Breeding ducks -- the importance of good health

摘要

The cornerstone to modern duck production is to maximise the number of fit, viable ducklings produced per breeder female duck housed at point of lay that are able to go through to processing. That is, the breeder female's contribution to an integratedduck operation will ultimately be defined in terms of kilograms of duck meat produced per breeder female housed at point of lay. If we consider this, the success in achieving this target will be dependent on several things. These include keeping the breeder ducks alive through lay, maximising their egg production, maximising the hatchability of the eggs produced and producing strong, viable, healthy ducklings.