Adequate and proper nutrition is important to the general wellbeing and optimal performance of animals. If the needed nutrition is not provided, certain body functions would be badly affected.
For ducks and geese, body functions like cell and tissue repairs, growth, and egg productions will retard if the nutritional requirements of the ducks and geese are not met. Some nutritional deficiencies due to poor nutrition can lead to the death of affected birds; hence, an economic loss to the rearer.
To avoid the above from occurring, it is imperative for duck or goose farmers to know the nutritional requirements for ducks and geese. Knowing this would greatly help them to formulate the right feed for their birds.
The nutritional requirements of ducks and geese at different ages are presented in the tables below.
Duck/Goose Starter (0-3 Weeks)
| Nutrients | Requirements |
|---|---|
| Metabolizable Energy (ME) | 2900 kcal/kg |
| Crude Protein (CP) | 20% (min) |
| Crude Fat | 5% (max) |
| Crude Fibre (CF) | 5% (max) |
| Calcium | 0.9% (min) |
| Phosphorus, available | 0.4% (min) |
| Total Phosphorus | 0.65% (min) |
| Lysine | 0.98% (min) |
| Methionine + Cystine | 0.8% (min) |
Duck/Goose Finisher (4-20 Weeks)
| Nutrients | Requirements |
|---|---|
| Metabolizable Energy (ME) | 3000 kcal/kg |
| Crude Protein (CP) | 18% (min) |
| Crude Fat | 5% (max) |
| Crude Fibre (CF) | 5% (max) |
| Calcium | 0.8% (min) |
| Phosphorus, available | 0.35% (min) |
| Total Phosphorus | 0.6% (min) |
| Lysine | 0.8% (min) |
| Methionine + Cystine | 0.69% (min) |
Duck/Goose Breeder
| Nutrients | Requirements |
|---|---|
| Metabolizable Energy (ME) | 2800 kcal/kg |
| Crude Protein (CP) | 15% (min) |
| Crude Fat | 5% (max) |
| Crude Fibre (CF) | 5% (max) |
| Calcium | 2.7% (min) |
| Phosphorus, available | 0.4% (min) |
| Total Phosphorus | 0.62% (min) |
| Lysine | 0.7% (min) |
| Methionine + Cystine | 0.65% (min) |
