Farmers breed many highly productive duck breeds today. The popularity of this poultry is explained primarily by its unpretentiousness, as well as the relatively low cost of hatching eggs and chicks. In principle, the maintenance of almost all existing duck breeds today can be quite profitable. But some varieties of this bird have earned special popularity among farmers.
Three main productivity groups
What breeds of ducks can be considered the best? Let's deal with this in more detail. All currently available breeds of poultry of this species are classified into three large groups:
The most popular ducks today are, of course, meat. Sometimes farmers also grow meat and egg birds of this variety. Unfortunately, today, unfortunately, feather-duck ducks in homestead farms are bred very rarely. Accordingly, breeding work with them is practically not carried out.
The most popular breeds
Most often, farmers and homeowners contain duck breeds, the names of which look like this:
Beijing
musky
Moscow whites;
Ukrainian gray;
- mirror ducks.
Indian runners and mulard hybrids are also very popular with farmers. It is these breeds of ducks for home breeding that are considered the most convenient. Growing such a bird gives the farmer the opportunity to get very good profits, and without any special labor and material costs.
Peking breed: history and description
As the name implies, these ducks were once brought to China. Peasants of the Celestial Empire were engaged in their breeding already in the XV-XVI centuries. Today, Peking is considered the most popular breed in the Northern Hemisphere. Very often, these ducks are used in breeding new highly productive hybrids.
The main features of Beijing are:
very strong physique;
big head;
yellow paws and beak.
Sometimes in the courtyards you can also see ducks of this breed with cream plumage.
Peking Productivity Indicators
Ducks of this breed look, thus, quite spectacularly. But they deserved their huge popularity among farmers, of course, first of all, for very high productivity indicators. This duck has long been kept for obtaining large quantities of meat.
Peking drafts in adulthood can weigh more than 4 kg, ducks - 3 kg. The undoubted advantage of birds of this breed is, among other things, early maturity. Weights of 3 kg Peking with proper care gain at the age of two months.
Despite the fact that ducks of this breed belong to the meat direction of productivity, farmers also get quite a lot of eggs from them. In any case, problems with an increase in the stock of this duck in the compound never arise. A Peking duck alone can carry up to 120 eggs per year.
Features of keeping and breeding
Peking is not only a very productive, but also unpretentious breed of ducks. A photo with a description of her, given above, allows us to judge her as one of the best today. Farmers respond about this bird in most cases only positively.
The plumage of Peking ducks is quite dense. However, in the winter in the shed, they need to maintain a temperature of at least + 10 ° C. The presence of a reservoir nearby for the successful breeding of Peking is an optional condition. In the summer, in the barn of these ducks, the air temperature should not increase more than +25 ° C. The character of the Peking is not particularly flexible. Therefore, it is desirable to maintain them separately from other economic animals.
The disadvantages of Peking ducks, in addition to being unemotional, are also the fact that they are not very good hens. To increase the number of flocks, a farmer raising such a bird will most likely have to get an incubator.
Musk ducks: a general description
As already mentioned, a bird of this breed was introduced to Europe and Russia from the American continent. Musk ducks are distinguished from European breeds primarily by less noisiness. For the lack of voice, they are even sometimes called as mute swords.
A characteristic feature of musky ducks, which makes it easy to distinguish them from other breeds, is the presence of red growths on the head. These clearly visible formations are very similar to those found in turkeys. Therefore, the bird of this species is often also called indochka.
Plumage representatives of this breed can have different. But most often, white musky ducks or black and white are bred on the farmsteads.
Productivity
Reviews about the breed of mute ducks from the farmer are only positive. Such a bird can reach even more weight than Peking. Indoor ducks often gain body weight up to 5 kg. Ducks weigh, of course, a little less - about 4 kg. Some disadvantage of this breed is considered to be that its representatives rather slowly grow. In terms of early maturity, this duck, unfortunately, is inferior to many European species.
Shipworms do not gain weight very quickly, but at the same time, in comparison with European breeds, they have one important advantage. Indoor meat is tender, juicy and completely non-fat. Actually, for this reason such a bird deserved extraordinary popularity among farmers.
How to keep and breed
A barn for indorets is usually built unheated. This bird is practically not afraid of cold. However, in the shed, these waterfowl should always be dry. It does not tolerate indochka, as well as representatives of many other breeds, and drafts. In summer, this bird is usually kept just under a canopy.
Musk duck eggs can hatch on their own. For successful breeding in a herd of 3-4 females usually leave one drake. These ducks perch on their eggs most often immediately after they accumulate more than 10 pieces. The hatchability of this breed is about 90%. Young mute swans are usually grown from spring masonry.
White Moscow duck: description
This breed in Russia and Ukraine is the second most popular after the Peking. Its main feature is the white color of the pen. This duck was bred by crossing Peking with khaki campbell. The body of the Moscow white is stocky and compact, and its beak and legs are pink-yellow. Outwardly, this duck resembles a Peking duck very much.
Moscow white can be distinguished from other breeds, among other things, by the tail feathers bent upwards at the drakes. The legs of these ducks are short, widely spaced.
What farmers value
Drains of this breed can reach a weight of 4 kg. Moscow white females gain body weight up to 3.5 kg. Quite a lot of ducks of this breed also carry eggs. From one female, the owner of a personal plot per year can collect them up to 150 pieces. At the age of about 50 days, young growth of this breed gains weight up to 2.5 kg.
The meat of Moscow white ducks is tasty, quite juicy and tender. At the same time, the carcasses of this bird are very neat - compact with clean white skin. Ducks of this breed are also valued for their thin-bones. In the market and in stores, their carcasses are bought up very willingly.
Care Features
Since this breed of ducks in Russia and neighboring countries is very widespread, young Moscow white is not very expensive. Farmers do not have to spend a lot of money on raising such a bird. In the care of the ducks of this breed are completely unpretentious.
The plumage of Moscow white is quite dense. Therefore, in winter, such ducks are usually kept in unheated dry sheds, the floors of which are covered with a thick layer of straw. In summer, Moscow white ducks are usually released to pinch grass and eat insects in the yard or near the house. In addition to pasture, this bird is offered every day and grain mixers in not too large quantities.
Gray Ukrainian duck: breed description
This bird is distinguished primarily by the strength of the body and very developed muscles. The character of the gray Ukrainian duck is very active. But the compound such a bird is almost always in motion. These ducks are bred both in small household plots and in large farms.
In terms of the color of the feather, there are three varieties of birds of this breed:
Wild subspecies of the gray Ukrainian duck are also known. All types of this breed bred in household plots are not very large. The body of these ducks is elongated, and the chest is slightly raised. Characteristic features of gray Ukrainian are also:
two-tone black and olive beak;
short strong legs of orange color;
wings tightly pressed to the body.
The plumage and fluff of a bird of this breed is very dense.
Productivity of gray Ukrainian
In terms of weight gain, ducks of this breed are only slightly inferior to Peking and Moscow white. Ukrainian gray drakes can gain weight up to 3.5 kg. The body weight of adult ducks is 3 kg.
This bird belongs to the group of meat and egg productivity directions. Up to 200 eggs can be obtained from a single individual per year.
How to contain
Breeding gray Ukrainian ducks is a relatively simple matter. The method of growing this bird is not much different from the breeding technology of any other species. However, since the gray Ukrainian was bred by crossing ordinary poultry and wild, caring for it has some of its nuances.
The gray Ukrainian ducks hatch themselves. Therefore, the shed for such a bird should, among other things, be equipped with nests. Experienced farmers recommend keeping young Ukrainian gray separately from adult birds, including from their parents. The first three weeks of life of ducklings of this breed are usually placed in the warmest place on the farm.
If possible, fledged young gray Ukrainian should be let out in the afternoon on reservoirs. But as a pasture for these ducks, a plain area overgrown with grass is also not bad.
Mulard
This breed of ducks began to breed in the last century in France. Mullards were bred by crossing Peking and Mute. At the same time, this hybrid adopted all its inherent advantages from both parent breeds. The mulard’s meat is as tasty as the musk duck’s. Moreover, in terms of precocity, they do not lag behind the Peking.
Mullards belong to the group of breeds of meat direction of productivity. The carcasses of this bird are very highly valued in the market. However, muleards are not only grown for meat. Many farmers also contain them for the sake of their large liver, which, like the goose’s liver, can be used to prepare the famous expensive foie gras dish.
A very massive and at the same time quite neat body is what distinguishes, among other things, the breed of duck mularda. The photo below clearly shows how heavy and well-fed this bird looks. The mullard’s neck is slightly longer than the Peking’s. The legs of the ducks of this breed are short, painted yellow. Most often, muleards with black and white plumage are grown on the farmsteads and farms.
Advantages and disadvantages
According to the description of the moulard duck breed, one can already guess that this bird is very productive. As already mentioned, one of the undoubted advantages of this variety is the ability to quickly gain weight. The body weight of muleard drakes can reach 6 kg, ducks - up to 5.5 kg. Already at 2 months the weight of young animals of this breed with proper care can reach 3.5-4 kg. The mass of the liver of adults is usually 500-550 g.
Almost the only drawback of mulard ducks is complete sterility. Unfortunately, it will not work to bring the chicks of this breed directly to the farm. Farmers who breed this hybrid must buy ducklings or hatching eggs every year.
Care Features
Specialists describing ducks of the mularda breed advise, among other things, to grow such young animals in close proximity to another fowl. It was noticed that in this case, the chicks gain weight much faster. A barn for these ducks is built so that 3 individuals have at least 1 m 2 of free space.
Usually this bird, as well as representatives of other breeds, is kept in free grazing. If there is no opportunity to let such ducks walk on the grass, they have to be fed at least 4 times a day. At the same time, twice a day, mulard should be given concentrated feed, and twice - mash.
Domestic duck breed Indian runners
This unusual bird was brought to Russia from Asia. Previously, in our country such ducks were called penguins. Features of Indian runners are:
Representatives of this breed run very quickly and at the same time, unlike other ducks, do not spread their wings. The color of the feather in this bird can be very different.
Runner productivity
This duck belongs to the group of breeds of meat and egg direction. Runner drakes gain weight up to 2 kg, females - 1., 75 kg. In the first year, from each such duck, you can get 280 eggs, in the second - 140-170.
Indian runners earned their popularity, among other things, for the excellent taste qualities of meat. This breed of domestic ducks is grown if you want to get marketable delicious carcasses on compound feeds.
Content Features
In addition to tasty meat and the ability to carry a large number of eggs, the bird of this breed is appreciated by farmers and for its unpretentiousness in care. At home, Indian runners may well do without a reservoir. Like representatives of most other breeds, these ducks are usually released to graze on grass. This allows a very good saving on feed.
The character of the runners is calm and quiet. Therefore, they are allowed to be kept in the yard along with any other not too aggressive bird.
Mirror ducks
This breed, like Indian runners, belongs to the meat and egg direction of productivity. One of the distinguishing features of mirror ducks is a very beautiful appearance. The plumage of these waterfowl is very smooth and brilliant. From here their name actually went. The main body color of the representatives of this breed of ducks is light brown. The head and neck of the drakes are covered with a dark feather with a pronounced green tint.
Mirror ducks were bred in Russia, at the Kuchinsky poultry farm in the Moscow region. Their ancestors are khaki campbell, Peking and some local breeds.
Mirror Duck Performance
Adult drakes of this breed can reach a weight of up to 3-3.5 kg, ducks - up to 2.8-3 kg. In two months, young specular ducks weigh about 2 kg. These ducks carry about 190-200 eggs a year. Representatives of this breed know how to incubate themselves. In the future, ducks also take very good care of their offspring. The safety of young animals in this bird usually reaches 95%.
Content Features
Care for representatives of this breed is carried out according to standard technology. The diet for mirror ducks is developed taking into account the purpose for which they are grown. Poultry bred for meat give more feed. If you want to get high-quality eggs, components containing a large amount of calcium are introduced into the diet of ducks.
Instead of a conclusion
Thus, in the article above, the most popular duck breeds among farmers with photos and descriptions were presented. But of course, today there are many other, no less productive and unpretentious varieties of this waterfowl poultry. For example, black white-breasted ducks, khaki campbell, kayugi and many others deserved very good reviews from farmers.
Choose for breeding in the compound, today, in fact, you can any breed of such waterfowl. But, of course, in the economy it is important first of all to properly organize the care of the bird. In this case, almost any modern duck breed will show excellent productivity results. And therefore, the farmer himself will be able to get good profits.