What breed of domestic ducks is the largest. The largest breeds of ducks. The best meat ducks

02.03.2020

Not only in poultry farms, but also in many yards, ducks are often kept along with chickens.

The variety of breeds is very large. In this article we will talk about the gray Ukrainian duck.

Origin of the gray Ukrainian duck

This duck owes its origin to the specialists of the Ukrainian Research Institute of Poultry. For many years, employees have selected only the best representatives of domestic domestic and wild ducks. By crossing these two breeds, a gray Ukrainian duck appeared.

Breed standard and description

These waterfowl have a well-developed, strong and muscular body with widely spaced, strong, short legs. They have a dense plumage of gray or clay color, which is very similar to the plumage of wild mallards.
On a slightly raised body is a small elongated head. In drakes, it is almost black with a greenish tint; there is a white collar on the neck. The duck is distinguished by the presence of two black stripes on its head.

Did you know? Ducks are very talkative. Females are more vociferous, and the quacking of a drake resembles a crow's croak.

Characteristics of the productivity of the breed

Gray Ukrainian is considered a meat breed and has the following characteristics:

ducklings at the age of 2 months weigh about 2 kg;
the weight of the female corresponds to 3 kg, and the drake - 3.5–4 kg. They reach such indicators at the age of about 4 months;
it gains weight well both on compound feeds, and on duckweed, grass, eating various food waste.

Despite the fact that the breed is meat, it has good egg production rates:

rush all spring, starting in February;
productivity per year is 110-120 pieces. Egg weight - 70–80 g.

With good care and maintenance in lighted and heated rooms, duck egg production can reach 250 eggs per year, and egg weight increases to 90 g.

Advantages of the gray Ukrainian duck

The popularity of these waterfowl is due to their many advantages:

early maturation and rapid weight gain;
tasty meat and good egg production;
survival rate of young animals - 96–98%;
the presence of dense plumage;
resistance to low temperatures;
good immunity to diseases;
unpretentious in food;
get along well with other birds.

Disadvantages of the gray Ukrainian duck

We can say that these birds have practically no flaws. In addition to such as:

fear of drafts;
overpopulation intolerance.

Important! High crowding of birds causes them anxiety, which negatively affects egg production.

Breeding Ukrainian duck at home

It is not difficult to breed and grow these waterfowl at home. The main condition is to provide them with a spacious range.

Nutrition and feeding

Ducks are herbivores. But when feeding ducklings, you must follow these rules:

Feeding ducklings in the first days consists of semi-liquid feed diluted in milk.
After a few days, they can be given mashes and mixtures with the addition of corn or wheat grits, barley, grass meal, herbs, vegetables, fish or bone meal, and food waste. The most important condition is the freshness and quality of the products.
In the first 10 days, chicks are fed in small portions about 10 times a day.
You need to provide them with enough water.

Important! In order for waterfowl to have enough minerals in their diet, they need to be given in separate containers. bone meal, ash or crushed shell.

Features of feeding in adulthood are as follows:

In addition to compound feed, they willingly eat grass, grain, algae, and food waste.
In summer, it is enough for them to receive 25% of grain; in the autumn-winter season, the amount of grain production must be increased to 50%.
The diet requires the presence of vegetables such as beets, potatoes, pumpkin or cabbage, as well as fruits, such as apples. Compound feed is best given as part of wet mash with the addition of vegetables and herbs.
The number of feedings corresponds to 3–4 times; in the presence of free range, they get most of the food on their own. Ducks are excellent foragers on the water.

Bird care

These waterfowl do not require special care, but you still need to consider some points:

Despite its unpretentiousness, the better the maintenance of waterfowl, the greater the return. Therefore, it is advisable to adhere to such recommendations.

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 think 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.

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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 lay well, egg production reaches 125 pieces per year, the average egg weight is 90 g. In Beijing ducklings, the metabolism is quite fast. 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 features does 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 hue. 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 poultrywoman 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

Bred domestic duck cayuga 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.

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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.

Ukrainian gray ducks are an artificially bred breed, which appeared thanks to the efforts of specialists from the Poultry Institute of Ukraine. Domestic and took part in the crossing. The scientists had a goal - to preserve the ancient population of birds, while obtaining individuals with high mobility, excellent health and who would grow up quickly enough. Of course, they had productive qualities beneficial to humans in the form of easily digestible meat and good egg production.

This breed - the Ukrainian gray duck - is resistant to cold, body strength and well-developed muscles, likes to be constantly on the move, look for food, swim in ponds, i.e. prefers a free lifestyle. This bird "ripens" faster than most other breeds, it is easy to keep and can eat almost any food.

Excellent genetics and the blood of ancient breeds endowed the Ukrainian Gray with increased resistance to diseases. Such ducks are great for breeding in small private backyards and farms. Despite the fact that the bird swims well, it dives only during molting or in case of injury, while it can very quickly rise to the wing from the water, taking off almost vertically.

A characteristic feature of the Ukrainian gray duck is its thick down and feather. In terms of color, there are several varieties: light, gray and clay. Wild-finned subspecies are also known. Drakes have a darker head color with a predominance of black-brown shades. The lower body often has white feather inserts. Closer to summer, drakes molt, and their coloration becomes almost the same as that of the female, but dark tones still predominate in the plumage.

All representatives of the breed are of medium size. The body is elongated, and the anterior part of the body is slightly raised. On a long head is an olive-colored beak with a black tip. The legs are short, but strong, orange in color. The thoracic region is quite massive.

The wings are tightly folded on the sides and have a small length. The tail is slightly raised up and is in a closed state. Female gray ducks weigh about 3 kg. Males are heavier by about 0.5 kg.

area

You can meet representatives of this breed of birds in the east of the CIS, but the steppe regions of Ciscaucasia are considered the main habitat. Individual flocks fly to the lower reaches of the Irtysh and Kama. Gray ducks also visit the regions of the Volga-Akhtuba floodplain.

reproduction

A female can lay up to 140 eggs per year, but this is natural conditions. Under more comfortable home conditions, a laying hen sometimes lays 200 or more eggs. One egg weighs, on average, 80 grams. Of the young, about 75% of the chicks survive.

Most often, males pay attention to females in winter. The Cavalier does not take part in the upbringing of the kids, but still prefers to be closer to his family. AT wild environment the gray duck is trying to build a nest for incubation in tall grass closer to the water. To create a nest, she uses her fluff, dried grass and leaves.

The duck patiently incubates the eggs until the very process of hatching and only briefly leaves from time to time to get food. Ducklings grow quickly and do not stay in the nest. A short time after hatching, they are already swimming calmly in the water next to their mother. Sometimes two or more broods decide to team up with each other and swim together.

In the conditions of home maintenance, the owner of the farm builds the nest himself. About five laying hens can be seated in one large nest with a size of 40 by 50 cm. It must certainly have a litter with great depth, which will be convenient to renew when dirty.

When keeping ducks, it is important to pay a lot of attention to their young. It is best to keep the chicks separate from the main flock and even from their parents. For the first three weeks, ducklings are kept in the warmest place on the farm. The first days are especially important, when the temperature in this room should be about +30 degrees. On one square meter should contain 25 ducklings - no more. After a few days, the temperature can already be gradually lowered or the brood can be transferred to a cooler place. In the third week, the permissible temperature of the content is no more than +20 degrees.

Young animals should be properly fed. At first, ducklings should be given semi-liquid food with the addition of milk. After a few days, the chicks will be able to eat dry food in the form of barley or corn grist. It can be alternated with herbal or fish meal and nettle greens.

Places for feeding and drinkers should be installed so that all ducklings can eat in peace without pushing. In the first days of life, the height of the sides of the feeders should be no more than 2 cm, and then you can already put ordinary fluted feeders with high sides.

Older ducklings should be protected from climbing into the feeder, otherwise they will leave their waste products there - for this, a protective bar is placed on the feeder. It is advisable to put a special feed catcher at the bottom. The fact is that the chicks do not eat very carefully, scattering food with their beak in different directions.

Habitat

In the wild, the gray duck usually settles near water bodies, where there is no current or where it is weak. This species of birds is migratory, so in winter they fly to warm places, closer to the Caspian Sea. Some flocks go to Transcaucasia, while they return “home” somewhat later than other ducks.

Lifestyle

The Ukrainian gray duck can live in "Spartan" conditions, as it is not demanding on the place of keeping and food. A simple room with good protection against dampness and rapid temperature changes will suffice. Normal lighting is also desirable.

Although ducks love lakes, it is not necessary to create an artificial reservoir on your site, a spacious container of water will do.

Gray ducks eat well from wood and metal feeders of any type, although the latter are usually used for wet food. To save feed, it is better to make feeders with high sides, since even adult ducks are not too careful when eating.

From food, the gray duck prefers plants, so when it grazes, it will be happy to eat delicious grass or various food waste. Special feeds contribute to faster weight gain. This is true when it is required to grow poultry for meat, in other cases it is more profitable to feed it with simple grain feed and vegetables in the form of cabbage or pumpkin. With good nutrition, egg production increases in females, drakes gain decent weight even without expensive compound feed, and ducklings grow up healthy.

As mentioned above, it is desirable for these ducks to create deep bedding in the nests - they maintain the microclimate necessary for the birds, warm their lower body and absorb moisture. The role of bedding can be played by shavings, mashed corn kernels and husks. Bedding materials should be harvested during dry weather to reduce the risk of mold infestation in the bedding.

Peat has excellent absorbency, but due to the fact that it contributes to the formation of dust, it should be mixed with other materials. Before backfilling, the flooring must be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected.

In winter, birds need more heat, so the litter layer should be 30 cm. In summer, it can be reduced to 20 cm. new material for bedding once a month.

Gray Ukrainian ducks. On the basis of the Ukrainian Research Institute of Poultry Farming of the Borki state farm, famous breed duck, which was called the gray Ukrainian duck. The breed was bred by long-term selection of Ukrainian domestic ducks and crossing it with wild ducks. The gray Ukrainian duck breed is classified as meat, heavy breeds. The gray Ukrainian duck weighs an average of 3 kilograms, the drake reaches 3.5 - 4.0 kilograms. Based on our experience with this breed, we can confirm that the numbers are quite real. This weight is reached by ducks somewhere around 4 months old. At the same time, we did not give any special feeds and additives. By the age of 2 months, ducklings have 2 kilograms of live weight, that is, they are quite ready for slaughter. As for egg production, despite the fact that this breed is classified as a meat breed, our experience shows that they lay well. Gray Ukrainian ducks start laying somewhere in early February, and lay all spring, at the beginning of laying one egg a day, when they spread, then every day. According to the standard, the egg production of the Ukrainian gray duck is about 120 eggs per year. With good care, appropriate lighting, and a heated room, record levels can be achieved - up to 260 eggs per year. Egg weight ranges from 70 to 90 grams.

The content of the Ukrainian gray duck is completely unpretentious. She wonderfully uses aquatic vegetation - duckweed, algae. She grazes on the grass with pleasure, eats kitchen food waste, and gains weight superbly on special compound feeds. Thus, during the summer period, the grain special mixture makes up only 25% of the duck's diet. In the late autumn, winter, and early spring, the proportions, of course, change: about 50% of the daily diet falls on the share of cereals and animal feed, while the second half is vegetables - pumpkin, small boiled potatoes, cabbage, apples, food waste. Perhaps the main advantage of the Ukrainian gray duck is its resistance to low temperatures. It winters well in unheated rooms, on deep litter. The main thing to avoid, as with any other bird, is drafts. On the territory of the Kyiv region, where we run our farm, February frosts down to -15 do not prevent ducks from going for a walk with pleasure, taking snow baths, and starting to rush.

Breed standard gray Ukrainian duck

The gray Ukrainian duck has a strong constitution, not coarse bones, well-developed muscles, dense, light and abundant plumage. The head is small, slightly elongated, with shining eyes, strong beak.

The gray Ukrainian duck has short, strong, widely spaced legs. The body is quite wide, deep and long.

The drakes of the gray Ukrainian duck have a head of dark gray or almost black color, with a brilliant greenish tint, an olive beak, a dark brown neck with a white collar.

The back of the drakes is black-brown, the chest is reddish-brown, the lower part of the body is light gray, the wings are gray-brown, with shiny blue mirror stripes bordered on the sides with black and white.

The gray Ukrainian duck has a dark brown head with two black stripes, and a dark olive bill with a black claw at the end. The neck, back, chest and lower part of the body are brown, the wings are dark brown with blue "mirrors".

Gray Ukrainian ducks have plumage, like wild mallard ducks.

information taken from the website "Home Compound"

It is hardly possible to cover all currently existing breeds of ducks within the framework of one article. Therefore, we will focus on the domestic species of these birds, for convenience dividing them into three categories according to the type of focus: meat, meat and egg and egg breeds. Most breeds belong to the first two options, and therefore poultry farmers often prefer to pick up weighty ducks that are well suited for slaughter for meat. Breeds with high egg production rates are very rare. More details about each of the directions and its most prominent representatives are described below.

As already mentioned, meat-oriented ducks are in great demand among those farmers who plan to slaughter birds for meat. It is meat breeds that hold the record in this regard, providing the poultry farmer with the largest amount of quality product. Such breeds are characterized by precocity, unpretentiousness to the conditions of detention and rapid weight gain both at home and on compound feed. The physique of meat ducks is traditionally strong, muscle mass prevails over fat.

Bashkir duck

Mature seven-week-old Bashkir ducks weigh about four kilograms (if we talk about males). In case of timely slaughter, the proportion of pure meat is at least 70%, which is a very good result. The meat itself does not have any taste impurities and has a pleasant texture.

In a year, Bashkir ducks are able to bring about 250 eggs to the farmer, the average weight of which is about 90 grams. From the first days of life, ducklings begin to develop actively and, with proper feeding, already at the end of the sixth week of life, they weigh three kilograms, confidently catching up with mature relatives.

Breed Benefits

The strengths of the Bashkir breed are as follows:

Peking duck

Peking ducks are probably the most common and popular inhabitants of private and factory farms. According to the weight criterion, the "Beijing" is in many ways similar to the "Bashkirs" - mature drakes weigh around four and a half kilograms by the time of slaughter, which completely suits most poultry farmers. One and a half month old ducklings weigh 3 kilograms. When harvesting Peking ducks, it should be borne in mind that the older the individual, the more fat is contained in its meat and the less dietary it is.

The egg production rates of Pekin ducks are small, which does not really matter, given their orientation. For a year, a laying hen lays about 120-130 eggs.

Breed Benefits

Why do poultry farmers retain their interest in Peking ducks? There can be several answers to this question:

Muscovy duck

Muscovy ducks are easily recognizable by their extravagant appearance, which distinguishes them from other breeds. There are black and white, white, brown, blue individuals that become the decoration of any yard.

The drakes of this breed are real giants even among meat ducks, gaining a mass of about six kilograms by the time of slaughter. Due to a small percentage of fat, their meat is considered a dietary product, while the brisket is considered the most delicious and sought-after part.

If you provide the females with suitable daylight hours and a comfortable temperature in the hen house, they will start laying at six months of age, which is quite late. Laying hens produce approximately 80-100 eggs per year.

Breed Benefits

Breeding Muscovy ducks guarantees poultry farmers the following benefits:

Moscow white duck

Moscow white ducks are widespread in Russian and Ukrainian farmsteads. The breed was obtained by crossing the already mentioned Beijing individuals, as well as Khaki-Campbell ducks. Appearance Moscow ducks largely inherited from the "Peking" - they got snow-white plumage and light colors of the limbs and beak.

Mature drakes reach a body weight of four and a half kilograms, which is a typical indicator for meat-oriented ducks. However, these figures can be increased with the preparation of a competent diet, as well as under appropriate conditions of detention. Farmers prefer to slaughter young animals already at the age of two months, when the chicks weigh three kilograms.

For the entire cycle, the female lays about 30 eggs, respectively, up to 150 eggs should be expected from her per year. The eggs themselves have a classic weight of 90 grams. Stably high (for this breed) egg production rates last for two years.

Breed Benefits

Among the advantages of keeping the Moscow white duck in your backyard, we note the main ones:

Gray Ukrainian duck

As it is easy to understand by the name of the breed, the homeland of Ukrainian gray ducks is one of the research centers of Ukraine. Unlike most of the listed breeds, the presence of a reservoir is vital for such ducks, since these birds are distinguished by their extreme mobility. You can safely use wooden troughs as a reservoir - such a small area is quite enough for ducks.

Gray Ukrainian ducks are slaughtered as the males reach four kilograms, and the females - three. Some poultry farmers stop raising young at the age of two months, when the ducklings weigh two kilograms. The meat of the breed has excellent taste and is in great demand.

Egg production rates in females can vary significantly depending on the conditions of detention. For example, laying hens, left to their own devices, deliver an average of 130 eggs per year. However, if you pay attention to these birds, and add nutrients to the diet, they can double these numbers.

Breed Benefits

excellent survival of ducklings. According to some reports, only 5% of young animals die in the process of growing them. Such a high viability of ducklings allows both experienced poultry farmers and beginners to grow them;
demanded fluff. The gray Ukrainian duck is one of the few meat breeds whose main resource is not only a weighty carcass, but also high-quality fluff. The down of representatives of the breed is widely used to fill pillows and feather beds;
non-conflict. Gray Ukrainian ducks get along well in rooms inhabited by other animals. They rarely fight for food and do not seek to "show things off" with other inhabitants. At the same time, birds do not do well in overcrowded poultry houses;
cold resistance. Like Muscovites, Ukrainians are perfectly adapted to cold temperatures. Therefore, representatives of the breed can be kept even in rooms that do not provide for heating - this will not affect the health of birds.

Meat-egg breeds of ducks

Breeds of meat and egg orientation are truly universal, as they are distinguished by good performance in both meat and egg productivity. This advantage makes meat-and-egg ducks in demand among many farmers. As a rule, in layers of this type of orientation, the incubation instinct is better developed than in layers of meat breeds. Therefore, these individuals are able to independently protect their eggs and care for them until the appearance of young.

Cayuga duck

Not common in Russian farmsteads. The fact is that representatives of this breed are grown mainly for decorative purposes, since these individuals are distinguished by an unusually beautiful plumage with metallic tints. Unfortunately, even after plucking the carcass of such ducks, dark stumps remain on its surface, which make the meat of this bird unattractive in appearance and repel buyers.

Except for the unusual appearance, Cayuga duck meat has no other negative nuances - it is soft, juicy and does not contain a large amount of fat. However, due to problems with the sale of carcasses obtained from such ducks, they are strongly discouraged from breeding by entrepreneurs who rely on profit.

Every year, laying hens of this breed are able to bring up to 150 eggs. Such eggs can either be left under the duck and wait for the chicks to hatch, or used for culinary purposes. It is curious that the color of the eggs of the Cayuga duck changes as it grows older. In young laying hens, the eggs are dark, while in older ones they are light green.

Breed Benefits

Before breeding the Cayuga duck, it is important to familiarize yourself with the positive aspects of this bird:

Saxon duck

Saxon ducks were bred in Germany almost a hundred years ago. Many different species (Beijing, Pomeranian individuals) took part in the creation of the new breed, since the breeders had the goal of breeding ducks that are distinguished by their comprehensive productivity. Sadly, Saxon ducks are still a rarity these days, as their stock is still being rebuilt after World War II.

Saxon ducks are medium-weight breeds. Average weight males is 3.5 kilograms, and females - 2.5 kilograms. The meat itself has all the qualities that are characteristic of carcasses obtained from meat breeds - a small percentage of fat, a pleasant taste and diet. The egg productivity of the Saxon laying hens is striking - in a year they lay up to 200 eggs weighing at least 75 grams.

Breed Benefits

Among the strengths of the Saxon ducks are the following:

You can read about the rules for keeping domestic ducks below.

Khaki Campbell

Many modern poultry farmers are not familiar with such a breed as the Khaki Campbell, while its descendant, the Russian white duck, has gained great popularity in our country. In turn, the representatives of the breed themselves were obtained thanks to a curious “cocktail” or Mndian runners, Rouen ducks and Mulard ducks. The prefix "Khaki" birds of this breed deserved for their color of feathers.

Like the Saxon duck, the Khaki Campbell is a medium-weight breed. Males gain weight of 3 kilograms by two months, after which they prepare for slaughter. Such indicators can hardly be called inspiring, but the bird compensates for them with the help of excellent egg production.

Khaki-Campbell laying hens are real record holders in terms of the number of eggs supplied, bypassing their rivals of other breeds at times, only slightly inferior to Indian runners. In just a year, females are able to lay up to 300 eggs, weighing about 70 kilograms, which makes keeping Khaki Campbell very profitable for the purpose of further selling egg products.

Breed Benefits

Summarizing the above, let us dwell on the advantages of the Khaki Campbell breed:

egg breeds

Among the ducks, focused mainly on the laying of eggs, it is safe to single out only one very curious breed - the Indian Runner. This variety of ducks can be easily distinguished from hundreds of others not so much by the peculiarities of plumage, but by the way of movement and body structure - with whom only runners have not been compared: both with bottles and with penguins.

Initially, Indian runners in Russia could only be found in the zoo, since these birds attracted a lot of attention and were in demand among visitors. In Soviet times, "Indians" were only occasionally used to cross with other breeds in order to obtain individuals with improved egg production. Only at the very end of the twentieth century, some farmers decided to experiment with these unusual birds.

By the way! As a result of crossing Russian breeds with a runner, the Kuban duck appeared, which is considered a representative of the meat and egg direction.

As you might guess, the compact bodies of Indian runners do not contain a lot of meat. Males hardly reach the weight of two kilograms, not to mention females. Therefore, the slaughter of such individuals for the purpose of selling meat is considered an unprofitable enterprise. The exceptions are those cases when the meat of the runners is consumed by the farmer himself and his family, since it has excellent palatability.

The females of this breed begin to rush relatively late - at the age of six months, however, egg production rates can hit any poultry farmer. With proper care, these unusual birds are able to supply up to 360 eggs annually, and their weight will not differ from the classic weight of 75 grams for duck eggs.

Breed Benefits

When breeding Indian Runners, the breeder will be pleasantly surprised by the following characteristics of the breed;

excellent egg production. Note that the color of the shell of the resulting eggs directly depends on the color of the plumage of the laying hen;
high hatchability during natural incubation. In the case of Indian runners, the natural method of incubation of eggs has an unconditional advantage over the artificial one, carried out with the help of an incubator. With natural incubation, hatchability rates are 90-95%, with artificial incubation - only 80%;
undemanding to food. Due to their small size, representatives of the breed consume less feed. The components of the diet themselves are no different from the products given to all other ducks;
unusualness. By getting Indian ducks, you can be sure that they will be able to add color to any, even the most quiet and boring backyard. These birds leave no one indifferent and attract the eye.

Video - Breeding Indian Runners

Productivity comparison

Comparative productivity indicators for all listed breeds are presented in the table below.

Table 1. Breeds of ducks and their productivity

Name	Downhole weight	Egg productivity
	4 kilograms	250 eggs
	4.5 kilograms	130 eggs
	6 kilograms	100 eggs
	4.5 kilograms	150 eggs
	4 kilograms	130 eggs
	3 kilograms	150 eggs
	3.5 kilograms	200 eggs
	3 kilograms	300 eggs
	2 kilograms	360 eggs