Breeds of white ducks for home breeding. Description of wild types of ducks. Egg Breed - Indian Runners

Meat breeds of ducks are found on farmsteads and farms more often than ducks for meat and egg, general use, ducks of egg breeds. After all meat ducks able to provide zealous owners not only with meat, but also with a sufficient number of eggs, down, and feathers. The sale of delicacy duck liver can also serve as an additional source of income.

For home breeding duck meat breeds fit perfectly.

Their undoubted advantages:

1. High rates of precocity. With proper fattening and good keeping conditions, young animals gain weight of 2-2.5 kg by the age of two months and are already suitable for slaughter.
2. Ducks are omnivores. Most meat ducks do not require a special feeding ration.
3. Fertility. One duck is able to hatch four dozen chicks annually.
4. Viability.
5. Excellent taste of meat.

On Russian farmsteads, meat breeds of ducks are most often found: Peking, Bashkir, Ukrainian, mulards, musky, favorite. Less common are black white-breasted, Rouen, blue Swedish duck.

Important. Duck meat is valued for its high content of unsaturated fatty acids, which have antioxidant properties, the ability to lower cholesterol, break down acids. Duck is rich in iron, B vitamins.

Black white-breasted

A very popular breed at the time. Black white-breasted ducks were bred by Ukrainian breeders on the basis of native black white-breasted, Peking duck and khaki Campbell ducks. After the collapse of the USSR, their numbers dropped sharply.

Black white-breasteds are rarely seen on farms, although they are distinguished by high production qualities:

• live weight ducks - 3-3.3 kg, drakes - 3.5-4 kg;
• egg production - 100-130 pieces (officially recorded record - 188 pieces), egg production has been maintained for several years;
• the taste of meat is higher than that of many other meat breeds;
• good presentation of white-skinned carcasses;
• safety of young animals up to 93%.

White-chested ones are easy to recognize in the poultry yard. The main color of their plumage is black. The breast, the upper part of the abdomen are white. Ducks have a characteristic white stripe on their necks. A distinctive feature of males is blue-violet feathers with a metallic sheen on the upper part of the neck, malachite or violet-purple markings on the wings.

Birds have dense black short legs of medium fatness. The beak is dark gray or gray-black. The expressive eyes are black. Well-developed strong wings fit snugly to a wide, elongated body.

Muscovy ducks that came to the USSR at the end of the last century from Germany and France are often called Indo-ducks. They received the popular name for the bright red leathery growths on the head and beak, long claws on the fingers, making them look like turkeys.

The body of musky ducks is voluminous, massive. The keel bone is not clearly marked. The head is large with a bare face. The neck and legs are short. The wings are strong and long. Common colors are black and brown, pure white or black, black and white, piebald.

Indo-cats are the largest among meat breeds. Adult drakes weigh up to 6 kg, females 2-2.5 kg. For a year, up to a hundred medium-sized eggs are obtained from a duck.

Distinctive features of Muscovy ducks:

• resistance to traditional bird infections;
• undemanding to feed and conditions of detention;
• dietary meat with a low fat content and a peculiar flavor characteristic of wild birds;
• webbing between fingers;
• silence;
• the possibility of summer maintenance on pasture.

The disadvantages of indouts are considered to be a long period of fattening, aggressiveness.

Important. Wild ancestors of Indo-ducks - tree ducks (Cairina moschata) are still found in South America and Mexico.

Hybrids Mulard

Muscovy ducks are often crossbred to improve other breeds. There are several common options for obtaining hybrids called mulards. The drakes of the Indo-duck are mated with Peking, Rouen ducks, white alleys, orlingtons. Moulards are barren crosses, it is impossible to get offspring from them.

Moulards occupy one of the first places in the productivity rating:

• by the rate of weight gain (at the age of 2-3 months, birds weigh from 3 kg to 6 kg);
• the taste of meat;
• economical consumption of feed (for a weight gain of 2.3-3 kg, one kilogram of feed is enough).

Important. Mulard liver is used to prepare the aristocratic delicacy foie gras. After all, today, for the preparation of the famous French pate, they are increasingly using not goose, but duck liver. In addition to mulards, only one other breed of duck is suitable for foie gras - barbary.

Rouen ducks, reminiscent of wild relatives with a mottled brown-brown color, are bred in Russia mainly for display at exhibitions and as an exotic curiosity.

Once upon a time, French peasants tamed wild ducks, selecting the largest ones, and crossed them with local breeds, obtaining improved meat quality and increased growth rate. Work on the breed was continued by English poultry farmers, who also published the breed standard in 1923.

The Rouen breed, despite the excellent taste of tender, juicy, aromatic dark meat, is rarely bred. major manufacturers and farmers. This is due to the unpresentable appearance of the carcass, the bird's tendency to obesity, the need to adhere to a strictly balanced diet.

Among the features of large-sized Rouen ducks:

• balanced, phlegmatic temperament;
• slow, waddling gait;
• live weight of males 4-5 kg, females - 2.5-3.5 kg;
• egg-laying index is average (up to 90 eggs per year).

French restaurateurs believe that the Rouenese are the best meat ducks for making exquisite pressed duck meat - canard à la presse.

Two subspecies of the Bashkir breed group of ducks are known: the black white-breasted Bashkir duck and the khaki Bashkir duck. Colored Bashkir ducks have a characteristic flat head, a curved large nose, and a wide set of well-muscled paws.

According to the main indicators, Bashkir colored people are one of the best breeds for breeding both on personal farmsteads and on an industrial scale:

• adapted to harsh winters, do not require special conditions of detention;
• have innate natural immunity, rarely suffer from infectious diseases;
• show a fast growth rate;
• commercial maturity of ducks occurs on the 52nd day after hatching;
• have high egg production (for representatives of meat breeds) - up to 230 large eggs per year, excellent safety of young animals;
• have a reduced fat content in meat;
• high, up to 70% of live weight, return of muscle tissue;
• quickly gain weight up to 4 kg.

Gray Ukrainian ducks are the progenitors of a whole breed group of Ukrainian colored ducks: Ukrainian gray, white, clay. When breeding a heavy meat breed, the genetic material of local domestic and wild breeds was used.

As a result, good productive qualities were fixed:

• weight of females - 3 kg, males about 4 kg, two-month-old ducklings up to 2 kg;
• average egg production from 120 to 260 large eggs (about 90 g) per year;

Birds are unpretentious and do not require special feed. On the deep litter can winter (at frosts down to -15ºC) in an unheated poultry house. Their diet may consist of green mass, duckweed, algae, food waste, vegetables, fruits, a small amount of special grain mixtures.

Moscow white duck the most widespread common breed in the Russian poultry industry. Peking ducks and khaki campbell ducks served as the basis of the breed. Initially, the breeders were faced with the task of obtaining a breed acclimatized to the weather conditions of the central regions of Russia, the Urals and Siberia, while maintaining the standards for weight, egg production, precocity, and the quality of the meat of the original breeding material.

The results exceeded expectations.

The Moscow white duck, registered in 1950, has the following indicators in the standards:

• average live weight - 4-4.5 kg for males, 2.9-3.5 kg for ducks, 1.9-2.5 kg for birds aged 60 days;
• egg production per season up to 100-125 eggs weighing 90-100 g;
• unpretentiousness, strong immunity;
• good presentation of the carcass;
• thin bones, tasty meat with low fat content;
• stable high fecundity, high viability of chicks;
• ability to reproduce for several years.

Some breeds of ducks have been known since ancient times, but there are also completely new breeds, bred at the end of the last century. Among them are ducks of an unusual color - the blue favorite. They were registered as an independent breed in 1998 by breeders from Bashkortostan. In fact, the blue favorite is a hybrid of Peking, Bashkir and black-breasted ducks.

The color of the plumage of blue favorites varies from light blue to rich smoky with a pronounced blue-blue tint. When crossing light and dark individuals, offspring of various colors are obtained: black, dark blue, white with a bluish tint.

Blue favorites have a plump, elongated torso. Large proportional head with a "flattened", rather long beak, small eyes. High, muscular neck. Dense, developed, widely spaced legs.

The production characteristics of the blue-grey bird are as follows:

• the weight of two-month-old ducks is 2.7-3.6 kg, adult drakes 4-4.5 kg, females - 3.5-4;
• poultry has lean dietary meat with good taste;
• ducks carry 100-150 during the season, egg weight 85-90 grams.

Swedish blue ducks

The Swedish Blue Duck is another "blue" breed that is fast growing, economical and highly productive. Swedish ducks have been bred for more than a hundred years. The breed standard was issued back in 1835, and since then Swedish ducks have settled in farms throughout Europe and North America.

The color of the plumage of ducks is comparable to shades of blue iridescent slate. The main tone is silver-blue, on the neck and upper chest there is a white stripe. The head and outer part of the neck are painted in rich dark blue.

Swedish ducks are not the largest representatives of the meat direction. They gain weight up to 3.6 kg.

However, they have a number of other advantages:

• stable weight gain;
• adaptability to harsh climatic conditions;
• attachment to the owners;
• the possibility of free keeping until the onset of severe cold weather;
• addiction to pasture;
• females lay 100-150 white, blue or green eggs per season.

Beijing - the most meat breed

Peking ducks are recognized favorites among representatives of meat breeds. The oldest breed, the description of which has been preserved in Chinese manuscripts compiled more than three thousand years ago, is still not inferior to its competitors in terms of precocity, weight, and taste.

The meat of 50-day-old ducklings is most valued, which by this age gain weight up to 3 kg. They have very tender and juicy meat with a delicate taste, less fat than adult birds.

The live weight of drakes is in the range of 3.5-4 kg, females are slightly lighter - 3-3.5 kg. In the season, the duck brings 90-100 eggs.

Important. Peking ducks have a rapid metabolism, which causes rapid weight gain. Whole grains leave the digestive tract after four hours, while wet food takes three hours.

In ancient birds, in comparison with other representatives of ducks, a high body temperature is 42.2 ° C, a high respiratory rate is 30-34 breaths per minute.

There were times when a lot of waterfowl were kept in the villages: geese and domestic ducks. At the same time, duck breeds were not taken into account, and there was not such a variety of them as today. Now many people believe that it is not economical to breed domestic ducks, that they spend a lot of money on their maintenance, they eat a lot, they are noisy, they make a lot of noise in the yard. But if you think about it, they quickly gain weight up to 3-4 kg and give dietary tasty meat. Productivity and benefit from breeding depends largely on the choice of breed. Types of domestic ducks have their own characteristics of breeding and growing for meat.

Now many people believe that it is not economical to breed domestic ducks, that they spend a lot of money on their maintenance, they eat a lot, are noisy, they make a lot of noise in the yard

Poultry farms and factories, private farmsteads and farmers breed 3 types of ducks: meat, meat and egg and egg. But there are also poultry farmers who breed decorative breeds for aesthetic pleasure. Meat breeds of ducks must meet the requirements of precocity, fertility of birds and have good taste and nutritional properties of meat.

How to choose ducks (video)

Breeds of meat ducks

There are breeds of ducks for home breeding. One of the representatives belonging to the meat breed has long been the Peking duck, bred by the Chinese in the west of the capital of China. Among meat breeds, this is considered the most productive. Characterizes their excitability of an increased nature, even in the presence of a slight noise in the yard they respond with a loud quack. Peking ducks are distinguished by a wide orange beak and dense white plumage, they move on thick reddish paws. With a long, slightly raised body, broad back and chest, these ducks look quite massive.

Adult females reach a weight of 3.5 kg, and drakes - about 4 kg. Birds rush well, egg production reaches 125 pieces per year, average weight eggs 90 g. Beijing ducklings have a fairly fast metabolism. They are characterized by precocity and omnivorous, well amenable to fattening. Ducklings are viable, steadfastly endure the winter season, do not succumb to diseases. Their meat is tasty and nutritious. Usually molting in these cute birds begins 2.5 months after hatching. For meat, they must be fed until the molting period and slaughtered.

During the formation of internal organs, the growth of ducklings slows down, hemp (new feathers) appear, which interfere and reduce the quality of the carcass during processing. Therefore, you need to score them on time, you can not overdo it. Breeding Peking ducks for meat is very profitable.

Moscow white

This variety of mallard is popular and in demand among poultry farmers. It is the result of the work of breeders of the state farm near Moscow.

The result was an excellent result from crossing a representative of the Peking duck with a khaki campbell drake - a breed with delicious meat and excellent egg production. Then they crossed them with Beijing drakes to obtain an early maturing breed with increased weight.

What are the features of the white duck? Moscow white ducks outwardly resemble their Chinese counterparts. But there are distinctive features. This variety of ducks has a larger body, a roundish wide chest stands out in particular.

The elongated shape of the large head of the bird rests on the average thickness of a long and flexible neck. Ducklings move on short, widely spaced pink paws. Their feathers are only white (no impurities). The tail of the Moscow white drake is curled upwards. Adult males with good maintenance increase their weight to 4.4 kg, and females - about a kilogram less.

Females show a high egg-laying capacity that lasts for several years. During the year, they give an average of 150 eggs with a weight of one piece of 90 g. Ducklings perfectly adapt to climatic conditions, are not susceptible to infections.

Ducks of meat breeds are reproductive, unpretentious, do not require special care. The hatchability and survival rate of ducklings reaches 90%. An important advantage of this variety is meat without excess fat reserves, which is valued for its high quality and excellent taste. Their skeleton is thin-boned, which is important for consumers.

black white breasted

The next representative of the meat breed is the black white-breasted duck. It was obtained as a result of crossing parental pairs of Peking ducks with Khaki Campbell by Ukrainian breeders in the middle of the last century. Representatives of this species of ducks are distinguished by very beautiful black plumage, the breast and part of the abdomen contrast with the dazzling whiteness of the main color. The upper part of the neck of the white-breasted males casts a beautiful lilac-blue tint. The body of white-breasted ducks is slightly raised. They have a wide and long, slightly concave back. The legs, located close to the raised tail, are dense and short. These birds boast a span of chic duck wings, tightly pressed to the body. The white-breasted beak is black, short and slightly concave.

Their meat is of high quality, it is very healthy and tasty. Females can give about 140 eggs during the year (only white), each weighing an average of 85 g. The percentage of egg fertility is high (90-95%). White-breasted females are excellent laying hens, hatch chicks well, which are distinguished by viability and disease resistance.

They gain weight quickly. Black white-breasted ducklings are precocious, in two months they can gain weight up to 2 kg, they are unpretentious, they eat everything. Fish in ponds, algae, bloodworms are their favorite food. If you provide access to the reservoir, you can significantly reduce the consumption of feed. Young ducks are slaughtered when they reach the age of 2.5 months. For a year, the mass of females reaches 3.5 kg of live weight, and drakes - up to 4 kg. According to the observations of poultry farmers, ducks of the black white-breasted breed develop faster than Peking ducks, gain more weight, as they are excellent for fattening. White-breasted ducklings are distinguished by their unpretentiousness and unpretentiousness, and they also adapt well to any climate and keeping conditions. By 6 months, ducklings are fully grown.

Duck mulard

The mulard duck is the largest duck that can produce an average of up to 7 kg of lean meat in a fairly short fattening period. Differs in unpretentiousness, peacefulness, easily gives in to fattening.

Meat-egg breeds

A popular meat-and-egg breed is the Khaki Campbell, bred by the English poultry keeper Adele Campbell at the end of the 19th century by crossing the Rouen bird with the drake of Indian runners. The result was an excellent breed with a large body weight and good egg production.

The color of feathers in birds was at first fawn, which was especially popular with poultry farmers. Campbell crossed them again with representatives of Indian runners and the result was a khaki color, similar to the color of the uniform of English soldiers. Therefore, the breed is called Khaki Campbell.

At this time, the color of these ducks can be different: white and fawn, darkish and khaki. Ducks are very beautiful, especially white ducks, so exhibitions are organized to show them. They build up a small weight: females have an average weight of 2.5 kg, males - in the range of 2.5-3.3 kg.

Puberty of ducklings occurs by 6-7 months. Birds are characterized by good egg production, they can rush without stopping. During the year, one duck gives more than 300 eggs with a white shell and weighing about 85 g. An elongated and not very large head of a bird, the neck and bottom of the back are brown, and the plumage of the remaining parts is a pleasant khaki color. Their body is elongated, the chest is wide. The beak is black-green, the legs are brown. Khaki campbell gives very high quality, tasty meat without excess fat. Ducklings are lively and energetic. They can adapt well to various climatic conditions, find food in reservoirs and pastures, where there are a lot of herbs, bloodworms, and insects. Compound feed, boiled root crops, grain are used as feed. Females are considered not very diligent mother hens.

Indian runners

Indian runners belong to the egg breed, whose homeland is Southeast Asia. They look very exotic. The body is bottle-shaped - this feature manifests itself when running, and they do not roll over from side to side, but keep straight. The originality of the form attracts people, so representatives of the breed are put on display. Indian runners are shy and agile. The color of the plumage can be different: white and black, brown and blue, and also similar to the color of wild counterparts.

Runners have long legs, on which they quickly run in search of food, and they also have long necks. Female runners can build up a small live weight - up to an average of 1.75 kg, and males - up to about 2 kg. Indian runners lay throughout the year, can produce over 300 eggs. Although the birds of this breed are not highly productive, gourmets prefer their meat for tenderness and juiciness. Mobility is characteristic of runner birds, they graze well on paddocks. Ducklings are distinguished by cleanliness and adaptability to any climatic conditions. Poultry farmers keep them for their high egg production.

Saxon ducks

One of the representatives belonging to the meat and egg direction are Saxon ducks, bred in Saxony at the beginning of the last century. Peking ducks were crossed with Rouen and Pomeranian breeds. The bird is medium-heavy, well-fed, it is unpretentious, it can perfectly survive in any conditions.

Their body is compact, not very large and slightly raised up. The bones are not heavy, the muscular system is well developed. Saxon ducklings can be distinguished by a very beautiful unusual plumage. In males, the head and neck have feathers of a dark blue hue, which are cast with a metallic sheen, and the rest of the plumage is red-red or orange. There is a white stripe in the neck area. And Saxon females have plumage of a yellow-green hue. This breed is considered quite productive, the live weight of females is about 3 kg.

Cayuga ducks

The Cayuga domestic duck was bred on the American continent near Lake Cayuga in the 19th century. In another way, it is called coral for the unusual beautiful shade of feathers - the black-greenish plumage casts with a metallic sheen. Mallards are known for their endurance. The legs of the bird and the beak are black. They move on short, wide-set legs. The live weight of male ducks reaches an average of 3.5 kg, and females increase their weight to 3 kg. They differ in the average egg production, give about 150 eggs per year.

An interesting fact is that the eggs in the first ten are black, then the shell gradually begins to lighten and becomes gray or greenish-white. The females are excellent hens. Cayuga ducks are calm, they can adapt well in any climatic conditions. They love walking, where they can feed themselves by eating various insects and worms. The young of this breed has an excellent survival rate.

What breed of ducks is the most unpretentious (video)

mirror rock

These representatives of ducks were bred during long-term crossing in the middle of the last century. It was necessary to obtain an early maturing breed with high quality meat. The result paid off. Birds of the mirror breed are distinguished by good productivity and early maturity, they are valued for the delicate taste of meat. One female increases weight up to 3 kg, and males - up to 3.8 kg. Mallard gives up to 200 eggs, they come with a white or yellowish shell. The body of this species of duck is long, in front it looks slightly raised. The head is oval in shape and yellowish in color, it rests on a medium thickness and moderate length of a strong neck. The beak is yellowish-green, long and wide, its tip is black. Short legs are feathered.

The wings are white, they do not have a large span, the tail is slightly raised, short and narrow. The plumage of birds is usually light brown, there are individuals of grayish, silvery or creamy color. The head of a drake is black-brown with specks. It has a beautiful green tint and is bordered by a white collar. Ducks of this breed are characterized by mobility and good egg production. Mallard eggs give an excellent hatchability and survival rate, reaching up to 95%. Birds can be kept in different climatic conditions. Poultry breeders breed a mirror duck for the excellent taste of meat.

Blue Favorite

Blue favorite duck is an interesting variety of domestic mallard. It was bred by breeders of the Bashkir stud farm Blagovarsky. Blue-grey or steel-colored plumage makes ducks easily recognizable. The live weight of favorites can reach up to 5 kg. The quality of the meat is high. Favorite ducklings are hardy and resilient, grow well. With proper care, they will give up to 3.6 kg of meat by 3 months.

There are also Bashkir ducks Agidel, which are meat-oriented. These are the descendants of crossing Indian runners with the Blagovar breed. They have a large long body, dense white feathers. Laying hens produce more than 200 large eggs per year. Can increase weight up to 3 kg in a couple of months. They are unpretentious, they can feed themselves on pastures, eating green grass, insects, worms. Meat quality is not inferior to the meat of birds of foreign selection.

decorative types

The Dutch duck is bred for sporting ornamental purposes. This bird with white plumage and a round tuft produces 100-120 eggs, its weight ranges from 2 to 2.5 kg.

best view decorative breed is a tangerine. It belongs to a decorative small breed, it is bred because of its unique beauty. The male develops beautiful feathers, representing the "wedding outfit" of the drake. In spring or early summer, tangerines lay small 10-12 eggs and incubate them for 32 days. Ducklings develop well, quickly become independent. After 4.5 months, feathers and a beautiful multi-colored outfit appear.

The variegated Carolina duck is often bred with the mandarin duck for their beautiful multicolored plumage. Demanding to feed.

The Eilsburn duck was brought from England, it is considered quite heavy, meaty. Thanks to the snow-white plumage and beautiful beak, the colors of the wild rose Eilsburns look very exotic. Despite the fact that such ducks have a massive large body, they have a delicate skeleton. They are bred for exhibitions, they are not prolific, bad hens.

Poultry farmers know that it is best to breed a meat variety of ducks. Domestic species of ducks gain weight quite well and quickly, provide nutritious and healthy meat.

When acquiring ducks, many farmers first decide whether they want eggs or meat from their poultry. And the choice is already made depending on further needs. Which ducks are better to breed if you want to get meat? The most common meat breeds of ducks will be discussed in this article. Also here you will find relevant photos and videos.

One of the best meat breeds is the Beijing variety. As the name implies, for the first time these birds were bred by Chinese poultry farmers in the Beijing area and this happened more than three centuries ago. The popularity of such ducks was huge and over time they began to be bred throughout China, and about 150 years ago these birds were first brought to European countries and the United States. To date, Beijing meat breed duck is one of the largest breeds in our country, you can see this by looking at the photo.

It should be noted that such ducks are among the most precocious, they can be quickly fattened. An important advantage in their breeding is that they tolerate frosts well and even in winter you can get high-quality meat from them. This meat breed is characterized by a large and broad head, a small orange beak and small but rather thick legs. You also need to add that the neck of the birds is quite massive, and the eyes are large and shiny.

Gray Ukrainian

It’s not worth talking about the place of removal, everything is clear here. As for appearance, gray Ukrainian ducks are characterized by a rather strong and massive body and good muscles. In addition, representatives of gray Ukrainian meat breeds have abundant plumage on the body, while their head is small, but the beak is quite powerful. The same applies to the rest of the body - both the paws and the torso as a whole.

Males are characterized by a dark gray head with a green tinge and dark beak. In general, the appearance of ducks is quite interesting and original, as you can see from the photo, but if you are going to breed them, you are unlikely to do this only because of one appearance. If you don’t know which ducks are better to buy for breeding, then Ukrainian gray ducks will be one of the best options. Their cost is not particularly high, but they give a lot of meat. In general, the live weight of ducks is up to 3 kg, and drakes - about 3.5 kg. As for egg production, on average, such ducks can produce about 120 eggs per year, but this figure can reach a maximum of 250 pieces.

Black white-breasted

From the name it can be understood that in black white-breasted birds, the main part of the body is covered with black feathers. Feathers are white on the lower part of the chest, and the paws are also black. If we talk about males, then their upper neck may have a bluish or purple tint.

The paws of such ducks are not very high, moderately strong. They are closer to the back. As for the beak, it is slightly concave, has a short length, and is always dark in color. The eyes of representatives of this meat breed are black, constantly shining, in size they are rather large than medium. The wings of this species are strong and powerful, fit snugly to the sides.

Now let's talk about the weight of meat that can be obtained from poultry. The weight of the duck is about 3.5 kg, the male is about 4 kilograms. As for egg production, it can reach 140 eggs per year. It should be noted that the meat of such ducks is very tasty, this is confirmed by the reviews of poultry farmers, and the carcasses themselves are white. It is noteworthy that this species of birds can carry eggs for a very long time.

Moscow whites

If you do not know which ducks are better to have, then pay attention to this breed. The Moscow White variety was obtained by breeding the Beijing breed with feathered hakikempbel, which can be seen in the photo.

This species is characterized by an elongated and fairly large head. At the same time, birds have a wide white-pink beak, which can be called their feature. The breast is wide and massive, protrudes forward. The back is no less wide, and the body as a whole is set horizontally. In purebred Moscow white ducks, feathers are exceptionally white, if they have yellowness, then this indicates that the breed is not purebred.

Geese on average weigh about 4 kilograms, the weight of ducks is in the region of 3-35 kg. If you decide that it is better to get eggs from a duck, and then meat, then keep in mind that such a duck can lay up to 150 testicles a year at most. On average, the weight of one testicle is about 90 g, and feathered egg production can persist for many years. Farmers note that this variety gives very tasty and soft meat.

swedish blues

feathered Swedish breed have very good productivity indicators, this variety is most popular with German poultry farmers. Swedish ducks are characterized by gullibility towards people and are quickly tamed. They can be bred in the northern regions and in cold weather. Moreover, they are not particularly demanding in feeding and can be quickly fattened. Better than the breed in this regard you will not find.

The birds of this species are characterized by a silvery-gray color. They have a small head, oblong, while the beaks of such ducks are flat and have a yellow-green tint. Like other breeds intended for meat, the back of Swedish birds is quite wide and elongated. The paws are orange in color, and the wings are quite long. On average, the mass of such birds is about 3.5 kg.

Bashkir colored

Bashkir colored birds were obtained as a result of breeding crosses at one of the domestic breeding farms. This meat breed can have several colors of plumage - it can be dark green or white-breasted. The body as a whole, as in other meat breeds, is quite strong and massive.

The Bashkir color breed was originally obtained from the Beijing variety.

The key differences between these birds are:

• sufficiently large egg production;
• the ability to adapt to almost any conditions of detention (of course, they cannot be fed with anything, it is better to use good food);
• good indicators of directly meat characteristics;
• low percentage of fat in meat.

Musk

Another meat breed of ducks are musky birds. This variety has become so called due to the fact that it has a musky smell of feathers and leather. Initially, the variety was bred by South American poultry farmers, but later very quickly came to the USA and Europe, from where it spread to Asian countries.

This breed is still considered wild, despite its domestication. Muscovy ducks do not like water and hate to be in it, they prefer to fly higher and spend time in trees. Farmers involved in breeding these birds note the excellent taste of meat.

Mulard

The duck variety of Mulard today has increasingly begun to be used on an industrial scale. Industrial fattening brings a lot of profit, but even in small farms Mulardy are used no less.

Mulard is an interbreeding hydride, which was obtained as a result of breeding work on crossing the musky variety with Peking, Orpington and Rouen. Mulards are not found in wild nature, in practice, they simply do not survive without a person. But these birds give a sufficient number of eggs and a lot of fresh meat.

Rouen

The Rouen variety of domestic ducks was bred in France, in the Normandy region. In the city of Rouen, peasants tamed wild ducks, and as a result of a long selection and selection, Rouen birds were obtained. The body of the bird is massive, horizontally set and quite strong. The same applies to the chest - it is no less strong and massive. Almost nothing has changed in color - Rouen birds took the plumage color from their wild ancestors.

In particular, the head and Rouen ducks are dark brown, and narrow stripes run from the beak to the neck on both sides. The upper part of the body is light brown in color, the paws are predominantly orange, may have a darkish tint. The beak has a green tint, at the very tip it will be black. The meat of these ducks is very tasty and soft.

Favorite blue

The favorite breed was also obtained as a result of selection. The difference lies in the fact that these selection works were carried out at the state level, in particular, at the well-known Blagovarsky enterprise. This variety is characterized by a gray-blue color. It should also be noted that ducks of the favorite breed are practically unpretentious in content, they have excellent egg production, and the meat is very tasty and, most importantly, lean.

In addition, favorites are distinguished by good viability of both adults and ducklings. Also, representatives of the breed are characterized by excellent fattening properties, that is, if desired, a duck up to two months old can be fed up to 3.5 kilograms of weight. During this time, a goose can gain up to 4 kg. On average, ducks lay about 120 eggs per year. to date, this variety is the most common in industrial production.

But which is better to choose: one-color or two-color?

Beijing

The whitest, most popular and sought-after in Russia are considered. These birds appeared for the first time in China, or rather, in Beijing more than 200 years ago. Pekinok was brought to Europe only in the 19th century.

Today this breed is the largest. The mass of an adult drake reaches 4 kg, the mass of a female at the age of 2.5-3 kg.

Peking Duck Features:

• fast growth;
• unpretentiousness in care;
• fast adaptation to a certain climate;
• good egg production for the first 3 years (about 100 eggs);
• wide body;
• convex forehead;
• yellow beak;
• snow-white plumage.

Moscow

Do not lag behind in popularity from Peking ducks Moscow. They were bred as a result of the selection of "Peking" with Khaki-Campbells. The new birds turned out to be precocious and meaty. Already at the age of 2.5 months, the bird becomes fully formed and can even begin the first laying of eggs. The mass of a male individual is 4 kg. The weight of the female reaches 3-3.5 kg.

Features of Moscow ducks:

• precocity;
• good egg production (110-120 eggs per year);
• massive body;
• white color of plumage;
• Blue eyes;
• light red beak;
• good tolerance to low temperatures;
• high survival rate.

Ukrainian

The list of the whitest breeds includes the Ukrainian duck. It was bred without the participation of foreign breeds. Ukrainian birds tolerate Russian winters well and have well-developed muscles. The weight of an adult Ukrainian drake is 3.5 kg, the Ukrainian duck is about 2.5-3 kg.

Features of Ukrainian ducks:

• strong constitution;
• dense and abundant white plumage;
• strong beak;
• dark brown eyes;
• average egg production (maximum 250 eggs).

Blagovarskaya

Many poultry farmers also keep feathered Blagovarskaya white breeds. They were bred at the Blagovarsky State Processing Plant in Bashkortostan. Blagovarsky birds are very calm. They are large and meaty. The maximum weight of a drake at the age of 7 months is 3.7 kg, ducks - 3.4 kg.

Features of Blagovarsky ducks:

• high fertility;
• calm character;
• high meat productivity;
• egg production - 120 eggs per year;
• active growth rate;
• large head with a powerful orange beak;
• snow-white plumage.

bicolor birds

Black white-breasted

One of the brightest representatives of two-color ducks are Black white-breasted ducks. This breed is known for its dietary meat and beautiful appearance. These black ducks have a large body and are not at all whimsical in care. White-breasted are very fond of Russian poultry farmers and they are bred in large numbers.

These black ducks were bred as a meat breed by crossing the Ukrainian White-breasted duck with Pekinka and Khaki-Kembel in Ukraine. These birds have a deep chest and a wide and long back. The dominant color of the plumage is black, and there are white inserts on the chest in the form of a tailcoat. They are also on the belly and slightly on the slightly raised tail. Black ducks have short legs, large dark eyes, a slightly concave small dark-colored beak, wings fit snugly to the back.

Puberty in birds occurs as early as 6 months. The live weight of a female is 3-3.5 kg. A drake can weigh 3.5-4 kg. Black white-breasted ducks fatten quickly and well. Already by 2.5 months, the weight of the young reaches 1.5-1.6 kg.

Features of Black white-breasted birds:

• fast growth;
• unpretentiousness in care;
• egg production - 120-130 eggs per year;
• beautiful appearance;
• good meat productivity;
• dark beak;
• calm character.

Mulard

The Mulard breed is well-known, which most poultry farmers consider the most profitable breed for breeding.

Feathers do not give offspring, but are bred as a tasty source of meat. In European countries, a dish made from Mulard's liver, foie gras, is very popular.

The birds look great. The plumage of the "Mulatok" is white, a distinctive feature of the birds are small black spots on the head. Moulards are a mixture of Peking duck and Musk drake. This breed was bred quite recently and is mainly used only for obtaining tasty meat and valuable fatty liver.