Cherry Valley ducks: breed description and characteristics, cultivation and care

Many types of broiler ducks have impressive results in both areas of productivity - meat and eggs. Cherry Valley is a well-known and sought-after breed of duck that is industrially raised and bred for domestic consumption. Strong immunity, egg production, early maturity, excellent taste of meat are the undoubted advantages of cherry valley ducks.

Origin story

Based on the Peking duck popular with poultry farmers, breeders in England have created a new broiler breed. The scientists coped with the task successfully - the broiler grows rapidly, reaches maturity, and has high egg yield rates.The name of the breed was given by the name of the company where breeding work was carried out. Note that in our country ducks of this breed are sometimes called “chilly-willies”. The selection result is a two-line cross. The advantage of the paternal line of the breed is the greater carcass weight, maternal ducks give more eggs.

Representatives of the Cherry Valley breed were brought to our country in the 70s of the 20th century for breeding on state farms. Poultry farmers fell in love with ducks for their unpretentiousness, rapid growth, resistance to diseases. They began to be purchased for breeding in the household. Despite the constant emergence of new species, cherry valleys remain a beloved and sought-after breed of duck. They are bred in different countries, valued for tasty meat and ease of maintenance. The breed of ducks is confidently kept in the ranking of the most popular for large poultry farms and small farmsteads.

Snow-white beauties are distinguished by an accommodating character, they quickly gain weight, ducks have a proportional harmonious body, they are even kept as pets in country houses.

Description of the Cherry Valley duck breed

Cherry Valley doesn't differ much from Peking ducks in appearance. You can recognize it by its pure white plumage, large body with a developed chest. The main features of the breed:

• the body is impressive, directed vertically, short wings fit snugly to the body, due to this the figure of the duck is decorated, defined;
• chest is wide, pectoral muscles are strongly developed, the impressive size of the sternum is noticeable through the plumage of a duck;
• the neck is thick, the forehead is wide;
• legs shifted to the back of the body, strong, short, yellow-orange color, cherry valleys swim well;
• the head is not large, the beak is slightly curved, orange-yellow, the duck's eyes are in shades of blue and blue.

Cherry Valley females and males differ slightly. Males have a more massive head and a more powerful body, although weight indicators differ by 0.5 kilograms. The heads of females are more elegant and smaller. Cherry Valley ducklings grow fast, do not get sick, the breed has an impressive survival rate.

Characteristics of the breed

The breed belongs to the egg and meat direction, is famous for its precocity. The meat is red, in young ducks contains a small amount of fat. In an adult bird, the meat becomes tougher, the fat content increases, but the taste remains at its best.

Breed standards:

• duck weight - 3.4-3.7 kilograms, maximum weight of males - 4 kilograms, females - 3.5 kilograms;
• when slaughtered at 7 weeks, the weight is 2.6-3.5 kilograms;
• females start laying at 7 months, egg weight - 70-90 grams;
• cherry valleys have 2 crosses and a hybrid line of breed with egg and meat averages.

Maternal and paternal lines of ducks differ somewhat in terms of productivity. Paternal has the following indicators:

• egg output - 100-110 per year;
• A 7-week-old duck weighs 3.5 kilograms on average.

Representatives of the parent group:

• carry 120-150 eggs a year;
• weigh up to 2.9 kilograms.

Mother's crosses of ducks are purchased for breeding, selling eggs and ducklings. Representatives of the paternal line of the breed are bred for early slaughter for meat.

Reference: duck meat is not considered dietary, it takes longer to digest than white species. Has a high content of nutrients.

Pros and cons

The advantages of the broiler breed are undoubted, noted by all the owners of the cherry valley and large commodity producers.

Pros and conshigh degree of livestock survival, young animals - 95%, adult birds - 98%;productivity in both directions - meat and eggs;undemanding ducks to the conditions of detention;resistance to the main diseases of ducks, which allows not to carry out unnecessary vaccinations, not to use medications that reduce the quality of eggs and meat;pickiness in food;precocity;meat of this variety is in demand on the market, ducklings are easy to sell due to the popularity and unpretentiousness of the breed;tasty meat in young animals, with a reduced fat content.cherry valleys are quite noisy;they love to swim - you can’t do without a pond or a pool.

Ducks are accommodating, pleasant to look at, cute and friendly. Note that due to the rapid growth, ducks need to make a balanced diet, otherwise, by the time of slaughter, the livestock will not gain the declared breed parameters.

Basic maintenance and care requirements

Cherry Valley broilers are not capricious, any beginner can handle bird care. What conditions are required to maintain the he alth and productivity of ducks:

1. The temperature in the poultry house is maintained at 16-18 °. These are the best conditions for egg production. If the temperature is kept lower, egg laying is reduced. When growing cherry valleys in cold regions, the room is insulated, stoves or heaters are installed, preventing the temperature from dropping below 5 °.
2. Placement density. Crowding increases the risk of spreading infections and parasites. Recommended rates - 3 birds per square meter.
3. Ventilation system. It is important to free the house from excess carbon dioxide and eliminate excess moisture. The recommended humidity is 60%.
4. Illumination. With a constant content indoors, lamps are placed in the house, providing illumination for 12-14 hours a day.
5. Cleaning the house. Remove litter from the room, partially replace the litter once a week. Complete disinfection of the poultry house, inventory is required every 6 months.
6. Nests are placed along the far wall. They are made from boxes, grass, moss, sawdust, peat are laid. The number of nests is 2 times less than the number of layers.
7. Arrangement of the poultry house. At a height of 15-25 centimeters from the floor, bars are stuffed, which act as a perch for the cherry valley. The width of the beam is 40 centimeters, the length is from half a meter.
8. Feeders. Long wooden troughs are made for feeding. Ducks scatter food, so they only fill them up to a third of their height.
9. Walking area. The site is fenced with a mesh fence, grass is planted, a canopy is made from the sun, rain, birds of prey. The walking area is provided with feeders, drinkers.
10. Pond. If ducks do not have access to a natural pond or river, pools and water containers are placed in the walking area. Depth - sufficient for swimming. With the onset of cold weather, water procedures are canceled, the reservoir is removed so that the ducks do not catch a cold.
11. To remove ectoparasites from plumage, containers are placed with a mixture of ash and sand so that ducks can be cleansed of pests. Changing the mixture - every 3-4 weeks.

Ducks in the house are protected from drafts. In winter, they provide ventilation, as cherry valleys love fresh air.

Meeting plan

Cherry Valley grows fast, to gain weight you need to choose a balanced diet. The fast metabolism of ducks ensures the digestion of different types of feed. The simplest type of feeding is when kept on a water range, which is often practiced in the household. Cherry Valley eat grass, algae, small aquatic inhabitants, insects with pleasure and receive a complete set of vitamins, micro and macro elements. But this type of content is not available to everyone. Most poultry farmers are forced to make up the diet themselves, to select a menu for ducks.Apply 2 ways of feeding:

1. Dry - consists of feed, grain, granular mixtures. This diet is practiced by large farms, where feeding is automated, the mixture is poured according to the norm into a mechanical feeder.
2. Combined - using a varied set of feeds. Commonly used in the household.

In small backyards, it is advisable to use a mixed type of feeding. Feed composition and basic rules:

1. Feed ducks 2-3 times a day.
2. Juicy food consists of herbs - dandelion, nettle, meadow species. They give a cabbage leaf, chopped carrots, pumpkin, zucchini. Boiled potatoes are added to strengthen the muscular system. The grass is crushed, dried, steamed.
3. Cereal mixes - crushed wheat, oats, barley, millet. In the summer, legumes are introduced into the diet.
4. Boiled porridge, leftovers from the table.
5. Give cake to increase the calorie content of feed.
6. Protein components - various types of bone meal, waste meat, fish.

In the morning, cherry valleys get roughage (hay), grass, vegetable mash. When walking, juicy components can be omitted. Rough feed is necessary for ducks to start digestion, stimulate intestinal motility. For evening feeding give a mixture of cereals. In cold weather, the diet is supplemented with protein feed so that the ducks do not freeze.

Reference: the tenderness and flavor of duck meat largely depend on the composition of the feed.

Use compound feed

Growing cherry-valley only on compound feed significantly reduces the labor costs for compiling menus and preparing food for ducks. Combined feeds contain a full range of substances in the proportions necessary for the he alth of the bird.

This method is used by all large poultry farms, rationing and supplying feed in a mechanized way. For private owners, small farms, the main difficulty is to choose a high-quality inexpensive composition so that profitability does not suffer, and ducks get everything they need.

Subtleties of breeding

Breeding ducklings at home does not cause difficulties even for inexperienced poultry farmers. Cherry Valley ducks have a developed maternal instinct, willingly sit on the masonry and hatch ducklings. Maturity in ducks occurs at 7 months. Along with incubation, incubation is used in small farms.

When crossing, it is important to select ducks of appropriate lines that will not spoil the breed, will not lead to degeneration and loss of properties. A duck can hatch up to 20 eggs at a time. For the first two days, she does not get up, she settles down on the masonry. Water and food are placed nearby so that the duck can eat without losing sight of the eggs.

In terms of survival rate, cherry valley ducklings do not lag behind young indo-ducks (92-96%). In the first days after birth, it is important to ensure that the house is heated (28-30 °), lighting for a long time.

Feed the ducklings start with a finely chopped egg, then gradually introduce cereals, cottage cheese, diluted with fermented milk products. Feeding - 5-6 times a day. Weekly ducklings are given greens, which are finely chopped and steamed with boiling water. 7 week old ducks are ready for slaughter. Their meat is distinguished by tenderness, low fat content, pleasant aroma without the characteristic pronounced smell of an adult duck.

Possible diseases

One of the essential advantages of cherry valley ducks is their developed immunity. They rarely get sick, if you follow the conditions of detention, provide a complete diet. Possible duck diseases:

• infection with ectoparasites - they treat ducks with insecticides, disinfect the house;
• colds - insulate rooms, protect from dampness;
• intestinal - normalize the nutrition of ducks, treat with antibiotics;
• hypovitaminosis - diet, use of vitamin supplements, premixes.

Due to the rapid growth of ducks, it is important to eat a diet rich in vitamins, to ensure exposure to the air, sun, walks and swimming in the pond.

Cherry Valley ducks are an excellent choice for large farms and private traders. Excellent meat quality, unpretentiousness and rapid weight gain have been appreciated by poultry farmers around the world and ordinary consumers of duck products.

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