The breed, bred at the beginning of the 19th century, is still popular and is valued for its good productivity, unpretentiousness in maintenance and nutrition. Khaki duck is kept for eggs and dietary meat containing little fat. Birds raised for slaughter are considered medium-heavy, with slaughter weight reaching 3 kg. To obtain such carcasses, it is necessary to provide the livestock with space for walking, a high-calorie and balanced diet.
History of the breed
The Khaki breed was created at the end of the 19th century by the English farmer Adele Campbell.The duck, originally bred not for exhibition and sale, but for the sake of obtaining products for personal consumption, received a double name - Khaki Campbell. The second word is the hostess's surname. The first reflects the unusual color of the feathers - brown with a greenish tint. This was the color of the English military uniform of those times.
Miss Campbell wanted to create a breed that was more productive in meat and egg production. The farmer crossed the Indian runner, which is characterized by high egg production, with Rouen meat duck. The resulting hybrid offspring was crossed with Mulard duck - meat breed, characterized by good muscle mass with minimal fat content.
The result was the appearance of birds with greenish-brown plumage. The owner didn't really like the khaki color. She re-crossed the offspring with the Indian Runner to produce individuals with a different plumage color.
Appearance and characteristics of the Khaki Campbell duck
Today, Campbell drakes come in 4 colors:
- white;
- motley;
- dark brown;
- khaki (greenish brown).
The color of females is dark or light sand. Khaki drakes have a brown head that is darker than the rest of the body. The iris of the eyes is dark brown, the beak is light gray.
The description of the Khaki breed is given in the table:
| Head | medium-sized, with a thin and long neck, stretched out while running |
| Torso | elongated, strong, not massive, horizontally directed, narrow chest |
| Limbs | paws not widely spaced, wings undeveloped, not adapted for flight |
| Bird weight | drake – up to 3 kg, female – up to 2.5 kg |
| Egg production | 250-350 eggs per year |
| Egg weight | 70-80 g |
The Khaki breed belongs to the meat and egg breed.Despite its average size, the duck is productive because it has a thin skeleton, with up to 90% of the slaughter weight coming from muscle tissue. Young individuals reach slaughter weight by 4 months of age; with good care, they weigh up to 2.5 kg. The duck begins to lay eggs at 6 months.
From Indian runner duck Khaki gained the ability to stand upright for fast running.
The character of birds is determined by the quality of their keeping. When cramped, overcrowded, or lack of food, the khaki duck shows aggression and anxiety. Space and plenty of food make the bird calm and conflict-free.
Advantages and disadvantages
Features of maintenance and care
According to poultry farmers, the Khaki duck is not capricious in its maintenance. Suitable for cultivation in both southern and northern regions. The main thing that needs to be done to make the birds feel comfortable is to build spacious enclosures for walking, and make an artificial pond if there is no natural one near the home.
Spacious walking area
The Campbell duck cannot live in cramped conditions, it wastes away and becomes nervous. The optimal way to keep livestock is pasture. The enclosure is built closed, but spacious. At 1 m2 no more than 3 individuals should live.Moreover, the Khaki duck gets along without problems with other poultry, provided there is enough space.
Slaked lime is used to disinfect the floor. Then lined with any of the following materials:
- sawdust;
- dried corn stalks;
- straw;
- sunflower husk.
The thickness of the litter should be 20-30 cm. Change the covering every 2 weeks.
Pond
It is necessary to equip a pond for birds. The pool and basin are not suitable options for the Khaki breed. The pond should be spacious, allowing the duck to swim freely. It’s good if the reservoir is natural. In it, the khaki duck not only wets its feathers, but also feeds: it nibbles algae and coastal vegetation, and forages for small fish, mollusks, and plankton.
Independent near-water feeding of Campbell birds reduces feeding costs by 30%.
Feeding
To maintain maximum egg and meat production of the Campbell breed, it is necessary to make the duck diet balanced and nutritious. It should include:
- fresh grass;
- boiled root vegetables (potatoes, carrots, Jerusalem artichoke, beets);
- vegetable tops;
- whole and crushed grains (oat, barley, wheat);
- broad beans;
- compound feed;
- whey;
- bone meal, fish and meat waste;
- sources of minerals (chalk, eggshells, shell rock).
The food should be a moist, homogeneous mash, seasoned with whey or meat broth. Large pieces must be chopped to prevent the duck from choking.
Poultry house
The constructed poultry house should be:
- well ventilated;
- spacious;
- protected from drafts;
- heated during cold months;
- clean.
The duck house is either connected to central heating, or a separate stove or boiler system is made that runs on wood, coal, or electricity.
Feeders
The Campbell duck eats carelessly, scattering food, so it is advisable to install a wide feeder. To place wet mash, metal containers are required (at least 15 cm in length per individual). And for dry food, wooden feeders are installed (from 6 cm per individual).
Drinking bowls
Water must be available around the clock. The drinking bowl is placed near the feeder, and water is added regularly. There should be at least 2 cm of the length of the drinking container per individual.
Nests
There are as many nests made as there are individuals laying eggs. The floor is insulated and a bedding of hay or sawdust is used. There should be partitions between the nests so that the duck does not accidentally crush the eggs of her neighbor. It is advisable to equip the nesting cell with an opening lid so that the laying Khaki duck feels calm.
Poultry breeding rules
A khaki duck becomes sexually mature at 6 months of age. Due to the underdevelopment of the maternal instinct, she makes a bad mother. A duck rarely spends the allotted time in the nest. Therefore, you cannot do without using an incubator.
Eggs laid by a khaki duck are kept in the incubator for 28 days. Eggs are taken for cultivation:
- issued a maximum of 5 days ago;
- stored at approximately 12 °C until incubation;
- standard size;
- no dents, cracks or dirty spots.
Eggs are disinfected with a manganese solution. During the incubation process, the following temperature conditions are observed:
- 1st week – temperature 38.1-38.3°C, humidity 70%;
- 2nd week – 37.8 °C, 60%;
- 15-25 days – the indicators are similar, the eggs are opened for 10 minutes every day;
- from the 26th day until hatching - temperature 37.5 °C, humidity 90%.
During the first 3 stages, the eggs are turned 3 times a day so that they warm up evenly.
The room in which the khaki ducklings are located should be warm and well lit. In the first week, lighting should be around the clock, then the duration of daylight is gradually reduced. For 3-week-old chicks, 9 hours of illumination is sufficient.
Temperature for ducklings Khaki breed should be like this:
- first 5 days – 30 °C;
- 6-10 days – 26 °C;
- 11th-15th – 24 °C;
- 16th-21st – 22 °C.
Newborn khaki ducklings are fed boiled eggs. Further, the diet includes cottage cheese, fresh grass, corn and millet porridge.
Frequent illnesses
With proper care, a khaki duck is not prone to getting sick and has a strong immune system. In unfavorable conditions, the livestock may be affected by infectious and non-infectious pathologies, of which the most common are:
- Prolapse of the oviduct in young individuals. The problem arises due to the formation of eggs of a non-standard shape, which is associated with deficiencies in care and feeding.
- Cloacitis is an inflammation of the mucous membranes and lower intestinal tract due to a lack of vitamins.
- Avitaminosis is a serious deficiency of vitamins, in which the duck lags behind in growth and development.
- Helminthiasis due to failure to maintain cleanliness in the poultry house or the use of low-quality feed.
- Pasteurellosis and hepatitis are infectious diseases that pose a mortal danger to birds and occur when using low-quality feed.
To prevent these diseases, it is necessary to provide birds with high-quality, balanced nutrition, regularly change the water in the drinking bowl and clean the poultry house.Crowding of birds and temperature changes should not be allowed.
