Different breeds of ducks. The most common breeds of ducks. Black duck: photo, general information

This is the most common breed of wild duck. The body is strong and long, reaching 60 cm in length. The neck and head of the drake is distinguished by an emerald-pearl color. Feathers on the head and neck have a smooth structure. The neck part is separated by a white rim. Mallard females differ from drakes in size and coloration. Female mallards rarely reach a length of 50 cm, have a brown color with a small speck. Such plumage allows her to hide well in reeds and tall grass.

Mallard - drake and duck

Mallards arrive in temperate latitudes in early spring, when the first snow is just beginning to melt on the ground. Hunting for representatives of the mallard breed begins in early March. In autumn, ducks prefer swampy areas with abundant vegetation.

In early spring, ducks graze in small groups of 10-15 in the grass. Before the beginning of April, they rarely go out on the water, preferring land. In mid-April, the females go into the reeds to incubate their eggs.

At this time, drakes remain on land or open water, where they continue to feed carelessly until June. Experienced hunters take advantage of the nonchalance by shooting mallard drakes in large numbers. The bird of this breed is not smart or cautious.

The brood appears in August. Young individuals mature quickly and gain slaughter weight by the end of September.

At this time, the second hunting season begins, which lasts from October to November.

Scientists distinguish a subspecies - black mallards. The distribution area is small, they live mainly in Siberia and in the south. Far East. In terms of dimensions, they completely copy the dimensions of an ordinary mallard.

Drakes do not have mating attire, so they do not stand out among females. Black beaks with yellow spots on top are the hallmark of this subspecies. During the flight, white spots on the feathers of the wings are clearly visible.

An unusual documentary about ducks

wigeon

Representatives of this breed are distinguished by a light body and a brick-colored head. It is difficult to give an exact description of the sounds produced, since their tone changes depending on the season. During the flight, the wigeon makes a loud sound, similar to the drawn-out “sweeeee-weeee”. During the mating season, females and males make a sound similar to "ker".

The breed flies quickly, which creates additional hunting excitement. Hunters often arrange competitions among themselves in the skill and accuracy of shooting at fast-moving targets.

Sviyaz - drake and duck

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Wild ducks prefer secluded places with access to the pond. The wigeon is a very cautious and shy duck, it is recommended to hunt it from a good ambush. As for masonry, females do it in secluded places - in reeds or tall grass. Masonry is rarely left unattended.

The first brood appears in the middle of summer. After two months, the ducklings reach technical maturity - they have a hard plumage that allows them to fly. The second hunting season starts at the end of October, when the ducks begin to prepare for wintering, collecting dry grass, reeds and branches for nests. During this period, ducks lose their usual caution.

Teals (whistles, cracklings, marbled teals)

Ducks got their name from the sound they make, which is vaguely similar to "teal, teal". An adult reaches 35 - 40 cm in length. Males are larger than females, they also have a brighter color that appears during the mating season for several weeks. In late March or early April, the color of the male becomes an exact copy of the female - gray and inconspicuous.

Teal - drake and duck

Hunters distinguish several types of teals:

killer whale

This species lives in Eastern Siberia and Kamchatka. Killer whales are large wild ducks, the mass of which often reaches 1 kg. When mature, they reach a length of 50 cm. Killer whales have black legs and a beak.

The female killer whale is easily confused with the female common mallard. You can tell them apart by their beak and feet. The plumage is completely gray with white dots on the chest. The gray and inconspicuous coloration of the killer whale is diluted with a black and white tail, the end of which is often hidden behind long wings.

Mergansers (large, medium and scaly)

Ducks of this breed are distinguished by a long cylindrical beak, on the edges of which there are small and sharp teeth. The second distinguishing feature of the species is its elongated body and neck, which makes them look like loons or grebes.

Crohali - drake and duck

Hunters distinguish three types of mergansers:

Pintail

This type of duck is considered one of the most common in Russia and Europe. It lives everywhere except the extreme south and north. Adult males are quite large and reach 65 cm in length, females - 55. They weigh no more than 1 kg. Among all species, they are distinguished by a long and thin neck, a pointed tail and a bluish-gray beak.

Pintail - drake and duck

During the mating season, the male pintail practically does not change its plumage. In early spring, pintail mirrors are painted in bright and attractive colors - yellow, red, brown. They prefer to feed in dense grass, they dive reluctantly and badly. They behave noisily, emitting a loud melodic whistle.

Shirokonoska

Broad-nosed duck - drake and duck

It occurs in all climatic zones, except for the tundra zone. Medium sizes: length - 50 cm, weight - 1 kg. It differs from all species in a very wide beak. He spends most of his life in the water element. It feeds on grass, algae and small insects. Males have a black beak, and females are greenish-brown.

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Video: Breeding wild ducks for hunting

Duck breeding has become a very promising and profitable area of agricultural business in Russia. This bird grows rapidly and reaches a large weight, unpretentious in nutrition and care.

From this article, you can learn about the most cost-effective breeds of ducks for breeding on a farm, about the care, maintenance and nutrition of this unpretentious bird.

To begin with, it is better to purchase chicks, and in the process it is already up to you to decide whether new ducklings will hatch in the incubator or at the mother hen. In the first weeks of life, babies are kept in a warm room, in a container or in a box with a thick layer of straw or sawdust. Then the temperature is gradually lowered. The ventilation in the room should be good, but drafts should not be allowed.

Benefits of breeding ducks

A bird that does not require special care, lays eggs even in cold weather and is able to independently find food on free pasture, for a farmer - a real find.

Duck meat is a valuable farm product. It is darker in color and has a higher fat content than chicken, has large fibers and a full rich taste.

Duck eggs are larger than chicken eggs, but due to their specific taste, they are more often used in the food industry, for example, for making sauces.

Optimal breeding conditions

For reasons of endurance and unpretentiousness in food, the process of growing this bird in a private economy is quite simple. First you need to plaster, caulk, upholster with plywood and whitewash the walls in the room where the duck herd will live. In the cold, it will remain warm here, and on hot days, the birds will not overheat.

The floor is insulated with a thick layer of straw, peat or sawdust. The floor surface must be raised above the ground by twenty centimeters, then the rodents will not be able to climb into the barn.

Ducks in the barn - photo

Despite frost resistance, ducks need to be at temperatures above +5 degrees, and for the proper development of chicks, it is necessary to maintain about +28 degrees at a humidity of 70-75 percent. Good health and high egg production of birds are possible in a dry, warm and well-ventilated room.

Duck eggs during incubation require a particularly reverent attitude, although hatching chickens is much less troublesome than other poultry. While kept in the incubator, the eggs are cooled according to a certain pattern. The chicks are reared by three methods - open, closed or combined, which is considered the best.

Ducks are friendly to other birds and animals, however, keeping birds in too small room causes inevitable conflicts within the pack. Each adult requires at least 0.3 square meters for maintenance. Ducks have a good parental instinct and take care of their offspring. Although ducklings can feed themselves on a free range, they still need supervision.

Without good ventilation in the room where ducks live, it is impossible to create an optimal level of air humidity. The formation of mold in the poultry house will have a very bad effect on the health of its inhabitants. The room needs to be illuminated 16 hours a day, and where the ducklings live, a round-the-clock light regime should operate.

For the full development of ducks, they need not only constant feeding, but also have an acute need for water: the drinker is filled with a third of the beak and provides the birds with access to the reservoir.

In summer, for walking ducks, they equip a land area under a canopy, fenced with a meter-long fence, and a bathing place is fenced 0.5 m above the water. In winter, in calm weather, ducks can walk all day long on a site cleared of snow and covered with a layer of straw.

Each nest measuring 0.4 x 0.5 m can accommodate three laying hens at the same time. It should be located in a quiet dark place against the side wall, where it is easy to get close and collect fresh eggs. At night, the house should not be left completely without light, so that the ducks do not worry.

To breed a bird, you need to learn how to distinguish a drake from a duck: males have a massive physique and have a pseudopenis in the cloaca.

diet

As soon as the ducklings are born, they immediately begin to feed them with cottage cheese, yogurt and chopped boiled egg. Finely chopped clover, alfalfa, nettle, chalk, crushed shells, shells and boiled potatoes should be added to the feed for chicks.

Adult birds eat cereals, which are high in carbohydrates that promote growth and weight gain. Corn grains are the easiest for ducks to digest, this food is the most nutritious for mallards and can make up 50 percent of the daily ration.

In second place in terms of nutritional value are wheat grains, which contain slightly less protein than corn. One-third of ground barley can be added to grains for feeding young animals, since it is worse digested by the duck stomach. Legumes and oats are also important in the nutrition of ducks as they contain protein and protein.

Muscovy duck feeding - photo

Breed selection and comparative characteristics

When you decide on the purpose of breeding ducks in your household, it will be easy to choose the most suitable breed. The table shows the characteristic features of the three types, which will make it easier to navigate when choosing.

Of the egg breeds, the Indian runner is very much appreciated by Russian poultry farmers, but these birds are not too common in farms. The gray Ukrainian laying hen has a high egg production, however, it does not differ in outstanding dimensions.

It is clear that beginner poultry farmers strive to breed for their own needs universal meat-and-egg birds with an average weight, with good egg productivity and high-quality meat products.

The Khaki Campbell and the Muscovy duck are versatile meat-and-egg breeds, but the Pekinese is the most popular among meat-and-egg birds, as it can produce up to 120 eggs per year.

The black white-breasted breed is distinguished by unpretentiousness in maintenance and rapid precocity. Its meat has excellent taste characteristics.

Peking duck

As the name suggests, the breed is of Chinese origin. In Europe, the bird appeared in the nineteenth century, and the breed immediately became very popular with farm owners.

This is a very popular breed in Russia, large snow-white representatives of which have a wide, dense physique, short legs and a convex forehead. Drakes reach a weight of 4 kilograms, ducks can grow up to 3 kg, 70% of high-fat meat products are obtained from each carcass.

Peking duck is able to lay up to 120 eggs weighing up to 90 grams during the year. Ducklings grow up quickly and by the age of two months they gain 2.5 - 3 kilograms and are already suitable for slaughter. About 80% of edible products are obtained from each carcass.

Peking ducks have optimal characteristics as poultry meat poultry: precocity, the ability to quickly gain weight on inexpensive feed Russian production, unpretentiousness in content, excellent adaptation and the ability to live without the nearest reservoir. These are omnivorous birds, quite sensitive to the conditions of detention.

White Moscow duck

The breed was obtained by crossing Peking and Khaki ducks. Representatives are distinguished by an elegant snow-white feather, a wide squat body, a small expressive head, a rounded chest and short, well-formed paws of a light pink color.

90 percent of the offspring of the Moscow White survive. Early maturity - feature breeds: chicks are capable of laying eggs at the age of two months, having completely completed the formation of the body and gained full weight. Adult drakes reach 4 kg of weight, and ducks grow up to 3.5 kg. The Moscow White can lay 150 eggs each year, but due to its large mass, it is considered a meat breed. Lean meat with a pleasant and delicate taste, thin bones and skin make the breed valuable for obtaining quality poultry meat.

Indian runner

This unusual duck was bred in India, from where the breed spread to other countries. She was appreciated and loved very much in Asian countries. True, the ducks of this super-egg breed were not highly appreciated by domestic poultry farmers.

Indian joggers are sure to interest your guests with their funny appearance: an elongated torso, long neck and paws make the duck walk upright and jogging at high speed. Representatives of the breed may well do without a reservoir, living in the courtyard along with other poultry. The color of the plumage of birds of this breed can be white, black, brown or with a bluish tint.

To obtain eggs, this breed is truly indispensable, ducks carry up to 300 eggs per year. The meat tastes like chicken. The drake reaches two kilograms of weight, and the female - 1.75 kg. Birds need a varied diet.

Video - Indian Runner Ducks

Domestic ducks of this breed are increasingly found on farmsteads, although many have not even heard such a name. The breed was named so because of the special noble coloring of feathers in khaki color - brownish or fawn with a greenish tint. Active and mobile birds have a neat head with a small beak, sitting on a short neck. Drakes have a darker feather color than females.

Females reach a weight of 2.2 kg, and Weight Limit a drake can be equal to 3.5 kilograms. Khaki laying hens lay about 200 white eggs, each weighing about 80 grams.

Birds of this breed are not demanding on the diet, you can get meat products from them with excellent gastronomic characteristics, and novice farmers are also able to breed them.

Khaki ducks are a versatile meat-egg breed and will be an excellent choice for a novice farm owner.

Video - Ducks of the Khaki Campbell breed

Duck breed Black white-breasted

A bird with a black plumage of the body and a white-colored abdomen and breast, which has a calm, balanced character and unpretentiousness in keeping, has gained well-deserved popularity among Russian poultry farmers. Beautiful ducks seem to be dressed in festive tailcoats, and the beak and paws of dark color complement the solemn look. Birds have an elevated body, deep chest, muscular, tight-fitting wings.

The appearance of the Black White-breasted duck is very similar to the musk breed, because of this it is easy to confuse them. Although she has a smaller body size, unscrupulous sellers can slip her instead of a musky duck. The main difference between an adult Black Musk is a black beak, the absence of a crest and red skin on the muzzle.

Although the Black White-breasted duck does not have outstanding body dimensions, it is a source of very tasty dietary meat. By the age of two months, representatives of the breed manage to gain a decent weight, reaching two kilograms. During the year, each laying hen is able to bring about 130 eggs weighing up to 90 grams.

Ducklings of the Black White-breasted breed are very tenacious - the survival rate of ducklings is almost 92%. An adult drake reaches four kilograms of live weight, and the female gains up to 3.5 kilograms.

Rouen duck

There are domestic ducks that do not bring a large amount of meat products and have low egg production rates. They are grown mainly to display birds at various exhibitions. One such breed is the Rouen duck.

Wild ducks tamed in the regions of northern France have become a new species poultry. As a result, after careful selection by French farmers, a meat breed of domestic duck was obtained, which quickly spread to European countries Oh. English breeders, by crossing with local breeds, changed the Rouen duck, which received a heavier and more massive body and dark plumage. This species has more stable characteristics and therefore has spread throughout the world.

Russian poultry farmers note the accommodating and calm disposition of the Rouen duck. She is distinguished by a heavy and unhurried "duck" gait. The bird has a powerful physique, a deep chest and a wide back, narrowed towards the tail. The head with brown or dark green plumage is framed by two beige stripes reaching the neck, which is an ornament and a distinguishing feature of the breed.

Rouen drakes are distinguished by a very beautiful appearance. The white color of the beak smoothly turns into a black frame, and a brilliant plumage of the head with dark specks. The green neck of the male with a white ring, red-brown breast and gray plumage of the lower body are complemented by a long wide greenish-yellow beak with dark patches.

The duck has short, thick, wide-set legs, a light brown breast and a short beak of a brown-orange color with dark speckles. Small shiny wings of gray or brown shade are a real decoration of the show bird because of the white frame.

Rouen ducks are bred not only to decorate exhibitions and bird flocks, but also to get good meat. The weight of an adult drake can reach 4 kilograms, and a duck can weigh 2.5 kg. Egg production rates are quite low: during the year, a laying hen is able to lay no more than 90 light green eggs weighing up to 90 grams.

Video - Rouen ducks

Moulards - a hybrid breed of ducks

This breed with improved qualities was bred quite recently by artificial means, so few people know its name so far. The Mulard domestic duck is an interspecific hybrid obtained by crossing a Muscovy duck with several popular breeds - Peking White, Orpington and Rouen. As a result, a new domestic, very productive meat bird has appeared that meets all the needs of poultry farmers. From Mulard ducks, a valuable high-fat liver is obtained, which European chefs use in the recipe of the famous delicacy called Foie Gras, which was prepared only from goose liver.

Many owners of household plots opt for this breed for breeding on the site, since Mulards are considered the most profitable and enduring domestic duck with a accommodating disposition.

Novice poultry farmers need to know that Mulardy do not give offspring, but are distinguished by productive egg production and are a source of very tasty and lean meat. Mularda females are capable of laying eggs, from which chicks never hatch, which has been proven in practice. Because of its sterility in terms of offspring, this bird is considered one-season and is purchased for raising ready-made chicks.

Where does it come from and how is the offspring of these ducks obtained? Mulard ducklings are obtained by crossing a female Beijing white (most often) and a musk drake.

Many breeders consider the Mulard duck to be a real decoration of the poultry farm. The appearance of the bird resembles a musky duck, but has its own characteristics. Farmers note the real benefit in growing the Mulard duck associated with the precocity of the breed: at 8-10 weeks, the weight grows by 1.5 kilograms with proper feeding and caring for ducklings.

Ducks have excellent health, quickly adapting to different conditions. This is a clean poultry with a accommodating and friendly disposition, which can be kept on a personal plot without an aviary. Mularda can be fattened much faster than other breeds of ducks and geese, using a smaller amount of expensive feed. Birds eat everything, differing in unpretentiousness in food. This breed is ideal for farming. The only drawback can be considered a one-season hybrid.

Experienced poultry farmers recommend starting poultry breeding with ducks, because this is not only profitable business but also fascinating and interesting. This bird is unpretentious, hardy and not demanding on the conditions of keeping and care. To grow a bird on a farm, you need to decide on the choice of breed and study information about its content. Then you are guaranteed an excellent result and a good profit.

A huge variety of the most diverse species of birds lives in the wide expanses of the earth. Among them are amazing ducks.

This article will talk about one of the most conspicuous, black ducks - beautiful birds with beautiful rich plumage.

Before we tell you what characteristics and features black ducks have, we will briefly consider what types of groups and generally exist in nature and in poultry farming.

About ducks living in nature

Wild ducks amaze with their number and variety of color variations. Each of them is unique in appearance and has its own habits and characteristics of behavior. In nature, the following coot, merganser, scoter, wigeon, etc.

Almost all wild ducks can be easily domesticated by humans.

For a normal full-fledged habitat of ducks of any kind, it is important that water bodies have coastal vegetation, and therefore these birds can be found in wetlands, in bays, in channels, in water bodies, etc.

In this article, one of these wild birds, the black coot duck, will be presented a little lower.

Breeds and groups of ducks raised by humans

According to their main productivity, ducks are divided into 3 main types: egg laying, general use and meat.

1. Egg-laying ducks are much lighter in weight than general or meat types. And in terms of their egg production, birds of this type are not inferior to chickens.

2. The general use type of birds are distinguished by their relatively high egg production and excellent meat qualities. By about the age of 65 days, the weight of live ducklings reaches 1.6 kilograms. The best of them are left to replenish the parent's herd, and the rest are allowed for meat. The most promising breeds of this type of ducks are Orpington and Khaki Campbell,

3. Ducks of the meat type have a good live weight and are quite early. The following breeds belong to this type of birds: Moscow, gray Ukrainian, Beijing, black white-breasted ducks, white Rouen and Ailes-bury.

Black duck: photo, general information

First of all, it should be emphasized that ducks of this type are characterized by precocity. These have a rich black plumage color. It is noteworthy that the breeds of these ducks can live in a wide variety of habitats.

For the most part, black ducks are domesticated birds, which, with sufficiently good fattening, are slaughtered already at the age of about 65 days.

Black ducks are divided mainly into two types: white-breasted, coots. After reading the article, it will be possible to understand what is the difference between a black white-breasted domesticated duck and a wild coot.

Black white-breasted ducks are one of the most common breeds grown on numerous Russian farms.

Coots are wild birds, which can be found mostly in natural reservoirs overgrown with vegetation, especially in warm seasons.

About black white-breasted ducks

This bird is quite large.

It is characterized by the black color of the plumage of the body, head, upper body and abdomen. Drakes (males) are distinguished by the presence of a blue-violet tint in the upper part of the neck. They have black legs, and the lower part of the chest is with white plumage.

Black white-breasted ducks have short legs of moderate thickness, and they are located much closer to the back of the body than in other birds. The beak, slightly concave inward, of medium length, has completely dark shiny eyes, rather large. Well-developed strong wings fit well to the sides of the body.

The live weight of the male reaches 3.5-4 kilograms with full fattening, and the female - up to 3.5 kilograms. On average, the level of egg production reaches 115-140 eggs per year. However, it persists for several years.

This duck is recognized as the best for rearing. The carcasses of the black white-breasted duck have white skin. Its meat is very tasty and healthy, has a higher fat content and better taste, unlike many other breeds.

Their egg production is approximately 120 eggs, and the weight of the eggs is 80-90 grams.

This black duck is a breed that is excellently fattened and very early maturing. The total weight of carcasses of ducks slaughtered at about 65 days of age reaches an average of up to 2.5 kilograms. Moreover, their meat is much more nutritious and fatter than other species.

Coot: habitats, description

The black coot duck is another representative of the birds of this group. Usually their habitat is the picturesque oxbows of river floodplains and shallow lakes, which have managed to fairly overgrow with various surface plants and reeds.

These birds are very fond of water, but they do not like deeper water with open areas.

It is easy to recognize a duck of this breed by its bright distinctive color. A black duck with a white beak is deep black with a white spot on its forehead. Paws with long gray toes are yellowish-orange in color.

The live weight of adults reaches one kilogram, but one and a half kilograms are also found. Males are larger than females.

The people call this duck differently: “official”, due to the similarity of the plumage color with a snow-white plaque on the forehead with a strict black suit and white shirt; "black loon", because in demeanor, flight and temper it is similar to this bird. There is another name - "water chicken", because of the calm nature and in connection with easy tameability. The latter should be done with caution, since during the nesting period their behavior is aggressive. Black ducks (coots) do not regret and drive away with their sharp claws even their relatives during the mating season.

Curious Coot Fact

If, at the time when the bird is building a nest, something bothers or disturbs it, then, as a rule, it immediately quits the work it has begun and swims away in search of another place for nesting.

Therefore, in many reservoirs, habitats of black coot ducks, you can see a lot of unfinished floating uninhabited nests.

There is another interesting point about coots. The males of this breed of birds build a separate nest for themselves, designed exclusively for them, where they rest from difficult parental troubles.

Conclusion

Ducks are special, cute and interesting birds. Many have an interest in them not only in gastronomic terms.

Both wild representatives of this species, and those grown in poultry farming - they are all inimitable and unique. Nature endowed each species with its unique features, both in their temper and behavior, and in appearance.

It is very pleasing that quite often you can see people near the coast of city ponds, feeding these amazing and cute, almost tamed birds.

Ducks are one of the most common types of poultry in a private backyard due to their rapid growth, unpretentiousness in food and maintenance, and the ability to rush even in moderately cold weather. Small egg production compared to other birds, as well as feed costs, is offset by the large amount of meat that can be obtained from it during slaughter.

All known duck breeds can be divided into three types: meat, meat and egg and egg.

Meat ducks

For a number of reasons, duck meat breeds are most in demand, which include:

Peking duck.
gray Ukrainian.
black white chested.
white Moscow.
Rouen.
swedish blue.
musky (she is also an Indian).
mulard.
eylsbury.
blue favorite.
crested.

As is the case with many other domestic animals, some species appeared during the crossbreeding of breeds with each other.

A real favorite among duck breeders is the Peking duck, which “came into existence” in the vicinity of Beijing (China) in the 17th century. First, it spread throughout the territory of the Celestial Empire, and then got into the Old and New World, where it gained popularity due to its cold resistance, rapid "ripening" and omnivorous nature. It is bred in almost all corners of the world, but with minor differences from the main line. Distinctive features of the breed are white with cream color of feathers and a massive physique.

Peking duck combines fleshiness (an adult weighs three kilograms) and good egg production (up to a hundred eggs per year), has tasty fatty meat. The young growth grows quickly and after two months of feeding it reaches two kilograms. However, in order for the Peking duck to grow well and feel great on your farm, you should be more attentive to it and its “requests” than to representatives of other lines.

According to the color of the feathers, the gray Ukrainian duck is divided into three subspecies: gray, clay and white. Its name comes from the gray with varying shades of body color of males, against which gray-brown wings with blue bordered spots stand out. Like her "Far Eastern counterpart", the gray Ukrainian has a strong physique, it weighs three kilograms, and egg productivity is up to one hundred and twenty eggs.

The black white-breasted duck combines two colors: white - on the lower part of the chest - and black - on the feathers of the head, body, legs and top. Like the rest of her meat relatives, an adult reaches a weight of three kilograms, or even a little more, and carries up to one hundred and forty eggs per cycle. Duck meat is distinguished by its taste and high fat content. More visual representation you can get about her by admiring her photo.

The White Moscow breed is one example of a successful cross between the Khaki Campbell and the Peking duck. Accordingly, these ducks borrowed the best features from their parents. It is noteworthy that the representative of this breed is almost the only one of all capable of laying eggs for many years without reducing its egg production. The weight of a duck reaches three and a half kilograms, its meat is tender, without excess fat. This duck is easily recognizable by its matching feather colors and elongated head and neck.

The Rouen breed is a French combination of massiveness and elegance. With a weight of up to five kilograms, her body is one of the longest. Its coloration is similar to the color of wild counterparts, but with a number of differences: the color of the plumage is chestnut, and the body is brown with shades from light to dark. The male has an open stripe on the neck. Its width is very important: a narrow one is more valuable, a wide one is a signal that the offspring of this male will have a lighter, non-pedigreed plumage. Another feature of the pedigree Rouen duck is a brightly colored spot on the wing (the so-called “mirror”) with a narrow white continuous border along its border. However, more and more often one can meet a deviation from the breed standard: a discontinuous border of the mirror at the back and a wider one at the front. If the degree of thoroughbredness of the Rouen duck is not a problem for you, then there is nothing to worry about. If you are concerned specifically with breeding development, then you should look for a purer specimen to purchase or spend more time looking for a thoroughbred male. And in order not to confuse the Rouen duck with its no less popular relatives, we offer you its photo.

The Bashkir color breed is the result of crossing and breeding specimens of the Beijing breed, which had various deviations from the main line. The experiments were carried out at the Blagovarsky breeding plant (Bashkiria) and gave a good result: high productivity of the new breed, unpretentiousness and good, lean meat. Ducks have two types of feather colors - khaki and black. The photo that you can see below will show you the results of the experiments of Bashkir poultry farmers in all their glory.

The Swedish blue duck has gained particular popularity in Germany due to its adaptability to the cold seasons and unpretentiousness in food. It is easily recognizable by its elongated head and yellow-green beak with a black ending. The color of the ducks is silver-gray, the weight of one individual may slightly exceed the standard for the meat species.

Indo-duck (aka Muscovy duck) was first tamed on the South American continent. Inside it, according to the color of the plumage, five subspecies are distinguished - black and white, blue and white, black, white and blue. A massive body, a red head and the same color of fleshy beak formations are characteristic of the Indian woman, which makes her look a bit like a turkey. As for the characteristics of the indo-duck, they are as follows: the male reaches up to five kilograms, the duck is twice as light; egg productivity - up to a hundred pieces per year. Indian women are thermophilic, not as early as their relatives in other species, grow slowly and begin to lay eggs at eight to nine months. However, in a year they are able to lay and incubate eggs twice (the second time this happens after molting). The popularity of musky ducks in household plots is growing every year due to a number of features. So, ducks prefer whole food to feed mixtures, they can find food for themselves in the thickets of weed plants, experiencing a particular passion for ragweed (which is an extremely weighty argument for a villager). Chaff, grass, and hay can serve as food for them. Indo-ducks do not need a reservoir - to maintain cleanliness, a basin or trough is enough for them. The indisputable advantages of poultry are delicious high-quality meat and its soundlessness. However, it should be said about such a feature as pugnacity, especially when feeding. You can consider the overseas beauty in the next photo.

The Mulard breed is a French hybrid obtained as a result of breeding work on Muscovy ducks, Rouen, Peking White, Orpington ducks and White Allier. Selection was carried out in order to correct the shortcomings inherent in these species. Mulardy is an exclusively meat breed, fast-growing, but incapable of laying eggs. Its main color is white, but in private courtyards you can also find a red variety of mulards. Duck meat is low-fat, has an exquisite delicate taste, and its liver is one of the ingredients for making foie gras. Moulards are available for breeding both in poultry farms and in private farms.

The Eilsbury breed has a white plumage, weighs four kilograms and is able to lay only about a hundred eggs a year. However, she ripened early, reaching a mass of two to two and a half kilograms in two months. In some British farms, drakes of this breed are used for breeding with Peking duck subspecies for breeding and breeding new crosses. The disadvantage of this type is excessive effeminacy.

The blue favorite breed is famous for its lean meat, fast maturation and impressive egg productivity (up to one hundred and forty eggs per year). The color of the feathers is a mixture of gray and blue, the weight reaches four kilograms, and the young growth by two months is gaining weight up to three kilograms. It is worth noting that the blue favorite is becoming more and more popular among those involved in agriculture.

The crested duck, known since the 17th century, is the "brainchild" of the native ducks of the European continent. A distinctive feature that "gave" her the name is a crest on her head. For the purity of the breed, it is important that both parents have a crest, otherwise their offspring may lose it. It is believed that the larger the crest, the smaller the duck.

Crested ducks are a real decoration of the duck kingdom, but at the same time it is mainly a decorative breed. The weight of an adult duck reaches an average of just over two kilograms, and egg production usually does not exceed sixty eggs per year.

Meat and egg direction

The main breeds of this direction are:

mirror.
cayuga.
Orpington.
Saxon.
khaki campbell.

The mirror duck boasts a beautiful dark sheen of wings against a background of light brown plumage. Its constitution is no different from the physique of representatives of other species, the mass reaches three kilograms, the drake is somewhat heavier. A duck can lay up to one hundred and thirty eggs a year. You can see it in more detail in the photo.

The Cayuga breed "originates" from the Cayuga Lake region (USA). Her main feature- black with a green sheen coloring of feathers, beak and paws of the same color and dark brown eyes. It weighs a little more than three kilograms, and egg production reaches up to one and a half hundred eggs per year. These ducks love walking, where they enjoy eating worms. It is worth saying that they hatch eggs well and are generally excellent mothers.

The “author” of the Orpington breed is the Englishman W. Cook, who crossed the Eylsbury, Cayuga and Indian runners. As a result of the experiment, a bird was born with an elongated and large build, reddish-yellow plumage, an average weight of three kilograms and an egg productivity of up to one hundred and sixty pieces per year. Due to its characteristics, Orpington is a favorite in a number of European countries, and you can evaluate the choice of Europeans for yourself by admiring the photo below.

Already by the name of the next breed - Saxon - you can understand where it comes from. Like Orpington ducks, she also has an "author" - the German poultry farmer Albert Franz, who crossed the Rouen duck, the Peking duck of German breeding and the blue Pomeranian duck to create a new species. The results of the efforts are evident. The beauty of the Saxon duck stands next to the best representatives of the diverse duck kingdom and has a dense complexion, a slightly inclined body of the correct shape and multi-colored feathers. The color of the drake is a real color palette of blue and its shades, red with red and light gray. Ducks on its background look somewhat more modest, combining only green and yellow colors. The weight and taste characteristics of this breed are not inferior to other species, and egg production even exceeds some and amounts to up to two hundred eggs per year.

Another meat-egg hybrid breed is the Khaki Campbell, which was born more than a hundred years ago through repeated hybridization: first, fawn-white Indian runners with Rouen ducks, then the resulting hybrid with mulards, and, finally, the resulting cross-breed with Indian runners - to fix a special color. As a result, the Khaki Campbell duck differs from other breeds in its unique combination of brown and bronze on the chest and neck, dark bill and black head. She is cheerful and agile, has a human-friendly disposition, is not inferior to other species in weight, but is ahead of everyone in egg production: a khaki campbell can lay more than three hundred large eggs a year. The taste of meat leaves even the famous Peking duck far behind.

The third direction of ducks - egg - has not received much distribution in the world, since the duck, as an exclusively egg-bearing bird, loses to the same geese. The only popular breed of this species is the "Indian runner", which got its name due to its high mobility and gait feature - fast running. Another of its features is a bottle-shaped body with a straight staging and plumage of different colors. The meat of this duck is highly valued among gourmets. She can run all year round, if only you create optimal conditions for it, because This breed does not tolerate cold well. The weight of a duck is relatively small - up to two kilograms. In a number of farms, Indian runners are considered as good alternative chickens - because of the similarity of eggs in weight and taste. It should be noted that these ducks are excellent parents.

Separately, it should be said about broiler crosses

Broiler ducks are artificially obtained breeds and raised exclusively for meat. Their ancestors were two types: white Beijing and musky. The first result of their crossing was the already mentioned mulards. Among the other breeds, the following stand out:

medeo.
Blagovarskaya.
black chest.
Hungarian motley, the progenitors of which were cherry-valley and mulards.

All broiler breeds have common features: fast growth, excellent tasty meat with practically no fat, unpretentiousness and undemanding to feed. However, it should be remembered that it makes no sense to breed broiler breeds for more than three months: by this time they are gaining their weight.

Ducks are often bred in the household. They have delicious meat, and growing them is not difficult. The meat direction is in the greatest demand, because in the first place it is the meat of ducks that is valued, and not their eggs or feathers. Meat breeds of ducks quickly gain weight, have tender meat and many other features. The article will describe the characteristics of meat breeds and the best representatives of this direction.

Characteristics of meat breeds of ducks

All meat breeds of ducks have several common features that characterize them as a separate direction. Before you start any of the meat breeds, you should familiarize yourself with these characteristics, because they affect both spending and the characteristics of poultry keeping.

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Bashkir duck breed is one of the best representatives meat direction. The weight of adults reaches 4 kg, and ducklings at 1.5 months - 3.3 kg! At the same time, the yield of meat after slaughter is 70% due to light and thin bones.

Their egg productivity is also high. For a year they give 150-200 eggs with normal, non-fortified feeding. The hatchability of ducklings is 70-80%. The breed has a good maternal instinct.

The appearance is quite bright. The bird itself can be of two types of plumage: khaki and black, white-breasted. The beak is flat, concave. The head is slightly flattened, the paws are set wide, so the body is low above the ground. The body is muscular, strong, as in other breeds of meat ducks.

In terms of popularity, meat breeds of ducks are headed by Beijing ones. They have creamy white plumage, an orange-red beak and legs. The body is slightly elongated, the tail is slightly raised to the top. The neck is not long, the head is in proportion to the body. The backbone is strong, the body is raised above the ground.

The average weight of the female is 3.5 kg, the male is 4 kg. Already by 1.5 months, ducklings can gain 3 kg, on good food. Meat share after slaughter - 66.8%. not picky about food and can eat anything. At the same time, it is worth paying attention to the fact that young animals are best slaughtered, since they have more tender meat and this is done before the period of juvenile molting.

They are prolific, 80-120 eggs per year from one laying hen, while at least 70-80% of them are fertilized. If the male and female are fed with vitamin mixtures before oviposition, the fertility will increase to 85-90%.

The disadvantages of this breed of meat ducks include nervousness. They are noisy, can fight with other species and even among themselves, get scared by anything (loud sound, scream, exhaust). The main advantage, in addition to meat and fertility, is a good immune system and the general health of the bird.

The Rouen duck breed comes from France. Local scientists obtained it not by crossing, but by selection from wild individuals. Only those representatives who had a large body weight were considered good, and the rest were eliminated.

The weight of females is 3.5 kg, drakes - 4 kg, but with good food, a balanced diet, you can achieve that the weight of a duck reaches 6-6.5 kg - this is quite realistic! As for young animals, by 1.5-2 months individuals reach 2.5 kg and this is a very rapid weight gain, since for the most part meat breeds of ducks reach such a mass closer to 3-4 months of life.

They have a compact body, a beautiful arched neck, and a medium-sized head. The wings are pressed to the body. The plumage is variegated. The head and part of the neck are dark green, then there is a golden "necklace" around the neck, below a gray breast, turning into wings and belly. The wings are blue-brown. The tail is dark, closer to black. The beak is yellow, and the paws are a dirty orange color. The females are mostly brown, but the plumage has a black edging, which makes them look very elegant.

The disadvantages of this meat breed of ducks include:

low egg production - 100 eggs per year;
the carcass does not have a presentation, although the meat is very beautiful, tender and tasty;
individuals are prone to obesity.

Gray Ukrainian duck breed was bred by crossing domestic and wild ducks. It has gray-brown plumage, dark almost black beak, red-brown legs. The body is compact but massive. The weight of a drake can reach up to 4 kg, for a duck - 3 kg.

The body of representatives of this species is very large, voluminous, the neck and head are small, but in proportion to the body, they do not stand out. The wings are not very strongly pressed to the body, which makes the body visually even larger.

The ducklings of the gray Ukrainian duck grow quickly and quickly gain weight, although they are inferior in this regard to the Pekingese. They weigh 2 kg at 2 months and at about this age they are allowed to be slaughtered.

Nutrition, as in the case of other duck meat breeds, must be balanced and include compound feed. In summer, they give it less, because the bird on the street finds a lot of useful herbs and already eats up, but in winter, part of the feed in the diet increases to half, otherwise the weight of the young may “suffer”.

The main advantage is resistance to significant frosts. In winter, they can live in a poultry house without heating and not get sick. The main thing is that there are no drafts.

Description of Muscovy Ducks

Meat duck breeds also include musky birds. Muscovy ducks have a remarkable appearance. Their beak is narrow, tapering towards the end and slightly curved. The color of the beak is flesh, skin growths of a bright pink color without plumage are located around. The physique is dense, the body is slightly raised above the ground. The wings are large, the tail is long compared to other breeds. The plumage is black and white, white, blue, white with a pattern, brown - that is, many variations.

They weigh within 4 kg, drakes can reach 6 kg. Ducklings grow quickly, but do not gain muscle mass very quickly. So at 2 months they weigh about 1.2 kg. Egg production 110 eggs per year.

Main advantages: immunity, tasty, dietary meat, unpretentiousness, does not make noise.

Disadvantages: does not like neighborhood with other meat breeds of ducks and birds of other directions, cannot be kept without a reservoir.

The breed was obtained in Ukraine by crossing Beijing, white-breasted Ukrainian and Khaki Campbell drakes. They have black plumage, and the chest and part of the neck are white, hence the name. The backbone is strong, the trunk is raised, the back is even. The tail is small. The head is not very small; in drakes it has a greenish tint to the feather. The beak is usually dark or dirty yellow, and the legs are brown.

The weight of females is 3.5 kg, males - 4 kg. Ducklings are slaughtered at about 3-3.5 months. By 2 months they weigh 1.6-2 kg, by 3 months - 2.5-3 kg. Egg production - 130 eggs per year.

The meat of this breed is very tasty and juicy, it has much more fat than in the case of the same Peking or gray Ukrainian duck.

What other breeds of ducks are classified as meat?

Meat breeds of ducks have many different representatives, it is impossible to list them all, especially since new species appear every year. The most productive and profitable in terms of keeping and breeding for meat production are described above. Less popular types will be described below.

Aylesbury- a very productive breed of meat ducks. Females weigh 3.3-5 kg, males - 4.1-5.5 kg. By 1.5 months, ducklings reach a mass of 2-2.5 kg. Egg production averages 90 eggs. The breed is popular in England and is bred for industrial purposes, but it is almost never kept in the household, and outside of England it is almost not common. She needs expensive food, good care, a large house protected from bad weather and drafts.
Favorite Blue have a beautiful blue-gray plumage with white markings on the chest. The weight of females is 3.5-4 kg, males - 4-5.5 kg. Ducklings quickly gain weight and by 2 months weigh 2.7-3.6 kg. Egg production - 110-130 eggs per year. The disadvantage is that females have almost completely lost their maternal instinct. The breed can be called experimental, it is not common everywhere, so it is difficult to acquire young animals for breeding.