Breeds of ducks: species and names with photos, descriptions of the best for home breeding

For the successful breeding of ducks at home, it is important to choose the right breed. Ducks are most often kept for tasty meat, but some farms specialize in keeping egg-bearing or fur-bearing breeds. The egg production of ducks differs from that of laying hens, so it is recommended to choose ducks for obtaining eggs especially carefully.

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Species of ducks for home or farm breeding are divided into 3 main groups:

Meat EggsVersatile birds that show high egg production with the ability to build muscle.

Type	Description
Egg-laying	Show an increased propensity to lay, provide hatching offspring.
Meat	Quickly gain weight, muscle mass, reach a weight of at least 4.5 kilograms before slaughter.

A classic example of a species bred for meat is the American Mute. These are musky ducks or indo-ducks that look like Peking ducks, the difference between them is the description of the color of the feathers. The species is named for its distinguishing feature - to hiss at relatives.

A special group is ornamental breeds that are not very productive. They need walking on water bodies, they are not demanding on food and conditions of detention, they are frost-resistant.

Egg breeds of ducks

Egg-laying ducks are geared towards increased egg-laying speed. These are low-fat laying hens, which differ from relatives in external description.Small-sized birds begin to rush relatively late, after reaching the age of 6 months. In a few weeks, they actively increase the pace of laying and maintain stable performance for a long time.

Dutch ducks, Spanish ducks, and also a breed called the Indian runner are purchased for home cultivation in order to obtain eggs. The laying of such ducks reaches 360 pieces annually. A feature of the slider is the formation of a cylindrically elongated body. Runners most often move around the territory quickly, in small groups.

Runners are distinguished by a calm character, do not fight, get along with other relatives. Birds can be white, black or grey.

Coloration depends on the parent line. To date, runners are considered the most egg-laying ducks. The runner cannot be confused with other species due to the special elongated body and small size.Female runners show a unique ability to take care of their offspring for a long time.

Common egg types:

1. Favorite. An artificially bred breed produces up to 250 eggs annually. The meat is characterized as medium fat and juicy. Birds need to be provided with open range. They can do without water bodies, be kept in cages. Favorites have good immunity.
2. Moscow White. Laying hens give 130 eggs, but at the same time, specimens weigh 100 grams each, which is higher than generally accepted norms. For 2 months, ducklings are able to gain 2 kilograms of weight. This ability is valued for slaughter when short deadlines are set.
3. Ukrainian grey. Beautiful, artificially bred duck, intended for breeding in order to obtain eggs. The disadvantage of the species is the need for walking on the pond.
4. Agidel. Broilers related to the meat direction, but at the same time capable of producing 250 eggs annually. They have good immunity, quickly adapt to new conditions, and show high frost resistance.

Information! The content of egg-bearing breeds involves the creation of special conditions. Such birds need a good range, as well as the creation of a comfortable nest for incubation.

Combined varieties

In a small household, ducks that combine different qualities are considered beneficial for keeping. Such individuals are called meat-egg. They give a lot of eggs, but at the same time they are able to quickly build muscle mass. The meat of such ducks is characterized by high fat content, has high palatability.

Meat and egg types:

1. Cayuga. Ducks of this breed are distinguished by unusual external data. Feathers of a dark green and black shade after plucking leave dark dots on the carcass, but the taste of meat does not suffer from this.Cayugas can be kept in a small space, they do well without water bodies, are prone to long incubation, and take care of chicks. A feature of the Cayuga is the wearing of black eggs, for this reason many owners refuse them.
2. Temp. An unpretentious species that does not require special care, does not need a reservoir. The weight of an adult carcass reaches 3.5 kilograms. Every year, the bird lays up to 120 eggs.
3. Saxons. These are medium-heavy ducks, whose meat is in demand due to its delicate taste. The breed is distinguished by a calm disposition, a tendency to rapid weight gain. At the same time, ducks show high egg production rates, they are able to produce up to 200 eggs annually.
4. Khaki-Campbell. Ducks produce up to 300 eggs annually, while quickly gaining weight. These are very calm birds that get along with any other ducks. The disadvantage of the species is the inability to hatch offspring, so the breed is recommended to be purchased only to obtain tasty dietary meat.When raising birds, they need constant walking in open areas and swimming in water bodies.

Help! When acquiring combined breeds, it is necessary to pay attention to the requirements. Many birds for full growth and development need walking on water bodies.

Meat direction

Meat birds are considered the most popular, they are prolific, they have developed immunity, which protects the owners from unnecessary worries. The fillet obtained from meat birds is distinguished by juiciness and richness of taste.

A feature of meat species is the ability to quickly gain weight. The fastest growing breed that is purchased for slaughter is the Bashkir breed. A large broad-breasted duck yields 70 percent pure meat after slaughter. The disadvantage of the Bashkir duck is the mandatory requirement for the presence of a reservoir for home maintenance.

Meat types include:

1. Black white chested. A breed bred on the territory of Ukraine. In adulthood, the weight of the carcass reaches 4 kilograms. At the same time, the weight of pure meat after processing reaches 65 percent of the total mass.
2. Musk. Birds quickly gain weight, a feature is the special aroma of meat. An adult bird reaches a weight of 6 kilograms. Muscovy duck fillet is classified as a dietary product.
3. Beijing. Delicious meat is purchased for restaurants; a traditional dish called “Peking duck” is prepared from it. Cultivation is due to the fact that Pekinese are very noisy and require a lot of food. Meat yield after slaughter reaches 80 percent.
4. Cherry Valley. A new breed with high productivity, which is a Peking duck cross. The duck was bred specifically for tender, dietary meat.
5. Mulardy. White with black spots birds that weigh about 7 kilograms in adulthood. These are hybrids created on the basis of the Pekinese gene. Mulards are called "birds of one season". They are widely grown for slaughter. Moulards gain weight even when grass is the basis of the feed. With a good egg production rate, these birds are classified as a meat direction because of their ability to actively gain weight and provide tasty dietary meat.

Help! The meat of some ducks tastes like game, which is actively used in the restaurant business.

Decorative birds

Purebred ducks are distinguished by their attractive appearance, they decorate artificially created reservoirs, and are often bred on the territory of hotel complexes intended for country holidays. A feature is unpretentiousness in care, as well as the inability to stably rush or gain weight.

CrestedUpright walking birds with well-developed muscles, need water bodies, spend a lot of time on the water. Mandarins Caroline

Decorative Views	Description
Small Chinese birds. Unlike Russian ducks, they feed on frogs and small fish.
forms. For breeding, you need a reservoir. The breed quickly adapts to the conditions of detention, does not show increased requirements.

Help! Russian Corydalis have a peculiarity. The larger the size of the crest on the head, the lower the productivity of the duck. This quality is taken into account when purchasing Corydalis for decorative breeding.

What color are they?

The plumage of breeds intended for home breeding is usually evenly colored, sustained in soothing neutral hues.Smooth transitions can often be seen on the torso. The color scheme is dominated by white, gray, yellow, dark brown colors. The Russian breed of ducks with snow-white plumage was called the white-nosed duck.

Indo-ducks are breeds of classic wild ducks, as they are presented on the pages of reference books or textbooks. The body is painted dark gray, the tail is sparse with dark, almost black feathers. A bright green iridescent stripe runs around the circumference of the neck.

Decorative ducks have different colors: from brown-red to colored. Tangerines are distinguished by colorful plumage: feathers of various shades can be combined on the body of a bird at the same time.

Selection criteria

To select a bird breed, you need to analyze the input parameters. The purpose of the ducks dictates the basic requirements:

• keep for meat and eggs;
• receiving fluff from birds;
• home breeding of ornamental breeds.

To get meat and eggs, breeds of universal purpose are chosen. But if increased laying speed is expected from ducks, then it is better to choose a species called the Indian runner. Layers of this breed are able to impress owners with the speed of egg supply.

To grow birds for slaughter, it is recommended to look closely at such birds that quickly gain weight. The meat of such birds is characterized by high fat content.

Ornamental cultivation involves the presence of a reservoir and giving the bird freedom of movement. Individuals of ornamental breeds are not burdened by incubation, do not need additional feeding, they themselves get food during the warm season.

Before buying, all birds must be inspected, focusing on the checklist:

• the beak has no damage, cracks, punctures;
• tail feathered with dense whole feathers;
• paws have no visible damage;
• the bird stands well on its paws, moves quickly.

For growing from scratch, ducklings are purchased at the age of a few weeks. Ornamental species acquire at the stage when the bird has already fledged.

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