Do you want to start duck farming commercially and make money? Find in this article a step-by-step guide on the process of starting a profitable duckery with low investment.
Commercial duck farming is a profitable livestock business in the poultry industry. It occupies a position next to chicken farming globally. In addition, any individual can start a duckery from his or her backyard. Here in this post, we intend to explore how to start a commercial duck farming business with little money.
A commercial duckery can provide a substantial profit to the owner. Asia as a region dominates the world production league table. And China accounts for almost 80% of the Asian total. India, Indonesia, Korea, and Malaysia are the major duck meat-producing countries globally.
Related: How to Start a Poultry Farming Business
In nature, the duck is a water bird. However, You can start and operate duckery without water bodies. Furthermore, you can also go for an integrated farming system. Like fishery and duck farming. There are several advantages of duck farming. From a large-scale duckery, you can also supply good quality hatching eggs & day-old ducklings of egg and meat-type strains. That is why duck farming is a lucrative opportunity for small farm owners.
Advantages of Duck Farming
- First of all, ducks do not require any elaborate housing. In addition, it demands less attention than chicken or poultry farming.
- Ducks lay about 40-50 eggs more than chickens.
- Duck eggs are 15-20 grams larger than chicken eggs.
- Ducks are quite hardy birds. Thus, they are more resistant to many avian diseases.
- Duck rearing is economical as compared to chicken by virtue of their feeding habits of foraging.
- Furthermore, you will not find any cannibalism and agnostic behavior in ducks like chickens.
- You can keep a record of accurate data of egg-laying for breeding purposes without wastage of time and labor.
- In addition, duck eggs provide more nutrients per egg than a chicken egg.
- Ducks are suitable for integrated farming systems, such as duck cum fish farming.
- Ducks are not so susceptible to disease and parasites in comparison to chickens.
- The down and small body feathers of the ducks are valuable. Different types of industries use feathers for different purposes.
- Finally, ducks are good exterminators of potato beetles, grasshoppers, snails, and slugs.
Duck Farming Business Plan Guide
First of all, you must determine the farm size. And it depends on the number of birds. Commercial operations vary in size from relatively small farms of 6,000 ducks per batch to large operations with 50,000 to 100,000 ducks per batch.
Determine whether you will rear ducks for eggs or meat. Accordingly, you will need to select the breed.
Determine the capital investment and development cost for duck farming. It includes land prices, housing, compliances, purchasing ducklings, feeding, and medicines.
Look for expert advice on legal, financial, and business issues. If you are running the farm under a contract with a processing company, this is a must.
The potential income will also vary depending on the size of the operation, the contract price negotiated with the processor, and the number of batches reared per year.
Health Benefits of Duck Eggs
- First of all, a raw duck egg comprises large amounts of essential vitamin A. Eating duck eggs is great for individuals who are not obtaining adequate amounts of this vitamin from their diets.
- Duck eggs are rich in several minerals. For instance, one duck egg provides 155mg of phosphorus, 44mg of calcium, and 150mg of potassium.
- Duck eggs are outstanding protein sources and they offer about 20% of the daily recommended protein intake.
- Another important vitamin present in duck eggs is vitamin E. And vitamin E has antioxidant properties. It not only guards against damage by free radicals but also promotes digestive health.
Selecting the Right Breed For Duck Farming
Khaki Campbell is the best among the egg-laying breeds. You can get almost an egg a day in this breed for well over twelve months. Khaki Campbell ducks weigh about 2 to 2.2 Kg, and drakes 2.2 to 2.4 Kg. Egg size varies from 65 to 75 gms.
White Pekin is the most popular duck breed globally for table purposes.
In addition, it is fast-growing and has low feed consumption with fine-quality meat. It attains about 2.2 to 2.5 Kg of body weight at 42 days of age. You can get a feed conversion ratio of 1:2.3 to 2.7 kg.
Basic Guide For Duck Farming
Brooding
The brooding period of Khaki Campbell ducklings is 3 to 4 weeks. However, for meat-type ducklings such as Pekin, brooding for 2 to 3 weeks is sufficient. You must provide the duckling wire floor, litter, or batteries for brooding.
Rearing
You can rear ducklings in intensive, semi-intensive, or range systems. Provide specific space according to the system. In addition, you will need to provide drinkers.
Duck Housing
Apart from a brooder, you can go for a simple housing structure. It needs a partially enclosed shed, inexpensive fencing, a feed hopper or trough made of wood, and a simply constructed watering device. In addition, you must establish the duckery on a high, well-drained area of the yard.
Water
Ducks are waterbirds and very fond of water. However, you can operate a duck farm without providing water for swimming. This is not essential. However, provide sufficiently deep drinkers to allow the immersion of their heads and not themselves.
Feeding
Generally, ducks prefer wet mash due to difficulties in swallowing dry mash. Ducks are good foragers. The use of the range, pond, or supplementary green feed, reduces the feed cost. However, never allow your ducks to access food without water.
Maintain proper hygienic conditions inside your duck farm. Ducks are resistant to common avian diseases. Duck diseases are similar to those of chicken and some are common for both. However, the course of the disease may vary. In an emergency, consult veterinarians.
How Much Can You Earn from Duck Farming?
The income from duck farming will depend on the size and scale of the duck farm. On average, a duck farm owner can make $15 to $20 per hour easily.
Editorial Team at 99BusinessIdeas is a team of experts led by Rupak Chakrabarty with over 25 years of experience in starting and running small businesses. Started in 2010, 99BusinessIdeas is now one of the largest free small business resources in the industry.
