Cayuga duck: breed description and habitat, care and maintenance and what it eats

Cayuga duck - American origin. Before domestication, she lived in the state of New York. The breed appeared as a result of crossing with local poultry. It is bred for meat with a dietary taste and eggs. Consider the description and features of the Cayuga duck, its pros and cons, how to feed it and how to properly keep it at home, how to breed.

Description of Cayuga duck

The American duck was first known in the early 19th century. But as a breed of Cayugas, they began to breed only by the 70s of the century. At that time, selection was carried out among the new population in appearance and weight.You can immediately recognize the Cayugu by its characteristic black plumage. Their body is covered with black and green feathers, which makes them cast with a metallic sheen. In bright light, the feather appears black with a blue-green tint. This is especially noticeable in the feathers of the head and neck.

In female ducks, the greenish tint is less pronounced than in drakes, on this basis they can be distinguished from each other. Another difference is that the male has an olive-green beak, while the female has a black with a bluish tinge. The legs are also black. According to the addition of the cayuga duck, large birds, according to the constitution, belong to the meat type. The body is long, wide, inclined horizontally. The head is small, elongated. The eyes are brown. The neck is short, curved, the wings are long, the chest is deep, developed.

Cayugas can produce eggs and meat, which is why they are bred. But they are also raised as ornamental birds, meaning they are used to decorate the yard.

Cayuga meat is not fatty, dietary. An adult drake gains up to 4 kg of weight, ducks - up to 3.5 kg. With intensive fattening, ducklings can be slaughtered when they reach 2 months. This age is due to the fact that molting begins further, and the process of plucking duck carcasses becomes more complicated.

Cayuga egg production is sufficient not only for the reproduction of offspring, but also for the use of eggs for nutrition. In a year, one duck can lay 100-150 pieces, each weighing 80-100 g. The duck lays eggs with a dark shell, which then acquires a greenish tint and becomes olive.

Breed habitat

Duck is a waterfowl, so even when grown in the yard, it needs a reservoir. The area with the reservoir must be fenced off with a net at least 1 m high so that the birds do not fly over it. At home, the Cayugas lived in a temperate climate, so they do not like either heat or cold. This must be taken into account when keeping them at home - ducks need to build or equip a barn in which the temperature will not fall below 5 ˚С in winter.

The floor in the poultry house for ducks should be covered with a layer of straw, sawdust or peat, and in the cold season, the walking area should be insulated with these materials. In summer, the temperature should not exceed 25-30 ˚С.

What does it eat?

You can feed cayuga with grain mixtures and grass. While walking, they can eat insects and worms, replenishing the body with protein. In summer, ducks can be kept in a corral with a canopy under which they will hide from strong sun and rain.

Feed ducks 2-3 times a day. They give ordinary grain mixers, consisting of various types of grain, grain waste, boiled vegetables and root crops. Fish and meat and bone meal, chalk or shell, a little s alt are added to the mixture. Laying ducks and during the molting period need to add more premixes with mineral elements to the feed, add minced fish, liquid vitamins. Ducklings and adult ducks can only be fed on compound feed.2 weeks before slaughter, each portion of mash or compound feed is increased so that the ducklings can gain weight.

Character and lifestyle

Cayugas can live both in small flocks and with other birds. By nature, they are calm, they are non-aggressive towards other ducks. Rarely quack, walk slowly, not afraid of sharp sounds. In a cramped house, and even more so in a cage, they cannot be kept. In a confined space, they get stressed, grow and rush worse, feathers may fall out.

Like the waterfowl that lived on the lake in America, Cayugas love to swim in the water. Therefore, the nearest reservoir will be an ideal place for growing ducks, and if it is not there, then an artificial reservoir should be built in the yard or a trough with water should be placed on the walking area.

Reproduction and longevity

Cayugs are bred "in themselves", which means that in order to get ducklings, you need to choose ducks belonging to this breed. When breeding hybrids in subsequent generations, characteristic features will be lost. Females are ready for breeding at 8 months, males - at 10-11. One drake can be identified by 6-7 females. The fertility of the Cayuga eggs remains at a high level.

For breeding, you need to select eggs not with dark shells from young ducks, but with olive ones, which are carried by adult birds.

Under 1 duck you can put up to 15 eggs. Hatching period - 28-30 days. The ducklings bred by the female are left with her, and transferred from the incubator to the brooder, where they are grown for 1 month. The species life expectancy of cayugas is 30 years, with good care in a private yard, they can live up to 20 years.

Care and maintenance

Like other birds, Cayugas love to live in comfort. The house should be warm in winter and cool in summer. It is important that there are no drafts. The room must be ventilated every day to freshen the air. From ammonia in ducks, the respiratory tract and mucous membranes of the eyes become inflamed.

Another important condition for the well-being of Cayug ducks is good lighting. Daylight hours should be at least 10 hours, even in winter. To do this, turn on the lamps. So that the ducks do not suffer from crowding, they need to be settled so that per 1 sq. m. was located no more than 3 individuals.

Pros and cons

Pros and consbeautiful plumage;large sizes;omnivorous;not fatty meat;good he alth, resistance to infections;developed maternal instinct;resistance to stress;juvenile survival.non-proliferation, it is difficult to get young animals or eggs;dark meat;black stumps of feathers on the carcass when plucked.

Despite their shortcomings, cayuga ducks are of interest for growing and breeding in households.

Cayugi ducks are an unusual breed from which you can get both meat and eggs. And also grow them as beautiful birds to decorate the courtyard. They require minimal care, standard feeding.