Eilsbury duck breed: description and characteristics, breeding rules

A breed of duck called Aylesbury was bred in England in the 19th century. Its main advantage is meat, the quality of which is highly appreciated by manufacturers. Consider the description and characteristics of the Eilsbury duck breed, what advantages and disadvantages it has. Those who want to breed ducks will find it useful to know how and what to feed them. How to properly care for, how to propagate, how to treat diseases and how to prevent their occurrence.

Description and characteristics of Eilsbury ducks

Ducks belong to the heavy type. Birds are large, drakes can weigh 5.5 kg, smaller ducks 3.5 kg.Ducklings, when they reach 2 months, weigh 2-2.5 kg. The body of ducks is inclined horizontally, the back of the birds is wide. The head is large, the neck is of medium length. Paws are strong, short. The feather is pure white.

Females of the Eilsbury breed are considered good mother hens, you can get eggs from them not only for breeding, but also for food. During the season, which lasts 6-7 months, each demolishes, on average, 85 pieces. The main valuable characteristic of ducks, in addition to high-quality meat, is precocity.

Main pros and cons

Pros and consprecocity;large mass;tasty meat.low egg production;ducks are demanding to the content.

In England, the breed is grown not only on industrial farms, but also in private backyards. Drakes are used to cross with Peking ducks to produce hybrids.

How to keep and care for the breed

Eylsbury ducks should live in a spacious duck house, crowded content is not tolerated well. Large birds should be allocated at least 0.5 square meters for each. m. area. The poultry house should be warm, there should be no gaps in the walls and ceiling so that drafts that cause colds are not created. Each duck house needs to be ventilated so that it has fresh air.

The house should be light, lighting can be provided by large windows or the use of lamps. Lighting is also important in winter, daylight hours must be at least 10 hours for ducks to rush.

It is important to observe the temperature and humidity conditions. The house must be dry and the litter must be dry and clean. A bedding layer of 10-15 cm can be made from straw, hay, dry leaves. It needs to be changed as soon as it becomes dirty and damp.

In addition to the duckling, Eilsbury ducks need to make a walking area where the birds will walk in the fresh air.You need to drive the birds to it every day. The area of the walking yard should be made about 2 times larger than the poultry house. We need to put water for bathing ducks. If there is a pond near the house, you can graze ducks there. Birds can find food on the pond, so they can only be fed in the evening, upon returning from the pond.

What should I feed?

Ducks of this breed eat the same as the rest. They are omnivorous, eating wet and dry food, self-made mixers or ready-made feed. The basis of the Eilsbury diet is fresh green fodder, grass and aquatic plants. In addition to grass, you need to give grain mixers, the grain should be of different types and crushed. You can make mash or cook porridge. In the processed form, the ducks digest the grain better.

Grated or boiled root vegetables, potatoes, garden vegetables should be added to the mash. It is a source of fiber, vitamins and mineral elements necessary for the duck body.

You can feed adult ducks 2-3 times a day, ducklings - 4-5 times. After each feeding, you need to give the bird water. Water should always be clean and fresh.

How to breed?

To get purebred ducklings, you need to cross Eilsbury ducks and drakes. For 1 male you need to pick up 5 ducks. This ratio ensures good fertility of eggs, a large percentage of duckling hatchability.

Drakes of this breed can be crossed with Peking ducks. From this combination, hybrid ducklings are obtained, which are superior to their parents in terms of productive characteristics: early maturity, egg production, weight gain. However, hybrids are superior to parents only in the 1st generation, then this advantage is leveled.

Ducklings grow quickly, reach a large mass, reach slaughter weight by 2 months. Therefore, most of the young stock is fed up to this age. The time of slaughter was also chosen because then the ducks begin to molt, they begin to eat a lot, and the energy of the feed is also spent on growing a new feather. Carcasses are difficult to pluck after slaughter.

For breeding and getting eggs, birds are left that are distinguished by he alth, correct build, clean and bright plumage. From such a he althy, large offspring is obtained. Eilsbury ducks start laying eggs when the females are six months old, and lay for 6-7 months, followed by a break.

Diseases and prevention

Eilsbury ducks can suffer from infectious diseases. Infections appear among the livestock with improper care and non-compliance with the rules of maintenance and hygiene. Birds become infected with bacteria, viruses and parasites through food, water, bedding.If they are kept clean, infectious diseases will be avoided.

To prevent metabolic and digestive pathologies, you need to ensure that the diet of ducks is complete, balanced in nutrients and mineral elements.

English breed of Eylesbury ducks is intended for growing for meat. It is bred on private plots, although it also has an industrial purpose. The main advantage of the breed is tasty meat, large sizes of ducks. The requirements for keeping and care are not much different from the rules for keeping ducks of other breeds. Eilsbury ducks can be crossed with each other or with other duck varieties.

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