A large South American breed with a powerful build and beautiful red-chocolate feather color is becoming increasingly popular in Russia and the CIS. The red bull indo-duck is bred for its dietary meat, suitable for making canned food, and high-calorie eggs added to baked goods. The bird is productive, non-aggressive, clean, not capricious in maintenance and nutrition, and has a developed maternal instinct.
Origin story
The Indian duck, also called the Muscovy duck, is a South American species.Despite the name, the bird is non-hybrid, it developed naturally, and did not appear as a result of crossing turkeys and ducks. The only thing that makes the turkey duck similar to a turkey is the red bumpy growth above the beak. The ancestors of the species are wild musk ducks domesticated by South American Indians.
Wild relatives of the domestic Indian duck, living in South America, make nests in trees, for which they are called wood ducks.
Description and characteristics of the red bull turkey
The musky breed is distinguished by its heavy build, well-developed muscles, strong lower limbs and wings. A large fold of skin hangs from the chest. A description of the red bull breed is given in the table.
| Weight | drake – 6 kg, female – 4 kg |
| Head | small, on a short neck, small, oval eyes |
| Wings | large, wide, tightly fitting to the sides, short, not adapted for flight (but the duck can flap low, so it is advisable to trim the flight feathers) |
| Paws | strong, short, with wide membranes |
| Beak | a common, flattened, red bumpy growth on the beak and between the eyes secretes a musky secretion |
| Plumage | waterproof, but the grease is not as thick as other ducks |
| Color | rich, reddish-brown, sometimes with a greenish tint, the beak is dark at the end, the irises of the eyes and paws are brown (as the bird ages, white feathers may appear on the wings, head, chest) |
Advantages and disadvantages
Maintenance, feeding and care
In keeping Red Bull Indian ducks, they are not capricious and are adapted to moderate climatic conditions. When the Indian ducks are 3 months old, they are divided into broodstocks of drakes and 4 females. To prevent the drakes from starting to fight for leadership, each flock is housed in a separate fenced block, including a poultry house and a walking area. Individuals not included in the brood group are slaughtered for meat at 4 months of age.
The poultry house must be closed, insulated, ventilated, dry, and clean. No more than 3 birds should live per 1 m2. In winter, the poultry house is insulated with a thick layer of straw or sawdust bedding; the temperature inside the room should remain positive. In summer, Indian ducks spend most of the day in the pen. It’s good if there is a natural pond near the poultry house where birds can find insects. But in the absence of a pond, the red bull ducks do not suffer; they make do with a wide basin of water placed in a pen.
In the fall, with the first cold rains, they stop letting the turkey ducks out of the house, otherwise they will freeze and their paws will freeze. Red bull Indian ducks are also not capricious in nutrition, but for good meat and egg productivity, the abundance of fiber and proteins in the diet is important. The birds are fed:
- fresh meadow grass;
- grain (wheat, corn, barley);
- wheat bran;
- boiled potatoes;
- garden tops;
- fresh root vegetables (beets, carrots);
- bone meal;
- feed yeast;
- cottage cheese, whey;
- mineral additives (chalk, shell rock, salt).
Breeding
The red bull Indian duck is such a good mother that she often does not leave the nest even for food. The owner has to bring food to the bird. Many farmers practice placing foreign eggs under the indo-duck, and she hatches them as if she were her own.
For breeding in the spring, 4-7 day old ducklings are bought. Indo-ducks begin laying eggs at 6 months of age. Ducklings are kept in a warm, comfortable room for up to 3 weeks. In the first week, the surface temperature should be 25-30 °C, in the second – 20-25 °C, in the third – 15-20 °C. Then the young animals are kept at a temperature of 12-15 °C. An Indian duck hatches chicks in a nest. It is made closed, placed a few centimeters above floor level, and straw is placed inside.
In order for offspring to be born healthy, it is necessary to dilute the gene pool. To do this, females and males from different farms are crossed.
10-12 eggs are placed under the hen. She sits on them for about 35 days until the last chick hatches. Newborn ducklings are temporarily taken away and placed in a box covered with straw, insulated with a lamp. After the last chick pecks, it is returned under the mother’s wing. Newborn ducklings peck only moving food, so boiled egg yolk is sprinkled on their back.
Possible diseases
Muscovy ducks have a strong immune system; they only get sick if they are not properly cared for and maintained.
Possible diseases:
- rickets;
- avitaminosis;
- cannibalism;
- cloacitis - inflammation of the cloaca;
- salpingoperitonitis - inflammation of the serous membranes of internal organs;
- catarrh - blockage of the goiter;
- poisoning.
The listed diseases are associated with a deficiency of calcium and vitamins in the body, the use of low-quality feed, improper diet, overcrowding and uncomfortable living conditions. If you properly care for red bull Indian ducks, their breeding will become a very profitable business.
