Cultivation of ducks on private farmstead very favorable and not too troublesome occupation. Correctly debugged duck economy can bring very considerable income. The main condition for receiving issue and wintering of bird is arrangement of the hen house for ducks.
The hen house for ducks represents the complex construction containing small frame lodge for nesting grounds, canopy and open hatched area.
The choice of ducks for cultivation
First of all, it is necessary to decide on the choice of breed of ducks for constant contents. The greatest distribution in the world was received by the Beijing and musky breeds of ducks.
- The Beijing breed is familiar to all: this is normal white duck with yellow beak. Fowl very tasty and soft, but zhirnovaty. On average the carcass has the weight of 2-3 kg. Lack of breed is the increased fussiness and clamorousness of ducks – the hen house is better to have as it is possible further from the house and neighbors. The bird constantly strives to lap in water and the habitat reminds the small bog, with the corresponding smell rather.
- The musky breed, or Indo-duck, can be the black, white or mixed coloring. The duck has characteristic red skin around eyes in type of glasses and outgrowth on beak, as at turkey-cock. Especially it is expressed at males. Meat of duck dietary and less greasy. The Indo-duck is more phlegmatic, almost does not make sounds, only quietly hisses. The bird also likes to bathe, but to arrange her the pool not obligatory. Indo-ducks very seriously treat parental responsibilities: they can enclose eggs of other ducks, hens, geese, turkey-cocks – they will sit out all. All family takes part in protection and education of ducklings.
- Mularda are hybrid of the Beijing and musky duck. Posterities do not give, are grown up only on meat.
That the bird did not fly away to all ducks, twice during the season, it is necessary to cut feathers on wings. After that the bird loses flight instinct. Especially well musky ducks fly.
Assignment of the hen house
Usually the family of ducks looks so: one male drake on three-four samochka, no more. By spring the young males begin to allocate group of very young ducks of the general herd. These families try to keep is isolated and solid. Here best of all and to place it in the hen house for cultivation.
The duck brings 2 posterities a year: in the spring in March-April and is closer to fall, in August-September. On average, in one laying the duck can bring 15-20 ducklings. Counting on 3-4 samochka the annual issue of young growth can be very considerable. During one season it is possible to cover all expenses on the hen house device.
Assignment of elements of the hen house:
- Lodge hen house, the small construction intended for the device of slots, incubation of eggs and the subsequent wintering of adult birds. Height of utyatnik should be counted in human height.
- The canopy combined with lodge. Intended for storage of forages, stock and ware. It is desirable to arrange under canopy table-top from simple boards for convenience of work. During summer heat and winter snowfalls the bird hides under canopy. During rain of duck spend time with pleasure in the open air. The size of canopy can be as lodge or more. Part of canopy is closed by the metal gauze in the form of the open-air cage for walking of ducklings in warm weather from all directions.
- The hatched area is intended for restriction of movement of bird on kitchen garden. The duck herd which has got out to will can cause very essential damage to beds. If all farmstead is protected with solid fence, the fence can be executed from Rabitz netting height to meter.
It is the best of all to locate the hen house in the most distant part of farmstead, it is desirable isolated from kitchen garden and landings of strawberry. It is possible to arrange the hen house in garden, in bushes of currant or gooseberry – ducks are indifferent to fruit and berries, and will bring together the insects here falling from above zealously.
The main enemies of ducks are dogs, foxes, polecats. Cats, rats, caress and other small predators can drag off ducklings. Also for kids the danger is constituted by birds of prey. The effective way of scaring away of birds is to hang out empty beer jars and compact disks on hen house perimeter.
For watering place and bathing of birds big tanks for water are established. It can be old bathtub or boiler. If the depression in the ground is near and the site relief allows - it is possible to arrange small reservoir.
From watering pipe the branch with the crane which the hose is put on becomes. You are not applied water with buckets on big herd.
Construction of the hen house
The hen house represents easy frame construction, pre-fabricated, sheathed by plain and cheap sheet material. Walls can be warmed polyfoam. The size of lodge will be 3х4 m, height up to 2 m is quite sufficient. The building with the single-pitch warmed roof.
It is better to buy material for construction new, than to select from the accidental or being in the use elements.
Let's consider the sequence of construction of the hen house.
- As the hen house represents extremely easy building, the base under each rack of framework is carried out from lightweight-aggregate concrete with depth of underlay up to 60 cm. For savings in process of filling it is possible to stack fragments of brick or stone. It is optional to reinforce the base. It is possible to leave floors in the hen house earth, but it is better to arrange easy concrete surfacing for convenience of cleaning of lodge and to protection against rats and small predators. The earth basis falls down crushed stone and is carefully rammed. On the basis the lightweight-aggregate concrete 100 mm thick is filled in.
- The framework of the hen house can be executed combined, from tree and metal. Metal racks represent scraps of pipes with a diameter of 50 mm, or channel N 10. We establish them in the course of filling of the base. Height of these racks over ground level does not exceed 20-30 cm. Racks are necessary for prevention of contact of timber frame construction with the earth.
- After concrete skhvatyvaniye, to metal racks racks of the main framework from board of 100х50 mm fasten. Boards to fix to metal through in advance drilled openings self-tapping screws with hexagon head, or threaded studs on nuts and wide washers. The tree has to be processed by anti-septic tank.
- Racks of framework are sewed by horizontal beams of 100х50 mm. For the device of slope of roof the second row of racks is carried out 20-30 cm above.
- Walls of the hen house are made of inexpensive sheet material. It is possible to choose flat slate, cement and chip sheets, SMALLPOX. To racks fasten horizontal furring from board of 100х25 mm, step of 40-60 cm. Sheet material to fix to furring self-tapping screws. Warming of walls and internal covering it is similar to ceiling design.
The combined single-pitch roof is arranged from boards, with a section of 100х50 mm.
- Rafters are established on beams with step of 60-70 cm. On bottom of rafters we fix veneer sheets, fibreboard or SMALLPOX on all area of ceiling. To fix sheets self-tapping screws on tree.
- We stack paroizolyatsionny film on rafters and sheets of covering.
- We stack heater. The most suitable option for the hen house polyfoam, 50-100 mm thick.
- We beat on top of rafters furring from bar 50х50 step of 60 cm.
- We stack and fix covering from sheets of wavy slate.
The framework of the hen house is ready.
Open canopy
The main life of duck family passes on open space or under canopy. The framework of canopy is made of the same material, as lodge, only without covering. Racks of canopy can be executed from asbestos-cement pipes, thin logs, bar of 100х50 mm. It is optional to do the base. Racks can just be driven in the earth on depth of 50-60 cm, it is possible to fill in with concrete. The bottom of wooden racks needs to be impregnated and enveloped carefully roofing material layer, for increase in life cycle. To protect canopy with plastic grid, with cells to 5 cm.
Floor under canopy does not need to be done, it is regularly possible to pour fine gravel, pounded shell, sand – ducks swallow all this for digestion acceleration.
Canopy roof design same, as at lodge, only without heater. If desired the roof can be made of polycarbonate, professional flooring, etc.
Heating and lighting
Ducks quietly transfer low temperatures therefore heating can be not provided, but electrical equipment needs to be installed.
In the summer, at night over drinking bowl it is possible to suspend LED lamp for attraction of insects which with pleasure are caught by ducklings.
In the winter, in severe colds to warm lodge with rather simple glow lamp. It is possible to lay wooden pallets on floors, from above to fill hay, cane or straw – besides warming, the dry grass will be additional diet for ducks.
If necessary this hen house can be used not only for ducks, but also for the maintenance of other bird species: hens, geese or turkey-cocks or to make the rabbits shelter.