The Benefits Of Keeping Ducks - Tips For Beginners

Raising and keeping ducks is becoming popular
nowadays, on par with raising chicken. Primarily
raised for their meat, more than 20 million ducks
are being raised in the United States every
year. Raising ducks for business is
relatively less troublesome too since ducks
requires non-elaborate housing
facilities. Though they lay fewer eggs
compared to chicken, their eggs are larger and
tastier, plus they contain more nutrients too.
Compared to chicken, ducks need less attention
and less space for rearing.

In choosing a business, why pick keeping ducks?
It is because they are considered one of the
most versatile of the avian species. Their
bodies are strong and can keep themselves well
in wide ranges of climatic and nutritional
conditions. These means that raising them is
inexpensive.Since they do not lay plenty of
eggs, it is advised to keep the eggs for food or
for hatching. Note that they actually can produce
more eggs but they will have to eat more
egg-laying feeds, 75 percent more compared to
chicken, so it will not be economical.

Most raisers choose keeping ducks of the Pekin
breed. The Pekin duck, also called the Long
Island Duck, is a domesticated kind of duck,
bred from the Mallard of China. They are better
egg producers than other breeds and they gain
weight quickly too. More than 90 percent of duck
meat consumed in the US is from Pekin ducks. A
4-7 month mature Pekin duck, on the average,
weighs about 9-10 pounds.

Housing for keeping ducks is also inexpensive.
It can be made from light materials such as
bamboo or wood. A space of about 3 to 4 square
feet is advisable for every duck. As much as
possible, the house should be placed in a nearby
moving body of water like a stream. A pond or
paddling pool may also work but regular water
replacement, about once every two weeks, is
advisable. Duck droppings can make the water
green in no time. They need water bodies to swim
and exercise. But only allow them to swim up to 2
hours so they don't get over fatigued.

Other than for business purposes, keeping ducks
as pets is also a good idea. They are easy to
take care of and they get rid of harmful pests
in the garden. They can live up to more than ten
years. In opposition to popular connotation,
ducks are not always quacking. They just quack
loud when they got surprised.

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Are you searching for tips on how to raise ducks?
If you would like to learn more about keeping and
raising ducks, please visit:
http://www.howtoraiseducks.com

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