Duck Agidel: description of the breed, advantages and disadvantages, growing at home
Bashkir ducks of the Agidel breed - a new hybrid species of poultry, with which farmers are just starting to get acquainted. It received official recognition in 2012. White duck meat is low in fat. The breed is characterized by precocity and high egg production. During the summer, you can breed 2-3 batches of ducklings. In general, agidels are unpretentious in their care. But there are nuances in breeding chicks, the knowledge of which will help to grow he althy and well-fed broilers.
The history of the breed
The Bashkir duck appeared in an attempt to improve the Peking breed.Work began at the beginning of the 21st century. Breeders set the task to increase the amount of meat and reduce the fat content in it. Blagovar ducks, super-M cross-breed and Indian runners participated in crossing. A new species of poultry was named Agidel. During the selection, two subspecies were identified, numbered 345 and 34.
The favorite cross-breed is also known under the name of the Bashkir duck. An intermediate look was also obtained while working on improving Peking ducks. It was bred at the Blagovarsky plant, where the Agidel duck also appeared, but is not its subspecies. The Agidel breed is mistakenly called the Adyghe or the Adyghe duck. There is no such breed.
Description and characteristics of duck Agidel
What does a hybrid breed of poultry look like:
- massive elongated body;
- low rise;
- pure white plumage;
- orange wide beak;
- strong paws.
Agidel is a broiler breed characterized by precocity.
Differences between duck subspecies are minor and relate to performance:
| Parameter | Agidel 345 | Agidel 34 |
| Weight in kilograms | 3 | 3.05|
| 2, 27 | 2,28 | |
| 28 ,2 | 28,4 | |
| 345 | 227 |
Ducks at the age of six months begin to rush. The eggs are large, weighing 77-95 grams.
Birds of the Agidel breed are calm in nature. They scream loudly if they sense danger. Males do not fight among themselves during the mating season.
Pros and cons
The breed is distinguished by high egg production, despite the meat orientation, and resistance to leukemia. During the season, several batches of ducklings grow up. A quality feather is an additional bonus to tender dietary meat, bringing economic benefits. Agidel ducks are able to graze in the meadow and do without swimming.To bring the survival rate to an average of 80 percent, the eggs are warmed in an incubator.
Features of maintenance and care
Growing Agidel ducks at home does not require a specially equipped room and pond. The main requirement is the absence of a draft. Breed breeding conditions:
- density of placement of adults - 3 ducks per square meter;
- temperature in winter - above +5 degrees;
- the floor in the duck house is covered with sawdust, husks of sunflower seeds, fresh straw;
- bedding thickness in winter - 30 centimeters, in summer - 20 centimeters, for newborn ducklings - 5 centimeters.
Next to the duck house, the territory for walking ducks should be fenced off. A pond for birds will be replaced by a bowl of water. In the summer, the container should be placed outside so that the ducks bathe while walking. In winter, water should be put in the duck house for two hours a day or in a separate room and the birds should be taken out there to walk and swim.
Before settling a new batch of ducklings, the old litter is removed and the duck house is disinfected. The top layer needs to be renewed every 2 days and not allowed to dry with a crust.
For a flock of ducklings less than a hundred individuals, you can prepare cardboard boxes or cages with bedding at the bottom. Chicks are not recommended to run in a whole flock in a large room. Agidel ducks are afraid of hands and it is difficult to keep up with them. To keep birds without walking, a ventilation system or ventilation vents are installed in the duck house. From constant exposure to musty air, ducks become aggressive.
You should also properly organize the lighting. In the first two weeks of life, ducklings need light 24 hours a day. Then daylight hours are reduced to nine hours.
Diet
Feeding high protein whole grains promotes maximum weight gain in Agidel ducks. The basis of nutrition is barley, oats, wheat, corn. For normal digestion and prevention of beriberi in the diet of birds include:
- fresh grass;
- beans;
- beet tops;
- vegetables - boiled potatoes, carrots, fodder beets;
- fish oil;
- sunflower cake;
- wheat, oat bran;
- bone meal;
- chalk.
In winter, ducks are given silage, herbal flour. To digest tough vegetable stems, birds need solid food supplements - crushed shells, fine gravel.
Hatched ducklings are fed with crushed boiled eggs. Then they add cornmeal, fat-free cottage cheese, mixed in meat or fish broth.
Complete mixed feeds are also suitable for feeding Agidel ducklings, which contain the necessary cereals, vegetables, herbal and vitamin supplements.
Ducks need plenty of fluids. Potassium permanganate is added to the water twice a week for chicks. A pale pink solution of potassium permanganate prevents the development of intestinal diseases. Fattened birds are not limited in food. Laying hens are fed 4 times a day.
How to breed a bird
To breed Agidel chicks, eggs of the correct oval shape with a smooth shell are chosen. They are placed in an incubator and kept for 26 days under the following conditions:
- average temperature - 38 degrees, in the first 14 days keep at 37.8-38 degrees of heat, from the fifteenth day gradually increase to 38.7;
- keep humidity at 70 percent for the first two weeks, then lower to forty;
- so that the embryo does not move from the center, the eggs need to be turned 10 times a day at regular intervals;
- refrigerate the eggs twice a day at equal intervals.
In anticipation of the hatching of the chicks, it is recommended to increase the humidity in the incubator to seventy percent so that the shell becomes softer and it is easier for the chicks to break through it. Conditions for keeping hatched ducklings:
- room temperature in the first week +38 degrees;
- in the second week, the heating should be reduced to 26 degrees, and in the third - 18 degrees;
- optimum humidity is 60-70 percent;
- stocking density in the first five days - 30 individuals per square meter.
If the ducklings are huddled together, it means they are cold. You can enhance the heating with the help of electric radiators and lamps. In an overheated stuffy room, the chicks breathe heavily. The duck house needs to be ventilated and the temperature lowered.
Starting from the second week, ducklings should be planted more freely, 10-15 individuals per square meter.During feeding, it is important to ensure that all the chicks eat. Weak individuals that could not break through the stronger brothers should be removed. Chicks that are not interested in food are pipetted with chicken or duck yolk mixed with milk.
From the tenth day the ducklings are released for a walk. A dry sunny day is suitable for walking. Ducks should not be released after rain or during dew, so that they do not freeze. Sunbathing is useful for ducklings, as it contributes to the synthesis of vitamin D, which is necessary for growth. But you should protect the chicks from overheating and drive them into the duck house or under a shady shelter at noon.
Possible diseases
Agidel ducks are more disease resistant than other breeds. But mistakes in feeding and maintenance lead to beriberi, helminths and infections.
Main diseases leading to the sudden death of birds:
- hepatitis;
- paratyphoid;
- salmonellosis.
Ducklings are often infected with hepatitis. Symptoms of the disease are manifested by lack of appetite, inactivity and tilting the head back. High humidity in the duck house leads to a fungal infection of the upper respiratory tract of ducks. Birds wheeze and pull their heads forward.
From the lack of fresh air, vitamins D and E, birds become aggressive and attack relatives.
Keeping ducks in a dark room without ventilation leads to the development of keratoconjunctivitis. Birds get poisoned by ammonia fumes, carbon dioxide. The condition is exacerbated by the low content of vitamin A in food. As a result, ducks become lethargic and lose their eyesight.
A common disease in ducks is conjunctivitis, which manifests itself in the form of foam on the eyes. When a symptom appears, ducklings should be separated from he althy individuals. Foam, film, lacrimation may be signs of hepatitis. Eating only plants leads to eating disorders. Ducks devour all the objects that they meet on their way. Birds swallow rocks, debris and run around restlessly until they see a new object.
Uncontrolled eating leads to another pathological condition - blockage of the goiter. A solid object can only be removed by surgery.
When to slaughter
Agidel ducks can be slaughtered at 1.5-2 months. At this age, birds reach their maximum weight. Further fattening of ducks for meat is not cost-effective. They eat food but gain little weight. During molting, the mass leaves, and carcasses are difficult to pluck.
The readiness of a duck for slaughter is determined by the weight and condition of the feathers. If the mass has reached three kilograms, and the plumage has not formed, the bird can be cut. If molting has begun, slaughter is postponed until it ends. Then the carcasses are easier to pluck.
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