Ducks of meat breeds: description, cultivation features. What to feed ducks

2024 Author: Howard Calhoun | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:16

Meat ducks are very popular among our compatriots. They quickly gain weight and do not require special care. Therefore, they are often bred by novice farmers. In today's article you will find a brief description of the most common breeds.

General Features

Ducks of meat breeds are characterized by relatively high fecundity, precocity and relatively low egg production. They are characterized by large size and live weight. With proper feeding, in the first two months of life, they gain about three kilograms. As a rule, such birds do not need specific care and independently find food on free pasture.

The meat of such ducks is very different from chicken. It has a darker shade and coarse fiber structure. It contains a high percentage of fat. The rich taste of this product is especially appreciated by gourmets. Therefore, it is widely used in cooking.

Muscovy duck breeding

These birds got their name from the specific odor released from their subcutaneous glands. They differcalm disposition and do not scream like most of their relatives. Muscovy ducks are rather large short-legged birds with powerful wings, a short neck and a broad chest. Their body is covered with blue, white, brown or black plumage.

Muscovy duck breeding is quite a profitable business. These unpretentious birds are distinguished by fairly good he alth and rarely get sick. They are not particularly demanding on the quality of feed and have high productivity. From spring to autumn, one female is able to sit two or three broods of fifteen ducklings. These birds do not tolerate cold well, so they are transferred to a warm room for the winter. Cages and summer houses cannot be used for their maintenance. They need to be settled in solid, well-lit poultry houses that are reliably protected from dampness and sudden temperature changes.

Peking duck

These birds have a long history. They first appeared in China about three hundred years ago. Peking duck quickly gained popularity in its historical homeland, and then spread throughout Europe.

Such birds have a strong body with a broad chest and a large back. They are easy to recognize by a special convex forehead. On the large head of such ducks is a flat, bright orange beak. The large body of these waterfowl is covered with white or cream plumage.

Peking duck has delicious nutritious meat with a relatively low content of fatty fibers. The birds themselves are quite hardy and picky. They arerapidly gaining weight and can be kept away from water bodies. The main disadvantages of representatives of this breed include underdeveloped maternal instinct and inability to live in damp rooms.

Moscow White

The first representatives of this breed appeared in the 40s of the last century. They were bred by crossing Peking ducks with Campbell drakes. Subsequently, these birds spread widely across the territory of Russia, the B altic States, Ukraine and Belarus. Most often, small farms are involved in their breeding.

The white Muscovy duck has a wide chest, short legs, a long neck and a large oblong head with a light pink beak. The body of the bird is covered with pure white plumage without bright spots. The weight of an adult varies from three and a half to four kilograms. With good nutrition, 50-day-old ducklings grow to 2.5 kg.

White Moscow have thin bones and juicy tender meat. They are characterized by high performance and durability. Like many other ducks of meat breeds, they do not require special care and are not picky in everything that concerns food. They have good immunity and easily tolerate cold.

Swedish blue ducks

These birds were bred in the 19th century. Subsequently, they spread widely outside their homeland. They are especially popular among German farmers. By analogy with other ducks of meat breeds, they are distinguished by good immunity and the ability to quickly adapt to any conditions.content.

These birds have a taut muscular body, covered with gray plumage, to which strong large wings adjoin. Under the body of the Swedish blue duck are short legs of a dirty orange hue with black spots. On a small oval head there is a straight yellowish beak with a green tint. An adult weighs between three and four kilograms.

The diet of these unpretentious, but rather voracious birds should be dominated by greens. Its absence negatively affects the quality of meat. In addition, Swedish blue ducks need to be walked. In the absence of it, the birds begin to get sick and gain weight poorly.

Ukrainian gray

Representatives of this breed were bred through long-term selection. They have a strong constitution with soft bones and well-developed muscles. The body of these birds is covered with light and dense plumage. On a small, slightly elongated dark brown head are bright eyes and a strong beak of an olive hue.

By analogy with many other ducks of meat breeds, they quickly gain weight. These unpretentious birds are able to winter in unheated rooms. As for nutrition, they Ukrainian gray ducks can eat grass, animal feed, vegetables and fruits. With particular pleasure, they eat various aquatic vegetation such as duckweed or algae.

Rouen ducks

These heavy birds were bred in Normandy. The progenitors of this breed of ducks, the description of which will be presented below, are considered to be tamed individuals,living in the vicinity of Rouen. Over time, these birds spread throughout the European continent.

The juicy dark meat of Rouen ducks is distinguished by its high palatability and very delicate structure. These birds should be bred by more experienced farmers as they require meticulous care.

Representatives of this breed have a massive body with a broad chest and strong back. Their plumage is very reminiscent of the coloring of wild ducks. On both sides of the dark brown head are beige stripes. On the upper part of a long wide greenish-yellow beak there are well-defined spots. Under the massive body of the duck are short thick legs. The average weight of an adult varies from three to four kilograms.

Eylsbury ducks

This is one of the oldest meat breeds. It was bred by English breeders in 1845. Eilsbury are distinguished by a horizontally set dense body with a powerful, well-developed skeleton. On a large head is a relatively large pale orange beak and small lead-blue eyes. The impressive massive body of these ducks is covered with pure white plumage. The average weight of an adult is between 3.3 and 4.5 kilograms.

To breed these birds, you need to have a small plot of land located on a slope. For year-round cultivation of ducks of this breed, it is recommended to equip a capital warm room with a concrete floor. It is desirable to keep young animals in a closed house on a deep litter. In addition, thisducks need to be provided with access to the reservoir.

Bashkir color

The ancestors of this breed are ordinary Peking ducks. They have a densely built massive body, under which are widely spaced thick legs. The body of these birds is covered with piebald plumage. An adult can weigh up to three or four kilograms.

The main advantages of the Bashkir colored duck include stress resistance, the ability to withstand low temperatures, high immunity and rapid growth. The most important shortcomings of representatives of this breed should be considered a tendency to obesity, voracity and excessive loudness.

Content Features

To grow ducks at home, you need to equip a separate room. The plank walls of the house should be upholstered with plywood, cardboard and whitewashed. The log building needs to be plastered and caulked. Walls finished in this way will keep cool in the heat, and keep warm in the cold.

So that rats and mice do not penetrate the ducks, the floor of the house is located twenty centimeters above the ground. From above it is covered with a layer of peat, wood shavings or dry straw. A comfortable temperature must be maintained in the duck rearing complex. In addition, it must be provided with good ventilation and lighting.

Features of food

To make a good duck of meat breed from a chick, it needs to be properly fed. Immediately after birth, they are given finely chopped boiled eggs and crushed oatmeal.cereals. On the second day, cottage cheese is introduced into the diet of the chicks, and after another five days, chopped fresh herbs.

Two-week-old ducklings may well eat mash potatoes and other root crops. During the first few days, the chicks are fed six to eight times. Starting from the tenth day, babies are transferred to five meals a day. Adults are fed only in the morning and evening.

Having de alt with the regime, you need to say a few words about how to feed the ducks. In the mornings, they are recommended to give crushed milk, and in the evening - mash. They can be prepared from aquatic vegetation, vegetables, root vegetables and fresh herbs. Since these birds are unpretentious in everything related to food, they are often fed with waste from the master's table. Many experienced farmers advise adding whey, fish and meat meal to the menu.

Those who are trying to figure out how to feed ducks raised for meat, it does not hurt to remember that the basis of their diet should be cereals. A couple of weeks before slaughter, foods containing an increased amount of protein are added to the poultry menu. It can be beans or cottage cheese. During the fattening period, it is desirable to limit the movement of ducks.

Helpful tips

Many experienced experts recommend taking ducklings from their mother as soon as they are born. In this case, you can immediately start fattening them for meat. It is important to remember that babies are very susceptible to temperature fluctuations and drafts. During this period, they cannot be released into the reservoir, and it is advisable to add any vitamin and mineral to their diet.complex.

Ducks raised for meat need a certain amount of space. Three birds should account for at least one square meter of barn area. Since ducks of meat breeds also lay eggs, they need to equip spacious nests. They can be built from regular wooden crates lined with clean straw.

You can grow birds for meat not only in the warm season, but also in winter. During the colder months, birds should be fed three or four times a day. In the morning they pour mash, and in the evening - grain.

To slaughter a duck for meat, it is not at all necessary to wait all summer. It is desirable to do this before the first molt. The carcass of a sixty-day duckling has a more aesthetic appearance, since there are no so-called hemp on its skin. Early slaughter is also carried out for economic reasons. Birds under two months of age consume much less food.

Older ducks become voracious and accumulate fat at a rapid pace. A five-month-old bird is able to eat about twenty-five kilograms of feed. Therefore, it is advisable to keep them for a long time only when you have a reservoir nearby, in which they will independently get their own food in the form of duckweed and various insects. Do not forget that the meat of large ducks is too fatty and not so tasty.