Category Archives: Types Of Poultry

23 Duck House Plans With Tutorials That You Can Build In A Weekend

Coming up with your own duck house plans and building a duck house on your own is easier and more affordable than you might imagine. As long as you provide your ducks with their basic needs like shelter, food, drinking water and a safe space to protect them from predators, they will be happy in their new home. As these innovative plans show how to build a diy duck house with very little money and some can be made with a little time and a few basic DIY skills.

1- Small Duck House

Follow this detailed tutorial for building a small duck house by yellowcottagehomestead that is suitable for use in a suburban backyard.

This duck house is attractive, sturdy, secure and will provide secure shelter, and nesting area for 2-4 ducks. The water system, laying boxes, and manure catchment make this DIY duck house easy to maintain also.

If you have a small flock with no plans for expansion, we recommend this small duck house to be an ideal for your ducks. It will also be quick and easy for you to build in just one day.

Duck House Plans, we love its verstylity, durability and security features, image via: yellowcottagehomestead

2- Lean-To Duck House

Next we have a design that features a large front entryway for the ducks and separate nesting box with a lid so you can access the duck eggs easily. You won’t even have to go inside the duck house by myoutdoorplans to gather the eggs.

Ducks are notorious for not using nesting boxes but if the boxes are placed on the floor of the fowl house there is a chance that eggs might be laid in them.

Get these free lean-to design duck house plans that will take you through the building process step by step. A supply list is also included so you won’t forget a thing while gathering building materials.

Lean-To Duck House Plan, image via: myoutdoorplans

3- Recycled Material Duck House

Use these free plans to learn how to build a duck house by thefrugalchicken that won’t cost you anything. Using recycled materials is a way to provide your ducks with a safe house while putting usable materials to work.

Recycling gives old things new life and keeps usable items out of the landfill, so it’s a win for ducks, for you, and the environment.

Ducks and other homestead animals are messy so there’s no point in spending a lot of money on new building materials if you don’t have too. A coat of paint can always make recycled lumber look new and give the duck house a cute appearance.

Recycled Material Duck House, image via: thefrugalchicken

4- Small Space Duck House

This DIY project creates a duck house that is custom-built to fit into a small backyard space. This YouTube tutorial will show you how to take an awkward, unusable backyard space and transform it into a perfect space for a duck house.

These duck house plans on youtube show you how to build a small structure that will fit perfectly into any odd corner that your landscape may have. All landscapes have certain challenges and this design will enable you to overcome a small space challenge and provide your duck flock with a safe and secure house.

5- A Wooden Pallet Duck House Plans

A wood duck house by thehomesteadingboards is always a sustainable option but this is more sustainable than most as it makes use of reclaimed wooden pallets. Also read pallet chicken coop plans.

A Wooden Pallet Duck House, image via: thehomesteadingboards

6- Simple Duck House Plans

Ducks are easy farm animals to build a house for because they don’t need anything fancy. They sleep on the ground, lay their eggs wherever they choose, and like a lot of moisture. The main reason for building them a place to live is for their safety, so a simple structure like this one we have will work just fine.

Use these free duck coop plans by thecapecoop to transform bits and pieces of leftover building materials into a safe and simple duck house for your flock of fowls. Exterior caulking can be applied to seal up gaps and cracks in the wood but since ducks like moisture, sealing up gaps is not essential.

Simple Duck House Plans, image via: thecapecoop

7- Large Duck House Plans

Remember, a small duck house is fine for one or two free-ranging birds but more ducks will need space. Ducks need more space than chickens so allow 4-6 square feet per bird in the duck house like this one by hipchickdigs and 10-25 square feet per bird in the run if they don’t range free.

Large Duck Pen Design, image via: hipchickdigs

8- Pallet Duck House Plans

Remember, when sourcing materials for your diy duck house by yellowbirchhobbyfarm that though reclaimed materials can be great, they may be impregnated with chemicals. Take care to provide a safe environment for your ducks.

Pallet Duck House Ideas, image via: yellowbirchhobbyfarm

9- Capacious Duck Duck House Plans

When creating your diy duck house by frankiemakes, consider the climate and conditions where you live. Will the ducks range free or spend a lot of time in their run in the winter? Design for your site.

Capacious Duck Pen Design, image via: frankiemakes

10- Chicken Or Duck House Made From An Old Packing Crate

Again, these chicken or duck house plans by poultrykeeper show that you do not have to spend a fortune to get a great home for your poultry.

Duck House Made From An Old Packing Crate, image via:

Duck House Made From An Old Packing Crat , image via: poultrykeeper

11- Duck House Plans With Nesting Area and Run

This is a very unique idea as compared to the ones we discussed above. The roof of this little diy duck house by tyrantfarms is planted with edible herbs and other plants, to create a green roof. This is a great example of how ducks and a duck shelter can become integral parts of your over-all garden design. You may also like to see green roof chicken coop plans.

A Duck Shelter With Nesting Area and Run , image via: tyrantfarms

12- A Frame Duck House Plans With Cedar Shingles

This charming little A-frame coop or duck shelter by diydiva is a picturesque home for your ducks. Cedar is a wood with great properties for use outside and will not decay or rot so is perfect for such uses. You may also like to check out DIY A- Frame Chicken Coop.

A Frame Duck House With Cedar Shingles, image via: diydiva

13- Pallet Duck House

Here is another great use for wooden pallets – build a freewood duck house by homegrown with them.

Three old wooden pallets are all you need to build a safe and secure house for your duck to live in. The pallets are the right size for use with these free duck house plans and that helps reduce the amount of time and effort needed for this DIY project. Wooden pallets can be obtained free or very cheap and this will keep the building costs down for this DIY project.

Recycling old wooden pallets also reduces the cost of the DIY project down to almost nothing. A little flooring and roofing material is all that you will need to complete this functional pallet duck house.

Pallet Duck House, image via: homegrown

14- A High Rise Home For Ducks/ Bird House

This house for your ducks by myoutdoorplans can be created using quality timber and a basic knowledge of DIY. You do not need to be an expert to make this home for wild ducks or other wild birds.

A High Rise Home For Ducks, image via: myoutdoorplans

15- Floating Duck House

A floating duck house by goodshomedesign is simple to construct and can become an attractive part of a backyard water feature.

Ducks and water go together so why not combine the duck house and a water feature? These free duck house plans we are going to show you will guide you through the building process and the results will be spectacular.

The pitched roof design makes this look a lot like a dog house, so it may surprise people to see the house floating and a duck coming out of the doorway. This duck house plan is one of our best designs.

This floating duck house can be accessorized and painted to create a unique focal point for your backyard water feature.

Duck House Floating On Water, image via: goodshomedesign

16- Octagon Duck House

This unique octagon shaped duck house by backyardchickens is constructed from recycled wooden pallets to help keep the building costs low. The attractive shape is ideal for building in a suburban setting and it will keep your ducks (and chickens) safe from predators.

The total cost for this DIY project is under $100 and it could be a lot less as compared to the ones we discussed earlier. if you have some roofing material on hand. Many places giveaway free wooden pallets that have a couple of broken boards and those broken boards are easy to replace and the smaller pieces can be used in another DIY project.

The octagon shape is attractive, easy to build, and will be inexpensive when recycling wooden pallets.

DIY Octagon Duck House Plan, image via: backyardchickens

17- Another Duck House Plan With Reclaimed Wood

Of all the duck house like this one by needlesandnailsblog the best are those that utilize scrap material. This idea also used wood pallet and other reclaimed wood to make a sturdy, safe house for ducks.

Another Wood Duck House With Reclaimed Wood, image via: needlesandnailsblog

18- Large Duck House Plans

These duck house plans by howtospecialist will provide you with an easy to follow tutorial for building a large duck house that can accommodate several ducks comfortably.

If you have a large flock or looking to expand your flock of fowls these plans may be just what you need. This sturdy structure will last for years and provide your flock with dry shelter and safety from predators.

The wood structure can be built in one day and leftover building materials can be used to reduce the construction expense.

Large Size Duck house plans, image via: howtospecialist.com

19- Recycled Duck House Plans

An unused cold frame and wooden workbench were recycled and given a new life as a small shelter for ducks. This idea may spark an idea for how you can recycle unused items into a functional and attractive house for your flock.

These free duck house plans by bepasgarden will inspire you and provide a detailed tutorial so you can take recycled parts from different items and create a cohesive-looking structure for your flock. This good-looking structure is great for use in a suburban backyard or anywhere else that an attractive fowl house is needed.

Recycled Duck House Plans, image via: bepasgarden

20- DIY Duck House with Deck and Pool

Ducks need shelter and water and these free duck house plans will show you how to build a house that ducks will never want to leave.

This duck house on youtube is a simple design with a pitched roof and two doors that open the backside up for easy coop cleaning. The front of the structure has a deck with a pool in the center and a ramp. Ducks can waddle in and out of the house, go for a swim, get their daily exercise, and stay warm with an interior heat lamp in this well-designed fowl house. A bottom drain in the pool makes changing the pool water quick and easy so the ducks will always have access to clean water.

The interior of the structure is heated and would be ideal for building in cold climates so chicks and adults will stay warm.

21- Ultimate Duck House

If your homestead is in an area that has a lot of wildlife you will need a predator-proof fowl house. These free duck house plans on youtube will show you how to build a safe house for your flock that is predator-proof.

This YouTube tutorial will guide you through the step by step building process that will prevent predators from gaining access to the inside of the duck house and killing the flock.

Attractive design anrge size will look good in the homestead landscape and provide plenty of space for a growing flock. Keep your flock safe so they will thrive and prd laovide plenty of eggs and meat for an off-grid homestead.

22- Cheap and Rustic Duck House Plans

Remember, when coming up with duck house plans like this one by homegrownorg that you should be open to materials you can garner for free – one man’s trash is another man’s treasure.

Cheap and Rustic Duck House, image via: homegrownorg

23- Chicken Coop Duck House

In the last idea we will Learn how to convert an unused chicken coop into a whimsical duck house by modernfarmer with this free tutorial. Chicken coops are typically taller than what ducks need, so the roof can be lowered with the idea provided in this building plan. Also, ducks need a little more square footage on the inside than chickens need, plus ducks love water and will put a water feature to good use.

A large entry door and ramp will make it easy for waddling ducks to get in and out of this cute fowl house.

These detailed instructions will address all the different needs between chickens and ducks so converting a chicken coop into a duck house will be a success. Add a coat of colorful paint along with painted flowers and clouds will transform this functional design into a focal point in your backyard.

Chicken Coop Duck House, image via: modernfarmer

Benefits Of A Duck House

Safety For The Flock: A duck house will give the ducks a safe place to nest and sleep. When ducks feel safe from predators they will lay more eggs. The safety also helps ensure that more of the ducklings you are raising will survive to adulthood.
Customization: A duck house can be built to fit any size budget or flock.
Helps protect surrounding vegetation: Ducks can be very destructive on vegetation and a duck house with an enclosed run will help protect the plants you don’t want them to destroy.
Easy separation; Sometimes ducks need to be separated and a duck house will make separating them easier.

Drawbacks Of A Duck House

Ducks can fly: Unless the entire area – the duck house and run, are covered, ducks can fly over the fencing and escape. Their wings will need to be clipped frequently to prevent them from flying.
Must be small: A duck house will need to be moved occasionally to provide fresh grass for the ducks. The house must be small and lightweight so it’s easy to move.

Summing Up

Ducks have certain requirements to live just like other backyard animals such as a pond, a place to lay eggs and to stay safe from predators. Your ducks will keep happy and lay more eggs when they have a shelter to live. You can choose any of these duck house plans we discussed above that are suitable to your ducks and you find easy to build.

Based upon the frequently asked questions we have prepared a questionnaire below.

FAQ’s

Are duck houses expensive to build?

Not at all. You can use any type of building material you have on hand to construct a DIY shelter that will keep your flock protected from predators and the elements.

Are duck houses ugly?

You can build them with a very attractive design to beautify your property and increase its value.

Are ducks messy?

Yes, they are. Ducks are in the poultry family and are by nature messy. Providing them with their own house and run will keep the mess to a minimum.

References:

College of Veterinary Medicine, Animal Health Diagnostic Center, “Duck Housing and Management”, https://www.vet.cornell.edu/animal-health-diagnostic-center/programs/duck-research-lab/housing-and-management

Department Of Primary Industries, Animals & livestock, “Duck housing design, layout and equipment”, https://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/animals-and-livestock/poultry-and-birds/species/duck-raising/housing-design

Brooding And Raising Of Ducks

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Brooding (0 to 4 Weeks)

The ducklings can be brooded on wire floor, litter or batteries with brooding period upto 3 to 4 weeks. They require slightly low temperature of 31°C in first week. Further it is reduced by 3°C each week upto 24°C and kept constant. A usual method is to house ducklings on litter in long narrow house having pens on each side of central passage. Further they can be given access to run on both the sides of houses _during fattening period. The following special points should be kept in mind for successful brooding:

Provide hover space of 90 to 100 cm² per duckling under brooder.
Water in drinkers should be 5 to 7.5 cm deep, sufficient to drink but not to dip themselves.

Protect duckling from cold drafts and rodents

Growing (5 to 16 Weeks)

Ducks can be reared by intensive, semi-intensive or range systems. The run space after four weeks alloted is usually 3 to 4 m² per duck. Water depth is increased to 12.5 to 15 cm to allow immersion of heads to prevent scaly, crusty or in extreme cases blindness of eyes. Run fencing of 60 cm height is usually suffice purpose of confining ducklings.

Raising Layers (Above 17 Weeks)

The high egg producing strains starts laying at 16-18 weeks of age and about 96 per cent eggs laid upto 9 am. Because ducks are comparatively hardy birds, they do not need elaborate housing. They can be reared on intensive or range system. Range rearing can be comfortably adopted for small scale farming in which ducks can be kept in open areas of the farm and have access to ponds, lakes or small river. In range 100 ducks can be reared per 0.405 hectare (one acre) depending on availability of greens.

Housing pattern is same as that of chickens with addition of runs as ducks prefer to stay outside during day time. The house may have solid or wire floor with shed of gable or half-round roof. The runs should have gentle slope away from houses for facilitating drainage

Artificial Light

Brooders require continuous artificial light. Growers^. are reared on natural day length, whereas layers are provided 14 to 16 hours of day length for optimum production.

Feeding of Ducks

Pellets or combination of dry and wet mash is used for feeding. Wet mash feeding is preferred due to difficulty is swallowing of dry mash. Therefore, ducks should not have access to feed without water. They may be allowed continuous feeding for first eight weeks but afterwards feed may be offered only twice in a day, i.e. morning (8 am) and late afternoon (4-5 pm),ranges from 120-160 g per bird depending on egg production, age and availability of greens. They need an extra 500 mg of methionine per ton, while growing whereas during laying its requirement is lesser than chicken.

Water

Water for swimming is not as essential feature. But scarcity of water may result in more mortality, therefore, continuous water flow channel with dimensions of about 60 cm in width and 30 cm in depth should be constructed at one of the end of house to meet water thirst.

Nest Boxes

Ground level nest boxes, one for three birds of 30 x 30 x 45 cm size be provided for clean egg production. The litter in boxes should be changed 2-3 times in week.

Catching and Handling

While catching ducks they should be caught by neck and not on side of body as it may result in sudden death.

Health and Management

The duck diseases are to be prevented by proper vaccination and through adoption of effective sanitation and hygiene.

Some interesting facts and benefits of raising guinea fowl

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After experiencing a lot of interesting facts about little guys – guinea fowls, I thought of sharing them with all those who are interested in raising them. I would start the guinea fowl facts with the story through which I got to learn a lot about this beautiful and interesting creature.

My father bought beautifully dressed in grayish suits, proud game birds – since then, I have noticed the guinea fowls scuttling up and down through the driveway. I have always been very observant that is why I was interested in knowing the behavior of these little guys too; as soon as its cockcrow, they start scouring the entire my father planted garden for nasty insects like ticks, locusts, beetles, and spiders etc. in fact, I have seen them running and eating the disgusting roaches and centipedes too. They act like the perfect watchdog, and trust me; they work even better than the stupid insecticides. Recently, I have noticed the guinea fowls in the pursuit for wasps, cutworms, snails, grubs and flies. They patrol the backyard completely and make sure nothing intrudes their adobe. They are truly relentless in their chase (prey).

I remember the time when we are guinea-less; trust me, had to suffer a lot because the most of the crops and the other plants were denuded by the devil beetles and grubs. However, soon the little gray fellows changed our lives because they gave us two important benefits;

Watchdog
Pleasant meal – the guinea fowl meat is really good – tempting indeed
Guinea fowl eggs: they have strong outer covering but taste like chicken eggs, so many keep them for this purpose as well.

Raising the guinea fowls:

One thing that bothers me much – many people haven’t even heard about this beautiful and useful bird. Even today the keeping guinea fowl isn’t much common; the first time visitors inquire instantly, “is this a turkey?” you cannot say it’s a bad judgement because it belongs to the family (genre) which is a chicken look alike. They are Africans – I mean guinea fowl is an African native. To your surprise, there are 7 guinea fowl species; “helmeted Pearl” is the most known one because it has a weird sort of a helmet, with gray sexy dotted body, and has a face without any feathers.

These little fellows are more in plundering all the time. Also, they are sensible enough to catch the prey without damaging the plantation and crops. Interestingly, these fellows are less troublemakers. They require almost no medical treatment, as they are robust enough to stand against the diseases. Also, they adapt the changing weather conditions. Because of the dominant acts and authoritative nature, this fowl is still not really popular like chicken. However, need to shelter arises in order to keep the fowls safe from the dogs, cats and owls.

Endearing habits:

A few habits which make these birds a little less adoring is, the guinea fowl sound – they are the noisiest birds I have seen. If you have high-strung neighbors, you cannot keep them even in your backyard. Specially, the residential areas like proper housing societies cannot afford to keep such a noisy bunch of fellows; it seems as if they are too talkative. Also, guinea fowl (hen) egg can only be acquired seasonally; also, the newly born babies are way sensitive and need lot of attention. Another bad thing about this bird, it won’t ever be loyal to you – they are not pal type of birds; they would eat what you serve, would tolerate you when around, but won’t ever be your pal. This is something that’s in the bird naturally – they are fond of prowling and love the freedom.

Deciphering sound and gender:

Interesting thing to note here – when the fowl is newly born (baby guinea is known as Keets) you won’t be able to figure out the gender until it gets 8 weeks. Later, you will distinguish between the hen and the cock based on their voices (sound);

· Cock cry is something like “chi-chi-chi-“; this sound is followed by a strong “Chrrrr” sound.

· The hen cry is somewhat similar to “comeback”, many even say it’s similar to “good-luck”

It is said that when a guinea hen is angry or upset about something, it may sound like a cock; however, cock never depicts a hen, sounds like too arrogant from the male gender. In a nutshell, the bird is interesting to be with; not only this, it’s an ideal watchdog and does not bother much.

Hatching ability:

Guinea fowl are not excellent broody hens. Often guinea fowl leaves their nest as soon as some eggs are hatched, don’t wait for other eggs to be hatched, so it is better to hatch eggs under some broody chicken hen or using an incubator.

Ostrich Products, Characteristics and Breeding

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Surely, the ostrich can be classified to be the largest among all the living birds on the face of the earth. The adult males can reach to the height of about 2.4 m together with a weight of about 100 KG. Although they are categorized among the birds, they are unable to fly. The reason for this can be linked to their huge body size due to which they are unable to go for a flight. Other Ostrich Characteristics include a long neck, lengthy legs and their running speed. Their long legs are what that enable the ostrich to run at a speed of about 70 KMPH. Not to forget their strides which are extended up to 8m. Below are some more Ostrich Facts.

Sexual Features and Characteristics

At the age of 4 to 5 years, the wild ostriches are able to engage in the process of reproduction. On the other hand, the domesticated ostriches are able to do the same at the age of 3 to 4 years. The black and white plumage appears on the body of the male ostriches at the times of maturity. For the females, the plumage appears to be of a dull coloring. When the ostrich mating time arrives, the plumage attains a more bright color while the skin transforms its color to bright red.

Soon after the birth, the male and females appear to be quite the same, but can be distinguished through the examination of their sexual organs. It can be quite difficult at that time because the size of the penis in the males is quite small, thus it can be confused with the female’s clitoris. When the birds reach the age of about 7 to 8 months, the gender can be determined on the basis of their urination styles. A complete distinction among them is possible at the age of 2 years. The wing quills among the males turn out to be pure white, while for the females they are marked in terms of the grey and black colored rings. Moreover, the feathers on the tail happen to be white or yellowish brown for the males and mottled light and dark grey for the females.

Mating or Breeding of Ostrich

In terms of the breeding patterns for ostriches, the males are polygamous i.e. they are well able to mate with more than 1 females at the same time. This pattern also holds true for the domesticated Ostrich Farming settings where the ostriches are mated in pairs, duos and trios. At times of the breeding season, the male ostriches make stylized sounds and wing movements in order to attract the females towards them. At the same time, the females place their wings in the horizontal direction, thus signaling the male for the start of the Ostrich Mating process. In order to initiate the process, the female crouches so that the male might be able to allow his penis to enter into her cloaca. The process of consummation continues with the male’s groaning sound while the female shakes her head during the process.

There are special environmental settings in which the Ostrich Eggs are laid. The female is able to lay the eggs soon after the mating process is complete. The females which are highly fertile are able to lay around 80-100 eggs sequentially while the breeding season progresses. Now if the eggs might not be removed, the female will prefer to incubate the eggs during the day time, while the male would incubate them till dawn for facilitating the Hatching Eggs. So, for the commercial farming, it is imperative that the eggs are removed at least twice a day. Now here, if the female would be allowed to incubate the eggs, she is going to stop the egg laying process for a period until her chicks reach the age of about 4 to 5 weeks, thus leading to an increased financial loss for the farmers.

The Breeding Season

Ostriches are categorized to be seasonal breeders, as they are only able to mate at specific times of the year. On an average pace, the breeding season for the birds last for about 6 to 8 months on a yearly basis. This timing can indeed vary depending upon the factors of latitude and longitude at different locations. In the regions of the Northern Hemisphere, the breeding process starts during the month of March and ends in August/September. For the regions of the Southern Hemisphere, the season commences in Aug/July and lasts till March.

How to Breed Ostriches

Before you plan to invest in the ostrich business, it is better to have an overview of the market saturation and the profits that are linked with it. For the purpose of breeding ostriches successfully, below are some instructions which you would need to follow.

1. Properly allocate a breeding space to the ostriches and replant the paddocks so that the chances for the microbes to infect the eggs might be reduced. Bags.

2. Keep the males and females separately before the breeding season in order to notch up their moods for the mating process.

3. Allow the ostriches to select their partners freely and naturally by allowing to be the grouped with each other.

4. Try to be careful at times of collecting the eggs, as the males can turn out to be aggressive while protecting their eggs.

5. Use a good quality incubator for the process of incubation. Furthermore, the temperature should be maintained around 96 to 99.5 Degrees F.

6. Turn the eggs for 5 to 24 times on a daily basis.

7. 3 to 5 days before the hatching time, you should transfer all the eggs to some separate incubators.

Ostrich Products

A large variety and classes of ostrich products are now being produced for the Ostrich Markets, due to which they are now being referred to as the Farms of the Future. The reason for which they are preferred these days is due to their meat, feathers, eggs and the hide. The feathers are used for cleaning of machines, equipments and for decoration as well as in fashion industry. The ostrich leather is the most expensive among others and is used for making shoes, jackets and bags. The meat that is produced by them tastes similar to beef and related products. Moreover, the meat also contains lower levels of fat in comparison to other types of meat. The eggs that are laid by the ostriches are the largest in size among all the birds in the world. In addition to their usage for meat and leather, they are also being studied and explored for medical purposes.

Selecting the most suitable breed of turkeys for your flock

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Raising some friendly breeds of turkey is really enjoyable. Moreover, if you bring them up at your home based settings, then you would be able to enjoy a number of flavored meats. At the same time, this strategy is also useful in saving some money. In this regard, you can make use of a number of old as well modern breeds. Glenn Drowns, a specialist in the domain of heritage poultry, asserts that the White Holland and related breeds are best suited for flocks which are below 20 and that the Bourbon reds are really useful in terms of pest control as well as for foraging. Frank Reese, another specialist in the domain of breeding turkeys, also suggests that the White Holland poultry breeds are quite competitive in terms of meat production and consumption. How to breed turkeys? This is the core question here.

Preference for Broad Breasted Breeds

For those who plan to raise for sales, then the breeds will come to be the most useful. However, these birds are available on a limited basis, all because of a respiratory disease outbreak that has effectuated thousands of flocks. The reason for which this bird is being recommended lies in the large amount of meat which is present in the areas of its breasts. In comparison to the wild turkey, the bird has 2 to 4 times more meat, due to which it is well suited for meat production purposes. These birds are able to achieve a weight of sixteen to twenty five pounds in a matter of 24 weeks. On the other hand, in order to reach the same weight, the heritage birds would demand nearly 2 years. The importance of this timing period is highly crucial in terms of poultry production, for which most of the poultry producers prefer to make use of this breed of turkeys.

Tips for selecting the best breeds for you farms

In terms of selecting the most suited and appropriate breed, you need to be knowledgeable of the various facets including its capacity of natural reproduction, its ability to fly, its pace in terms of reaching the stage of maturity and many other related factors. The thumb rule here is that the most famous breeds might not be necessarily suited for the smaller farms and at the same time, the big size is also not an indicator in terms of the best breeds of domestic turkeys.

Classes of Production Type Turkeys

There are two basic types which will be discussed here including Broad Breasted Whites and The Broad Breasted Bronze. You can easily purchase them from a number of hatcheries in times of the spring season. In addition, the pace of their growth is also quite agile, due to which you would be able to have a massive turkey in the minimal time span. However, there is a single drawback in making use of these breeds of turkey i.e. they aren’t able to produce on a natural basis. The reason for this can be linked to the large sizes of their breasts, which limits their ability to reach out. So, for those who plan to breed some large flocks of turkeys, these two breeds might not be suitable. But if you have no sort of problem with their reproduction limitation, then you should go for them.

Heritage Breed of Turkeys

There are a number of farmers and poultry producers who prefer to utilize the heritage turkeys, all because of their well-developed reproduction capabilities. Moreover, they also come in various colors and sizes and are also able to brood a number of eggs. Below are some of the breeds which you might want to consider at the time of selecting the best breeds of turkey for your farms and poultry houses.

Auburn: This heritage breed is believed to be similar to the bronze breeds, but happens to be more reddish in color. The origins of this breed go a few centuries back.

Beltsville Small White: This rare preservation breed is marked for being smaller in size. The breed is also more active in comparison to the other breeds, primarily because of its small size.

Spanish Black: Now here we have another rare breed which was mainly utilized by early settlers. The breed is also medium in size in comparison to other breeds of the same class.

Bronze: This breed is quite large in size and is able to carry out the breeding process in a natural manner. Do remember to distinguish it from the broad breasted ones.

Midget White: The smallest breed of turkeys, Midget White, is really suited for small families. Furthermore, these birds are also quite active and are also able to fly.

Royal Palm Turkeys: Famous for being a show bird, Royal Palm is a small sized heritage turkey. The breed is marked for having black and white colors.

Narragansett Turkeys: Believed to be good foragers, natural calm, medium sized and excellent brooders, Narragansett is the breed which you might want for your small farms. In the past, the breed had come quite close to being extinct, but now it is believed to be more prevalent.

Rearing, Incubation and brooding Guinea Fowl

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Have you ever noticed what exactly guinea bird looks like? They have that nosy and officious look because their body has gray fur over all, which makes it look like a baggy grayish suit. Most of the time I have seen guinea haste through the backyard. Moreover, as soon as it’s dawn, they start to scour the garden for ticks, locust, beetles, and other similar insects. They are the perfect watchdog for the orchard because many times they even catch the roaches, ants, termites, snails, cutworms and flies. I must say, they’re patrolling is absolutely perfect, even better than the insecticides. This creature is absolutely ruthless when on pursuit.

Most of the people seem to rear this bird because of the ultimate benefits it has for the humans – firstly, the major reason for raising guinea fowl is its taste and alluring flesh; also, the meat is highly tender and provides an absolutely perfect taste like other birds. Doctors say that the guinea fowl meat is low in cholesterol but rich in fatty acids; so overall, it’s good for a healthier life. In contrast to this, many adore guinea fowl farming because of its ornamental value which is really high. Usually, these birds are robust enough to bear all the harsh weather conditions and that is why one does not need to spend much on their medical.

Guinea Fowl is a noisy bird, that is why people don’t prefer them rearing in their residential areas because neighbors complain about the unwanted noise.

Now, have a look at the pivotal aspects related to the guinea fowl bird – in case you want to have them in your backyard, this piece of knowledge would help you do that;

Rearing:

Keets are known as baby guinea fowls; newly born keets ( guinea fowl chicks) are supposed to be taken care for about one month else they would die from cold. In order to know much about temperature changes about the keets, you should check out website and blogs which deal with poultry breeds.

If you check out rearing in more detail, you would get to know about three common types of rearing systems;

Free range: In this method only drinking water is given to the keets.

Semi – free rearing: In this method a basic house is provided so that first three weeks of the life are secured. Later, they are shifted to a house which has perches inside; finally, the keets are shifted to an aviary. Also, the entire house is surrounded by 3 meter high fences so that the escaping is not easy.

Intensive rearing: This system provides darkness or low lighting conditions which helps in better performance of birds. This type of rearing can be made on the floor. In modern units rearing is also done on battery surfaces.

Guinea Fowl feeding:

You can say that the diet of the fowl is divided into phases;

Starting: for at least the first four weeks the chicks must be given 24 percent protein
From the 4th till 8th week, the protein percentage for feeding must be 20.
Finisher diet should be 16 percent; it should be continued till the fowl gets 16 weeks.
By the 16th week, the average weight of the guinea must be two kg.

Some interesting facts that I would like to share here;

During the course of life, the guinea fowl in takes around 43 kilograms of feed – out of this, 12kg is consumed during the growth age, and the rest during the laying tenure.

Eggs:

If properly looked after, the guinea hens (soil reared) have the tendency to lay around 100 eggs. The other type (reared on cage) can produce up to 170 eggs in a year. However, the guinea fowl has the ability to lay eggs at the age of 17th week and especially during the rainy season. The egg shell is very strong– in fact, many times judgment about the egg‘s fertility through candling even gets chaotic.

Hatching eggs:

Most of the care takers collect the hatching eggs of guinea hen four times during the day. Also, an important thing to note down here, the eggs must be stored under the temperature of 15 to 18 degree Celsius.

Period of Incubation:

The normal incubation tenure of a guinea hen is around 28 days or a little more. More of time the broody chicken hen is used for hatching guinea eggs because of its wild behavior. The normal behavior of the bird is such that, as soon as some keets are hatched, the guinea hen leaves the nest; also the keets start to leave their places after hatched. The un-hatched eggs can be put under any other hen for the warmth; else incubator can be used too. The temperature of the incubator must not be more than 37 degrees Celsius and the humidity ratio must be around 58 percent. Further, incubating guinea eggs must especially be taken care for best results.

Brooding:

The guinea keets need to be brooded for first 4 weeks of the age using any incubator, the temperature should be between 37^oC to 37.5^oC and need to be reduced 4^oC each week. Day old keets should be provided 20/m² space for moving as to keep them away from brooder if the temperature gets too hot. You can use wood shaving for brooding. Place a rough cover onto wire mesh if brooding is done on a wire floor to protect them from falling. A plain cover is not recommending as it may leads to legs problems.

10 Popular Domestic Geese Breeds And Their Predators

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When it comes to knowing the facts and information about geese, then surely a number of breeds stand out among all others. All of the ancestors of the domestic geese had been derived from the wild species of those times. The European breeds are believed to have originated from the graylag class while the Asian breeds had been obtained from the swan goose.

Although these two classes had quite separate origins, still they were able to inter breed from time to time. The breeds of domestic geese have been classified and stumbled into a number of different classes, the details of which would be shared below. Here are the 10 most popular breeds of domestic geese with pictures.

1. Toulouse

Known to be the largest and one of the most used standard geese breeds, the Toulouse breed is marked for having a weight of about 20 to 26 pounds. The back of this domesticated breed is seen to be dark gray in color. The color starts to transform to light gray color as we move towards the breast regions.

The feet are marked for their deep reddish and orange colors. The bill of the Toulouse breed is pale yellow. In terms of the predators, raccoons, owls, foxes and weasels are in the lead.

2. Embden

This geese breed comes from a German city that was famous for exporting them to the regions in England. In comparison to the Toulouse, the embden breed is a bit smaller and white in color. Moreover, it is also a better sitter in comparison to the different breeds of geese.

It is also the most popular and desired market goose in the United States markets. In addition to being a rapid grower, the breed is also quite agile in maturation. The adults can easily reach the weight of about 16 to 26 pounds. In order to wither off the predators, the breed is famous for making use of stylized sounds, hissing and movements.

3. African

Marked for having an ashy brown color and dark orange colored legs, The African geese breed had originated in India. But at the same time, it has been erroneously reported that Africa is the region where it had come from. It also has a kind of protuberance on the top regions of its head.

The male members of the breed are really famous for cross breeding into the other breeds. The adults in this breed are able to have a weight of about 14-20 pounds. Its dark beak together with some other features make it less desirable in comparison to the Toulouse and embden.

4. The American Buff

Being light buff in color and having a white shaded breast, The American Buff is considered to be latest addition into the American market standards. In a matter of no time, the breed has been able to bag a fame and popularity, which is all because of its amazing features and breeding characteristics. The adults in the class of American Geese breed can reach the weight of about 15-18 pounds.

5. Chinese Geese

Presently, you can find the brown as well as white varieties of the Chinese geese. Being smaller and having a swanlike appearance, this breed of geese is well adopted and suited for consumption at the home based settings. The brown Chinese goose is known to have a brown colored plumage, while the white ones are known for their orange colored bill.

6. Sebastopol Geese

Marked for their twisted, curled and feathery upper regions of the body, the Sebastopol is classified to be an ornamental breed. The weights for the adults can top the 12 to 14 pounds limit, thus also making them suited for non-commercial purposes.

7. Pilgrim

The pilgrim is more like a fast growing and sturdy geese breed which is desirable for varying reasons and features. It has always been raised for its feathers and for the purpose of its delicious meat. The breed is also different in terms of the plumage color with which the males are separated from the females.

The males happen to have blue colored eyes, while the females are marked for having hazel colored eyes. The optimal weight for the adults reaches to about 12 to 14 pounds.

8. The Canada Goose

Mechanisms of close confinement are what that are used for the captivation of this geese breed. Mostly they are used in the public parts and by the hunters to serve the purpose of decoys. Their plumage varies from grey to black colors while the feathers on their breast happen to be light.

The ganders or male members do not breed before the age of 2 years. Moreover, they are famous for the mating process in pairs. But there is one drawback in making use of this breed for commercial reasons i.e. they are not efficient in terms of the reproduction.

9. Egyptian

Having long legs, but a small sized body appearance, the Egyptian is used for varying ornamental purposes. Surely, the breed is beautiful but has no potential for competing in the commercial markets all over the world.

The only ones who prefer to purchase them are the ones who are obsessed with their beauty. Their weight, which ranges from 4 to 6 pounds, is also what makes them the least desirable.

10. The Buff Back Geese

Europe is the place of origin for this geese breed, which can be differentiated in terms of its plumage size, color and a long bodied appearance. It is used for the purpose of meat and eggs together with its broody nature. They can be breed effectively in the form of pairs and trios.

Protecting Geese From Predators

For the purpose of protecting the breeds from the geese predators, you would need to provide them with some adequate levels of shelter. It is best to allow them to roam in the day time and keeping them confined in protected shelters at night.

Not to forget here that some predators are quite lethal in terms of attacking from under the ground due to which it is recommended to secure the base of the shelter with some strong and durable materials. It is also preferable to make the use of low intensity electric fences. The common predators for all the breeds of geese include bobcats, dogs, coyotes,

Breeding and Rearing of Geese

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Of all forms of the domestic birds, the geese are the ones that can be termed to be the fastest growers. They are quite hardy and can become disease free if kept under constant care. Although a small number of these animals are kept in the poultry settings, there is still a lot of scope for the raising geese industry all over the world. The geese can be grown and brought up successfully on the green pasture, due to which the cost for the production can be lowered down by substantial levels. Keeping in view the feeding and geese breeding, you can expect to start a successful poultry business. Below are some types of geese, which you should know about when planning to raise the waterfowl geese or the water geese.

Famous Breeds of Domestic Geese

Embden

Classified to be a large and an upright bird among the breeds of goose, the Embden is known for its glossy feathers. Its eyes happen to be light blue in color. Initially, the breed had originated from the regions of Germany, but is now well distributed all over the world. For the gander, the weight falls around 8 to 9 kg and for the goose, the weight usually falls around 8 kg.

Chinese

The Chinese geese can be divided into two different classes i.e. the white and the brown. This bird is able to stand upright with its arching neck. It also has a very distinct knob on the areas of its bill. The eyes of this breed are brown in color. Moreover, this breed is considered to be the noisiest among all the breeds, due to which their sound can be heard to far of places.

Sebastopol and Toulouse

The Sebastopol breed is identified from its fuzzy and curling feathers due to which the birds that fall under the breed appear to be untidy. Furthermore, this breed is also known to be of having an ornamental nature. At the same time, the body of the breed is also more round in comparison to the other breeds. On the other hand, the Toulouse breed is believed to have originated in France and is quite similar to the Embden. But it is not so popular in relation to the other breeds mentioned here.

Moreover, the breeds of wild geese include The Barnacle Geese, Bar-Headed Goose, The Red Breasted Geese and many more.

Brooding of Goslings

After the goslings hatching, a lot of care should be taken in terms of handling them. In other words, for the first few days the goslings are quite delicate due to which they should be kept warm. Now for the goslings which are brought up under the supervision of their parents, the occurrence of problems is less likely. You can provide some simple housing arrangements for them for the first few days in order to protect them from the changes in the weather. At the same time, you should also ensure that the floor litter is kept as dry as possible.

On the other hand, for the goslings which are being brought up in an artificial manner, the need for a warm enclosure is highly crucial. For the purpose of providing the goslings with some heat, you can make use of infrared as well as the carbon heating globes. For example, a 250 watt globe will prove to be enough for nearly 30 goslings. In order to know the optimal temperature for the goslings, you can also observe their movement to get an idea.

Breeding and Mating of Geese

How to breed geese? Well, the geese enjoy their best breeding period from the age of 2 to 8 years. After the age of 10 years, the pace of egg production declines slowly at which you should introduce some new flocks of geese. The process of geese breeding can be run using the free range method. It is best to make use of the healthiest gander for 3 to 4 healthy females. You should also allow the birds to mate for one month at the beginning of the geese breeding season.

Feeding and Nutrition

In addition to the availability of the green pasture, you can use of a supplementary ration which can be in the form of geese food pellets or mashes. The feed should be given to the birds 3 to 4 weeks before the fertile eggs would be hatching. Moreover, also prepare vitamin and mineral based mixes in accordance with the guidelines and directions given by the manufacturers.

The goslings should be given a constant access to the water from the very first day. The water provided should be good in quality and should be subject to quality assurance from time to time. Now here you can make use of some specialized jars and troughs for the purpose.

Shelter Needs

The need for having a spacious shelter for the geese is quite crucial, especially in times of the winter season. For the optimal levels of comfort for the birds, the shelter should be at least 8′ x 10′. Each bird should be given around 6 square feet. Moreover, the shelter should also be water and predator proof. It is also important not to confine the birds for a long time as they might get restless at times.

Gizzard Worming Issue and Solutions

At times when you find the presence of the gizzard worms on the body of the birds, then it is best to begin with contacting the specialists. Moreover, you should also ensure that a proper heat supply is available to the birds due to which the worms including, acuaria, tapeworm and at all others won’t be able to heavily influence the health of the birds. You can also administer the doses of the medications including Nilverm, Aviverm, Droncit and many more.

A brief guide to broiler management/factors considered for broiler rearing

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MANAGEMENT OF BROILERS

The desired weight at earlier age with efficient feed conversion ratio (FCR) with minimum mortality is prime objectives of broiler rearing. The management system used for commercial broiler rearing is probably more standardized nowadays than any other arrangements in poultry production.

They are preferably reared on deep-litter to prevent bruising of muscles due to cages. A trend of growing lighter broilers of 1.25 to 1.35 kg at 37-40 days age has become common in recent years. The FCR is highly economical at this early age which ranges from 1.9 to 2.10 depending on breed, season, disease incidence and management on farm. The management in respect of brooding, feeding, watering, litter management, lighting and disease remains same as that of layer chicks with little variation for floor space, feeding, vaccination and other managemental practices.

Floor Space

This is the type of bird in chicken, which requires minimum floor space. A floor space of 450 cm² upto 4 weeks and 750-850 cm2 from 5-7 weeks is sufficient to achieve maximum performance. Inadequate space will lead to slower growth, increased respiratory ailments and sometimes cannibalism also. Therefore, floor space allotment plays an important role in growing efficient broilers.

Feeding

Broilers are fed special feeds to cope up their faster growth. They are offered broiler starter mash from day old to 4 weeks of age and broiler finisher mash from 5 weeks onwards till disposal. These are high energy and high portentous rations when compared to layer and breeder diets.

Vaccination

Only few vaccinations as recommended in the schedule in the ‘Practical Manual for Avian Production and Management’ serves the purpose of rearing broilers under normal conditions. However, the vaccination schedule can vary from area to area depending on the disease prevalence.

Debeaking and Deworming

Usually these are not required due to short span of life.

Separate Sex Rearing

Broilers are straight run chicks that is they are not sexed at day-old age, while supplying to farmers for commercial broilers farming. However, visual sexing is possible at four weeks of age by earlier appearance of combs in case of males. Some of farmers adopt separate sex rearing from four to five weeks onwards to take the added advantage of faster growth in males for earlier disposal by 5-6 days to enhance profitability.

Caring and Raising Ducklings

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Are you contemplating about raising these cute little darlings or how to take care of ducks? At times of the Easter Season, these ducklings do find their way into the beautiful gift baskets. For the purpose of caring and raising ducklings, you should always have all sorts of information about ducks. In comparison to other birds, the ducklings are relatively inexpensive to bring up. Moreover, they can survive easily for a period of 20 years, but with proper caring for a duck and feeding. So, for taking care of ducks or raising a duckling below are some points that you need to ponder.

1. Try not to raise these ducks as house pets. This is because of their habitat that belongs to the open settings and not in the home based environments. You might feel happy in keeping them in your home, but what about the well being and happiness of the ducks. So, if you prefer not be cruel with these darlings, then it is imperative to raise them in the settings to which they rightfully belong.

2. An important personality trait of the pet ducks is their socialization. In other words, their growth is best guaranteed in the presence of other ducks. Moreover, they usually do not fight each other, which is another reason for which keeping them with other ducks is recommended. On the other hand, if you bring them up in isolation, then it is likely that they won’t survive.

3. Make proper arrangements for fulfilling the needs of these animals. In addition to fulfilling their basic needs, you also need to give them with the life which they deserve.

4. In opposition to some misconceptions, ducks are quite intelligent and can respond to your commands. They are capable to play with toys, children and are also able to play a number of games. If they are handled with care and affection from the very start, then it is likely that they are going to become sociable with humans. The element of interaction is the key to raising ducks.

5. The backyard ducks do not demand an open pond or area for swimming. Furthermore, you should also not worry about the odor they give off, as it is quite pleasant in comparison to the chickens.

6. In terms of determining the sex of the ducklings, firstly you need look at their secondary characteristics. For example, the males are marked for having green heads in comparison to the females that lack this feature. For the sake of sexing, you can also consider the voicing style of the domestic ducks which becomes evident as soon as get about 6 weeks old.

7. For the first few weeks, ducklings need to be kept warm and dry. For this purpose, you should make use of a box or a cage. The temperature of the place should be about 30 Degree C. You can also make use of a light bulb for the sake of heating.

8. Try to keep them away from the water, especially when they are alone. It is because they might become chilled and might also drown at times when the water is too deep.

9. In the winter season, you can let them wander outside if they have enough feathers over their body. These feathers appear at about 4 to 5 weeks after their birth. But in times of extremely cold temperatures, it is better to keep them inside.

10. Their shelter should have proper ventilation and area, keeping in view the number of ducklings that are to be accommodated in it. Moreover, the house should also be bedded with sufficient wood shavings and other necessary materials.

11. In terms of feeding ducks, the young ducklings should be fed with started food for baby ducks. For those who are about 3 to 7 weeks, the grower food for ducks might be brought to use. It is also recommended to use some Grit close to them, so that they might use for grinding the food when required. Ducklings care should always be your top most priority. The same applies to the use of water for ducks.

12. In order to deal with the major issue of feces, it is best to make use of a proper diapering system. The diapers used should be changed after a period of 4 hours. But at the time of diapering, you should keep in mind that they should not interfere with their swimming needs. Nonetheless, you should also make all possible arrangements for cleanliness and minimizing the spread of diseases.