Keeping wild ducks at home in winter

Keeping ducks in winter

Ducks are waterfowl with extremely strong immunity and high resistance to disease. However, when planning the winter maintenance of these birds, you need to take care of their maximum comfort (Figure 1).

The main requirements for keeping ducks in winter are:

A place for wintering: for this purpose, you can build a classic poultry house, and convert an ordinary barn or any other room for keeping livestock. The main thing is that it is warm and dry.
Internal arrangement: a sufficient number of feeders, drinkers, nests and perches must be installed in the duckling house.
Maintaining temperature conditions: the cold season poses a certain danger not only due to frost, but also due to temperature changes and high humidity. The room must be equipped in such a way that the birds do not suffer from negative environmental factors. Otherwise, the livestock may begin to get sick.
Quality bedding: Ducks thrive on deep bedding. It not only makes staying in the poultry house comfortable, but also helps maintain optimal temperature in the room, as it serves as a natural source of heat.
Artificial lighting: In order for ducks to maintain egg production and actively lay eggs, it is necessary to install additional lighting sources. It is considered optimal if the daylight hours are 9 hours.

Drawing.
Ducks are very demanding to keep in the cold season. Despite the cold, in winter ducks need to be regularly walked in the fresh air. For this purpose, it is advisable to arrange a separate area, first clear it of snow and cover it with straw or dry leaves.

These requirements apply to most duck breeds, but there are subspecies that require special housing conditions. These include musk and decoy ducks, the peculiarities of growing which we will consider below.

Musk

The Muscovy duck breed has long enjoyed well-deserved popularity among breeders. These birds have a calm character and quickly gain weight. On average, an adult reaches slaughter weight already at three months of age (Figure 2).

Note: Despite the fact that musk ducks are also waterfowl, they can easily live without a pond, so they can be raised in winter.

Despite the strength of the immune system and the unpretentiousness of the breed, musk ducks still have some features of winter maintenance:

Livestock cannot be kept in cages or lightweight houses. In order for the birds to gain weight well and feel comfortable, they need to build a major insulated poultry house for the winter.
Not only the walls, but also the floor of the barn should be warm. In addition, the flooring needs to be slightly raised above the ground surface and covered with a layer of bedding. If a concrete screed is used as a floor covering, the thickness of the underlay should be slightly greater. This is due to the fact that there is no fat layer on the feet of musk ducks and they can get very cold in the cold season.
Natural ventilation must be installed in the room, and if you plan to breed a large livestock, the supply of fresh air can be ensured using a supply and exhaust system.
The height of the room should reach two meters, and for each individual it is necessary to allocate at least 2 square meters of free space. Only in such conditions will birds develop normally and gain weight.

For normal bird keeping you will need some additional equipment. First of all, you will need feeders: one for 5-6 individuals, drinkers, at least 20 cm deep. It should be taken into account that it is advisable to install closed drinkers in the barn so that the birds do not start swimming in them. Perches are made from wooden beams or logs. To prevent the birds from freezing, they are installed at a height of 20 cm and at a distance of 40 cm from the walls. It is also necessary to install nests in which the birds can lay eggs. It is better to make them in the form of houses with straw bedding inside.

Figure 2. Muscovy ducks require warmth.

In a barn for Muscovy ducks, be sure to turn on the heaters when the ambient temperature drops below -5 degrees. In general, you should adhere to a heating regime such that the temperature inside the room, even in severe frost, is at least 12 degrees Celsius.

Separately, you should stop at walking for musk ducks. It should be borne in mind that these birds can fly quite well, so it is advisable to fence the walk with a net not only around the perimeter, but also on top. You also need to remember that this breed has very sensitive limbs, so it is necessary to limit any access to swimming, and when the temperature drops to -10 degrees, walking in the fresh air is completely stopped.

Decoys

The decoy duck is a special subspecies of poultry, as it is bred exclusively for hunting. Such a bird helps its owner to lure wild drakes, creating calling signals for the male.

Note: Despite the fact that ordinary summer residents practically do not breed decoy ducks, information about their maintenance in winter will be useful to those who like to hunt game.

In order for a decoy duck to effectively cope with its functions, its winter maintenance must meet a number of requirements:

In the cold season, you need to slightly limit the feeding regime of the individual, since an obese female is much worse at attracting drakes
Initially, females can be kept together with males, but at the onset of mating season they are separated by a net.
When the hunting season approaches, decoy ducks begin to be released briefly to swim in the pond. To prevent the female from running away, it is better to tie her with a rope. Such bathing is necessary so that the bird’s plumage acquires the water-repellent properties necessary for prolonged stay in water.

Requirements for indo-ducks

The room where heat-loving birds will sit must be well insulated, but not only from the walls and ceiling. At the construction stage, the floor must be raised above the earthen layer, insulated with slag or mineral wool. Some poultry farmers make wooden coverings and put a layer of linoleum on top. When using concrete, it is important to ensure there is a thick bedding.

Such requirements are associated with the absence of a layer of fat on the feet of indo-ducks (muscovy ducks). Due to the increased sensitivity of the limbs, the bird can get frostbite, which often leads to the death of the livestock. Because of this problem, not every farmer decides to keep poultry.

What you need to know about space heating

A heating system, which can be central or consist of heating devices, will help prevent frostbite. As soon as the thermometer passes the minus mark, you can connect a fan heater, electric lamp or electric fireplace.

Blue lamps with a power of 50 W (one lamp) are considered the most rational heating method. You can burn a medium-sized poultry house using 7 of these devices. The lamps are installed on ceiling beams and covered with mesh protective caps.

In winter, the temperature in the room should not fall below +12 degrees. It is important not to forget to ventilate the house every day so that the air does not stagnate.

Walking Muscovy Ducks in Winter

Birds are very well adapted to flight, and in order to prevent escapes, care must be taken to erect a high fence, at least 2 meters. Before the bird goes for a walk, the fenced area is cleared of snow and covered with warm bedding material. This could be sand, sawdust or straw.

It is best to arrange a walking area on the south side and do not forget to provide a good canopy that will protect the birds from precipitation. Muscovy ducks are absolutely not allowed to swim in winter, and therefore it is necessary to block access to any body of water. It is also not recommended to let birds outside if the temperature is below -10 degrees.

What to feed ducks in winter

The cold season puts forward not only certain requirements for the premises for keeping ducks, but also for their feeding. In summer, there are no problems with feeding the livestock, since the birds feed mainly on pasture while walking or while swimming (Figure 4).

Winter feeding, on the contrary, has several significant differences:

Food is given out no more than three times a day. This amount is sufficient to provide birds with nutrients and energy. The fact is that in the cold season, birds do not swim in ponds and rarely walk, so they do not have the opportunity to burn excess fat.
During the first two feedings, morning and afternoon, the livestock are given wet mash. For evening feeding, mainly grain feeds and concentrates are used. Such foods take a long time to digest, so the ducks will not feel hungry until the morning.
The basis of the winter diet should be mixed feed, grain crops and bran, as they contain the maximum amount of carbohydrates and nutrients.
To saturate the birds' bodies with vitamins, they are recommended to be given fresh vegetables and root vegetables: boiled potatoes, raw carrots, fodder beets, and a little cabbage.
It is recommended to use silage as a replacement for fresh greens. It is advisable to purchase it in excess, since it is silage, along with grain crops, that serves as the basis for the winter diet of ducks. Herbal meal can also be used as an additive. Experienced poultry farmers also recommend giving birds high-quality steamed hay, which will serve as a valuable source of vitamins.

Figure 4. The basis of the winter diet is grain feed and concentrates

Additionally, care should be taken to ensure that the birds’ bodies receive a sufficient amount of vitamins and minerals. To increase immunity, fish waste, meat and bone meal and yeast are added to the diet in small quantities. Pure salt is added to the mash, which will serve as a source of microelements, but any salty foods must be excluded from the diet.

General feeding requirements

With the onset of the cold season, the diet for ducks becomes more meager. It is recommended to use two feedings a day. In this case, dry and wet mixtures alternate. An obligatory component is bone meal and boiled potatoes.

You can compensate for the lack of green mass with grass meal, steamed oats or silage. The latter is easy to prepare yourself: mix the green mass with grated vegetables and put it in a special container, cover tightly with a lid to prevent fresh air from entering.

After 1.5 months, the fermentation process will begin. You can reduce the acidity of the product by adding chalk at the rate of 2 tablespoons per 1 kg. You need to feed silage very carefully, starting with a small amount and gradually increasing it.

In winter, ducks especially need carbohydrates; their lack can be compensated for with wholemeal flour. It is not recommended to give bread, especially rye bread, so as not to cause disturbances in the functioning of the digestive system. The diet can be diversified with animal feed, beer mash and bread yeast.

Keeping ducks outside in winter

Despite the fact that ducks are extremely resilient and hardy birds, they cannot be kept exclusively outside in winter. The fact is that there is no fatty layer on the paws of birds, and blood vessels are present in abundance. Accordingly, it is the paws that will be the most vulnerable place on the individual’s body. Thus, the livestock will spend most of their time in a warm barn, rather than free-ranging on the street (Figure 5).

Figure 5. Outdoor placement is not the best option for the cold season

At the same time, a lack of fresh air can negatively affect the health of birds: they will lay eggs worse, and meat productivity will significantly decrease. Therefore, next to the poultry house or barn, it is necessary to set up a fenced paddock, cleared of snow, where the birds can breathe fresh air. It is recommended to additionally cover the surface of the soil on such a walk with straw, which will protect the birds’ delicate paws from the cold.

Wintering areas

But now the turn has come to answer the question of exactly which places birds fly away from us for the winter. In this case, many simply say that the ducks are flying south. But there are also migratory wedges and migration routes from the south, right? So where?

One of the main points is the swampy lower reaches of the Nile. In winter you can see an incredible number of different migratory birds here, including, of course, ducks. One of the most famous and longest rivers provides these travelers with everything they need, including warmth, temporary shelter, and, of course, food such as lake and river algae and amphibians.

However, there are species of ducks that prefer slightly different places for wintering. For example, pintails can winter in the Kuban, as well as on the coasts of the Caspian and Mediterranean seas. Mallard ducks can travel to western Europe, the Balkan countries, Italy or even Africa.

It is worth noting that even two flocks of ducks living outside the city at a distance of a couple of kilometers from each other can have very different migration routes. However, they all lead to main points on the map. Among the main ones (besides the above) it should be noted:

Iran;
lower reaches of the Danube;
British Isles;
Transcaucasia;
Asia Minor;
Baltic, Black or Azov seas.

Here, on the territory of the former Union, in the last couple of decades, such a place as Lake Issyk-Kul, which is located in Kyrgyzstan, has been especially celebrated. Largely for this reason, several nature reserves were organized by nearby cities so that ducks (and other migratory birds) could safely spend the winter there.

Keeping ducks in a greenhouse in winter

If you have a greenhouse on your property that is not used in the winter, it can be adapted for keeping ducks. This way you will save on insulating the barn, and the birds themselves will fertilize the soil in the closed ground structure with their droppings.

Note: Polycarbonate greenhouses are considered ideal for ducks. They hold the temperature well, but at the same time let in a sufficient amount of sunlight and air. But, if your greenhouse is covered with glass or film, and there are no drafts or large gaps inside, such a building can also be used for raising poultry.

Keeping ducks in a greenhouse in winter has several undeniable advantages:

Transparent polycarbonate allows up to 90% of sunlight to pass through, which is essential for birds during the cold season. This allows you to go almost the entire winter without walking.
Polycarbonate retains heat well, so you will not have problems creating an optimal microclimate for your livestock.
The coating protects the birds from harmful ultraviolet radiation, which can also have negative effects on the productivity of the flock.
As a rule, permanent greenhouses are not only protected from drafts, but also additionally equipped with heating devices and ventilation.

Figure 6. Greenhouse - a suitable option for winter housing of livestock

In fact, according to the basic parameters, any greenhouse is suitable for winter housing of ducks. The only thing you have to worry about is installing additional equipment. You will have to lay a warm bedding on the floor of the greenhouse, as well as install nests, perches, feeders and drinkers. But such equipment is carried out in any room (Figure 6).

Duck flock

The duck is a migratory species of bird that does not sit still all year round. In winter, the flock cannot remain in its previous habitat, because with the arrival of cold weather, the duck’s paws freeze, and even thick plumage cannot save it.

The migratory species lives out the last autumn days on its former nests, and then begins its long journey, full of free flight and short breaks. Groups of birds adapt easily; wild birds are no strangers to changes in environment. Even young animals, not strong enough for winter, can easily endure long flights.

Where do the flocks fly? The south is a temporary refuge for birds, but it should also be as comfortable as possible. In rare cases, ducks do not fly very far, this happens when there is a sick or injured individual in a close-knit group. The flock cannot endure a full winter; it has neither suitable conditions for this nor the ability to obtain food. The flock flies with one key, at the head of which there is always a leader.

This species stays on land only at night or when males and females need to eat. The faster the flock covers the distance, the fewer losses there will be in its ranks. Wherever the ducks go, they act together and take care of each other. If they fly away, then together - as a whole group. Unity is essential to the survival of wild birds. Ducks head south for the entire winter until the onset of warm spring. Where do wild flocks stay in winter? Photos of flying ducks fascinate a person, and the coordinated interaction of birds evokes respect.

Keeping ducks in a barn in winter

If you didn’t have time to build a warm poultry house over the summer, you can keep ducks in a regular barn. Naturally, it will have to be converted to meet the needs of the livestock (Figure 7).

Note: If the barn is wooden, you will have to caulk all the cracks in it and cover the inner surface of the walls with plaster.

To make the birds feel comfortable, the barn is insulated inside and out. This is necessary so that the temperature inside does not fall below +5 degrees, but does not rise above +12. Separately, you should take care of the strength of the floor. It must be strong enough to prevent rodents from getting inside. It is advisable to raise the floor 20-25 cm above the ground surface, and as additional insulation, lay a thick layer of bedding made of hay, sawdust or peat on it. To prevent birds from freezing and getting sick, the litter is regularly changed as it becomes moist. The remaining requirements for arrangement remain standard and include the equipment of nests and perches, as well as the installation of feeders and drinkers.

Since keeping ducks in winter has its own characteristics, you should familiarize yourself with all the nuances of this process in advance. This video will help you with this.

Many breeders prefer to raise ducks: some for personal needs, others for sale, but both especially value the high nutritional value of the meat and eggs of these birds. As a rule, farmers choose musk or Peking ducks. And although these are waterfowl, the conditions for keeping ducks in the winter at home should completely exclude moisture. In general, the specifics of wintering ducks comes down to compliance with certain rules, which are especially important for novice breeders to know about.

Equipment and drinking bowls

Keeping ducks is not complete without equipment and drinkers. You need to choose a feeder so that the bird cannot climb into it, dirty it and trample the food.

For this purpose, a feeder made of boards, the thickness of which is about 2.5 centimeters, is suitable. It is best to install a bar on top; by the way, it will also become a handle. Feeders and drinkers should be made in such a size that there is enough for all the ducks.

Things are a little more complicated with drinking bowls; it is especially difficult to keep the water in them from freezing. Drinking bowls can be built from troughs made of wood. It is important to lay iron sheets under them. The easiest way to prevent water from freezing in winter is to build a drinking device that will have running water.

Thus, water at the required temperature will constantly flow into the drinker from a barrel or other small reservoir. It is important to consider an insulated drainage pit so that the water from the drinking bowl flows there without creating increased humidity in the poultry house itself.

It is best to move both drinkers and feeders from time to time. This is necessary to ensure that there is no dirt around these places. In addition, you can lay a small layer of straw nearby, about five centimeters, so the bird’s feet will be drier.

How to keep ducks in winter?

Keeping ducks in winter requires a particularly scrupulous approach to choosing and organizing a wintering site. The optimal room for keeping birds in winter is a warm, dry barn.

These birds, like chickens, love warmth and do not tolerate frost well. A decrease in temperature affects not only egg production. In addition, birds begin to consume more food.

When low temperatures are combined with high humidity, this immediately negatively affects the condition of individuals. The deterioration in their health will be noticeable by their wet and disheveled plumage. Since such feather cover practically does not retain heat, individuals freeze and subsequently begin to get sick. Therefore, breeders must take care of providing these amphibians with a dry and warm habitat.

When keeping decoy ducks in winter, the light regime is also important, since birds are extremely sensitive not only to temperature and humidity, but also to lighting nuances. Light is one of the necessary conditions for maintaining egg production. In winter, when daylight hours are reduced to 7-8 hours, many females stop laying eggs. However, owners can provide the hens with enough light by installing artificial lighting lamps.

Therefore, farmers should turn on artificial lighting in the morning and evening.

In the barn

In fact, any building is suitable for a poultry house, but it is ideal to keep ducks in a dry barn. If this is a log room, then you will need to caulk the cracks and plaster the walls. You can place ducks in a plank shed or with walls made of wattle and reeds, which must be plastered on both sides in advance. In this case, clay mixed with carved straw is used. This will help keep the barn warm.

Additional attention should be paid to the floor and bedding. The floor in the barn must be durable, because it is necessary to protect the birds from rodents. Ideally, the floor level should rise 20-25 cm above the ground. The floor surface is lined with a 10-15 cm layer of hay, peat or sawdust.

Since some bedding materials can emit gases, and these birds do not tolerate musty air well, the barn should also be equipped with good ventilation. In addition, the poultry house must be spacious, since the birds do not tolerate crowding (the room is built at the rate of 1 square meter for 2-3 ducks).

In the greenhouse

As already mentioned, any room is suitable for a poultry house if it meets certain requirements. It is quite possible to keep ducks in a greenhouse in winter if it is equipped with heating, ventilation and has a warm floor.

In addition to organizing warm bedding, perches and nests in the greenhouse, as in the barn, drinking bowls and feeders should be equipped for ducks. They should be of such a size and depth that birds are not tempted to climb into them.

To make wintering for ducks quite comfortable, it is important to provide them with clean and fairly warm water - the liquid in the drinkers should not freeze. It is optimal if breeders manage to establish a systematic supply of running water. In addition, both drinkers and feeders should be moved periodically to avoid excessive contamination of a particular area of the house.

Light mode

As was already clear from the above, ducks are also extremely whimsical about light, as well as about dryness. It is light that has a great effect on the productivity of ducks.

And all because heat helps to increase the number of red blood cells in the blood of ducks. Hemoglobin and the formation of vitamin D also increase. Much greater productivity should be expected from those ducks that are kept in a bright room than in a dark one.

Organs work actively in good lighting, especially the ovary. In winter, when daylight hours decrease to seven to eight hours, ducks stop laying eggs. But the owners have the power to make more daylight hours - to create it artificially.

To do this, you need to use additional lighting. It turns on only in the evening or in the morning and evening.

It is necessary to provide the barn with such lighting that there is approximately 5 W of electric lighting per square meter, this is based on the fact that the barn has windows.

There should be no less than one hundred square centimeters of windows per 1 square meter of floor. The bulbs are hung at a height of approximately 1.8 meters; it is best to also use reflectors.

What to feed ducks in winter?

If you follow certain rules for feeding ducks in winter, problems in this matter do not arise. The best food for amphibian birds is a combination food. Ducks often eat in winter:

The mash is quite easy to prepare yourself, but it must include the following boiled vegetables:

Greens must also be present in the diet. In summer, it is available in large quantities, but in winter, turkey ducks and any other waterfowl are fed with hay, dried herbs, silage and sprouted grains. It is equally important to feed decoy ducks with mineral complexes. But also ideal as complementary foods:

sea or table salt;
chicken shell;
purified sand;
shells;
gravel;
chalk.

In winter, ducks willingly eat corn, wheat, oats, barley, millet and bran among grain crops. During the molting period, the menu is usually supplemented with legumes, flaxseed meal and fresh cabbage.

Often in the summer two meals a day are enough, but in the winter they are fed 3-4 times. So, in the morning and at lunch, ducks are offered wet mash, and for dinner they are usually given grains and hay.

If we talk about what you can feed a duckling, it will directly depend on the age of the chick. So, in the first week, ducklings are fed boiled eggs, cottage cheese, milk, semolina and oatmeal. Moreover, at first the chicks do not eat on their own, so they have to be taught to eat. As soon as they grow a little, starter feed, crushed grains, greens and hay are introduced into their menu, and within a month they are completely transferred to the diet of adult ducks.

In addition to the agreed upon aspects of caring for ducks in winter, there are also certain nuances that also need to be paid attention to. These include:

do not allow the room temperature to drop for a long time to -5 degrees;
daily ventilation of the poultry house, even if it is equipped with ventilation;
open doors for ventilation only when ducks are walking;
try not to create unnecessary drafts in the birds’ home;
You need to do regular cleaning of the shed.

If such a situation occurs, then to calm them down, you can leave dim lighting in the house at night. One more thing: eggs are collected in the morning, since they are laid in the evening and in the morning.

However, if there are no eggs yet during the morning collection, then you should not let the birds go for a walk so that they do not lose the eggs. The ideal time to release birds into the aviary is 10 am. To everything mentioned, it should be added that ducks rarely get sick, therefore, with proper care and maintaining cleanliness in their home, no ailments will be scary for them.

Basic rules of winter care

In addition to the rules and tips already listed for keeping ducks, there are some more that will help you achieve ideal bird care:

It is necessary to ventilate the room where the ducks are located every day, even if ventilation is already installed there.
Every day you also need to clean the barn.
It is important not to create drafts in the shed.
It is impossible for the temperature in the barn to drop even slightly to minus five degrees.
The hatch should only be opened when the ducks go out for a walk; it cannot be kept open.
Duck eggs are collected in the morning because they lay eggs in the evening or in the morning. But even if there are no eggs yet, they cannot be released for walking early. The ideal time is 10 a.m., because early walking can cause ducks to lose eggs outside.
You need to walk near the ducks and enter the barn carefully, because this bird is quite shy. If you scare it, it may temporarily stop laying eggs.
To calm the ducks, you can leave a low light in the barn at night.

Ducks rarely get sick, so it’s enough just to keep them clean and take proper care, then they won’t be afraid of any diseases.

Videos on the Internet will help you set up a poultry house, build indoor ventilation, make proper feeders and lay bedding. Indo-ducks also require the same care; they are often kept even in the same barn, which is not a contradiction.

We must not forget about ducks, skip meals, and not take walking seriously. After all, everyone wants ducks to lay eggs well and gain weight. And for this you need to carefully take care - this is the only way to achieve the desired result.

About the secrets of keeping ducks in winter, watch the following video:

Ducks are fairly unpretentious birds that do not require extreme care and supervision. But some aspects still need to be taken into account. Keeping ducks at home in winter is a simple process, but it takes time and effort. Therefore, for an activity to be rewarding, there are important factors to consider.

Do ducks lay eggs in winter?

Ducks are often much easier to raise than other poultry. The main thing is not to forget about certain nuances. As a rule, ducks lay eggs well at temperatures not lower than 12 degrees. Therefore, if this temperature regime is provided, the egg production of birds in winter will not be affected. You should also always take care in advance about the selection of individuals for mating (no later than 1.5 months before the start of sexual heat).

In addition, ducks increase egg production, including with fertilized eggs, if the daylight hours are increased to 18-20 hours. If the breeder has a desire to breed young animals, then problems often do not arise - the ducks hatch eggs well and take excellent care of the ducklings. When the duck sits down to hatch eggs, then after a couple of days you can add a few more to her nest.

Habitat change

The natural habitat of ducks consists of three elements:

Nesting range
Wintering area
Migration zone

In the migration zone, mallards sometimes fly non-stop or descend for a short rest. In Europe, in a temperate climate zone, the habitat of ducks has undergone a change.

In winter, the duck goes to countries where the climate is milder and more comfortable for it.

Between the north (the nesting area) and the more southern wintering areas there is a zone with a dual purpose: for migratory ducks it is a transit zone.

But there are permanently living ducks in it that have become sedentary. This is possible in places where water bodies do not freeze in winter. Therefore, in some Russian cities: Moscow, St. Petersburg, wintering ducks has become part of the urban landscape; river banks are always populated by birds.

Features of a wild bird

Keeping these birds in captivity involves creating conditions for them that are ideally close to their natural habitat. It is important not to forget that these birds will constantly strive for freedom, so they need special supervision. It is imperative to trim waterfowl's wings at an early age.

The undoubted advantage of wild ducks over domestic breeds is their strong immunity, which is developed by birds living in freedom. Among the disadvantages, 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 birds, then their meat will soon acquire different taste qualities and will become similar to ordinary duck meat.

Where is he returning to?

Mallards are not tied to specific nesting sites like other birds. Therefore, when returning from wintering, they are often “distracted” from the traditional course of following to the bodies of water they like, and sometimes they join other flocks. Mallards are very smart birds in this regard - during the construction and filling of a new reservoir, they are the first to “move in” and settle in new lands. This explains why mallards are becoming the most common inhabitants of ponds in the city.

Which breed to choose

To breed this category of birds, it is best to choose one breed. Since representatives of different species of wild ducks require individual care.

The most popular breeds:

common mallard. One of the favorite breeds for keeping in poultry houses. Due to its large size (the weight of an adult can reach 2 kilograms) and unpretentiousness, the mallard has become a favorite of farmers.

In order for the mallard to feel comfortable, it needs to be provided with constant access to a body of water. Even in winter, these birds enjoy water treatments;
Red-headed Pochard. This breed is small in size; the weight of the drakes and the female differs little and is about 1.2 kg.

First duck count

Back in 1981, the first census (otherwise known as a “count”) of waterfowl remaining for the winter in the city was carried out. The initiator of the study and calculation of the characteristics of these birds was the Russian Bird Conservation Union and specifically zoologist Konstantin Nikolaevich Dobrosklonov. Today this census is carried out on the basis of the Faculty of Biology of Moscow State University. Lomonosov.

This year the count was carried out for the 25th time and took place on January 18. The census showed that 25 thousand individuals of various species of waterfowl remained to spend the winter in Moscow alone. Of these, of course, the majority were mallards (scientific name: Anas platyrhynchos). There were more than 23 thousand of them. In addition, new species of birds appeared among the “winterers,” and general data for the years recorded showed that their number was constantly growing.

Of course, it was difficult to examine all the routes in one day, even just in Moscow (and this must be done at once for the purity of the research), therefore, all wildlife lovers, volunteers, students and schoolchildren are invited to the routes laid out specifically for this survey. The total number of all places where ducks winter in the city is 27 Moscow routes, and their length is about 300 km. But this is in the capital, and in other cities - from St. Petersburg to Novosibirsk - such events began to be held only in recent years.

How to catch a wild duck alive for breeding at home

There are three main ways to catch a wild duck alive. Some can only be done by experienced hunters, while others can be tackled even by a novice.

So, you can catch a wild inhabitant of rivers and lakes alive using:

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 legs or body. The complexity of the method lies in the high risk of bird injury

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

Catching wild birds with your hands is only possible for those who know the basic rules of duck behavior. When danger approaches, the queen diverts the predator's attention to herself, and the young birds try to hide. At this time it is most vulnerable, since the birds do not move and sit still.

Migration control

Of course, it is impossible to follow the migration of ducks with your own eyes. Even telescopes and telescopes are unable to do this task for two reasons. The first is the flight range. Many ducks cross entire continents on their way, and these are impressive distances. And secondly, as a rule, they fly at a fairly high altitude and it is not always possible to notice them and, moreover, to see them normally from the ground.

However, there are many inventive minds among us humans. Even before the advent of ultra-modern instruments, a relatively simple and effective way was found to determine how and where ducks fly during winter migration. This is ringing.

The procedure is quite simple. A special ring is made with the date and place of capture. A duck is caught (using snares, nets and something similar that cannot hurt it) and this ring is attached to its foot, after which the bird is released. Then recapture is carried out. It can be held on the shore of another lake, river, or even in a city, but with a certain frequency.

Having discovered a ringed bird, ornithologists can determine where it was some time ago and, comparing it with their coordinates, create its approximate route. Usually, to consolidate the information, a photo of the caught duck is taken.

Of course, this technique is quite cumbersome, does not have ideal accuracy and requires considerable expenditure in terms of human effort, so today it is resorted to somewhat less frequently. Increasingly, technology is coming to the aid of ornithologist scientists in their difficult work. One of the options also requires catching a duck, but only now a special beacon is attached to it, by tracking which you can find out the exact route of the bird. The cost of human effort here is much lower, and the effectiveness of the method is an order of magnitude higher.

Breeding wild ducks at home

Breeding wild ducks in captivity is almost no different from 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 bird meat. In the wild, these waterfowl eat fish, river vegetation, algae and small insects.

In captivity, ducks can be fed with hard varieties of barley and buckwheat, fresh fish, small crustaceans, and bloodworms. The feed should be crushed, but not very finely.

Birds must eat small pebbles and clean river sand. It is also important that ducks have 24/7 access to clean drinking water. Ducklings eat the same things as chickens - grass, boiled eggs, vitamin supplements.

Bird care

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

Since wild ducks have strong immunity, their vaccination is carried out only in farms that are unfavorable 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 run should be equipped with a canopy that will help protect the birds from rain and sun.

Conditions of detention

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 insulating the premises. Also, the duckling house should be ventilated daily to avoid the spread of various infections.

The room should be clean and dry. The duckling house itself should be quite spacious - 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 must 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, you can build special nests for waterfowl, but it is not a fact that the bird will want to sit on it. These birds are good mothers who can boast of strong and fast-growing offspring. Therefore, human intervention in caring for 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 an interesting, but also quite profitable activity. After all, the tasty and protein-rich meat of wild ducks is highly valued on the market, and the birds themselves are always in demand in forestry.

Reasons for flying

Ducks living in their natural environment leave their homes every fall and fly to warmer climes for the winter. The tendency to migrate is genetically inherent in these birds. There are two main reasons for the annual relocation of birds:

The main reason for the autumn migration of wild ducks and geese is seasonal changes in weather conditions. The cold weather is coming in Russia, and the birds are migrating to a new place of residence, where the climate is milder and warmer. A common migration direction for geese and ducks is European countries located in the southern part of the continent. In winter, the ponds there do not freeze, and the ducks can easily wait out the cold.
The second reason is also related to the change of seasons. During the cold season it is difficult to get food. Therefore, wild ducks prefer to stay in warm regions in winter, where there is no shortage of food and water.

Birds accurately determine the time when they need to prepare for relocation. Biological rhythms help birds with this. The instinct inherent in ducks living in the wild also plays an important role.

Wintering birds

Everyone knows the painting “The Rooks Have Arrived” by the 19th century Russian artist Alexei Savrasov. This picture was painted by Savrasov under the impression of the coming spring, the messengers of which were traditionally the feathered inhabitants returning from the south. The birds that flew home - rooks, goldfinches, finches and, of course, the same representatives of the Duck family - with their arrival informed people about the imminent warmth, about spring, which is already on the threshold. Even if there was still snow all around, the frost stung the noses of the playing children, decorated the glass windows with intricate patterns, and the birds flying in from the south proclaimed the end of winter with their chirping.