Peking duck is one of the best meat duck breeds. It is not only bred everywhere, but is also used in breeding work to breed other varieties. Let's consider the description and characteristics, pros and cons, as well as the technology for breeding Peking ducks at home, feeding rations, requirements for the conditions of keeping and caring for this breed.
History of origin and distribution
The breed was developed approximately 3 centuries ago in China. In the 19th century, the Peking duck was introduced to America and then to Europe.Now in poultry farming the breed is widespread both on industrial farms and in private farmsteads. Many duck breeds, including broilers, then descended from this breed.
Description and characteristics of Peking duck
The duck has a powerful build; it has a wide back and chest, a large head, and a curved neck. It is characterized by a convex forehead and a large, flat beak of a bright orange color. Large wings and a small, raised tail. The legs are short, the plumage is dense. Its color is predominantly pure white, although there are birds with cream-colored plumage.
Drakes and ducks are almost the same in size, but larger than musk ducks. When crossed with them, they produce mulards, which grow larger than their parents. Beijing females lay eggs that are white or bluish in color, without a specific smell or taste. Productivity characteristics:
- weight of an adult drake – 3.5-4 kg, duck – 3-3.5 kg;
- weight of 2-month-old ducklings – 2.7-3 kg;
- number of eggs laid per year – 150 pcs. (each – 90 g).
Ducklings are raised for 60-70 days until slaughter. Until this age, they grow intensively, then molting begins and feed consumption increases. Poultry farmers prefer to slaughter during this period also because the birds are difficult to pluck afterwards. Slaughter yield – 70%.
Positive and negative sides
Despite minor disadvantages, Peking ducks are revered by poultry farmers in different countries, and when choosing a breed for breeding, they are preferred to other varieties.
Requirements for maintenance and care
Due to their unpretentiousness to living conditions, good tolerance of heat and cold, ducks can live in a simple poultry house, without any amenities. You need to pay attention to humidity, which must be maintained at 65-75%.
In summer and winter, birds can live in a barn; it should be spacious (for adult ducks, the area should be 0.5 m² per 1 duck, for ducklings - 1 sq. m for 12-16 heads), light, and ventilated. As already mentioned, Peking ducks do not like dampness, so you need to monitor the cleanliness and moisture of the bedding. The bird does not tolerate drafts, so it is necessary to close all cracks in the walls and windows. The bedding can be laid from dry peat, shavings, and straw. The thickness should be 30 cm, if you add a fresh layer on top, you can change it 2 times a year. Or remove it often as soon as the layer becomes dirty.
In summer, ducks should be kept at a temperature no higher than 25 °C, in winter – no lower than 10 °C. If they are too hot or cold, they will eat less well and their weight gain will decrease. When keeping a poultry house, you need to ventilate it every day so that ammonia and other harmful compounds evaporate. For ventilation, it is necessary to install windows in the wall with an area of 100 cm² per m² of room. Lighting is natural in summer, artificial in winter, up to 10-12 hours.
What to feed the Pekingese breed
When preparing a diet for Peking ducks, you need to take into account the characteristics of the breed: they have an accelerated metabolism, food passes through the intestines quickly. In this regard, ducks must be constantly provided with food. The weight gain of the bird depends on this.
The diet of Peking ducklings should include protein products. As for the diet, birds are omnivores; they can eat everything that is offered, plant and animal food. They are given grain mash, grass, and aquatic vegetation. To replenish the body with vitamins, protein - fish, dairy waste, mineral supplements. Ducks eat a lot and often, if they lack food, begin to lose weight.
It is noted that Pekin ducks are noisy and easily excitable ducks. Not everyone likes this. In order not to hear duck calls, it is necessary to provide the bird with everything necessary. If ducks live in a warm, clean room, away from other living creatures, they will quack less. Birds are slaughtered at 2 months of age, before the start of molting. Ducklings are already able to reach a weight of about 3 kg, then they begin to spend energy on feather growth, which is why weight gain is reduced. Keeping ducklings becomes less economically profitable as feed costs increase.
In addition, the meat of young Pekingese is not fatty, but becomes fatter with age. A famous dish is prepared from it - Peking duck.
Breeding at home
Peking ducklings They are distinguished by their resilience, unlike chickens, more than 95% survive after hatching. The chicks are hatched in an incubator; incubation can also be entrusted to the hen. For laying, you need to select only the best eggs, large, fresh, with a smooth shell. To obtain a purebred bird, you need to select eggs from Beijing females and males.
After hatching, the ducklings are kept for 1 month in a brooder, under a lamp, with moderate air humidity. The first food for chicks is a boiled egg, cottage cheese, and crushed grain porridge. Gradually, it is necessary to transfer the ducklings to the diet of adult birds, give grass, duckweed, and grain mash. As well as small fish, dairy residues, and mineral supplements.
Then the one-month-old ducklings are transferred to be raised in a herd. If feeding and maintenance are organized correctly, Peking ducks can be considered profitable for home breeding. You can keep small quantities for yourself, or organize duck farm for the production of meat and eggs. Breeding Peking ducks is profitable; hatching eggs, purebred small ducklings and adults are not cheap. Crossbreeds with other breeds and species can also bring profit; for example, you can start breeding mulards.
Frequent illnesses
Ducks that live in damp and drafty rooms suffer from colds. Small ducklings can die from this. Adult ducks are characterized by diseases and problems:
- clogged esophagus, caused by coarse greens;
- prolapse of the oviduct in females, the cause is large eggs, treatment is washing the oviduct with potassium permanganate or alum for 5-7 days;
- plucking feathers, the cause is a lack of vitamins and mineral elements, treatment is adding mineral and vitamin supplements to food, charcoal, crushed shells.
In order not to miss the onset of the disease, the bird is monitored and examined more often. At the first signs, such as loss of appetite, lethargy, depression, or dulling and loss of feathers, contact your veterinarian.
To prevent infections, young animals are given vitamin supplements and vaccines.Clean and disinfect the premises, equipment, and ensure the cleanliness of the feed. Walk the bird in the fresh air, or better yet, in a pond where it will swim. Sick individuals should be separated from healthy ones during treatment and returned only after recovery.
Peking duck is known to poultry farmers who keep ducks for meat or for breeding. The breed has many advantages and few disadvantages, for which it is valued. Pekingese grow quickly, fatten their meat on simple, standard food, its quality is recognized by all culinary specialists.
