Ducks , Are They Viable ?

[micky44]

hi guys,

what are your thoughts about rearing a few ducks ? again in a simalar vain to my last topic, not getting rich but just about getting along with out to much truma. when the wife and i have bought them, in pattaya allready cooked they were about 500 bhat each im sure, when we have bought them in udon on the hoof, or should i say on the wing ! they were about 200 bhat. i am sure they were muscovies, and the wifes parents got really excited, i think that to eat duck was quite a treat for them. sure you would need to be near water and keep a beady eye on them, but would all the rearing and feeding be worth it? also can you buy egg incubaters in los. cheers for any thoughts michael.

[fruity]

Hi Michael,

Muscoveys are viable. Forget incubators, although readily available; Muscoveys are the best natural incubators in the poultry world; four or five batches of ducklings per year from each duck; we just had one hatch day before yesterday, 22 ducklings! We sell all males when approx 3-4 months old to a woman whose business is supplying restaurants, the average weight around 4/5 kilos. These ducks recieve no special feed apart from 'chick crumbs' up to around a month old or so, then they eat whatever is on the menu, mixed with ram (rice bran) plus of course they are constantly foraging, eating bugs etc. One other point with Muscoveys, they have less oil in their feathers than other breeds of duck, therefore they spend much less time on the water, a pool is not really neccessary for them, so long as they have plenty of drinking water.

hi guys,

what are your thoughts about rearing a few ducks ? again in a simalar vain to my last topic, not getting rich but just about getting along with out to much truma. when the wife and i have bought them, in pattaya allready cooked they were about 500 bhat each im sure, when we have bought them in udon on the hoof, or should i say on the wing ! they were about 200 bhat. i am sure they were muscovies, and the wifes parents got really excited, i think that to eat duck was quite a treat for them. sure you would need to be near water and keep a beady eye on them, but would all the rearing and feeding be worth it? also can you buy egg incubaters in los. cheers for any thoughts michael.

[micky44]

hi fruity,

so are you saying yes they are worth a go ? sure there is not going to be a fortune in them but do you think there is a bit of profit, at the end of the day you could allways eat them if you could not sell them !! would you say fruity that muscovies would be the better bet ? the parcel of land we are going to buy this fall has a iragation dam runing along side it, even when they shut it off it still has water in it, i guess the tap must leak. this iragation dam feeds the pond on the above land ,( the ponds about one rai) so i think a few ducks would be a quite a good addition. thanks for your input.

[Ciaphas]

Hi Micky,

My wife has just purchased 30 ducks but for the eggs rather than meat. When I was doing some research on the net about ducks I read somewhere that if you breed ducks for meat it is better for the ducks not to swim as it makes the meat tough.

So you are taking to big plunge then? How many rai have you decided to buy?

All the best

C

[micky44]

hi c.

yes i think i have ! it is a plot of land almost 15 rai just out side the wifes village, as i said it has a sluice running down one side of it, has a really basic thai style shack on it on stilts over looking the pond, when i say basic i mean BASIC ! no elec or water, to be honest i have seen better made dog kennenls, but iam buying it for the land.or should i say paying for it ! hopefully get that bought this november, let her parents use it for rice, have our 6 months in the land of smiles, then back to the uk to work for the house. this years wages will buy the land next years the house, got this thing in my head abour not using my savings , i am only 44 so dont mind working for a few more years, its not so bad if you have a dream, but what i can see of most of the people in the uk they are just working for the latest tv or lap top or new car, i dont know i guess we all want different things. cheers micky.

[fruity]

Hi Michael,

Yes, they are worth a go. As you say, not a fortune in them, but a bit of fun & a few quid surplus. These ducks are raised commercially here inside large houses, much the same way as are broiler chickens. Muscoveys thrive without water in which to swim, adults rarely if ever take the plunge, younger birds the occassional dip, so the water on your land would be a bonus for them.

You will certainly not lose anything with free ranging Muscoveys as opposed to Khakis, the brown egg laying ducks, which as a means to make money are a 'dead loss' taking into account the buying & rearing of these & their voracious appetites, your resulting eggs will end up costing you more to produce than you can buy in the shops. Been there, got the T shirt.lol.

hi fruity,

so are you saying yes they are worth a go ? sure there is not going to be a fortune in them but do you think there is a bit of profit, at the end of the day you could allways eat them if you could not sell them !! would you say fruity that muscovies would be the better bet ? the parcel of land we are going to buy this fall has a iragation dam runing along side it, even when they shut it off it still has water in it, i guess the tap must leak. this iragation dam feeds the pond on the above land ,( the ponds about one rai) so i think a few ducks would be a quite a good addition. thanks for your input.