(© Regine Revermann, LWK Lower Saxony)
To ensure adequate feed and water hygiene, certain principles should be observed.
- Feed quality should be checked regularly by means of a sensory assessment based on the parameters in the table below. If any quality defects are found in the feed, it should be replaced immediately with feed of impeccable quality.
| Parameter | Compound feed (ground grain / pellets) | Cereals |
| Texture | clumpy, damp Temperature (heated), caking, webs, foreign matter, abrasion content in pelletised feed | cloying, damp Temperature (warmed), caking |
| Odour | musty, stale, mouldy, yeasty, alcoholic (yeast contamination), sweetish (mite contamination), rancid (fat spoilage), putrid/carcass-like (protein degradation) | musty, mouldy, putrid, sweetish, yeasty, alcoholic, roasted aroma, stable or chemical odour, fishy (stone burn) |
| Taste | scratchy, burnt -> indication of fat/feed spoilage | unpleasantly bitter -> indication of immaturity or fungal contamination |
| Colour | washed-out – grey – dirty, white/yellow, green, blue discolouration Skin surface: diffuse greying or dark discolouration (-> black mould) | dirty-greyish, black-brownish, red-violet (stained), green (immaturity), reddish (Fusarium contamination) |
| Contaminants | Insects or insect fragments, rodent droppings, miscellaneous (glass shards, ‘silo residues’), different pellet types (diameter, colour, structure) | Sandy-earthy impurities, seedlings, admixtures (chaff, rodent droppings, foreign bodies), storage pests such as grain weevils, mites, etc. |
<figcaption>Table 4: Sensory testing and quality defects in selected feedstuffs (adapted from Kamphues et al., 2009)</figcaption>
- The best-before date of the feed should not be exceeded, as prolonged storage, particularly under suboptimal conditions, can adversely affect the quality of the feed.
- If using your own water (well water) to water the animals, regular (e.g. annual) microbiological and chemical-physical testing is recommended.
- An important factor in providing the animals with fresh water daily is the regular flushing of the pipes and cleaning of the water troughs (particularly after the use of veterinary medicines or feed supplements via the drinking system, as well as after prolonged periods of inactivity).
- The use of additives such as chlorine dioxide or organic acids is a suitable way of keeping drinking water pipes clean. These can, for example, be added to the drinking water via special dosing systems. The manufacturer’s instructions for use should always be followed. Physical methods such as pulse flushing (alternating air and water pulses) can also remove or prevent deposits in the pipes. However, the use of these additives does not replace regular external cleaning of the drinking facilities, e.g. round drinkers.
- Providing an (additional) open water supply to keep the ducks occupied always carries the risk of the litter becoming waterlogged and of a higher bacterial load, which can lead to an increased risk of disease in the animals. Measures should be taken to prevent this. Excess water can be drained away via (plastic) grates beneath the drinking area. It should be noted that the water must be collected and it must be possible to pump it out and, for example, spread it on arable land. Regularly moving the drinkers and regularly replenishing the litter around the drinkers can also counteract the litter becoming waterlogged. Furthermore, the water in open drinkers should be changed daily.
- Only high-quality straw (free from fungal infestation) should be used for bedding.