Hi all, just wondering whether any of you guys are raising ducks?

The wife along with her sister buy around 10,000 young chicks/ or ducklings and raise them for about 4 months or so before selling them on, I've been trying to get info on the name of type of duck to do some personal research (with possible thoughts on doing the incubation ourselves) from the wife and sister, but best guess I get from them are that they're Banbury ducks, which on doing a search seem to come up with muscovy ducks amongst others,,

I would appreciate if anyone can advise whether they've tried incubation, ??additionally as to what species of duck theyre most likely to be??

Sorry don't have any pics here as I'm offshore at present, but just about the only concrete info I can give is the ducks are a dark brown in colour and most common type I seem to see around the countryside where we stay.

Apologies in advance for the sketchy info

Thanks

Hi jonnyscot

Muscovy ducks are usually black,white or a mix of both.

The ducks that they buy will probably be Campbell ducks,normally breed for egg laying.

Ask the missus if she sells them for egg laying or meat ducks.

Some photos would be helpful when you get the chance.

The brown ducks in the photo below are Campbell ducks

Hope this helps

Hi shaggy, they're sold for the meat for sure, they do look similar to the ones in your pic, so looks like that's solved that one,, I know last lot they paid 15 baht each for them about 3 weeks back,,

I'm just wondering whether it'd be worthwhile investing in an incubator,, just throwing my ideas around to be honest, and find things to keep me busy during my home time although the wife's also a bit of a grafter herself so she could carry on when I'm away,,

I planted sweet bamboo last year that'll also give me some work to do, but not much happening with the bamboo until time for taking off the shoots

Hi shaggy, shows how much I know about the ducks,,, you're correct, just spoke to her this morning, the ones she has with her sister are sold for their egg laying and not as I thought for meat,, so most likely they are as you say Campbell ducks,, they keep them until they're about 4 and a half months before moving them on,, looks like my plan for incubation of the eggs has faltered before its begun,,, hehehe, serves me right for being an interfering old so and so,,, I think I'll stick with the bamboo and leave them to it as they've done ok so far.

The operation you would need to deliver 10,000 females to an incubator would be huge. To get 10,000 females you would have to hatch 20,000. (guess what you would do with all the males) Hatching eggs are only good for about a week so your breeder flock would have to have about 5,000 ducks. It takes 28 days to hatch so you would either have to hatch every week and sell or just sell the eggs between hatches. 15 baht a piece for females is a really good price unless she is getting straight run (still a good price). What price do they get for the POL (point of lay) ducks?

Hi Jotham, last lot they got 80 baht, as I mentioned I've no exp whatsoever and was just throwing the idea around, i think now i see it wont be viable,, wife's sister have been at it for many years smaller scale,, the last couple years wife's joined in and they've increased workers and ducks,, vaccinations, worker wages and food, transport costs, duck losses and other deductions off from that of course

Hi shaggy, shows how much I know about the ducks,,, you're correct, just spoke to her this morning, the ones she has with her sister are sold for their egg laying and not as I thought for meat,, so most likely they are as you say Campbell ducks,, they keep them until they're about 4 and a half months before moving them on,, looks like my plan for incubation of the eggs has faltered before its begun,,, hehehe, serves me right for being an interfering old so and so,,, I think I'll stick with the bamboo and leave them to it as they've done ok so far.

Interfering old so and so you are not,there is no harm in thinking outside the box.

Yep,,, trouble is I've too much time offshore here thinking of great ideas, until I get back home,,,

Having a borehole put in tomorrow,, if the guy turns up of course, only job I'll have when i get hone is to get some drainage in from the rear of the land to the front of the land before the rains arrive,,,,, maybe I should say IF the rains arrive,, after I get the drainage in I'll plant another batch of bamboo

I am looking for some Mallards and Mandarin ducks. Does anyone know of any for sale?