers and lakes - the same conditions will be required for breeding in captivity. Females lay their eggs in nests built in reeds or grass. Like any wild bird, they good hens, there are no problems with hatching ducklings.

Gray ducks - females of this breed are similar to mallards, but the plumage of drakes is not so bright and beautiful. The weight of an adult bird is within 1.5 kg. In summer, the male and females molt heavily, and do not fly during this period. In nature, during molting, they have to hide in the bushes or in the reeds.

In addition, ducks of the following breeds can be bred at home: goldeneye, pintail, duck, loot, mandarin duck. These are endangered species of wild ducks, hunting for them is prohibited in many regions of Russia, so growing and breeding them at home will contribute to their conservation and increase.

Conditions for wild birds in captivity

What conditions must be created in order to breed wild ducks at home? Since this is a waterfowl, one of the main conditions for its rearing is a reservoir. It is good if there is a lake, river or pond nearby, but if there are no natural reservoirs, it is necessary to make an artificial one. As a last resort, you can bury an old bathtub for ducks and fill it with water. Ducks will swim from early spring to late autumn. Water will have to be changed from time to time, it can be used to water flowers or other plants - duck droppings are a good fertilizer.

For winter maintenance, you will need a warm room with a walking area. If the walls and ceiling are well insulated, in winter you can do without additional heating. A good method of heating a poultry house is deep litter, in the thickness of which the litter is processed with the release of heat.

In summer, the bird does not need a house, it is enough to make a small canopy for it from the sun and rain. The enclosure must be fenced with a metal mesh, the height of the fence is not less than 1.5 meters. If there is a forest nearby, the aviary is completely covered with a net, otherwise the duck or duckling will become easy prey for birds of prey and animals.

If you intend to raise wild ducks for sale to hunting grounds, it is best to set up a farm near the place of a possible release into the wild, and as far as possible from the city.

The poultry yard is divided into three sectors - for ducklings, for a broodstock of one drake and 3-4 laying hens, for grown-up individuals.

breeding process

The mallard starts laying eggs in April and completes laying in mid-May. As for wild ducks of other species, the timing of egg laying and chick hatching can be different. At home, for laying hens, by this time you need to put baskets or boxes covered with hay. An incubator is not needed - the duck itself will hatch ducklings. Under natural conditions, drakes during this period take care of the hen, protecting her from possible enemies, the same behavior is possible at home.

A duck lays 1 egg per day, in total there are 9-13 eggs in the nest. Incubation begins after the laying of the last egg. Sometimes by this time, in the eggs laid before all, the germinal disk is already formed.

Hatching time for mallard eggs is 22-29 days. It is noteworthy that all the chicks are born at the same time, during the day with an interval of 10-15 hours. The eggs laid last develop faster than the first, and as a result, the chicks are born on the same day.

A newborn duckling weighs 25-39 grams, the brood leaves the nest 13-15 hours after the appearance of the first chick, at which point the ducklings can already move independently on land and water. They dive well, and thus find food and hide themselves from predators. In terms of growth, ducklings are ahead of chickens, they will catch up with their parents already at the age of 2-3 months.

At home, a wild duck can make 3 clutches of eggs in a season and raise up to 40 ducklings, which at the age of 2 months will weigh about 1 kg, and after another month they can be sold to hunters or sent for slaughter.

What to feed?

In summer, ducks are given plant and animal feed. If the bird does not have the opportunity to get protein food for itself in a natural reservoir, it must be added to the mash. Offal, small fish, minced fish, fish or bone meal, chopped meat waste are suitable for these purposes. Protein food of animal origin should be on the menu of wild ducks every day.

As succulent feed ducks can be given duckweed, algae, chopped grass, tops of carrots and beets, zucchini, pumpkin, carrion apples, root crops. Laminaria is especially useful for ducks. Make mash from grain, boiled potatoes, cake.

They feed ducks with buckwheat, barley, millet, tubers and rhizomes of coastal and aquatic plants. You can not give them rye bread and food containing sugar and chemical additives. Wild ducks, even at home, eat less than domestic geese and ducks.

There should always be water in the drinker, in the summer you need to add special disinfectants to it, or a little potassium permanganate - the solution should be slightly pink. The drinkers themselves must be of a closed type so that ducks cannot swim in them in winter, in the cold season such procedures will be fatal for them.

In a separate container, you need to put sand and fine gravel, just like chickens, ducks need them for better digestion of food.