Ducks in Thailand

[riceyummm]

I figure this is the place to ask this question.

A couple of years ago I was watching a flock of ducks in a little pond, the pond was surrounded by a short fence and I asked my wife why the ducks didn't just fly away.

She looked at me like I was crazy and said "Ducks can't fly". As a lifelong waterfowl hunter I could have made a case for flying ducks. Rather than start an extended argument which I knew I would not win I shut up. 

Can anyone tell me why the local ducks don't just fly away?

[jak2002003]

Really, as a lifelong waterfowl hunter you don't know domesticated ducks are too fat and heavy to fly?

 

 

[BritManToo]

My pet ducks and chickens could all fly, but didn't bother all that much.

They don't bother to go far from their known food source.

[sateuk]

They do fly away sometimes but you clip there wings when young so they cant

[Speedo1968]

So called "local" ducks could be anything.    If commercial strains for either meat or eggs they are so genetically removed from their predecessors that their ability to walk, let alone fly, is fairly non-existent.

Commercial ducks here and elsewhere in Asia are often F3 - F10 and have little of anything left from the original GGP either for 'commercial' production or general stamina.    Ducks in general have weak legs which is why they are best caught round the neck not by the leg as with chickens.

 

There are local crosses between breeds, some of which may be fairly professionally crossed whilst others are whatever happens to be around.   These may also be mule, 'tsiaya' or'kaiya'.

 

In Malaysia old tin mining ponds are often used for raising commercial ducks.

In Thailand paddy ducks are, though not so often now. used on rice ponds at certain times to eat insects.

In some countries for commercial meat ducks a shed is built close to a large pond to house several hundred ducks ( from a few days of age ); along with these ducks is a single female duck that will teach them to swim and bring them back to the house at night.   A radio is sometimes played so that if the young bird gets lost it can 'home - in' so to speak and find its way back to the house.     Food is often dumped in a big pile and covered by a plastic sheet.

 

Pond rearing / growing can be fine but in some years massive losses can occur from algae poisoning or suddenly released toxins in old tin mining ponds.   

 

In China sometimes small rivers or streams are diverted through a farm, especially breeding stock farms.   The diverted water runs past the houses and the ducks can swim, the water leaving the farm then carries duck feaces downstream.  The down side is that such systems cause behavioural problems such as rape.

 

Can ducks fly ............ !?

[riceyummm]

Thanks for all the helpful answers gentlemen, even the unnecessarily obnoxious one.

[phuketsub]

On 12/13/2018 at 7:42 PM, Speedo1968 said:

So called "local" ducks could be anything.    If commercial strains for either meat or eggs they are so genetically removed from their predecessors that their ability to walk, let alone fly, is fairly non-existent.

Commercial ducks here and elsewhere in Asia are often F3 - F10 and have little of anything left from the original GGP either for 'commercial' production or general stamina.    Ducks in general have weak legs which is why they are best caught round the neck not by the leg as with chickens.

 

There are local crosses between breeds, some of which may be fairly professionally crossed whilst others are whatever happens to be around.   These may also be mule, 'tsiaya' or'kaiya'.

 

In Malaysia old tin mining ponds are often used for raising commercial ducks.

In Thailand paddy ducks are, though not so often now. used on rice ponds at certain times to eat insects.

In some countries for commercial meat ducks a shed is built close to a large pond to house several hundred ducks ( from a few days of age ); along with these ducks is a single female duck that will teach them to swim and bring them back to the house at night.   A radio is sometimes played so that if the young bird gets lost it can 'home - in' so to speak and find its way back to the house.     Food is often dumped in a big pile and covered by a plastic sheet.

 

Pond rearing / growing can be fine but in some years massive losses can occur from algae poisoning or suddenly released toxins in old tin mining ponds.   

 

In China sometimes small rivers or streams are diverted through a farm, especially breeding stock farms.   The diverted water runs past the houses and the ducks can swim, the water leaving the farm then carries duck feaces downstream.  The down side is that such systems cause behavioural problems such as rape.

 

Can ducks fly ............ !?

I've been thinking about getting into it as a kind of backyard hobby, just for the eggs. Do you think it's worth the hassle? How many eggs would a pair of healthy ducks produce over time. just picking your brains as you seem to know a lot about this topic...

[Speedo1968]

3 hours ago, phuketsub said:

I've been thinking about getting into it as a kind of backyard hobby, just for the eggs. Do you think it's worth the hassle? How many eggs would a pair of healthy ducks produce over time. just picking your brains as you seem to know a lot about this topic...

Hello  phuketsub, when you say "backyard hobby" and "just for the eggs" do you mean for home consumption only or for possibly selling at the home gate or local market ?    Or, do you mean for possibly producing offspring to sell ?    Any idea of numbers of eggs you would like to have available ?

If you could let me know then we can take it from there, and I will keep my replies easy to understand.

 

A few things you could think about now, do you have children that would come in to contact with the ducks, do you have open water nearby ( other than the sea if you are in Phuket ), area for housing, people close by with ducks or chickens, area of land available if ducks are to be free range.

 

 

 

[phuketsub]

2 hours ago, Speedo1968 said:

Hello  phuketsub, when you say "backyard hobby" and "just for the eggs" do you mean for home consumption only or for possibly selling at the home gate or local market ?    Or, do you mean for possibly producing offspring to sell ?    Any idea of numbers of eggs you would like to have available ?

If you could let me know then we can take it from there, and I will keep my replies easy to understand.

 

A few things you could think about now, do you have children that would come in to contact with the ducks, do you have open water nearby ( other than the sea if you are in Phuket ), area for housing, people close by with ducks or chickens, area of land available if ducks are to be free range.

 

 

 

Thanks for your comments. I am based in Songkhla, where we run a little language school out of a huge house, and I was hoping I could use a little project like this to teach them. Art kids a threat to the ducks? Or is it the other way around?

 

Water is no problem as I collect a lot from rainfall, mostly used in my garden. We also have a municipal supply. There are quite a lot of people with duck farms in this district, but nobody in our neighborhood. There are always lots of chickens running around too, and lots of stray cats...that would be my chief concern. We do have a dog, but he's a gentle golden retriever and I don't think he would be a problem.

 

I don't think the ducks could go totally free-range though, I'd just like to keep them in my yard, which is fenced in...but there is a lot of space between the pickets, so I doubt it would keep them in under its current state. I guess I would have to get some meshing.

 

As for the egg requirement, I think about 20 a week would be enough to feed our family.

 

Speaking of family, I would have to get the green light from my parents-in-law first, since it is their house...

 

Anyway, thanks again.

[Speedo1968]

16 hours ago, phuketsub said:

Thanks for your comments. I am based in Songkhla, where we run a little language school out of a huge house, and I was hoping I could use a little project like this to teach them. Art kids a threat to the ducks? Or is it the other way around?

 

Water is no problem as I collect a lot from rainfall, mostly used in my garden. We also have a municipal supply. There are quite a lot of people with duck farms in this district, but nobody in our neighborhood. There are always lots of chickens running around too, and lots of stray cats...that would be my chief concern. We do have a dog, but he's a gentle golden retriever and I don't think he would be a problem.

 

I don't think the ducks could go totally free-range though, I'd just like to keep them in my yard, which is fenced in...but there is a lot of space between the pickets, so I doubt it would keep them in under its current state. I guess I would have to get some meshing.

 

As for the egg requirement, I think about 20 a week would be enough to feed our family.

 

Speaking of family, I would have to get the green light from my parents-in-law first, since it is their house...

 

Anyway, thanks again.

Hello 'phuketsub', thanks for your prompt response, will get back to you later today Wednesday 20th to answer your questions.

 

[Speedo1968]

On 2/19/2019 at 6:45 PM, phuketsub said:

Thanks for your comments. I am based in Songkhla, where we run a little language school out of a huge house, and I was hoping I could use a little project like this to teach them. Art kids a threat to the ducks? Or is it the other way around?

 

Water is no problem as I collect a lot from rainfall, mostly used in my garden. We also have a municipal supply. There are quite a lot of people with duck farms in this district, but nobody in our neighborhood. There are always lots of chickens running around too, and lots of stray cats...that would be my chief concern. We do have a dog, but he's a gentle golden retriever and I don't think he would be a problem.

 

I don't think the ducks could go totally free-range though, I'd just like to keep them in my yard, which is fenced in...but there is a lot of space between the pickets, so I doubt it would keep them in under its current state. I guess I would have to get some meshing.

 

As for the egg requirement, I think about 20 a week would be enough to feed our family.

 

Speaking of family, I would have to get the green light from my parents-in-law first, since it is their house...

 

Anyway, thanks again.

Hello phuketsub

My apologies for the delay.

Have added some info as a doc file, hope this is ok ?   Please let me know if you cannot open.

The idea of have hands on experience with an animal is always a learning experience.

You never know, you could end up having a small Pet Farm !

Contact me anytime if you need help understanding some of what I have written, hopefully it is fairly clear.

Good luck.

21 February 2019 - to phuketsub - info.docx

[phuketsub]

Thanks so much Speedo1968! I will give it a thorough read and let you know.

 

[Naam]

On 2/19/2019 at 11:55 AM, phuketsub said:

I've been thinking about getting into it as a kind of backyard hobby, just for the eggs. Do you think it's worth the hassle? How many eggs would a pair of healthy ducks produce over time. just picking your brains as you seem to know a lot about this topic...

living on a lake in Florida i raised a dozen ducks (1 day old Mallards). they turned out to be 4 males and 8 femals. after several months i had to fight crows, possums, gators and other animals to net daily 3 eggs. taste absoeffinglutely delicious! wouldn't touch chicken eggs anymore. tried in Thailand for the umpteenth time duck eggs and couldn't finish a single ugly tasting one.

[Speedo1968]

On 2/28/2019 at 6:32 PM, Naam said:

living on a lake in Florida i raised a dozen ducks (1 day old Mallards). they turned out to be 4 males and 8 femals. after several months i had to fight crows, possums, gators and other animals to net daily 3 eggs. taste absoeffinglutely delicious! wouldn't touch chicken eggs anymore. tried in Thailand for the umpteenth time duck eggs and couldn't finish a single ugly tasting one.

Eggs are like any other kind of food.

It will depend on the genetics of the species, the age, the type of food accessible, the kind of soil its food grows in etc.    

 

In general REAL free-range eggs from birds on excellent all year round areas for foraging will have a different taste.

 

Yes, duck eggs are far better, I think, than any kind of chicken or poultry especially when it comes to making cakes.

 

It depends where you buy your duck eggs from, often such eggs are rejects from a hatchery, often they have been cleaned and the cuticle damaged, they are almost always ( if displayed on trays ) upside down ( i.e. pointed end up ).

[BritManToo]

On 2/19/2019 at 6:45 PM, phuketsub said:

I don't think the ducks could go totally free-range though, I'd just like to keep them in my yard, which is fenced in...but there is a lot of space between the pickets, so I doubt it would keep them in under its current state. I guess I would have to get some meshing.

 

As for the egg requirement, I think about 20 a week would be enough to feed our family.

 

They don't need any water at all apart from drinking, but they do poop everywhere.

When it was hot and dry we used to fill a plastic cement mix bowl with water for them, and they were happy enough with they. No need for fencing, they knew where they lived but you need somewhere enclosed for the night.

The Khaki Cambells I had, 1 female duck = 5 eggs/week, no need for any male ducks.

 

No need to worry about cats, they won't take on a grown duck.

Dogs and snakes can be a problem.

[Speedo1968]

On 3/3/2019 at 11:44 AM, BritManToo said:

They don't need any water at all apart from drinking, but they do poop everywhere.

When it was hot and dry we used to fill a plastic cement mix bowl with water for them, and they were happy enough with they. No need for fencing, they knew where they lived but you need somewhere enclosed for the night.

The Khaki Cambells I had, 1 female duck = 5 eggs/week, no need for any male ducks.

 

No need to worry about cats, they won't take on a grown duck.

Dogs and snakes can be a problem.

The idea of a plastic cement mix bowl is good, just ensure they can get in and out easily, a ducks leg is inherently not strong.

 

Water IS VITALLY important for a duck, not obviously just for drinking but for its immune system and other key points of maintaining good health.

 

Firstly, the key to a ducks immune system is via the eyes, for this water needs to be at a depth where the duck can easily dip its whole head.   

 

Secondly, the ducks nasal passage can easily become blocked by poor quality dusty feed.

 

Thirdly, ideally the duck should have a large enough container of water to be able to preen.    This allows for the feathers to remain in good condition, reduce insect infestation if any, to avoid chilling ( yes it can happen here even with housed ducks - I saw this when visiting a farm with open sided houses where the fans were not turned off following heavy rain during a cool weather day.    Thousands of ducks went off lay and moulted. ) 

 

Fourthly, playing and preening activity around water can be relaxing for the duck and the water area a place for socialising.

 

Please note I am not weirdo about animal activities, i have worked in farming since 1961 in many countries and as a consultant for many years.

Irrespective of the number of animals you may have learning a little compassion for their basic needs can improve their ( the animals ) condition and, if it is a commercial enterprise it can put more money in your pocket.

[BritManToo]

9 minutes ago, Speedo1968 said:

Fourthly, playing and preening activity around water can be relaxing for the duck and the water area a place for socialising.

My two always seemed happy enough.

 

[Speedo1968]

23 hours ago, BritManToo said:

My two always seemed happy enough.

Many thanks BritManToo, just what the doctor ordered.

Have seen extremes of water availability on commercial farms in various countries; it's a shame that such an easy and ideal solution is not taken on board by some of them.

Spread the word please and thanks gain.