Mulardy: description and differences of the breed of ducks, characteristics and weight table by months

Mulards are called hybrid birds obtained as a result of the work of geneticists. From the parent line, they received the best qualities. The main purpose of the content of mulards is to obtain dietary meat. Male moulards are purposefully bred for further preparation of foie gras. Liver cooked in a special way is considered a traditional French delicacy.

Origin of ducks

Moulards were obtained as a result of selective crossbreeding between wild species of Muscovy ducks and domesticated Peking ducks. The hybrid, which became known as the mulard, is a cross between a wild duck drake and a home-bred mother hen.To obtain a meat-oriented mulard, other breeds of domestic duck, except for the Peking duck, can be crossed, but the parental line is always based on the use of the drake gene from the Indo-duck breed. In terms of taste, mulard meat is similar to goose meat, the dimensions and appearance of carcasses after slaughter are almost the same. Moulards and geese have in common a feature that characterizes the taste of the liver. Mulard liver replaces goose liver without loss of quality.

Help! A feature of mulards is sterility, they are not able to reproduce, therefore the breed is often called "birds for one season."

Description and characteristics of moulards

Adult ducks weigh up to 7 kilograms. Females grow 0.5 kg less than males. With dense feeding, the weight of birds increases by weeks. For 2 months, a duck can be fattened by 2 kilograms. Monthly bird weight gain chart:

By 3 monthsAbout 4 kilosAfter 6 monthsOver 4 kilosBy 1 year

Bird age	Bird weight
7 kilograms

Mulards look like large Peking ducks. They have snow-white plumage, a black spot is often located on the head, which indicates belonging to the breed. The feature that distinguishes mulards from Peking women is a quick set of muscle mass. Beijing women gain fat, but at the same time, muscle mass remains at the same level.

The body of a standard mulard duck is large, with wings tightly pressed to the sides. The bird moves slowly, calmly, does not fight with neighbors, does not provoke other birds. Females are known for their cleanliness, while their instinct for hatching is almost not developed.

Compared to Pekingese, mulards are distinguished by a calm disposition and soundlessness, they are not noisy, do not hiss at neighbors like mute birds, do not wake up screams in the morning like Spanish or Dutch birds. Mulards are capable of being calmly on the range all day long, looking for juicy grass and drink.

Mulatto are birds that form dark feathers in the plumage of the tail. This means that mistakes were made when crossing the parent line. Experienced breeders tend to acquire birds with white plumage and a black spot on the head.

Pros and cons

Mulardov contain to obtain delicious meat. Requirements for accommodation conditions are associated with the advantages and disadvantages of the breed.

Pros and consquality and taste of meat;the presence of he althy liver in birds, which is suitable for foie gras;the ability to quickly gain weight on a simple feed;the ability to adapt to new conditions of detention;calm character;the tendency to maintain cleanliness around oneself;unpretentiousness in the preparation of the diet;early maturation;resistance to common bird diseases.inability to produce offspring naturally;inability to tolerate drops in air temperature, high susceptibility to drafts;high price.

Breed Varieties

Purebred mulards are birds with white plumage and a black spot on their heads. But when several lines are mixed, ducks are obtained with different plumage and a combination of qualities. This happens if black musk drakes and females with white plumage were used in crossing.

Moulards began to be grown in the south of France. The goal of French breeders was to obtain meat comparable in taste to Peking duck meat, but with less fat. The Orvia company is a leader in the cultivation of interspecific indo-weeds. The company supplies more than 70 percent of the birds to the market.

The largest among the mulards are birds, the snow-white plumage of which turns to a blue tint.Against the background of plumage, the colored red beak looks especially noticeable. The weight of an adult individual of this species reaches 7-7.5 kilograms. The yield of pure meat is at least 70 percent. Such an individual can be obtained by crossing a snow-white drake with a pure white Peking duck.

Help! For crossing, choose a musk breed and any domestic waterfowl breed. In addition to the Peking duck, they take the Bashkir or white Russian bird.

Features of maintenance and care of hybrids

The life expectancy of mulards is limited to 1 or 1.5 years. In order to start slaughtering a bird, it must reach a certain height and weight. The best option is to bring the bird to a weight of 4-6 kilograms. To bring the bird to a suitable state, it is necessary to create conditions for full growth and development:

• content at temperature conditions from +16 to +25 degrees, humidity conditions from 60 to 70 percent;
• Giving the birds a run;
• providing a small container of water for the bird to bathe in;
• free access for birds to drink;
• balanced nutrition;
• no drafts in the room where birds are kept.

Information! Moulards do not tolerate cold well, so the owners tend to send them to slaughter before the onset of frost.

Breding and raising young animals

Home crossbreeding is carried out between a musk drake and a few Peking ducks. This process requires special control and participation of experienced breeders. After crossing the birds, the resulting eggs are recommended to be kept in an incubator for 28-30 days until the offspring appears.

It is customary to acquire young animals during April, early May, so that the bird is fully strengthened by the beginning of summer, gaining weight before the onset of cold weather. You can get mulard eggs at home by crossing musky and Peking ducks. At the same time, there is a high probability of a violation at the gene level, so breeders prefer to buy ducklings from industrialists.

Ducklings of the first days of life are kept under special conditions:

• the bottom of a box or the floor of a small room is lined with disposable diapers, which are changed several times a day;
• the first day a lamp is left over the ducklings with dimmed artificial light, the air temperature is maintained at +30 degrees;
• chicks are given a weak solution of manganese for 2-3 days, this protects against infection with infectious diseases;
• gradually daylight hours and air temperature are reduced by 2-3 divisions;
• By day 10, a temperature of +22 degrees is sufficient for birds, while the light intensity should be reduced to natural.

In the first hours of life, chicks are fed with boiled eggs. The yolks and whites are colored and sprinkled on top of the ducks. This helps develop the grasp reflex. By the 2nd and 3rd days of life, the chicks should learn to feed on their own. To organize the feeding process, it is necessary to provide each bird with access to a feeder. A bar is provided on the feeder so that the young animals do not lift their heads and hurt their necks when feeding.

From the 10th day of life until reaching the age of 1 month, ducks are fed with mixed fodder and grass. Starting from the age of one month, the birds are given high-calorie food twice: in the morning and in the evening. Mineral and vitamin supplements are added to food.

Attention! To make food better digested, they practice adding river sand or fine gravel.

What diseases do they suffer from?

Mulards are valued for their high immunity, but its performance decreases markedly when the air temperature drops a few degrees.

Common Breed Diseases:

1. Feather pecking. At any stage of growth, birds may begin to pluck each other's feathers. There can be several reasons for the problem to occur. Individuals are sensitive to violation of the humidity regime. Excessive dryness or high humidity can provoke bird aggression. The scarcity of the diet, the lack of s alt supplements, the lack of water - this often leads to the fact that the birds pinch each other.
2. Aspergillosis. A fungal infection that enters the bird through contaminated bedding or feeders. The duck becomes lethargic, loses weight, does not touch the feed. You can solve the problem by prescribing antibiotic therapy. If timely treatment is not started, then the consequence of the disease is complete paralysis.
3. Cloacite. A dangerous disease characterized by inflammation of the cloaca. Inflammation causes the presence of an infection in the body or a violation of the rules of care. Due to inflammation, the duck experiences discomfort, a purulent discharge begins from the anus. To save the bird, they treat the cloaca with an iodine solution, lubricate the anus with zinc ointment.
4. Viral hepatitis. A serious disease that affects the liver, which is especially dangerous for moulards grown for sale for foie gras. Young ducklings are susceptible to hepatitis. When infected, the birds cluster together, begin to fall on their side, twist their neck. Many chicks develop conjunctivitis and shortness of breath initially. A measure to prevent hepatitis is keeping the poultry house clean.

Information! A preventive measure to support immunity is timely vaccination. Ducklings are vaccinated at the age of 5 days.

Possible growing problems

Home breeding is about following the basic rules. Violation leads to the formation of typical problems:

1. Birds begin to peck at each other if there are not enough vitamins and minerals in the diet. This is a fairly common occurrence in mulards, the reaction is especially characteristic of domestic individuals. Violation of containment conditions can cause a reaction. To avoid this, it is advised to follow the diet. Beak trimming is practiced in aggressive individuals.
2. If the bird is not provided with a container of water, it may begin to behave restlessly. This is due to the cleanliness of the breed.
3. Hatching at home is rarely practiced. This is due to the low survival rate of chicks, which is 55 percent. To hatch ducklings obtained after self-crossing of the Musk and Beijing breeds, you must use an incubator.

How to distinguish a mulard duck from other ducklings

To get a purebred mulard, it is customary to cross musk and waterfowl Peking ducks. It is quite difficult to distinguish mulard ducks from musk ducks.

When purchasing ducklings from breeders, you should pay attention to the following data:

• mulard ducklings grow faster than their relatives;
• Purebred chicks have a black spot on their heads;
• The tails of the chicks of this breed are pulled up, the tail of the Indochka is down;
• unlike Peking ducks or mute ducks, ducklings are calm, not loud, do not hiss and do not fight.

Business

Poultry farming starts with a business plan and cost planning. The goal of any business is the opportunity to make a good profit, so the calculations are carried out in advance. The business plan includes the following data:

• cost of consumables for building a poultry house;
• feed cost, given that mulards are unpretentious, but need high-calorie feed for rapid weight gain;
• availability of related expenses, which include payment for vaccinations, veterinary services, purchase of vitamin and mineral complexes.

The breed is grown for meat during one season, so the market needs to be taken care of in advance. Meat and liver are purchased by large companies that supply products to restaurants and cafes.

When receiving direct income without intermediaries, it is necessary to establish a connection with restaurant kitchens directly. In this case, it is important to provide for the possibility of storing meat with sanitary and hygienic standards.

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