Breeding indo-ducks as a business: maintenance, care, profitable or not

Advantages and disadvantages of business

Among the positive aspects of breeding ducks for sale are the following:

• the ability of ducks to reproduce quickly, which allows for a rapid increase in the number of livestock in the future;
• the bird does not require care (this greatly simplifies the breeding process for beginning entrepreneurs);
• unpretentiousness in food, which significantly reduces the amount of investment on feed;
• the opportunity to organize waste-free production: when breeding ducks, not only poultry meat is sold, but also eggs, as well as feathers and down;
• no need to purchase expensive equipment.

This business also has its disadvantages, which include:

• the need to prepare a lot of documents to ensure the quality of meat and eggs;
• the need for a large plot of land for walking the birds and the presence of a pond nearby so that they can swim: in no case should you keep the bird only indoors;
• regular livestock monitoring.

Duck breeds for breeding

Briefly about the main thing

Indo-duck breeding as a business has several directions. This also applies to other duck breeds. The goal of poultry farmers is to produce meat and eggs.

Duck breeds are divided into meat, egg and meat and egg breeds. Depending on the expected result, preference is given to ducks that quickly gain weight or lay productive eggs.

Meat breeds

Peking ducks gain up to 5 kilos in a few months, for which they are considered one of the best meat breeds. Details in the article “About Peking ducks”.

“Mulards” are ducks that gain record body weight in a short period of time. The weight of drakes reaches 5 kilos in three months. In addition, the liver of these ducks is the basis for the exquisite French delicacy foie gras. You will find more information in the article “On raising mulard ducks.”

Muscovy (indo-ducks) are a representative of meat breeds weighing up to 3-5 kg. The meat has a specific taste and smell. These birds rarely get sick and do without a pond.

The White Moscow is a hybrid meat breed obtained by crossing the Peking and Khaki Campbell. Gains weight up to 3.5 kilos.

Rouen duck. Its meat has a pleasant aroma and delicate taste. This meat breed gains weight up to 5 kilos. These birds are described in the article “Description of the Rouen duck breed.”

Ukrainian duck belongs to the egg-meat variety. Before slaughter they gain up to 3.5 kilos. The number of eggs per year from one duck is 120-240 pieces.

The black white-breasted weighs from 2.5 to 4 kilos. Egg production per year is 140 eggs weighing 80 grams.

Agidel gains up to 3 kg, the egg production rate is record: 250 pcs. per year weighing 90 grams. A separate article “About the Agidel duck: description of the breed” was written about it.

The Indian Runner is an egg-laying breed with a productivity of 200-250 eggs per year. Details in the article “Indian Runner Ducks: Description of the Breed.”

Cherry Valley – egg and meat duck. By the time of slaughter it gains up to 3 kilos. Egg production - 150 eggs per year. The characteristics of the bird are discussed in the article “Description of the Cherry Valley duck breed.”

Cayuga is a meat and egg variety. Weight up to 3 kilos, egg production up to 150 eggs per year. The peculiarity of this breed of ducks is that its eggs are black. Interesting facts about the bird are indicated in “Description of the Cayuga Duck.”

Once you have decided on the breeds, find a supplier with a good reputation. Make your purchase during the fall months. As a rule, such sellers work with personal subsidiary plots (LPH), or sell goods from their own farms. Focus on the cost of 90-100 rubles. for one week old duckling. The optimal age for purchase is two to three weeks from the date of birth. But such ducklings will cost you one and a half times more.

Choosing a breed for breeding is where the duck business begins. Before purchasing the first individuals, you need to decide on the purpose of doing business. If an entrepreneur plans to sell only eggs, they choose egg-bearing breeds; only meat breeds are suitable for meat production.

There are several popular breeds that will bring guaranteed profits to the entrepreneur:

• Peking duck breeding. This is one of the most famous meat breeds. Characterized by rapid weight gain and strong immunity. In addition, the bird lays eggs well and can produce up to 100 eggs per year;
• Muscovy duck breeding. An inexpensive, calm bird, lays about 70 eggs and reaches a weight of 2.5 kg at three months of age;
• Breeding mulard ducks. The breed was obtained by crossing Peking and Muscovy ducks. The bird eats grass, so it gains weight slowly.

In order for the duck farm to operate smoothly, the owner must form a breeding herd. Before slaughtering the first batch of young animals, it is necessary to select strong and healthy individuals suitable for reproduction. One drake can fertilize about 5 females. Such a “family” produces up to 75 ducklings per year. To maintain a herd of 300 animals, it is enough to leave 20 females and 4 males.

Ducklings can be hatched in two ways: by hatching and incubating eggs. The first method has a significant drawback - the female does not always show maternal instinct. In the second case, the birth rate of chicks is 90%.

A thorough analysis of the characteristics of different duck breeds will help you choose the optimal type of bird for breeding. The success of the mini-farm largely depends on this.

Ducks are divided into meat-bearing and egg-laying ducks. The first species is characterized by rapid weight gain, and egg-laying birds produce a lot of eggs, which makes it possible to increase the number of birds relatively quickly.

Beijing

This species is classified as meat. Peking drakes are capable of gaining weight up to 4-4.5 kg, which is a very good indicator. Females are half a kilogram lighter.

Ducks of this breed are distinguished by their endurance, omnivorousness, and unpretentiousness in maintenance. They can be crossed with other breeds.

One Peking duck can produce from 80 to 120 eggs per year.

A calm, unpretentious bird, capable of producing about 100-110 eggs per year. In 60 days, the duck gains weight of about 3 kg. Drakes weigh about 6 kg.

Indian runners

This breed is egg-laying and is an excellent option for breeding livestock. Over the course of a year, it produces about 200 eggs, but gains very little weight – around 2 kg.

Indian runners are well suited for crossbreeding with beef breeds.

Mulard

An artificially bred species, the result of crossing the Peking and musk breeds.

It has extremely slow growth, by 3 months it gains up to 4 kg of weight, and in six months it reaches a weight of 6 kg. It feeds mainly on grass.

One of the disadvantages of this breed is the inability to have offspring.

Black white breasted

Externally, ducks of this breed are similar to musk ducks, but have less weight. It is approximately 2.5 kg by 3 months.

The breed is egg-laying; one duck produces about 130 eggs per year.

Profitability

The cost of keeping one bird is very low. Although the level of investment is influenced by many factors. So, it depends on the breeding method, the availability of skills to build a barn, create an incubator, feeders, etc. The choice of food also affects the money spent. But thanks to the rapid weight gain, high egg production and good survival rate of ducklings, the business turns out to be profitable in any case.

During this period, the acquired chicks will grow into adults weighing 2.5 kg. Having sold them even at a wholesale price of 600 rubles, the income will be no less than 300,000. That is, the net profit for 2 summer months will reach 130 thousand. If you take up business more seriously and purchase only breeding specimens, equip them with premises and an incubator yourself, then every 3-4 months you can receive a steadily growing profit.

Video: the intricacies of breeding Muscovy ducks.

Investments, profitability and payback

Any start of your own business requires a competent approach and careful study of a particular industry. Breeding ducks for sale is no exception. Before you take action, you will need to draw up a detailed business plan. It will not only speed up the creation and development of a business, but will also allow you to avoid most of the mistakes that novice entrepreneurs often make.

To become better acquainted with such a business and learn all the intricacies of running it, it is recommended to start with a small number of ducks.

To open a small farm (100 individuals) for breeding ducks, you will need the following investments:

• to equip a poultry house you will need approximately 40,000-50,000 rubles (building a building from scratch will cost 300,000-350,000 rubles);
• purchasing the necessary equipment and inventory (incubators for hatching chicks, feeders, drinking bowls) will cost approximately 50,000-60,000 rubles;
• purchasing a livestock of ducklings will cost 9,000-11,000 rubles (the average cost of one duck is 100 rubles);
• purchase of feed – 10,000-20,000 rubles;
• unplanned expenses - 20,000-30,000 rubles.

According to calculations, opening a small poultry farm for breeding ducks will cost approximately 120,000-170,000 rubles, but only if you have your own premises for arranging a poultry house. The payback period for such a facility will be approximately a year.

For higher profits, you should actively work on expanding the farm so that over time the number of ducks is at least 1000. Then the income will be solid.

As an example, let's take the case when an entrepreneur opens a duck farm for 100 ducks. This activity will entail costs for:

• building an enclosure from scratch: will cost up to 350 thousand rubles;
• arrangement of already built: up to 50 thousand rubles;
• purchase of equipment: up to 120 thousand rubles;
• purchase of ducklings: up to 11 thousand rubles;
• purchase of feed: up to 12 thousand rubles;
• unplanned expenses: up to 30 thousand rubles.

Read more: How to feed cherries after flowering in June so that the ovary does not fall off.
To sum it up, the costs, taking into account the unfurnished poultry house, will be about 220 thousand rubles.

The period during which your business will pay off in case of rapid success varies from 7-8 months to one year.

Room for young animals

To raise ducks, you need to arrange a room. You can use any existing building or build a new one. If the poultry house is built, the height of its walls should be: front 1.8 m, back wall 1 m. The process of raising this type of bird takes place in several stages.

The first stage occurs at the beginning of winter, the last period occurs at the end of winter. During this period of time, it is necessary to maintain a constant temperature in the room. For this you can use any heating elements. If the room is small, then energy consumption will be less. Ventilation should also be in the room. In order not to ventilate it by opening doors and windows and not creating drafts, it is necessary to organize ventilation, possibly warm air. This will definitely be a source of additional costs, but not for a long period of time.

During the warm season, ducks are kept in enclosures for more time. The required area is covered with litter, and in the summer it can be practically not used. In winter, one duck will need up to 6 kg of bedding material. The area of ​​the premises required for raising and breeding ducks for meat can be accurately calculated. 1 m2 can accommodate 3 adult ducks. Therefore, on 30 m2 you can grow from 80 to 90 heads. After this, you can calculate any number of ducks that are planned.

In order to accurately calculate a business plan for duck breeding, it is important to take into account the place where the birds will walk. If you plan to raise 150 heads of ducks, then they will need 75 m2, approximately two ducks per 1 m2. It is better not to make a place for swimming on the site, as the birds will turn it into a huge dirty puddle.

Legal registration

If an entrepreneur is limited in funds, the business can be registered as a peasant farm. This organizational and legal form of the enterprise allows you to save on taxes and simplifies document flow. In other cases, it is recommended to register as an individual entrepreneur.

Having chosen a form of ownership, the farmer will need to obtain permission from regulatory authorities:

• Sanitary and Epidemiological Service;
• Rospotrebnadzor;
• Veterinary service.

Each batch of goods must receive a quality certificate. Without this document, it is prohibited to sell food products.

To breed ducks at home, you must register your own enterprise. According to the law, in our country this is carried out in one of three forms.

An LLC is suitable for large farms managed by several businessmen at once.

Individual entrepreneur is an option for business entrepreneurs on a small scale with the involvement of hired labor. In this case, registration at a veterinary clinic is required. A certificate is required, which indicates compliance with GOST standards:

• classification: meat of ducks or ducklings;
• categories: ducklings of the younger, middle or older group, adults, laying hens, breeding hens;
• characteristics of the bird: fatness (grade 1 or 2), smell, color, skin condition;
• growing system: indoors, in a fenced area and in the fresh air, free range;
• feeding system: traditional (described in the article “What do ducks feed at home in summer and winter”), without GMOs, on dry ready-made feed;
• type of slaughter: traditional (with stunning), kosher (with ritual processes);
• cooling method: water, air, air-spray;
• antimicrobial treatment: without, specific method;
• requirements for raw materials: whether the processing took place in compliance with sanitary standards;
• quality level: 1 or 2;
• labeling: must be clear, not affect the quality of the product, indicate the age of the bird, breed, variety, storage method, information about the seller;
• control methods: sampling, samples to determine toxic elements, mass fractions of fat and protein, microbiological control;
• transportation: transported by all types of transport, following the rules of perishable products;
• Shelf life: established by the manufacturer;
• conformity assessment: additional inspection at the buyer's request.

Private household plots are allowed to be opened by entrepreneurs who are members of the same family. Such an enterprise is allowed to sell only surpluses, which are recorded in Form No. 2. Failure to comply with legal requirements may result in a large fine.

Business setup

1. The poultry house must be equipped with nests and clean bedding. The Indian duck needs access to water, so care should be taken to ensure a constant supply of clean liquid. To do this, they organize different types of drinking bowls, often homemade.
2. Ventilation and thermal conditions are required. There should be no drafts. Experienced poultry farmers recommend installing ventilation with warm air. In warm weather, ducks are free to range, which reduces the amount of work in the poultry house.
3. Pay special attention to nests if you intend to independently raise young animals. The Muscovy duck is a caring hen who is sensitive to her eggs and may not budge until the chicks hatch. You can organize an incubator (additional investment). This approach to poultry farming will provide greater profits than buying chicks from other farmers. Nests are also needed for laying eggs that will be sold to buyers. The number of eggs can reach 50-60 eggs per year from one female.
4. Feeders should be located in a convenient place for both the birds and the owner. The food must be fresh, so feeders need to be disinfected to prevent diseases in pets. At the same time, the wards should not throw food around so that there is no dampness in the room and the bedding does not have to be changed frequently.
5. The area of ​​the outdoor enclosure for Indian ducks depends on their number. The area should be fenced to prevent other animals from getting to the ducks.

Additionally, you need a place to store feed and a workshop for slaughtering poultry.

In order for a farm for breeding and raising indo-ducks at home to generate income, the poultry farmer needs to solve several issues. The first is to become familiar with the peculiarities of their maintenance and breeding, as discussed above. Now it’s time to solve two more: reducing costs and increasing the profits of the future business.

Reduce costs

So, how can a poultry farmer reduce the cost of setting up and maintaining his farm? The answer lies in two simple things: knowledge and skills. The more a person knows and can do on his own, the less his expenses will be. Several examples confirm this point.

You can start with a poultry house. You can turn to construction companies or handy neighbors. In this case, you will have to pay not only for materials, but also make a considerable premium for the work. Often this amount approaches or even exceeds that spent on consumables. If the poultry farmer masters this craft on his own, expenses at this point will be reduced by at least half.

Now regarding drinking bowls and feeders. The same story. You can buy ready-made ones, but they will cost twice or three times more than the materials used. If you assemble them yourself, turning to training photos and videos in the first couple of steps, then you can avoid unnecessary expenses.

Finally, there is a fairly simple way to save on treating ducks. To do this, you just need to keep them healthy. Which, in turn, requires three things: proper feeding and watering, regular cleaning of the cages and periodic inspections of the birds for abnormalities. In the latter case, it would be a good idea to consult a veterinarian, but most of the main symptoms can be noticed at an early stage, even on your own.

Increased profits

Now let's talk about how to increase the level of income from your farm. The first recommendation seems obvious, but in modern realities it is not applied by everyone and not always: first you need to protect yourself from the legislative side by filling out all the necessary papers. Surprisingly, not everyone fulfills this point, and then rushes around, paying fines and solving problems at the last moment, instead of calmly working on the farm.

The second is careful selection and care of the tribe. It is the breeding animals that are literally the future of the farm, so special attention must be paid to their maintenance. If you do not skimp here on the arrangement of the premises and a high-quality diet, then the birds will “repay” with healthy, strong and numerous young animals. By the way, incubators are often used on an industrial scale to breed the latter.

And finally, the third thing is hiring qualified and diligent workers. In a fairly large farm, it is impossible to cope alone. Help with raising birds will be required, otherwise difficulties will begin to grow like a snowball. Even ordinary cleaning of cages can take a lot of effort and time, dulling the attention of an exhausted poultry farmer, and in this case it is easy to miss the emergence of a real problem on the farm, such as an infectious disease.

To create a duck breeding business you will need the following equipment:

• freezer for storing main products: eggs and meat;
• incubators: standard capacity - 60 eggs, average cost - about 5-6 thousand rubles per unit;
• a special machine for plucking ducks: the device will help save as much time as possible in this process, the cost of such a machine is about 6,000 rubles;
• feeders and drinkers.

You can reduce the amount of investment by making your own feeders.

The room for keeping poultry must be well insulated, since ducks do not tolerate sudden changes in temperature. It will be necessary to build ventilation to supply warm air during frosts. To keep the livestock warmer in winter, half of the poultry house can be covered with grass.

Read more: Sheep farming as business advice for a beginning farmer

The floor should be 25-30 cm higher than the ground level: this will prevent rodents from entering the duck breeding area.

In winter, it is necessary to provide birds with artificial light in the morning and evening, due to the short length of the day. The room must also be ventilated periodically.

As for the enclosure for walking, there is a certain rule, which stipulates that there should be a space of 1 square meter for two individuals. m. That is, for a livestock of 200 individuals you will need an enclosure of at least 100 square meters. m. The walking area must be surrounded by a fence.

Increased profits

Duck breeding as a business

For breeding, birds are kept in families - 1 male and 4 females. They hatch 30 ducklings per year. If you calculate the profitability of such a farm, you will get the following figures. The main expenses will consist of the purchase of compound feed; for a year it will require 100 kg per individual, that is, 500 kg or 2,500 rubles per family. If the cost of a duckling is 100 rubles, the profit will be 500 rubles. Even if you keep 10 families, you still get a ridiculous figure of 5000.

So why are there those who are engaged in breeding breeding Indian ducks? The secret lies in their egg production , one female produces from 150 to 200 eggs annually; how many eggs an Indian duck lays depends on the breed. On average, it turns out to be about 180 pieces, each of which costs 5 rubles. That is, one family provides not only 30 babies, but also 720 dietary eggs, which in total gives an income of 3,600 rubles. Total 4,000 per family. If we add to this the breeding of poultry for meat, then the annual income from a livestock of 50 breeding and 50 meat will be about 150,000.

Whether it is a lot or a little, everyone decides for themselves. But since this livestock does not require enormous time expenditure, many villagers use it as an additional source of income.

If you set up a mini-production for smoking meat, your profit will increase by 30-50%, since smoked duck breast is sold for 500 rubles per kilogram.

We build a farm ourselves

The construction of a duck farm is carried out in rural areas or outside the city. Such territories are the best option for locating a modest or large-scale enterprise.

To build a poultry house, it is not necessary to purchase new boards. Used material, as well as second- or third-rate raw materials, are quite suitable for this. Polystyrene foam and mineral wool are used as insulation. The floor is lined with hay or other dry grass. The thickness of the litter is at least 15 cm.

The aviary is divided into three compartments: a place where the young animals are kept, a compartment for the breeding flock and a compartment for the rest of the birds.

All breeds of ducks require walking. If the birds sit still and get fat, their market value will drop. The area of ​​the territory for walking is calculated in the proportion of one individual per 10 square meters.

The enclosure is equipped with a ventilation and heating system. All breeds except the Muscovy duck require a pond. They dig it up with their own hands. The depth of the pool is 100 cm. One of the banks is made flat to make it easier for birds to enter and exit the water. You will find the rest of the information in the article “Building a pond for ducks on a summer cottage with your own hands.”

Purchasing methods

You can purchase indo-ducks from specialized farms, poultry farms, and private farmsteads. Sales information is easy to find online. For natural breeding, for 4-6 females - one drake. Muscovy ducks must be 20 weeks old to reproduce. Adult birds are best purchased for home rearing. Beautiful brood hens will hatch chicks and you will be able to increase your livestock. If you are going to breed and fatten for meat, then purchase an incubator and hatch the required number of individuals.

Option 1. For the female to hatch eggs, give her a quiet place in the corner of the house, using a basket, cardboard box or plywood box covered with soft natural fabric, burlap or hay as a nest. There should be a container of water nearby. Indian ducks leave the nest extremely reluctantly; it is important to provide them with food and water. And the opportunity to swim will provide ventilation to the nest, supplying the eggs with oxygen and preventing overheating. On day 30-35, offspring are hatched.

Indo-duck can hatch ducklings on her own

Option 2. Fertilized eggs are purchased from a specialized farm and placed in an incubator. It is easy to make it yourself, since industrial analogues are bulky and expensive. The manufacturing method is simple: take a box 10-20 cm larger than the egg tray, and line the inside with a double layer of insulation. 5-6 holes are made at the bottom for ventilation, heating elements are installed at the top or on the sides, most often 4 light bulbs of 25 W per tray of 50 eggs. A hole is cut at the top and the thermostat is fixed. The incubator is checked for temperature conditions within 1-2 days, after which fresh fertilized eggs 5-6 days old are laid, and incubation is carried out.

Detailed information on creating an incubator and its operating modes can be found in specialized sources and on the Internet.

Option 3. At a poultry farm, you buy the required number of baby ducklings one or two days old and nurse them to the desired age and weight. Caring for them is labor-intensive, but the payback is encouraging. The chicks are fed by sprinkling boiled yolk on top of them, gradually (on days 2-3) introducing boiled vegetables and cereals into the food. You should not overuse boiled food, it turns sour and causes an unhealthy state for the birds. On day 5, give finely chopped greens and bran, mix in mineral supplements. At 10 – feed as adult ducks.

Ducklings grow up quickly and switch to adult food

Feeding the bird

As for feeding ducks, their food is quite simple. In summer, birds eat a lot of grass, which significantly reduces feed costs. However, vegetation alone is not enough for full growth, so it is necessary to feed the ducks with wheat and mixed feed throughout the day. The latter is best given in the form of wet mash (compound feed mixed with grated beets, boiled potatoes or other additive).

You can also reduce your feed costs by thinking about the location of your farm from the start. If there is a pond nearby, the birds will find an additional source of food: they eat plankton and algae.

In summer, ducks need to be fed 2 times a day, in winter - 3. In order for a bird to gain weight of one kilogram, it needs to eat 3.5 kg of feed.

Birds should always have food in their feeder so that they can refresh themselves at any time.

Breeding breeding birds

It is wise to purchase young animals only at the beginning of a business; each time it is not profitable to buy new chicks for raising. To keep production going, males and females are needed to breed new offspring. Selection from young animals involves choosing the strongest sexually mature individuals with smooth and bright plumage.

A separate outbuilding is allocated for breeding birds. Particular attention should be paid to nests - the number is equal to the number of females. The nests are made in the form of boxes made of wooden boards with a covered bottom and are located on the farthest side of the section.

There are two breeding methods:

• hatching (natural way);
• incubation (artificial method).

To raise offspring using the natural method, you need a separate nook, equipped according to all the rules:

1. Nests for hatching chicks must be lined with sawdust or hay. Periodically, the contaminated layer must be removed and dry material added on top.
2. Maintaining the correct temperature regime will ensure a good percentage of chicks hatching and their further survival.
3. An increased 20-hour daylight hours increases the productivity of breeding ducks; as the ducklings grow, it is gradually reduced to the standard 14–16 hours.
4. The room needed in terms of overall dimensions is the same as for young animals, only smaller in area. For adult individuals, the space is calculated as follows: one square. m. for one duck.

The survival rate of chicks during natural incubation is 90-95%. The period from the beginning of incubation to hatching is 30-35 days. Accordingly, the average duck is capable of hatching 2 offspring. A breeding female can incubate up to 15 eggs at a time.

With the artificial method, the survival rate is much lower - only 60-70%. Incubators are convenient with large capacity and built-in heat regulator and timer. Intervention on the part of the owner is still required - the eggs must be turned at least 4 times a day.

Necessary equipment

Drinkers and feeders. They are bought in specialized stores or built independently. How exactly is described in the articles “How to make a duck feeder with your own hands” and “How to make a water bowl for ducklings with your own hands.”

If you are breeding and raising young animals, you will need an incubator.

Lamps with red lighting, which are installed inside the poultry house.

Stove and ventilation equipment.

To process carcasses, plucking equipment and refrigerators for storing carcasses are useful.

If the number of birds is 80-100 individuals, purchasing equipment will cost the breeder 100 thousand rubles.

Duck care and breeding

There are three ways to breed birds:

• closed;
• walking;
• limited walking

When choosing a walking method for birds, you will need more space than usual - approximately 10 square meters. m for one duck. In the case of a closed breeding method, you can get by with 1 sq. m for three individuals. With a limited-range breeding method, the recommended area for one individual is 2 square meters. m.

When ducks are kept closed (in cages), they quickly gain weight due to the deposition of fatty tissue, which leads to a deterioration in the quality of the meat.

The most optimal method is the walking method: in this case, the birds will be much more comfortable, but care must be taken to organize supervision of the livestock.

To breed your own ducklings you will need 3 drakes and 10 ducks (both must be adults). This will be enough for a start so that in the future they will regularly produce offspring.

Chicks can be hatched in two ways: naturally (incubation) and artificially (in incubators). Both methods are effective. In the first case, the birth rate is lower than in the second, since it directly depends on the duck’s manifestation of the maternal instinct. The larger the planned brood, the more brood hens will need to be purchased.

For the first 30 days, newborn ducklings should be kept in a warm room protected from rain. The room temperature should be 24-26 degrees. Gradually, as the chicks grow, it can be reduced.

The first few weeks of daylight should last up to 22 hours. It can be gradually reduced, and within a month it will be the usual 14 hours. To provide sufficient light, special lamps must be installed.

Where ducklings are raised, the floor is covered with straw or sawdust to create a warm cushion. The coating must be turned periodically to maintain its dryness. As soon as the litter becomes very damp or dirty, it must be changed or the next layer must be poured on top.

During the first two weeks, ducklings need to be fed up to 6-7 times a day. Then the number of feedings can be reduced to 4-6 times. When the ducklings are one month old, these numbers must be gradually reduced to the usual three times.

Starter food for chicks should contain corn (about 60%), oats (20%), barley (10%), soybean meal (5%) and healthy additives (chalk, meat and fish meal, shells). All components are thoroughly mixed, crushed and moistened. It is also recommended to add cottage cheese, boiled potatoes, and herbs to such mixtures.

Whether you are raising ducks for meat or keeping them for eggs, birds will not give you much trouble. Find out more about this in the article “What you need to know about breeding and keeping ducks.” Here we describe the basic principles.

A varied and nutritious diet. This includes food of plant origin, products containing calcium, animal feed, mineral supplements, cereals, vegetable and animal fats, as well as clean fresh water. Don't skimp on products. Low-quality food is the cause of poor productivity, diseases, epidemics, and mortality of poultry.

For breeding, the best breeding individuals are selected, which are isolated from other birds during the period of intercourse. There are six to seven ducks per drake.

It is important to create comfortable living conditions for ducks. The optimal temperature in the poultry house is 16° 22° C.

The room must be ventilated. Disinfection is carried out every time at the end of the breeding season.

Indo-duck breeding is now becoming more and more popular. These birds, also called musk ducks, are not too picky about conditions and food, but at the same time they grow quickly and produce tender, tasty meat. In the article we will look at the features of breeding indo-ducks at home: we will find out how to hatch chicks in an incubator, how to care for the birds, what to feed them, and we will also touch upon other important issues on this topic.

Content

Muscovy duck breeding technology

Muscovy ducks can be kept in three ways: closed (the birds are kept in cages), limited-range (the ducks have a spacious enclosed enclosure) or free-range (the birds move freely around the area). The entrepreneur's task is to build nests and a poultry house, collect eggs and place them in an incubator, feed them with mixed feed and greens (mainly duckweed). Muscovy ducks do not require special housing conditions; you just need to ensure cleaning and monitor the availability of food and fresh water in the drinking bowls.

Poultry house arrangement

The mini duck farm should be located outside the city, near a pond. If it is missing, an artificial pond must be created on the site. There are three options for keeping ducks on a farm:

• Closed method. Birds live in cages;
• Limited walking, in which the herd is kept indoors;
• Walking method - birds can move freely around the farm.

The closed method of keeping has a negative impact on the quality of meat. Individuals quickly gain weight due to adipose tissue.

The construction of the poultry house must be given special attention. It should be warm, as birds do not tolerate winter cold well. It will be necessary to provide heating and equip the room with ventilation for air access.

The area of ​​the poultry house depends on the number of livestock. On average, about 0.35 sq.m. is allocated per individual.

The premises are divided into several sections for keeping young animals and housing the broodstock. The floor is covered with hay, which is changed regularly to avoid the spread of disease. The cages are placed at a height of 30 cm from the ground level - this will protect the birds from rodents that can enter the house.

The walking pen is surrounded by a high fence so that the birds cannot fly outside the farm territory. Ducks are often attacked by predatory animals, so the top of the aviary is covered with a strong net.

Businessvsele.ru recommends several more profitable areas:

• Raising broilers for meat, more details on this page;
• Turkey breeding as a business;
• Raising quails.

Equipment

It is impossible to get high profits without special equipment. For the normal functioning of the farm you will need

Duck mini farm

buy:

• Vacuum drinkers and feed containers;
• Nest boxes;
• Refrigeration chambers;
• Device for incubating eggs;
• Feather plucking machine;
• Infrared lamps.

The poultry house should be well lit, especially in winter. To do this, purchase lamps with a power of about 5 W per 1 sq.m.

Diet

Ducks are unpretentious in food, but to produce high-quality and tasty meat, their diet must include:

• Various grain crops;
• Calcium (chalk, sand or crushed shells);
• Mineral supplements;
• Chopped herbs, vegetables and plant stems.

Ducklings reach weight sufficient for slaughter in 2-3 months. During this time, they manage to eat about 10 kg of feed and various mixtures. It is not difficult to calculate that for a herd of 300 individuals you will need to purchase 3 tons of feed.

Sales markets

Duck meat is in high demand, so there will be no problems with selling the product. A farmer can offer his products:

• Restaurants and cafes;
• Large retail chains;
• Farm goods stores;
• Textile factories (down and feathers).

In addition, the goods are sold at local markets or sold to wholesale buyers.

Duck diseases and their prevention

Among ducks, diseases such as oviduct pathologies, colibacillosis, salmonellosis, coccidiosis, typhoid, and cholera can develop.

To reduce the risk of developing diseases, it is necessary to take preventive measures. You should:

• carry out regular cleaning of premises using manganese and lime, carry out disinfection measures;
• include in the diet of ducks food rich in various vitamins, which is especially important for young animals;
• ensure that individuals of different ages are in different rooms;
• treat work equipment with disinfectants;
• add garlic and onions to the food.

The measures listed will help keep ducks clean and protect them from various diseases.

Options to save

Purchasing an incubator in which young animals are bred does not always pay off. The price of the device is about 45 thousand. It is worth considering the fact that when purchasing eggs, the time for raising young animals will increase by a month.

At the same time, the cost of electricity and other utility bills will have to be subtracted from income. It is also mandatory to pay a tax of 6%. Remember also that not all eggs will produce full-fledged and physically healthy chicks. The percentage of death during incubation ranges from 20% to 30%.

The total amount of incubation costs reduces profits by at least 25%. And when purchasing 500 chicks, the cost of purchasing them will be from 3 to 5 thousand rubles.

When developing a duck breeding business plan, carefully select the breed. Meat varieties are considered the most profitable in terms of profitability. They are ready for slaughter already in the third month of life. The number of birds is directly proportional to the growth of profits. The reason is to reduce the risks associated with mortality and slow weight gain of individual individuals. Therefore, the purchase of as many ducks as possible takes place.

Read more: Rules for forming a grape bush

Features of reproduction and breeding of offspring

This breed of duck breeds well when favorable conditions are created. It is optimal to keep several families of birds, consisting of 3-5 females and 1 drake. It is recommended to take ducks of the same age, but it is possible for the male to be older.

Attention! Inbreeding should not be allowed, so the drake should be changed periodically.

A family should be formed when the male reaches 20 days of age , and before that, ducks of different sexes should be kept separately. Under natural conditions, laying of eggs for offspring occurs at the end of March, but to speed up this process, it is necessary to create warm conditions and additional lighting in the evening and morning.

The Indian duck begins to nest if it lays 15-20 eggs. When she finally sits down, she should add 10 more eggs.

Protect the nest from the penetration of other ducklings

The duration of hatching of chicks is 33-35 days. It is recommended to leave the hatched ducklings with their mother for half an hour and then take them under the lamp. When all the offspring appear, they need to be dried and placed back under the female at night. In one season, the female hatches 40-60 chicks.

The weight of a healthy duckling at birth is 50-70g. When raising young animals without a mother, it is necessary to keep them under a lamp in a box where they place food and a drinking bowl, and also regularly change the bedding. At the age of 2 weeks, ducklings are divided into females and males. Drakes develop faster, which has a depressing effect on the remaining ducklings.

Walking of young animals begins when they reach 2 weeks of age. Bathing is allowed at 1 month. For feeding, boiled eggs, crushed grains, bran, finely chopped greens, and milk are used.

From the 4th day, meat waste is added to the diet, and from the 10th day - chopped boiled potatoes.

Attention! At this age, vitamin supplements should be administered for the full development of young animals.

Business registration

To start duck breeding activities, you will need to register as an individual entrepreneur (individual entrepreneur) or peasant farm (peasant farm). You will also need to undergo special certification of the products and the duck farm itself.

If production is at the initial stage of development (volumes are small), then it will be enough to register this type of activity as a personal subsidiary plot (LPH). Such registration requires a minimum of paperwork. Another advantage of this type of registration is the absence of taxes.

Breeding ducks as a business is a profitable activity, since you can sell not only meat, but also eggs, as well as feathers and down. When doing this, it is important to remember the need for high-quality poultry feed and decent living conditions.

The main stages of creating a duck farm

So, the decision has been made, the type of activity has been determined - raising ducks in order to make a profit from the sale of hatching eggs. What's next?

Duck breeding as a business: stages of creating a duck farm, a real success story, cost calculation, income.

Business registration

Registration with the tax authorities in the general period took me 7 days. Exactly a week later I held in my hands the certificate of registration of a peasant (farm) enterprise. I avoided problems and conflicts because I entrusted this process to a specialist, i.e. accountant.

When you go to the tax office, you should have a lease agreement or other document confirming the location of your activity.

In the Krasnodar Territory, the region where I live, poultry farming is not an industry that receives any subsidies. My only advantage as an agricultural producer is the opportunity to get a loan at a reduced annual rate, which I did not take advantage of, because I had my own funds for development and support.

Deciding on the breed (+ video about the choice)

I bet on the meat-egg breed because initially I was interested in selling hatching eggs, which would be in demand both among farmers and individuals. In other words, he was concerned about the demand for the final product and its required quantity.

Duck business: production of hatchery eggs.

At the moment, the market offers the widest selection of poultry. Let's look at a few main types:

1. Indoutka. High egg production, but slow growth.
2. Mulard. Sterile hybrid of Indian and Peking duck (suitable only for meat cultivation).
3. Peking duck. An early ripening meat breed with low egg production.

The most popular crosses:

• Bashkir (egg production 210 eggs per year with a fertility rate of 80-85%);
• Favorite (130 eggs per year), blue favorite (220 eggs per year);
• Blagovarsky - 200 eggs per year, with 75% fertility;
• Agidel - 240 eggs per year, with a fertility rate of 90-93%.

My choice fell on Agidel, since the indicators I needed were an order of magnitude higher than other crosses.

Plus, the advantages of high egg production are fast growth and carcass weight above average, which makes it possible to guarantee that there will be a demand for hatching eggs and ducklings.

In the Krasnodar region there are quite a lot of farms engaged in breeding breeding birds. There were no problems in implementing the “select a supplier” item. The only thing worth paying attention to is the opening hours of the breeding station. It is worth giving preference to a farm with a period of operation of 3 years. Don’t be seduced by the low price - you can buy a defective product that, apart from a headache, will bring you nothing.

If the average market value of a duckling is 40 rubles, there is no need to cherish the dream that you will find it for 20. The miser pays twice.

When buying poultry in bulk, don’t be shy: ask for a discount. You take a lot, and a savings of 10% is quite real and fair when purchasing from 1000 individuals.

In the age of modern technology, there is no need to run around among friends and acquaintances, looking for the necessary information: a computer or phone with an Internet connection will help you dial the required list of contacts. As a rule, enterprises involved in the sale of poultry have specialized transport equipped with cages, so apart from adding a fixed payment for transportation to the general bill, there will be no problems with delivery.

So, the supplier has been selected (we found him on the Internet, among the nearest enterprises).

Raising ducks as a business: subtleties of keeping

Now let's outline some nuances of the technology. My goal was to buy young stock of the future productive herd of 3500 females. You shouldn’t forget about drakes either.

Purchased: 3800 girls (planned loss is 300 heads) and 900 boys (planned loss is 200 heads, since drakes are less resistant to adverse conditions).

As you can see, the final ratio of girls to boys is 5:1.

Agidel's bribe-free period is 6.5-7 months. All the time they grow and become sexually mature, you only invest and ensure strict adherence to the rules of care.

The first month is one of the hardest.

Firstly, financially. One-day-old ducklings consume from 30 g of feed; over the course of a month, the amount is gradually increased to 150 grams per head. Also vitamins, antibiotics and vaccinations strictly on schedule. It is in the first month that losses will amount to about 2-3% of the total livestock, be prepared for this.

As for my personal experience, at the early stage of duck growth I lost 120 heads out of the available 4,700. I could have done more, but I note that the main thing is not to miss the moment and understand the cause of death in time. If a herd consistently loses 1-2 individuals daily, then an excessive mortality rate of 10-15 animals should alert you and force you to take action. Often, it is enough to introduce an antibiotic into the diet a day or two ahead of schedule. The next day it will be possible to observe how the dynamics will level out and return to previous levels.

How to feed and care? (+detailed video instructions)

What does a bird need during the period of growth and laying?
Food – “Start”, “Growth” in the first month and a half of life. Next is compound feed consisting of barley, corn and wheat in a ratio of 1:2:2.

Quantity calculation: from 30 to 150 g per head in the first month, then 150 g per day until the age of 6 months. A month before laying, the dose is increased to 165 g, during the period of obtaining eggs - 250 g of the mixture of the “Laying hen” type. Selected by a livestock specialist.

I note that I was breeding for eggs. If you take poultry for meat production, the feeding schedule is completely different.

Water should be present in the drinking bowls at all times; once a week, the drinking bowls should be washed and sediment removed.

In addition to feed and water, birds need supplements:

1. Antibiotics and vitamins. When housing is crowded, it is necessary to prevent infectious diseases, so medications cannot be avoided. The schedule is stable - once every 2 weeks for 5 days. I did not take risks and used imported drugs that had long proven their effectiveness. A day of drinking costs about 3,000 rubles per day (for the entire flock of more than 4,000 birds). Total course - 15,000 rubles. You can take cheaper Russian analogues, the savings will be about 30-40%.
2. Vaccinations. Starting from one day of age and then every month and a half. I took the herd in parts, so I called specialists 10 times instead of the required 5.
3. Feed shell and small natural stone. There should always be a full feeder in the pen - this supplement is very important for ducks to improve digestion.

And finally the bedding. A very important detail, since the duck is a waterfowl and constantly breeds dampness. On an area of ​​about 2000 m², 8 trucks of sunflower husks were delivered once a week. Better, of course, rice, but in this case I was guided by the expediency of price and quality. Rice would have cost me 2 times more.

Choosing a location for the base

I want to say right away that few people who rent out premises for agriculture are adequate: it happens that the requests are exorbitant and do not correspond to the condition of the property. Perhaps you have already encountered this.

When I was looking for a suitable hangar, rental prices ranged from 100,000 per month for a half-rotten building to 50,000 for buildings that are most suitable and require minimal investment.

Keep in mind that finding a premises that is completely ready for your business is almost impossible; in any case, you will have to rebuild some elements to suit your needs.

My choice fell on an abandoned dairy farm. The owner agreed to a 7-year free lease for the renovation of the hangar and electrification of the site.

Let's focus on the main indicators. Hangar 80*12, 960 m² for rent. Pasture is an adjacent area of ​​the same area, fenced with a chain-link mesh. Technical premises - a guardhouse for a worker (15 m²), a room for equipment (6 m²), a granary where grain is milled and directly stored, and a sealed room with a split system and strict temperature conditions for the finished product - hatching eggs.

What does a farm with 1000 ducks look like? (video)

Necessary equipment: what you will need to set up a poultry farm

1. Kruporushka with power from 3 kW. Purpose – independent preparation of mixed feed.
2. Transport – regular Gazelle. Copes perfectly with current needs. Transport and deliver grain, building materials, and also deliver finished products to their destinations.
3. Feeders and drinking bowls - here I did not reinvent the wheel: 18 plastic pipes, sawn in half, 20 cm in diameter and 3 m long. Completely covered the needs of the young animals.
4. Lighting – 20 energy-saving lamps throughout the entire area of ​​the room. I recommend making a separate switch for 3-5 center sources for night illumination.
5. Specialized rack with cells for storing finished products.
6. Split system to maintain stable temperature.
7. Trolleys for distributing feed.
8. Water barrels from which liquid is directly supplied to the drinker.
9. CCTV. Below I will explain in detail why such equipment is needed in dirty agricultural production.
10. Small items: buckets, shovels, gloves, respirators and other tools.

Details about incubating duck eggs (video instructions with error analysis)

Personnel: who to hire and where to look?

During the period of preparing the premises for keeping young animals, I had a construction team of 4 people working with me. Within a month, brick partitions were demolished (the hangar was originally built to house cows), the roof was re-roofed, wooden frames were inserted into the windows, film was filled, and the floor of the granary had to be re-filled. However, 4 people coped with this task perfectly.

The main problems began when I started hiring watchmen.

Ideally, two people working in 3/3 shifts are enough for the period of growing and collecting eggs. In fact, in 7 months I replaced five people.

Hoping that someone will do simple work conscientiously is worth more to yourself.

Therefore, after I fired two people for irresponsible work, I had to seriously think about control measures.

Having spent about 80 thousand rubles on a video surveillance system, I became well aware of who comes and at what time to take out some of the grain, who comes to hunt young ducks, and how the guards react to this.

I won’t describe the details, I’ll just note that the installation of video cameras only worked to the benefit of the matter.

In addition to the workers caring for the flock, I hired a livestock specialist and two people during the vaccination period. A livestock specialist’s visit to the farm cost me 5,000 rubles; the assistant staff worked on piecework basis. The bearer (the one who catches the ducks) received 1 ruble per head, the ringer (the one who vaccinated) - 3 rubles.

Search for sales channels

Duck meat, eggs and down are valuable commodities in the poultry market. It is important for the breeder to establish a reliable sales system for their products.

Demand for meat and eggs is high in chain stores and catering establishments. Cooperation with supermarkets, restaurants and cafes is beneficial for small entrepreneurs and large-scale manufacturers. An alternative implementation option is to open your own retail chain. Another channel for selling food products is cooperation with enterprises producing semi-finished meat products.

As for the sale of down and feathers, it is necessary to establish partnerships with factories producing pillows, down jackets and other feather products.

Not only meat, eggs, feathers and young animals are sold. Selling manure is also profitable. This product is of interest to summer residents and farmers as a valuable fertilizer.

Features of poultry farming

Despite the use of two roots “ind” and “duck” in the name of the individual, the bird has no relation to turkeys. This is a separate species that is classified as a musk breed. The Indian duck differs from the ordinary duck in some respects:

• Appearance.
• Quality and taste of meat (more tender than regular duck).
• The benefits and taste of eggs (used in the human diet along with chicken eggs). In an ordinary duck, eggs are used only for breeding.

The Indian duck is easy to care for and does not need a pond, although it is a waterfowl. Many farms and poultry farms give preference to indo-ducks for breeding. But is this direction profitable in the field of rural business? It all depends on the capabilities of the breeder, his knowledge of the rules of poultry care, and the availability of a customer base for selling products.

Food for Indian ducks

Like any other bird, the Muscovy duck needs a nutritious diet. The basic component of nutrition is feed grain, as well as:

• wheat, barley and other grains (especially corn);
• vegetables;
• herbs;
• production waste (molasses, feed yeast, bran and cake)

Diet varies depending on the ducks' nesting season.

Daily feeding rate for indo-ducks:

It is important to use feed with a moisture content of at least 18%. Although ducks love a moist mixture of porridge and green herbs, you should not give it to them too often. After all, their favorite food consists of insects and worms.

Muscovy ducks happily feed on river inhabitants

Choice of legal form

Opening a business is possible in several formats that require different investments:

1. LPH. Indo-ducks are raised for personal use, and the surplus can be sold on the market. You won't get much income, but some of the costs will be reimbursed. Indo-ducks are kept in a common yard with other animals and do not require special conditions. In this case, the business does not need to be registered if the income from it is not permanent.
2. Small business. Allows you to receive more income. All birds can be sold for profit. It is necessary to build a separate poultry house and constantly monitor the renewal of offspring so as not to interrupt the chain. It is registered as a peasant farm (if the cultivation is carried out by a family contract) or as an individual entrepreneur (if the farmer uses hired labor).
3. A large poultry farm that sells products in large wholesale. Turkey can be one of the types of poultry raised on the farm, because the main demand among grocery chains is for chicken and turkey. It is registered as an LLC, aimed at wholesalers and large chains.

If you need a small increase in your existing income, then it is possible to breed muscovy ducks in your personal backyard in the amount of 30-50 heads. The bird adapts well to the conditions and coexists with other animals without problems. No paperwork is required, but carcasses must be sold independently and to a limited extent. This will bring a profit of 20-40 thousand rubles per season.

Our business idea is focused on a small subsidiary farm, which can provide the owner with a certain income.

Indo-ducks, also known as “muscovy ducks”, themselves have a lot of advantages that greatly facilitate their stable and rapid breeding. If we talk briefly about the main advantages, then it is worth noting the following:

• high rates of vitality and immunity;
• unpretentiousness in terms of nutrition;
• a well-preserved instinct to care for your ducklings;
• calm and friendly character;
• quiet hissing instead of loud quacking;
• lean and healthy meat;
• high egg production.

All these points lead to the fact that raising and breeding indo-ducks is not particularly difficult; even a novice poultry farmer can cope with this. Of course, a certain set of knowledge and training is needed here too.

Slaughter for meat

After 12-15 weeks of age, Muscovy ducks are suitable for slaughter. By this time, you should have a sales plan prepared and contracts for the supply of bird carcasses concluded. When you start breeding Indian ducks in order to develop your business, you must fulfill the contractual terms exactly on schedule, you need to create an image of a reliable supplier with a subsequent expansion of sales areas and an increase in supply volumes. Slaughter is carried out in specially prepared places equipped with refrigeration chambers or refrigerators. Sales are carried out by intermediary companies or directly to shops, food establishments (canteens, restaurants, cafes), sanatoriums and holiday homes, markets. Creating an online store will also pay off.

Indo-ducks can be sold directly to restaurants

Implementation stages

Step-by-step instructions are addressed to residents of rural areas who want to make money on their personal farms. Where to start poultry farming if you own a plot of land?

1. A separate room is being built to provide comfortable living conditions for the wards.
2. Special equipment is purchased.
3. The activity must be legalized. Documents are submitted for registration of a peasant farm or individual entrepreneur. The choice of form depends on who will participate in the development of the farm. An application is submitted for the Unified Agricultural Tax system (6% of income).
4. Poultry house equipment. Let's look at this point in more detail.

Personnel issues

If you do not plan to open a large poultry farm that requires a certain staff, then you can involve family members to provide care for the pets. The main scope of work consists of feeding, timely changing of water, and ensuring cleanliness of the premises. A family business will not require expenses for paying salaries and contributions to funds. All profits will be distributed to family needs.

An individual entrepreneur is required to pay taxes and contributions to the Pension Fund only for himself, if other family members do not need official employment.