Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
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 you are not raising your ducks for meat production or egg laying, adult ducks can forage for
much of their food if they are allowed to roam. Feed should still be provided for the ducks,
however, as there will be seasonal variations in food supply. To make feeding less complic-
ated, a
gravity feeder
can be used. This type of feeder is a round-shaped container on a base
that dispenses feed down as the ducks eat at the bottom.
Place the feeder(s) inside a pen to encourage your ducks to come to the pen in the evenings. It
should be in a covered area so rain will not be able to destroy the feed. Nasco
(
www.enasco.com
) carries many styles of feeders for poultry producers made from both gal-
vanized steel and plastic. Feeders and waterers for adult ducks should be cleaned as they be-
come soiled and disinfected once a month.
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. Birds not intended for slaughter
do not need to be fed a finishing ration. Finishing rations and other feeds for your birds can be
found at feed supply stores.
Duck and Geese Health
Although waterfowl are disease resistant, infectious diseases can and do take toll on unlucky
flocks. To keep your ducks and geese as disease free as possible, try to limit their contact with
wild birds that can carry viruses and bacteria from an infected flock to yours. Another strategy
to minimize disease is to keep your birds' water source, feed, and pens clean of droppings. If
feeders or waterers become soiled with feces, a good scrubbing with bleach water (1 teaspoon
bleach per gallon water) will help kill disease organisms. Allow the cleaned equipment to dry
before refilling with feed or water.
If you plan to pasture your flock, make sure there is enough ground for the birds. Overstock-
ing pens and pastures is an invitation for disease organisms in the feces to grow and multiply.
Rotating pastures using small paddocks will be beneficial in two ways: Fecal material will get
a chance to dry, and the action of sunlight can neutralize many disease organisms. It also will
give the pasture plants a chance to grow back.
