Many farmers have been breeding poultry for a long time. The descendants of the wild mallard have also found their place in the economy. Waterfowl are easy to care for and have good productivity. But egg production, compared to chickens, is not too high. Therefore, it is important to determine which popular breeds of meat ducks should be preferred.
Features of the direction
Agronomists consider keeping ducks for meat to be profitable. Broilers are suitable for home breeding. The appearance of the birds is remarkable. The torso with massive muscles is well developed.Adults weigh about 4 kilograms. Young animals that are 2 months old are suitable for slaughter.
These parameters are achieved with a balanced diet. Feed proportions for ducklings:
| Products, g | Age of offspring | ||
| up to 10 days | up to a month | up to 2 months | |
| Chopped greens | 20 | 50 | 80 |
| Boiled meat (can be waste) | 3 | 15 | 25 |
| Curd products | 3 | 10 | 0 |
| Whole milk | 5 | 20 | 0 |
| Cooked potatoes | 0 | 40 | 80 |
| Ground cereals | 1,5 | 60 | 100 |
| Bran | 5 | 30 | 40 |
| Waste grain crushed | 0 | 25 | 40 |
| Ground meal | 1 | 8 | 20 |
| Yeast | 0,2 | 1 | 1 |
The need for minerals and vitamins is filled with salt, bone meal, shells and fine gravel. Fish oil is also added to the food.
For adult ducks, a diet is formed from various products. Be sure to use fresh herbs and, if possible, seafood. When purchasing ready-made feed, preference is given to trusted brands from manufacturers.
The best meat duck breeds
All domestic ducks are descended from the mallard. During breeding work, productivity indicators underwent significant changes.
Bashkir
The breed was bred at the Blagovarsky poultry farm. Ducks are distinguished by high productivity not only for meat, but also for eggs. The female is capable of hatching up to 200 eggs per year. Natural, as well as incubatory, breeding of offspring is possible. The meat yield is up to 70% of the total mass. Adults gain 4 kilograms of weight.
When maintaining Bashkir duck breeds It is important to correctly calculate the paddock area. Overpopulation will lead to disease and decreased productivity.
Beijing
The oldest breed of ducks was bred 3 centuries ago in China. In Europe, snow-white poultry appeared already in the 20th century. Farmers breed this species to produce tasty meat. Product yield is 70%. The brooding instinct is poorly developed. It is better to use an incubator for hatching. Females bring, on average, 100 eggs per year.
When there is no food, birds become irritable. They try to keep the feeders of capricious Beijing birds full.
musky
Externally, ducks resemble turkeys due to the characteristic fleshy growths of a bright red color. The breed was bred in Young America. At the end of the second month of life, ducklings already weigh 4 kilograms. The largest adult individuals reach 6 kilograms. Ducks lay 100 eggs annually.
Blue favorite
The breed is the result of selection of three species at once - Bashkir ducks, black white-headed and Pekin ducks. The birds look well-fed, weighing up to 5.5 kilograms. Ducklings gain about 3 kilograms in 2 months. Females lay 150 eggs annually.
The ducks have a friendly disposition and a good appetite. The favorites are able to find food on their own.
Poultry farmers consider the lost maternal instinct to be the only drawback.
Gray Ukrainian
Ukrainian scientists managed to create a breed that is considered one of the best among meat varieties. As a result of crossing wild ducks with poultry, strong individuals with dense down of brown or golden color were bred. By adulthood, ducks gain 4 kilograms of weight, and each year they lay about 120 eggs.
It is recommended to keep feathered Ukrainians near water. If there are no lakes near the farm, a trough is enough for the ducks to exercise daily.
White Moscow
White ducks, similar to Peking ducks, are bred almost everywhere in Russia. Drakes gain up to 4.5 kilograms, their friends are only slightly behind in weight. The annual fertility of laying hens is 125 eggs.
Poultry farmers do not like the sloppiness of birds, as well as the sharp unpleasant cry.
Rouen
The breed was obtained by crossing free-ranging ducks with the best examples of domestic birds. People from France have the plumage of wild ancestors and an easy-going disposition. Adults gain 5.5 kilograms of weight and even more. During the year, 90 eggs are obtained from each female.
Noisy behavior is characteristic only of the female half of birds. Ruan drakes cannot quack.
Which one is better to choose?
Experts advise choosing ducks carefully. You should find out:
- Conditions under which it is profitable to raise birds (climate, feeding and other indicators).
- Health status.
- No defects.
- How fast do ducks grow?
- Meat quality.
- Is it possible to raise ducks without a pond?
- Presence of maternal instinct.
One’s own preferences are also considered an important selection criterion.
Basic growing rules
Ducks are adapted to being kept in different conditions. Some breeds are heat-loving, others are frost-resistant. But when constructing a poultry house, a number of requirements are observed:
- The birds are placed in a spacious and warm (up to 24 °C) room with good ventilation.
- Lamps are used to heat the young animals.
- Install additional lighting.
- The floor is insulated with straw or peat.
It is not recommended to transfer ducks to free-living if there is no pond nearby. It is difficult to gain weight while grazing. The diet of birds must be carefully monitored. Raising ducks is not difficult. Productivity indicators are high. Taking into account the low cost of keeping birds, breeding meat breeds will become a profitable business.
