Now breeders are more inclined to using feed pellets to raise ducks. Duck feed pellet should consider the ducks’ living condition, feed ingredients, nutrition value, production property etc.
Breeders should fully utilize the local feed ingredients which have nutritional value and low price so as to reduce production cost. The varieties of feed pellets should be as much as possible in order to make nutritions comprehensive. Some people think the more nutritional the feed pellets the better the ducks. Actually it is wrong because all poultries’ feed intakes rely on feeds’ energy level. Ducks intake less feeds pellet which have high energy level; and when feeds have low energy level the feed intakes will increase. Therefore the feed pellets’ protein and energy proportions should be balanced otherwise it causes innutrition or overnutrition and feed pellet waste.
During feeding process we should consider other factors which affect ducks’ production property.
Some breeders feed ducks with mollush containing a substance called thiamine enzymes which can destroy vitamin B1. And the lack of sunlight causes vitamin D shortage. In this case vitamins and other liquid nutritions can be added to the feed pellets to meet ducks’ nutrition needs. Ducks don’t have sweat gland to perspire so the high temperature makes their feed intakes increase and disturbs the physiological function. Thus ducks’ living conditions with appropriate temperature is very important. The duck feed pellets should be stored in cool, lucifugal and dry place to avoid fat oxidation and the nutrition damage. A layer of moisture-proof material should be placed between feed pellet and ground so that feeds pellet are not moldy because moldy feed pellets easily cause diarrhea.
