Duck breeding is considered quite profitable today. New breeds are constantly being developed. Due to its excellent characteristics, the duck Favorite is popular not only in small households, but also in large farms.

Ducks Favorite: characteristics and features of the breed

This breed is also known under a different name - the Blue duck. The color of the plumage of birds ranges from ash to blue. The paws and beak are colored in the same tone as the feathers. According to the description, the Blue Favorite breed of ducks is considered meat, individuals have a tight fit: a powerful chest, medium-sized neck, strong legs. Despite the fact that the Blue Favorite duck breed belongs to meat, the female is capable of laying from 100 to 160 eggs per year. Each weighs 90 grams.

Duck meat does not have a specific smell, it has a fibrous structure and a pleasant taste. It contains animal vitamins, mineral salts and very little fat. The weight of the skeleton is only 14% of the meat mass.

Duck Favorite, non-infectious

Note! Already at 9 weeks, Favorite ducklings are gaining weight up to 4.5 - 4 kg. Females gain body weight no more than 4.0 kg.

Among the advantages of the breed are the following characteristics:

  • All young growth is gaining rapidly.
  • Simplicity and affordability in care and feeding.
  • Great taste mass with low fat content.
  • High egg production rate.
  • Calm character.
  • Attractive appearance.

If we talk about the shortcomings, we can only say that the Blue Duck is considered a very bad brood hen. Therefore, the eggs have to be incubated.

Breeding them in households and farms is not only easy, but also profitable.

Conditions for keeping, feeding and breeding the Blue Duck

The Favorite duck breed has a high survival rate. Birds have high immunity, which helps them to adapt to different conditions. They are able to withstand both low temperatures down to -30 degrees and high temperatures up to +35. This means that the breed can be bred in all regions of the country.

The poultry house in which the Favorite ducks are kept should measure 40 X 40 cm.The floors of the barn must be raised to a height of at least 30 cm, which will help protect the birds from rodents. If wood is used to make the walls of the house, they must be plastered.

Males and chicks must be kept separately. For this, the poultry house must be divided into zones by means of the construction of partitions. For their manufacture, boards with a height of at least 0.5 m can be used.

A high survival rate does not require wall insulation, but it is important to pay special attention to floor equipment. It is covered with a bed of straw, sawdust, shavings or sedges. A layer of litter 30 cm or more is laid on the floors. The litter changes as it gets dirty.

It is possible to create comfortable conditions for keeping the Blue Duck if an effective ventilation system is installed. For this, a tray with doors is mounted in the ceiling, which, if necessary, can be easily opened.

The house should be well lit for at least 14 hours a day. To comply with this condition in the winter, additional lighting is used with the help of fluorescent lamps.

Content

Important! The lighting wires must be raised to such a height that they are inaccessible to birds.

Ducks Favorites need an area for daytime walking. For this, an aviary is equipped, which is fenced off with a net or boards. The height of the fence must be at least 1 m.To provide protection from the sun in summer, a small canopy made of camouflage nets or other material should be used. In winter, the territory of the enclosure is covered with straw or hay.

It is recommended to place feeders and drinkers around the perimeter of the house, which will save free space in it. Their height should reach the level of the back of the birds.

Ducks of this breed are picky about feeding, but the level of productivity of the breed fully depends on this. Adults can be fed wet feed mixes made from milk, cottage cheese, grass, grains and root crops. In winter, you need to feed the ducks 3 times throughout the day. In the morning and in the evening, they give crumbly feed, and in the evening - compound feed.

Important! Normally, birds should have a small body of water. If available, the ducks will extract minerals on their own.

If geese have an open-air cage, it is recommended to feed them 2 times in summer: wet flour mixture and grain. To ensure such a feeding regime, it is better to sow the territory of the enclosure with perennial grasses.

Raising Favorite ducklings at home does not require much effort and cost. They have good immunity. Since ducks of this breed are considered bad mothers, the eggs of the chicks need to be incubated.

Before placing young chicks in the house, it is necessary to carry out a general cleaning there. For this, the walls of the barn are disinfected using a lime solution. The air temperature in the room for the first 7 - 10 days should be within 25 - 30 degrees. Grown up ducklings can live in a poultry house at a temperature of 18 degrees. In the first days of the chicks' life, they need to provide lighting for 24 hours. Over time, the lighting mode can be reduced to 18 hours.

The place where it is planned to walk the young must be leveled and sprinkled with a 6 cm layer of sand. With the right house setup, chicks will be mobile and have a good appetite.

Important! Before placing the ducklings in the common poultry house, it is recommended to give everyone a weak solution of potassium permanganate. A pipette is used for this.

In the first months of life, chicks need intensive feeding. Thanks to this, they will be healthy, and their mass will grow rapidly. At this time, chicks should be given mainly protein-containing feed. To do this, you can use boiled eggs, which are pre-crushed, with the addition of cottage cheese. After a few days, chopped grass is added to the protein feed, and after a month they can be given a little milk and include a mixture of grain in the diet. Gradually, carrots, potatoes, previously cooked, can be added to the diet of chicks.

Experienced breeders recommend using chalk or small shells as food additives. When arranging a poultry house, you need to pay attention to the fact that feeders and drinkers cannot be placed side by side. This can cause water to splash and spoil nearby food.

Despite their high immunity, Favorit ducks are susceptible to diseases. This is due to the fact that the strengthening of the immune system occurs over time. Therefore, it is young animals that are susceptible to infections. Disinfecting the house beforehand will help reduce the risk of chick infestation.

In order to avoid contamination, it is recommended to keep no more than 15 individuals per 1 m2 of the poultry house area. Crowding provokes the development of pathogenic microorganisms.

All diseases that threaten ducks can be divided into 2 types:

Non-infectious.

  • vitamin deficiency - caused by a lack of vitamins A, E and D. As a result, the chicks may develop conjunctivitis, fluid is released from the nose, and appetite decreases. For the treatment of vitamin deficiency, boiled fish, vitamin supplements, and fish oil are added to bird feed. Prevention of vitamin deficiency is a balanced diet;
  • Uvskaya disease. It also develops due to an improperly selected diet: a lack of mineral components and trace elements. In this case, the birds begin to lose their feathers, their appetite disappears.Prevention and treatment of the disease consists in adding iodized or bone meal, crushed chalk and small shells to the feed;
  • cuticulitis. These ailment ducks can get sick in the first 30 days. Chicks lose apatite, become lethargic, and have dark-colored diarrhea. For treatment, a weak solution of potassium permanganate is used.

Infectious.

  • coccidosis - ducks suffer from this disease in the first months of life. They lose their appetite and become lethargic. When diagnosing this ailment, individuals must be isolated and destroyed;
  • tuberculosis - before starting treatment, it is necessary to understand what caused the disease. As a rule, this is a large overcrowding of individuals in the poultry house, irregular cleaning of the premises, and poor ventilation. When this diagnosis is made, individuals are recommended to be destroyed.

Infectious

By studying the description of the blue duck and organizing the right conditions, you can raise a healthy and active livestock.