In order to diversify the family table, many Russians keep different kinds of animals on their suburban areas. These can be, for example, rabbits, chickens, geese and, of course, ducks. Birds of the latter species are bred by summer residents and villagers mainly only for meat. This bird has a very tasty, nutritious and healthy. But, of course, in order to ultimately get high-quality duck meat, you must strictly follow the technology of its cultivation.
Breed selection
Before proceeding with the organization of a family mini-farm, of course, you need to decide on the type of duck. In the Russian climate, summer residents most often grow such breeds as Peking, musk or mulard. All of these varieties are unpretentious and high productivity.
Peking ducks have been grown by domestic summer residents for many decades. In fact, this breed has become traditional for the owners of household plots in our country. The Peking duck is gaining weight quite quickly and is completely picky about feed. However, she has one significant drawback. Peking domestic duck meat, although tasty, is very fatty. Moreover, this bird eats a lot. Therefore, in recent years, the Russian owners of mini-farms are becoming more and more popular musky duck. The meat of this breed is much tastier than that of Peking, and at the same time it is completely lean. Such ducks do not eat too much. But they also gain weight quite slowly.
Mulard is a sterile hybrid of Peking and Musk duck and combines the positive qualities of both of these breeds. These birds gain weight quickly, they have tasty meat, they eat less than Peking, and at the same time they are unpretentious.
How to get muleards yourself
Thus, it is this breed that is currently the best duck. Their meat is distinguished by a delicate texture and juiciness. Moreover, it is completely non-greasy. It’s easy to get little mulardics, including on your own. To do this, you just need to cross several Peking ducks with a musky drake.
Duck eggs are laid in late March - early April. Nests for them should be installed in a house on a small hill, in a quiet, shaded place. A brood duck must have access to water. Wet feathers Peking moisturize eggs, which increases the percentage of hatchability.
Mulardiks hatch usually on the 28th day after the onset of incubation. One Peking takes out up to 20 ducklings at a time. Of course, you can get chicks in an artificial way - in an incubator. This technique is best suited if you need to immediately withdraw a large number of ducklings. Using an incubator at a time you can get 100, 200 or more chicks.
How to feed the chicks
Immediately after hatching and drying, ducklings of any breed should be surely (forcibly) drunk with water, slightly tinted with potassium permanganate. Also chicks need to be fed. Little ducklings are usually given either “Start” food purchased in a specialty store or just a chopped chicken egg mixed with boiled porridge. There are newborn ducklings who do not know how. So that they start grabbing food, it is best to sprinkle pieces directly on their backs. Ducklings perceive moving food much better.
The day after hatching, the cottage cheese can already be added to the chicks. This product is essential for the poultry. Curd ducklings should be given up to a month old. On the third day after hatching, the ducks can begin to mix finely chopped greens. On the tenth day, boiled potatoes are introduced into the diet, and on the 14th - cut duckweed.
Growing ducks for meat: feeding adult birds
Newborn chicks are given food 6-8 times a day. Starting from a week of age, the frequency of feeding is gradually reduced. Up to 30 days, ducklings are given at least 3-4 times a knock, and then at least 2-3 times. The basis of the diet should be poultry or special feed, or wheat. Ducks also gain weight well on corn crushers. Many farmers give this bird and barley. Crushed and cereal is best fed to ducks in the morning and evening. At lunch, the bird should receive wet mash. They are prepared from cut fresh grass, duckweed, root vegetables. It is this diet that ultimately allows you to get a very tasty duck meat in large quantities.
Conditions of detention
Of course, as with any other poultry, ducks require a special room. These birds enter the barn at night and during the rain. In any case, this room should be dry and warm. Damp ducks can not stand. In the barn, it is imperative to arrange ventilation and good lighting. The floor in the house is covered with a thick layer of straw or hay. Litter must be mixed with lime-cannon. The area of the shed must be selected so that 2-3 ducks account for at least 1 m 2 .
At the house you need to equip the aviary. Well, if near the site there is some kind of pond. Swim ducks can be released immediately after they are covered with a feather. The meat of a duck grown on a pond is always very tasty. The fact is that, by extracting food from water, these birds get a lot of vitamins and all kinds of trace elements. If there is no possibility to equip an aviary at the pond, ducks should make at least a small artificial pool. At least 2 m 2 of free space should be allocated per head in an aviary.
Slaughter of a bird
Ducks are usually grown for meat for no more than two to three months. There is no need to hold the bird longer. There will be a lot of ducks, and at the same time gain weight slowly. In addition, juvenile molting will begin in the bird. As a result, a lot of stubborn stumps will subsequently appear on carcasses.
Treatment
The slaughtered bird must first be plucked, scalded first with boiling water. Then the carcass is gutted in the usual way. You can cook duck meat in a variety of ways. It is well suited for both the first and second courses. Most often cooked duck meat in the oven. However, soups, goulash, stewed potatoes, pilaf, etc. are also very tasty.
How to cook
Thus, the product is very tasty and healthy - duck meat . The recipes for its preparation are different. Below we present to the reader two of the most popular.
To cook duck in the oven, you first need to make a marinade. To do this, add a little vinegar, black pepper and bay leaf to the water. Marinate the carcass for at least 3 hours. Next, the duck needs to be coated with salt and stuffed with peppered apples sliced into slices. The carcass thus prepared should be darned, coated with mayonnaise and put in the oven preheated to 190 degrees for half an hour.
It turns out very delicious and duck stew. In order to cook it, the carcass should be scorched on a fire and washed thoroughly. Then it needs to be cut into small pieces, salt and pepper. Next, the product should be fried for 5 minutes in a dry pan. Cooked duck meat in this way should be folded into a duckweed and pour a small amount of juice squeezed from tomatoes. Stew the slices for 25-30 minutes. Separately, grated carrots, onions, potatoes and tomatoes should be fried in a pan. At the final stage, the vegetables are transferred to the ducklings, after which the meat is stewed until cooked.