Duck pace: breed description and characteristics, breeding rules and diet

Among the breeds of domestic waterfowl bred for meat, ducks of cross-tempo are clearly distinguished. They are so useful and profitable in household and farming that they seriously pressed other representatives of duck meat breeds. Excellent palatability, precocity and unpretentiousness made these birds one of the most common in the backyards of farms of a modest and large scale.

Description and characteristics of the breed

The progenitors of tempo ducks are two breeds: the English cherry valley and the Pekinese. The result of crossing was a new variation, which immediately showed exceptional advantages.New ducks impressed with egg production and rapid increase in carcass weight. The resulting breed was called duck temp, or cross temp-1. Also received broiler ducks with the same name. The breed was bred in Russia. The most common duck tempo was in the Russian Federation and Belarus.

The duck is of medium size, strong build, drakes are larger than females, the plumage is dense and white, smoothly adjacent to the body. Paws and beak are orange. The head of the ducks is medium in size, on a long, curved neck for this type of poultry. The tail is short, and the wings are large, with a swan span.

Temp ducks are characterized by early maturation and egg production, which increases the output of ducklings, therefore, the farm makes a profit with minimal time and financial costs.

Tempo ducks begin to lay eggs at six months, while up to 90% are fertilized, so many chicks hatch, up to 70% of incubated or incubated eggs.

Pros and cons of duck pace

Ducks of this breed are distinguished by the following positive characteristics:

1. Early - laying eggs begins at 6 months.
2. Duck pace can lay 150 to 190 eggs in a year.
3. The drake weighs up to 3 kilograms, the female - up to 2.5 kilograms.
4. Duck meat has a pleasant taste, no smell and low fat content, which favorably distinguishes the tempo and its related cross-tempo avant-garde from other meat poultry breeds.
5. Tempo ducks are beneficial in that they can be used for a dual purpose: for eggs and meat, which brings additional benefits to the farmer or villager.
6. The vast majority of eggs in the clutch are fertilized, so many ducklings always hatch.

The disadvantages of the breed include a short breeding period for obtaining meat, since after 55-60 days ducks begin to eat three times more food to increase each kilogram of weight. However, this feature is also a plus, because it allows you to get the maximum amount of quality duck meat in two months.

Maintenance and Care

Tempo ducks don't cause much trouble for owners. To do this, the following conditions must be met:

1. Spacious poultry house. Ducks should not be crowded, otherwise they will not only fight, but also annoy each other and even peck eggs or pinch their feathers.
2. The room must be insulated for year-round keeping of ducks, for example, when breeding ducklings for sale or for eggs.
3. The poultry house must be equipped with everything necessary. It should contain nests, clean bedding, food, drinking water in sufficient quantity and free access.
4. Lighting is important not only for egg collection or for cleaning the room, but also for regulating the laying process.
5. Ventilation is an important condition for the he alth of adult birds and offspring.
6. Having a duck range with access to a pond is welcome.
7. Cleanliness ensures the he alth of the adult stock and the safety of the offspring, as it prevents the spread of disease.

If the bird is raised as a broiler, it is important for her to provide good nutrition. To get dietary meat with a minimum amount of fat, it must be balanced, otherwise the duck will get fat.

What to feed?

The basis of feed for adult ducks is the feed based on crushed grain. Ducklings need to be fed a wet mash, into which dairy products are introduced: at first - low-fat cottage cheese, reverse, whey, buttermilk, as well as finely chopped greens.

A bird that has access to a paddock pecks greens, small stones, invertebrates and insects on its own. Access to a natural or artificial body of water is also very helpful. Ducks don't just swim and bathe, as water is their natural way of life. They are also very fond of duckweed and algae, which are rich in vitamins and other nutrients.

If ducks are unable to swim in a river, lake or pond, or to feed in the winter, livestock owners harvest algae for future use or buy ready-made supplements from them.

Subtleties of reproduction

In order to obtain a large number of birds for meat rearing, it is better to use incubation. This simplifies the process and allows you to get a large number of chicks at the same time.

Incubation lasts from 26 to 28 days, the yield of ducklings reaches 70%. Young growth is strong and viable, little susceptible to diseases. Almost from the moment of hatching, the ducklings are fed with a hard boiled chopped egg, from the fifth day of life they introduce lean cottage cheese, finely chopped greens. Boiled root crops are added from a week, and from the age of ten, ducklings can be added shredded waste from the kitchen and from the garden. Pounded eggshells are added to the feed.

Fast growth and weight gain are provided by a quality, balanced diet. Minerals, dairy waste and greens must be added to the mixers. Exercise is also important for the normal growth of ducklings, and also for duck breeding pace. Adult birds can walk all day in good weather, and ducklings can be released to graze at the age of 3 weeks.

Prevention and treatment

Tempo ducks are unpretentious breeds, without a tendency to any specific diseases. They may suffer from diseases common to all ducks, but with proper maintenance and feeding, mass infections and bird deaths can be avoided.

For prevention ducks are given:

1. Drinking water, tinted with potassium manganese in a pale pink hue.
2. Fish oil.
3. Bone meal.
4. Crushed shells.
5. Limestone.
6. Special mineral supplements.

Don't miss the opportunity to let the bird out to graze on the grass. It is useful for the body, strengthens the immune system, as it contains a large amount of vitamins. Algae, which waterfowl actively eat in water, have the same properties.

It is equally important to keep tempo ducks clean. At the same time, it is necessary to carefully clean not only the house, but also the paddock, as well as regularly wash and disinfect water and feed containers, nests, and replace the litter. Then the bird will be he althy and strong, will not get sick and actively breed.

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