Broiler hybrid ducks
Broiler ducks are hybrid birds that gain weight very quickly. They have tender and juicy meat with a wonderful aroma and varying degrees of fat content. Keeping ducks is simple and inexpensive, as they go to slaughter quickly. To achieve good food performance, broilers must be properly fed. Many crosses are sterile, therefore parent breeds are needed for breeding, for example, Peking and Musk.
Broiler duck
Broiler ducks breeds
All breeds of broiler ducks are hybrid. The ancestors are the Peking and American musky duck, or Indo-duck. Both mother breeds have their drawbacks. Peking duck is too fat. In addition, these birds are voracious and noisy. Indo-women have a specific taste of meat, like game, not everyone likes it. They also do not tolerate low temperatures well. Hybrids of these breeds are partially or completely devoid of the parents' shortcomings.
The main purpose of breeding these birds was the meat direction, because broilers gain weight very quickly. Here are the most common breeds, a brief description and description:
- French mulards. To breed this breed, musky drake and Peking duck were crossed. Birds are distinguished by rapid weight gain, while they can eat any feed. Mulards are sterile, therefore, indoor and Peking are needed to breed them. These broilers are very popular in France, here bird liver is valued no less than goose liver.
- Cherry Valley. One of the most common breeds, especially in private households. Birds gain weight quickly, weighing 3 kg by three months. In addition, they lay well (up to 150 eggs per year) and give offspring, and are not sterile, like mularda. Ripen in six months, a productive duck can be kept up to 3 years old.
- Medeo. Domestic breed of broilers, which gains weight of 3 kg in 2 months. In addition, this meat poultry produces about 150 eggs per year and reproduces on its own.
- Blagovarskie ducks. Broiler cross appeared very recently, in 1998. It is characterized by high productivity with minimal feeding costs.
- Super M. The breed gains weight quickly, in addition, its meat has excellent meat characteristics.
- Black white-breasted broilers. The breed was bred in Ukraine, its ancestor was the Peking duck, the local Ukrainian and khaki-kembel. This species is unpretentious, its maintenance is not a hassle, the birds perfectly adapt to any climate. In addition, this duck is very beautiful: a bright white chest stands out against the background of the black body.
- Agidel. Ducks are adapted to being kept in cages on industrial farms, at the same time they get well on free grazing. Their meat is very valuable, it contains many useful substances.
As you can see, there are a lot of broiler duck breeds. Some of them, like white mulards, do not give offspring. Others can be used to produce not only meat, but also eggs, and reproduction is possible even at home. How different breeds of broilers look like can be seen in more detail in the photo and video.Growing all broilers has similar rules, we will talk about them below.
Broiler ducks keeping
Raising broiler ducklings at home is not a very difficult process if you follow the recommendations. In order for the birds to quickly gain weight, so that they are not affected by diseases, it is necessary to properly equip the poultry house. The main requirement for a duck house is a sufficient area (if the breed is not intended for cage keeping). On 1 m² you can plant:
- ducklings from birth to two weeks old - 18-20 pieces;
- from 15 to 29 weeks - 10-12 ducklings;
- adult birds - 8-10 pieces.
Before settling in a duck, the room is disinfected to prevent disease. The house must be dry (humidity not more than 75%), with a good ventilation system (6 m³ / kg of bird weight in summer and 1 m³ / kg of weight in winter). The floor is raised 15-20 cm above the ground level, this improves hygiene and prevents dampness. The floor is sprinkled with fluffy lime (0.5 kg per head), which protects against microbes, reduces moisture, then a layer of peat is placed, and a layer of straw is placed on top. One bird per year will need about 10 kg of bedding.
It is very important to maintain a normal temperature in the duck room from the first days. In the first 2 weeks of life, chicks need a temperature of 26-28 degrees, then it is reduced to 18-20 degrees. Lighting in the house with ducklings of the first week of life should be around the clock. They are afraid of the dark and can pass each other with fright. In the second week, the duration of daylight hours is gradually reduced to 16-18 hours, from the third week - to 10 hours.
Broiler ducks feeding
Proper feeding of broilers allows them to grow up full-fledged birds for slaughter in a short time. On average, it is profitable to keep a duck for up to 3 months. Further, the consumption of feed increases sharply, and the weight is added much more slowly. At home, grain and other natural foods are most often used. On industrial farms, feed is preferred.
In the first week, ducklings are given boiled eggs, cottage cheese, porridge, and chopped greens are gradually added. Then they gradually add grain and legumes to the diet, so that by three weeks they completely transfer to wheat, barley and corn with the addition of greens. Proteins should prevail in the diet of ducklings during the first days (up to 20%), then their amount is reduced to 10-11% of the total amount of feed. Proper feeding of adult birds at home includes:
- cereals, bran - 45%;
- peas and other legumes - 10%;
- greens - 40%;
- seashells with chalk - 2.5%;
- fish oil - 1.5%.
Gravel can be added to food mixes to help grind the grain better. You can also feed the duck with fresh food waste, vegetables from the garden (zucchini, pumpkin, cabbage).
If the birds are raised on compound feed, then in the first 3 weeks they are given a starting one, then they are transferred to the finishing one. Feeding provides for the following daily norms:
- First week - 93 g of feed (st.).
- Second week - 106 g (st.).
- Third week - 154 g (st.).
- Fourth week - 206 g (fin.)
- Fifth week - 215 g (fin.)
- Sixth week - 240 g (fin.)
- Seventh week - 252 g (fin.)
- Eighth week to slaughter - 256 g (fin.).
When breeding a large number of ducks, feeding with mixed fodder is more profitable than with grain with additives, although in the summer, when there is a garden and a pond, food can be partially replaced with herbs and vegetables, and broilers can find excellent duckweed on a pond or near a river, only in In this situation, weight gain will not be so fast, and the quality of the meat may decrease.
Breeding broiler ducks
As with all hybrids, broiler ducks can be problematic. For example, meat mulards are generally sterile: for 100 eggs they may have 2 fertilized ones, but healthy chicks are unlikely to hatch from them. To obtain this breed, you need a white Peking duck and a musky drake. Many poultry farmers create just such a broodstock at home, in which there are 4-5 Pekins and 1 musky drake.
There may be problems with breeding other breeds.Broiler ducks do not always retain the maternal instinct. Hatching and caring for ducklings is difficult for them, therefore it is better to hatch the young in an incubator. Sometimes eggs are placed under another duck, which has well retained its maternal qualities. Cherry Valley eggs, Peking ducks and Muscovy ducks hatch quite well.
The hatchability of ducklings in these breeds ranges from 60% to 80%. In the early days it is very important to maintain a normal temperature in the house, at the level of 26-28 ° C. Lighting in the first week is set around the clock, then the duration of daylight hours is gradually reduced to 10-12 hours. It is important to start feeding the ducklings in the first 18 hours, sometimes they have to be taught to eat. To do this, feed the chicks on the backs, as they see moving objects better. The feeding regimen in the first week is every 2 hours, then gradually they are transferred to 6-time and 4-time feeding. Starting from the third week, food is given three times a day. The food norms for ducklings have been given above.
Broiler ducks diseases
Many broiler ducks are susceptible to disease, which makes them difficult to raise, which is why it is so important to keep them in a clean, spacious house with good ventilation, and feed them correctly. The most common pathologies that occur in these breeds are:
- Conjunctivitis and ulcers on the mucous membranes. Pathology may be associated with a lack of vitamin A, if the feeding is monotonous, includes little greenery and root crops.
- Convulsions, slowing of the pulse. This condition is characteristic of a deficiency of vitamin E, a large amount of which is found in sprouted grains.
- Urovsky disease. Associated with a lack of minerals in the diet. Ducks begin to pluck their feathers, try to eat pebbles, sawdust and other inedible things.
- Cutickulitis. The disease, typical for young ducklings, is accompanied by diarrhea, lack of appetite, gradual exhaustion, and can lead to death. For prevention, the diet is enriched with vitamins A and PP.
- Intestinal infections. They can affect both young ducklings and adult ducks. Most often associated with violation of conditions of detention, dirty and moldy feed, stale water. For prevention, ducklings are given water, slightly tinted with potassium permanganate.
- Colds and SARS. Broiler ducks can catch a cold if it is cold in the poultry house, a draft, from time to time epidemics of viral diseases arise among birds. The most common are catarrh and omphalitis.
In case of any infectious disease of ducks (intestinal or respiratory), it is necessary to immediately separate the sick individuals, and disinfect them in the poultry house. Sometimes a sick duck is simply sent to the slaughterhouse. In some cases, it is necessary to destroy the entire herd. When diseases are associated with a lack of vitamins and microelements, feeding should be reviewed and adjusted, and vitamin-mineral complexes should be added to the diet.
Advantages and disadvantages of broiler ducks
Growing any bird has its advantages and disadvantages, broiler ducks are no exception. They get good reviews from poultry farmers, but experienced farmers also note the disadvantages of breeding. The advantages of these breeds include:
- fast weight gain;
- the ability to send birds to slaughter in 60-90 days;
- good taste of meat;
- simple care and maintenance;
- no need to keep ducks near the reservoir;
- the possibility of cage keeping and breeding on large farms.
The disadvantages include difficulties in breeding and a weakened maternal instinct, sensitivity to disease. Some farmers complain that the feed consumption is too high for some species. Nevertheless, the popularity of these breeds is growing every year. When keeping a large herd, raising broilers is always profitable.
You can clarify the rules of keeping, feeding, slaughtering by photo and video. Such materials are especially useful for beginners. Also on the video you can see how to build a poultry house correctly, equip it with feeders and drinkers.Before starting broilers, you should carefully weigh the pros and cons, choose a breed so that the investment will pay off.