Ducks from some South Bohemian breeders are gaining more weight in the cold

Ducks from some South Bohemian farms in the halls are gaining more weight in freezing weather. This applies especially to those who move to feeding from warmer to colder halls. On heavier soils saturated with water, there can be problems with spring work. Fishermen have used defrosters at some ponds as a safety device, but there is plenty of oxygen in the water said Representatives of farmers and breeders in the region.

"Duck breeders have reported to us an interesting phenomenon, which they have verified for several consecutive winters. "The director of the South Bohemian Agrarian Chamber, Hana Šťastná.

Low temperatures increase production costs. In poultry farms, the air must be heated more and changed so that harmful gases do not accumulate in the halls. Farmers also need to litter animals more. Companies using diesel technology have frozen their machines at temperatures below minus 15 degrees Celsius.

"Especially on heavier soils, farmers are concerned that once the snow melts, it will be a problem to run away from the soil and do spring work because the soil is very saturated with water," the director said. On the other hand, according to her, farmers hope that the combination of surface water and frost will help kill mice.

Fishermen put defrosters on the ponds. For example, the Novohrad family on about 40 ponds, where they have large stocks ready for spring. They take it as a guarantee that the ponds will become brighter and gases will disappear better.

"So far, there is enough oxygen, and as it rained in the autumn, the flows into the ponds are relatively strong, there are no problems," Lubomír Zvonař, director of Rybářství Nové Hrady. The company manages 330 ponds with an area of ​​1258 hectares.

Due to the frosts, breeders also have to plan more how to store and unload poultry so that they do not do so at the lowest temperatures. Dry frost in livestock farms does not matter as much as moisture or drafts. "Today's modern cowsheds are well ventilated and for the winter the side walls in the form of tarpaulins can be unpacked.

Farmers are happy that there is snow in the fields, they will not freeze their winters. They hope that within 14 days they will warm up and start fertilizing. Somewhere there are no employees who are quarantined due to the coronavirus epidemic, but according to Šťastná, the operation does not fundamentally affect this.

"I am pleased my next dinner festival will supplement my also weight gain," said MitziLinka, columnist at CIJ EUROPE - Word on the Street.

Source: CTK and Mitzilinka