DUCK AND GEESE

PRODUCTION
Giosen Ombao
Reporters: Edilyn Catubig
Alisa Mae Asusano

ELECTRICS III- B
 History of Ducks and Geese
• Ducks are closely related to swans and geese.
• The Chinese are credited with first domesticating wild Mallards around 2000 B.C., but
ducks also were domesticated around the same time in the Middle East.
• The goose was domesticated both in eastern Asia and in northern Africa, Europe,
and western Asia. In eastern Asia, the swan goose (Anser cygnoides) was
domesticated to become the Chinese goose.
• Archaeological evidence in Egypt has shown that geese were kept in ancient Egypt
since 300 B.C. The Romans dedicated geese to the goddess Juno. Huge flocks of
geese were raised in western Europe and slowly herded to Rome to supply this great
city with meat and feathers.
 Advantages of Duck Farming
1. Ducks lay more egg per bird per year than chicken.
2. The size of the duck egg is larger than hen egg by about 15 to 20 g.
3. Ducks require lesser attention and thrive well in scavenging conditions.
With very little time and work you can raise a small flock of ducks.
4. Ducks do not require any elaborate houses like chicken.
5. Ducks are quite intelligent, can be tamed easily, and trained to go to ponds
and come back in the evening of their own.
 Duck and Geese Husbandry
• Having a flock of ducks or geese running around the farmstead is truly an amusing and
heartening sight.
• Ducks are much smaller than most geese. When full grown, a duck can weigh from 4
to 11 pounds and can live as long as 12 years. Geese are large birds that weigh as much
as 30 pounds when mature, and they live much longer than ducks — up to 25 years.
Geese are loyal family members and prefer to choose a mate for life. They are
protective of their flock, which makes them great farm watchdogs.
• Ducks can provide reliable source of eggs and meat. Like chickens.
• Eggs from geese are large, and compared to chickens, geese lay far fewer eggs.
 Kinds of Ducks
1.Native Ducks or Native Mallard • The native pateros duck commonly called itik,
is the most popularly raised locally.
• Its predominant colors are black and gray. Some
are barred (bulek) others are brown or have white
feathers mixed with black/green.
• Males emit shrill high pitch sounds. They have
curly feathers on top of their tails.Females emit
low pitch quacking sounds. Their tails feathers lie
flat or close to the bodies.
• In all commercial ducks hatcheries, determining
the sex of duckling is done at the age of 2 to 3
days.
• A healthy Itik can produce up to 200 eggs in its
lifetime.
2.Khaki Campbell Duck
• The Khaki Campbell is a breed developed
in England by Adele Campbell in the late
1800s.
• Khaki Campbell ducks have characteristic
brown color, have extremely active habits,
do well in good range and show a little
desire for swimming. These ducks are
good layers, they lay as many as 300 or
more eggs a year which are fairly large,
thick-shelled and weigh 70 to 75 grams
each.
3.Indian Runner Duck
• This breed originated from the
east indies but its egg production capability
was developed in western Europe.
• This duck assumes very erect normal
postures which are almost straight neck.
The back is long, straight and narrow.
• Females lay about 200 eggs each year.
They are not considered good egg sitters
so eggs from a female Indian Runner
may need to be incubated by another hen
or in an incubator. The adult male Indian
Runner seldom weighs more than 5
pounds. Indian Runners are utility ducks,
good for production and insect control.
4.Muscovy Duck
• Muscovy duck (pato) is easily identified by its
carunculated face or red, knobby nodules
along the eyes and above the base of the bill.
Muscovy is a heavy breed. It has plump body
and yellow skin. It has three varieties: the
white,the colored and the blue.
• Muscovy has low egg production but is more
self-sustaining than Pateros duck. It hatches
her eggs is 33 to 35 days.
• The objection to this breed is its tendency to
fly far away from home and get lost. It is
therefore necessary to clip their flight
feathers regularly. Clip only those of one
wings to remove the birds balance in flying.
5.Pekin Duck
• Pekin duck is native in China
belonging to the meat type of
ducks.
• Pekin ducks are good layers, and
duckling are ready for market at 2 to
3 months old.
• An adult female will lay about 200
eggs a year. They are not as broody
as other ducks, so they might not sit
on a nest. Drakes can weigh more
than 12 pounds and females more
than 11 pounds.
 Goose Breed
1. Emden ( Anser anser )
• Developed in Germany and the Netherlands and is the
most common commercial goose breed.
• They are typically white with orange bills and feet and
blue eyes.
• The gander (male goose) can weigh close to 30 pounds
or it is one of the larger breeds with males weighing up
to 10.0 kg and females up to 9.0 kg.
• Male Emden goslings have a lighter grey down than the
female goslings.
• The goose can lay up to 40 eggs during the breeding
season with an egg size of 170 g.
2. Toulouse
• The Toulouse is a large breed and can weigh up to
25 pounds.
• Has dark gray feathers on its back, lighter grey
feathers on its breast, and white stomach feathers.
It has a dewlap or flap of skin hanging under its
lower jaw and a bulky body.
• The goose lays about 35 eggs per year and is a
good mother. However, they can be clumsy and
break eggs if the nest is not well padded.
 3.Chinese ( Anser cygnoides )
• This breed is the smallest of domestic geese. They
have been called Swan Geese, as they carry their body
upright (similar to swans).
• The knob on the male is larger than the female.
• Chinese geese come in two colors: brown and white.
The white variety has a more attractive carcass, as their
pinfeathers are not as noticeable. Another added trait
is they make excellent weeders; they eat weeds from
vegetable crops without causing much damage to the
vegetables due to their smaller size and better agility at
moving.
Head of Anser cygnoides (left), • Female Chinese geese will lay 50 to 60 eggs during the
and Anser anser (right) breeding season (February through June).
4. African
• The African goose is related to the Chinese goose, but
it is a much larger breed.
• Despite its name, it does not come from Africa, but its
origin is murky.
• It is about the same size and weight as the Emden
breed, and ganders can weigh close to 30 pounds.
• A mature gander weighs 22 to 24 pounds while a
mature female weighs 18 to 20 pounds.
• They can start breeding their first year and can
produce eggs for many years.
• They lay around 35 to 40 eggs a year.
5. Pilgrim( Anser anser )
• The Pilgrim goose breed was developed in Iowa but might
have had origins in colonial America.
• They can be easily sexed from their feather coloring; adult
males have mostly white feathers while females have gray
feathers.
• This is a medium-sized breed, with mature males weighing
14 to 15 pounds or Pilgrim is a medium weight goose with
males weighing 6.0 kg and females 5.2 kg.
• The female lays 35 to 40 eggs each year with an average egg
weight of 165 g.
6. Sebastopol
• This unique breed has blue eyes and curly, twisted
feathers that are usually
white. Due to their unique feathers, they should have
bathing water available to keep their feathers clean.
• Females can lay about 40 eggs a year and will brood
the eggs of other geese.
• Female goslings have darker down than the males.
Ganders weigh around 14 pounds, and females
average about 11 pounds.
 Buying Ducks and Geese
• When purchasing your ducklings and goslings directly from the hatchery, ask when
they will be mailed.
• It is safe to ship newly hatched waterfowl as long as they are properly packaged in
sturdy cardboard containers with plenty of air holes.
• They can go without food for a day or two while being shipped, as after hatching
they retain part of the yolk from the egg in their body. This will give them a food
source.
• If you want to breed ducks and geese, you may want them sexed so you can have a
proper ratio of males to female. One drake will breed five to six females, and most
ganders will breed only with one or two females.
 What to look for when buying ducks and
geese
• Make sure someone is home to receive the ducklings or goslings when they
arrive in the mail.
• If you chose to purchase your stock from a store, closely scrutinize their pen
conditions. It should be dry, and the feed and water containers should be
clean and full.
• The ducklings and goslings should be active if awake with no noticeable
discharge from eyes or nose. Peek under their tails. The vent (anus) should be
clean with no buildup of fecal material.
 Feeding Ducks and Geese

• Look for starter feed made for ducklings and goslings, or feed them an unmedicated
feed.
• Starting the first week of life, small amounts of fresh growing grass or fresh clippings
also can be fed to the birds. After four weeks, their diet can be supplemented with
cracked corn, and they can be switched to a grower ration.
• Both ducks and geese are great at foraging both bugs and plants. Geese are larger than
ducks and will need more pasture, or they will quickly become defoliated and heavily
soiled. They do not care for alfalfa or tough, narrow leaved grasses.
• Good plants for pasture are brome grass, Timothy, orchard grass,
bluegrass, and clover. The pasture will need to be monitored, as it
quickly can become defoliated and heavily soiled by the geese. Grass
for goose pasture should be about 4 inches in height. Longer grass can
become bound up in the goose’s crop —the outcropping of the
esophagus — and cause death.
• If your geese or ducks are to be slaughtered for home use or for
market, they should be fed a finishing ration formulated for turkeys
starting one month before slaughter. This will provide them extra
nutrients allowing them to fatten before slaughter .
 Duck and Geese Housing
• Build your duck and geese housing in a quiet, cool place and near as possible
to stream or pond. Local materials like bamboo, nipa and cogon are cool.
• Prepare each duck with at least 3 to 4 square feet floor space. Cover the
floor with rice hull, corn cobs, peanut hulls or similar materials to keep it dry
and clean and help prevent spread of pests and diseases. A house of 100
ducks measures 4 x 4 meters high or high enough to let a man stand inside.
• You may provide a swimming pond 10 ft wide and 20 ft long for 50 birds.
However the pond is not necessary in duck raising as they lay just as many
eggs without it.
• House ducks are grouped according to size or age to facilitate management and to
avoid quarrels which is common among ducks of different ages.
• Ducks, especially young ducks, have many enemies. You must be careful to protect
them from dogs, cats, rats, snakes and thieves.
There are also other reasons for building a shelter. Here are a few.
1. Ducks sleep on the ground. If the ground is cold or wet or dirty, they may get sick.
2. If you build them a shelter, you can keep it dry and clean so your ducks will not get
sick.
3. Strong sunlight is bad for ducks. They need protection from the sun in very hot
weather. Strong sunlight is bad for ducks.
4. If you build a shelter for your ducks, they can go inside when it is very hot.
5. Ducks lay eggs mostly at night or early in the morning.
6. If you build a shelter with nests and keep your ducks inside at night, you will
be able to collect the eggs more easily
 Waterers
• Waterers should be full when the birds arrive.
• Do not use an open pan for young ducklings or goslings; they should not get wet
when they are in the down stage lest they become chilled.
• Instead, use a waterer with a base wide enough for the birds to dip their heads and
bills without being able to fall in. Adding commercial electrolyte or vitamin powder to
the water the first few days can give the young birds a healthy boost. You can use
electrolyte formulas found at the grocery store, or you can purchase packets to mix
from farm supply stores.
• Do not let young ducks or geese have access to swimming water or leave them outside
in the rain.
• Ducks enjoy water not only for quenching their thirst but also for cleaning their
bodies and exercise. Ducks cannot survive without access to bathing water.
 Hatching

• The period of incubation for duck eggs is 28 days, except

Muscovy which is 30-35 days. Breeds of ducks that have high
degree of laying are non-sitters and their eggs are hatch through
artificial incubation. The Muscovy is a natural mother. She
hatches and breeds her own duckling with none or little assistance
from man. Native or pateros duck is a non-sitter, so her eggs are
incubated under the native method of incubation called balutan.
 Feeding Practices
• Feed duckling with wet starter mash for 8 weeks. Native ducklings raised the native way are
fed moistened boiled rice for the first 33 weeks, 4 to 5 times a day.
• During the first few days, give feed at night. Start giving water in drinking trough or
drinking fountains on the 2nd day.
• On the fifth day, add finely chopped small shrimps to boiled rice. Increase their feed as
duckling grows.
• At the age of one month, feed ducklings with tiny fresh water snails and boiled unhulled
rice or palay. Give only enough feed to be consumed as they tend to spoil when left long in
the troughs.
• Fine gravel of grit is necessary to growing ducks to help them grind their feed. After the
5th week give green feed such as chopped leaves of kangkong camote ipil ipil and legumes
at least three (3)times a day 10grams of chopped green leaves per duck per day.
 Health and Diseases
Ducks and geese should appear healthy and show normal behaviors. Signs of good
duck health depend on age, sex, and breed. Important indications of good health are as
follows:
• Good posture o Vigorous movements if disturbed
• Clean and healthy skin
• Good plumage
• Well-formed shanks and feet
• Effective walking or Preening
• Active feeding and drinking
• Clear, bright eyes
 The early symptoms of stress or ill health
can be the following:
• Head pulled into the body
• Huddling, appearing chilled
• Changes in feed and water intake
• Lack of preening, general inactivity
• Diarrhea
• Problems with coordination (walking/sitting)
• Drooping of the eyelids, reduced or squinted eyes
Here are some common diseases that can
affect ducks and geese:
Avian influenza
• This disease has caused much concern throughout the
world.
• The mild form causes such symptoms as lethargy, trouble
breathing, diarrhea, and loss of appetite.
• If your ducks or geese have avian influenza, you need to
report it to your state and local authorities, as well as to the
USDA.
• Ducks and geese are at increased risk of contracting avian
influenza and they need to be tested if you suspect they may
have the illness to keep them from spreading it.
 Botulism
• Otherwise known as limber neck.
• The disease is caused by the bacterium Clostridium
botulinum, which grows in the mud and vegetation in
warm, stagnant water. The duck ingests the bacteria, and it
releases a toxin.
• The bird may be found dead, or it may be paralyzed but
conscious. Treatment is possible during the first 24 hours
by force-feeding the duck water and feed. The bird should
be placed in a shaded, dry nest away from predators while
the toxin wears off.
 Chlamydiosis

• Ducks are susceptible to chlamydiosis, or parrot fever.

• Signs of an infected duck include nose and eye discharges, sinus infections,
reddened eyes, diarrhea, weight loss, and loss of appetite.
• Chlamydiosis is also spread through contaminated boots, clothing, and
equipment. Once an infected duck recovers, it can still be a carrier of the
organism. Treatment is done using the antibiotic chlortetracycline.
Fowl cholera

• This infectious disease is caused by the bacterium

Pasteurella multocida.
• Both ducks and geese can contract this disease, which
strikes suddenly and causes numerous deaths in the flock.
Factors that can cause an outbreak include overcrowded
pens or ponds,spread of the disease from wild birds, and
cold and damp weather
• All sick birds should be removed from the flock and treated
elsewhere.
• Dead carcasses should be burned.
 Fowlpox

• This disease can cause disease in ducks of all ages. There

are two forms of fowlpox.
• The wet form causes canker sore-like lesions in the
mouth and throat. This can cause trouble breathing due
to obstruction of these respiratory passages.
• The dry form causes raised, bumpy growths on the legs.
It can cause problems with growth and egg production.
• Mosquitoes carry and spread this disease. Spraying for
mosquitoes can help control the spread. Vaccination is
suggested if fowl pox becomes a problem in your flock.
Infectious hepatitis
• This disease affects young ducklings between 2 and
3 weeks old.
• A virus that is either ingested or inhaled by
waterfowl causes this disease.
• Most cases result in death within a day of signs.
• Vaccinations are available for healthy ducklings in
an infected flock. Mothers can also be vaccinated
two weeks before laying eggs to pass immunity on
to the ducklings.
 Intestinal parasites

• Different types of intestinal parasites can affect geese and ducks.

Coccidiosis, roundworms, flukes, and tapeworms are ingested by the
birds from the ground or feed contaminated with feces.
• Signs of infection are varied and range from young geese with stunted
growth, lethargic birds, diarrhea, or death if the birds are heavily
infected.
• Once the parasite is identified, treatment is through medication in the
feed or water.
Salmonellosis
• The bacterium salmonella, an organism that can
affect a wide variety of animals and humans, causes
this disease. It can quickly become a flock-wide
problem due to its tendency to spread quickly.
• Signs of salmonellosis include lethargy, diarrhea,
swollen joints,and lameness.
• A bird that survives salmonellosis will remain
infected for life, and it should be separated from
the rest of the flock to prevent spread of the
disease.
 Parasitic diseases
• Parasitic infections can plague your birds, especially if they have access
to dirt.
• Check your birds daily to assess their overall health. Things to observe
include feather loss, weight loss, unusual appearance, sitting huddled
away from the flock, and decreased egg production.
• Birds get parasites by eating the parasite eggs found on food, in the
dirt, or in water. Insects, earthworms, or snails — all tasty treats for
foraging birds — also carry the parasites or their eggs in their bodies
 To control parasites, you can do some
specific things:
• Do not overcrowd your shed or outside pens.
• Try to keep wild birds away from your domestic flock.
• Use insecticides, if necessary, to control insects in sheds.
• Change bedding frequently, and keep it dry.
• Remove droppings to keep birds from pecking at them.
• Keep your birds on a quality feed, formulated with plenty of vitamins.
• If you suspect internal parasites, have your local veterinarian identify the species so
you can properly medicate the birds.
 Coccidiosis
• This disease is caused by parasites that cause decreased growth and death in birds.
• The primary symptoms are an outbreak of bloody diarrhea along with lethargic
birds that huddle together with ruffled feathers.
• Treatment includes the addition of coccidiostats — medications that kill coccidia
— in the feed or water. Prevention relies on manure removal, moving birds to
fresh ground, and decreasing stocking density in pens.
 Building Duck Nests
• You will need 1 nest for every 3 female ducks. So, when you first begin with a
flock of 6 ducks (5 females and 1 male ducks you will need 2 nests. With 5
female ducks you need 2 nests.
• Nests should be clean, dry, comfortable and only large enough to be used by
one duck at a time.
• Build them from timber and place them in rows along the walls.
• Ducks like small nests with just enough room to get in, turn around and sit
down. So, give your female ducks a cozy nest of just the right size.
• A good duck nest is about 30
centimeters wide, 38 centimeters
deep and, if it has a roof, from 20 to
35 centimeters high. Nesting material
should be placed in the nest to a
depth of about 7cm. Use shavings,
sawdust, or sand. Broody ducks will
further line their nests with their own
body feathers. Be sure to change the
grass in each nest as soon as it gets
dirty. Nests rest on the ground and
do not need a bottom.
THANK YOU!