Duck with a tuft: top 5 breeds and their description, pros and cons, diet and breeding

All breeds of ornamental tufted duck originated from the Chinese crested variety. The productivity of these birds is relatively low, but the decorativeness and originality of their appearance make it possible to use them as a living decoration for park and backyard ponds and lakes. Crested breeds are not capricious in nutrition and maintenance, even inexperienced people are engaged in poultry farming.

History

It is impossible to find out exactly how a duck with a tuft appeared. Presumably they crossed the Chinese Corydalis with a wild drake. The resulting crested birds were brought to Europe from southeast Asia by the Dutch three centuries ago.Western European painters of the 17th and 18th centuries often depicted game with crests in landscapes and still lifes. Gradually, the crested duck spread throughout Europe. Today, there are many domestic breeds with a tuft adorning the head. There is also a wild black Corydalis.

General description and characteristics

Each crested breed looks different, but there are external features that unite birds into one category:

• medium-sized, but strong and sinewy body;
• drake weight - up to 3 kg, females - 2 kg;
• elongated, moderately wide back;
• rounded, slightly convex chest;
• elongated, narrowed, flattened beak;
• neck of medium length, slightly arched forward;
• slightly developed paws and wings;
• hard, tightly spaced feathers;
• tuft at the top of the head, consisting of long and thin feathers, sticking out like a cap;
• variety of colors determined by parental genes;
• active, non-aggressive behavior.

The saturation of the beak and limbs depends on the color. With dark colors, the beak and paws are faded. Light birds walk with an orange beak. In each brood, a fifth of ducklings do not have a crest, because the crested head gene is cumulative, that is, it is lost if one parent does not have the specified trait.

Productivity of breeds is low. A duck rushes from the age of 5 months, gives 50-60 eggs per year. One egg weighs no more than 80 g. Some individuals have increased egg production, they are able to produce up to 100-120 eggs.

Due to the low productivity, duck with a crown is practically not common in industrial poultry farming, it is used for decorative purposes in parks, botanical gardens, and home gardens.

Varieties of ducks with tufts

Despite its unimpressive productivity, the tufted duck is in demand among breeders, it is sold as a decorative species. The most popular Russian, Ukrainian, Bashkir breeds.

Russian

The duck of the domestic breed is distinguished by a harmonious physique, muscular, but not massive. The head is egg-shaped, the neck is curved. The limbs are strong, thick, covered with feathers up to flippers. The belly is rounded. The wings are small, fit tightly on the body, crosswise superimposed on each other by flight feathers. The eyes are brown, the paws are light orange, the color is white or variegated. A fluffy hat on the head is a couple of tones lighter than the main color.

Pros and consbeautiful, compact physique;calm, friendly attitude towards humans and other living creatures;the possibility of meat breeding (ducklings quickly gain weight);unpretentiousness in care and maintenance.low egg productivity.I like it I don't like it

Bashkir

The miniature breed is distinguished by high productive qualities, variegated color, which is dominated by bluish-gray, black and brown shades. On the head is a large and dense crest, resembling a pom-pom from a hat. Strong and developed wings are decorated with a pattern. The physique, though compact, but strong. The muscles are developed, the chest stands out noticeably forward.

Pros and consexternal attractiveness, high decorative effect;good egg production (up to 250 eggs per year);high-quality meat for a dietary diet;indifference to the conditions of detention.the need for a reservoir for the well-being of birds.I like it I don't like it

Ukrainian

The crested duck was bred in Ukraine by crossing ordinary domestic and wild gray. The result was a pearl-gray bird with a large physique. The body is covered with brown spots. The short white neck is transversely decorated with a dark stripe. The Ukrainian duck is active, mobile, therefore, it is not gaining fat, but muscle mass.

Pros and conscalm, non-aggressive character;capriciousness in feeding and maintenance;resistance to low temperatures;lean meat.low egg productivity.I like it I don't like it

Chinese

Also called the crested shelduck. The Chinese have bred it for a long time, today the duck with a tuft is rare, it is included in the Red Book. According to external characteristics and mode of existence, it is a cross between a domestic and a wild duck. The back is brown, the neck and belly are white, the chest is black with a green tint.

Pros and conshigh decorative effect;economy of feeding (the duck gets most of the food itself in the pond).the need for a reservoir where the duck will feed.I like it I don't like it

Crested Duck

This is a wild duck with a crest, living in the British Isles, in the north-eastern regions of Europe, in the North of the Urals, in Western Siberia, the Volga region, in the Far East. Due to its interesting coloration, Corydalis is popular with breeders of decorative waterfowl.

The drake is larger than the female, its head, back and tail are black, and the chest and belly are white. The tuft does not look like a hat, but like a long tassel, reaching 4 cm in the male and 2.5 cm in the female. The limbs are black, the iris is yellow. The female is brown, with a white breast and a gray beak.

Pros and conshigh decorative qualities;self-catering;trouble-free existence in city parks and gardens.the impossibility of keeping in a private courtyard (migratory bird).I like it I don't like itFinal ranking tableRussianBashkirUkrainianChineseCrested Duck

Pros and cons

Pros and consdecorative, beautiful plumage color;the ability to decorate a pond of any size;lack of capriciousness in keeping and feeding;dietary meat with a low percentage of fat content;the ability to incubate eggs to the end.low egg productivity;recessiveness of the gene for the formation of a tuft (therefore, continuous breeding work is required);the difficulty of selecting individuals to obtain ducklings with purebred characteristics;sensitivity to poor house hygiene.

Subtleties of maintenance and care

It is possible to keep a crested duck in spacious cages, but poultry houses with pleasure pens and ponds are preferable. Birds do not do well when crowded.There should be less than 4 birds per 1 m² of the house. If the livestock includes at least 15 individuals, then it is recommended to divide it into groups, making a separate spacious block for each.

The house must be lit, clean, ventilated. From the end of autumn, artificial light sources are installed. Optimum air humidity is 60-70%, summer temperature is 18-20 °C, winter temperature should not fall below +5 °C.

A crested duck can exist without swimming. But still, in the absence of a natural reservoir, it is worth putting a pool or a voluminous basin with water near the poultry house so that the birds splash around. The litter in the house is made from straw, sawdust, a mixture of these materials. Replaced regularly with fresh. Feeders are installed so that each individual has at least 15 cm in length.

Diet

Domestic duck with a crest is not capricious in nutrition, willingly consumes any food offered by the owner. The diet should be varied, its basis is grain and herbs. Birds are given food once a day.

It is recommended to include in the diet:

• juicy and dried herbs;
• whole and crushed grains;
• cereal sprouts;
• silo;
• boiled root vegetables (potatoes, carrots, turnips);
• wet stirrers;
• compound feed for poultry;
• vegetable peelings;
• chalk, shell rock.

To strengthen the body, ducklings are given cottage cheese and whey mash. During the walk, the duck finds a significant part of the feed itself, which makes it economical to keep. Swimming in the pond, the birds get algae, plankton, insects.

Breeding rules

The tufted duck breeds both naturally and in incubation. In the first case, it shows maternal instinct well, does not leave eggs and brood ahead of time. Ducklings hatch strong, developed, begin to feed immediately after drying.Grow fast. But in winter, growth slows down even with increased feeding. To preserve the breed characteristics, chicks without a crest are rejected.

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