Musk duck (indoutka): breeding, growing, maintenance. Mode of incubation of musk ducks

The musk duck (popular in the Indochina, Latin Cairina moschata) is an independent species of tree ducks, the population of which is especially common in South America and Mexico. To turkeys, contrary to popular belief, it does not apply. Domesticated by the ancient Aztecs, today it is common in almost all countries, in particular - in Russia. A great recognition is for poultry lovers. Today we will talk about how ducks are musk. The breeding, growing, maintenance of these poultry will also be discussed in detail in the framework of our article.

Short description

The musk duck is very original and differs in appearance from the tribesmen. With a fairly short neck, it has a broad chest, its wings are long and powerful, its legs are short, with pointed claws.

Musky duck is calm, fairly hardy, relatively unpretentious, little susceptible to most avian diseases, able to do without a pond. On the birdy yards is kept separately, does not make noise, does not like companies, but does not enter into fights.

The weight of a male specimen (drake), according to the standard, is close to 6 kg, female (duck) - to 3.5 kg. Eggplant - 100-110 eggs, weight of each - about 75 gr.

Taste qualities

Ideal low-fat diet red meat. The fat content, in contrast, for example, from the Peking duck, is low (up to 25%). High muscular mass. Muscular tissue is about 41%. The weight of the most edible part (brisket) reaches 800 g. Indotka resembles to taste game with excellent taste qualities. Unlike waterfowl, it does not have a specific specific flavor. In France, these ducks have long replaced most of the other breeds.

Eggs of musk ducks are edible, and quite tasty. They are large, with a large yolk and a dense protein.

Hybrids

The musk duck seamlessly crosses with simple domestic ducks. Hybrids (mullards) are early-maturing, slaughter weight - about 4 kg. Offspring do not give (sterile). The color of the bird is predominantly dark. In Europe, they are often fattened forcibly, resulting in a very fatty liver (foie gras), which is highly valued by gourmets.

Color of Indotecs

Musky duck can be white, brown, black, blue. Wild color is widespread, including a "mirror". However, there are exceptions. In Europe, for example, more often there are other colors that are not recognized by the standard. It is noteworthy that they are stable and transmitted to descendants. Perhaps very soon such colors will find recognition and will be reflected in official standards.

It is worth saying a few words about the one-color coloring. We are of the opinion that mixed colors indicate the presence of hybrids. However, such options are provided by European standards. In other words, purebreds can be not only monophonic musk ducks. At breeding enterprises abroad, the "forcing out" of new lines is carried out, where the colors are just mixed. It is noteworthy that these ducks are especially productive and weigh more than brown representatives. Mixed colors are increasingly appearing in European amateur exhibitions. Alas, we work with the indoctuary extensively (at the level of large institutions) and was not seriously conducted, so we received only what was imported once from Europe. Mostly these were brown birds, partly white and black. This explains the prevalence of this color in our latitudes. Although, due to simple bonitirovanie and with the appropriate attitude, the cultivation of musk ducks can give more positive results. It is quite possible to obtain, for example, white individuals weighing 4.7 kg already by three months. Of course, this requires an "infusion of good blood."

Muscovy ducks (breeds)

1. White. Color corresponds to the name. Plumage has no signs of yellowness. The beak should be light pink, on the tip - lighter. Hocks are yellow. Eyes are only gray-blue.

2. Black and white. The eyes are usually light-brown (occasionally light-blue), the metatarsal yellow (black spots are permissible). The main color of the plumage is black, with a characteristic luster (on the back with a green tint, otherwise - with a purple). White feathers form a pattern around the head, neck, chest and "mirror" with folded wings.

3. Brown wild. The main color is chocolate. Flapping, covering and tail feathers are darker, with a greenish sheen. There are few white feathers in wings in young wings, most of them in adults. Pooh is brown, light. The beak is red, the tip is dark, pigmented at the base. Eyes and pusa are brown. Bright spots are permissible. In the people this breed is called only "red musk ducks".

4. Brownish-white. The main color is chocolate brown (with green outflow). White feathers form a pattern around the head, neck and chest. The second-order fly feather is brown, the first is white ("mirror"). Beak is red (the tip is darker), light pigmentation is acceptable. Eyes and pusa are brown.

5. Black. The color corresponds to the name. The color of the bird is completely black. Back and wings have a greenish tide, other parts are purple. Pooh is gray, dark. Eyes are brown. The podus and beak are black.

6. The blue one. Color corresponds to the name. Blue color is expressed. Individual feathers have a dark fringing (a different structure of the feather). Eyes are brown. Hocks with a beak are almost black.

7. Wild. The predominant color is black, saturated, with a greenish tint on the back and wings, purple on the chest and purple in the rest. Large integumentary wings in adult birds are mostly white, in young animals there are fewer. Beak and brown eyes. The palate is black, the fingers are somewhat lighter (they may be yellowish).

8. Wild blue. It has predominantly blue color. Individual feathers are bordered by narrow dark bands (other structure). The blue duck, like the wild one, has the majority of white feathers (in mature birds). The bill is almost black, with a transition to reddish-blue (at the base), with a dark tip. Plyus are close to black. Eyes are brown.

9. White with a picture. The base is white. Black solid surfaces are observed on the back, neck, crown of the head, flight feathers (2nd order), flanks, tail, on the shin, on the wings (inner covering feather). The beak is black, with a transition to red-blue, with a black tip. Eyes are brown, light. Hocks are yellow (black spots are permissible).

Development and timing of cultivation

Here it is necessary to take into account the biological characteristics of the breed. Plumage of Indotests has three layers: fluff, fine pen and large (top layer). What are the chicks born? Their body is covered only with down. This is the top of the feathers that will grow later. Primary down gradually wears out. In place of him grows a covering pen (after the 20th day from birth to one and a half months). Soon the youthful (so-called juvenile) molting begins. That's exactly the moment and we must wait - this is the time when the ducklings are ready for slaughter. Why? First, you avoid "stumps" during the plucking, and secondly, at this time, the formation of bone tissue (ossification) ends. The moulting period lasts a month and a half, sometimes two. This means that the deadline for slaughter is 12 weeks, the next 24 weeks. As an example, you can take a solid French farm. The terms of slaughter at these enterprises are 85 days for drake and 70 days for duckling. Not the last place plays at fattening density of planting. It is better to keep ducklings on a galvanized mesh (shallow, 1x1 cm, from birth and at least up to three weeks). This will increase the dryness. Moreover, you will achieve almost a hundred percent survival rate! The landing density is 20 heads (maximum) per square meter up to 10 days. Then increase the area. After disembarking, it is highly desirable to use a large (medium) chip. In extreme cases, sawdust, but large. Old sawdust is partially cleaned and new ones are poured. Whole litter does not change.

Green pasture in the warm season allows you to reduce the consumption of mixed fodder and achieve rapid mass recruitment.

Features of breeding

How to keep musky ducks? Build in the poultry low roosts so that the bird rests. Musk ducks require slightly different conditions. Unlike the turkey, you will need to make long benches at a small height (20 cm), retreating from the wall 35 cm. The width of the perch is 18 cm.

The musk duck can not withstand dirt and dampness. The best temperature for laying is 19 degrees, the minimum temperature is 16. The ideal floor is the mesh (this was written above). The dimensions of the cells are 24x24 mm. The grid should occupy 2/3 of the entire floor of the mattress. Such a construction is made along the far wall. "Pillow" (distance to the floor) - 30 cm. The thickness of the pond is at least 2 mm. One of the edges of the mesh floor is better done on the hinges - when cleaning it can be raised and fixed. Drinkers put on the grid. Feeders are installed no more than three meters from the drinkers. For litter, as they say, use large sawdust. Moldy damp litter can cause an outbreak of the disease (aspergillosis).

Musk ducks are kept (rocks do not matter) at a density of 3 g / m. Form the broodstock begin 1.5 months before oviposition begins. For five layers, you need one drake. The latter should be a month older. In this case, the sexual maturity of Indotecs will come a little earlier. The age ratio can be achieved by leaving the best males from another grown batch. The broodstock is usually formed in May-July.

After 180 days, the light day is gradually adjusted to 17 hours (before the start of the masonry). The mode is supported for 4 months. For clarification, treat with caution, as musk ducks are potential cannibals. Therefore, the intensity (intensity) of lighting is only adjusted to 2 watts per meter. If additional light is required, color the bulbs in red (orange) color.

The oviposition itself is cyclic. In contrast to ordinary ducks, musk bears eggs for 15 hours. They are collected at least three times a day (preferably more often). You can get 80 pieces per cycle.

The instinct of incubating is also peculiar. Musk duck in an empty nest does not sit too long. She avoids other people's nests, hatching only her eggs. If you do not remove the clutch within three (sometimes two) weeks, the female will sit there for incubation. During this time, 12-15 eggs will be collected.

Sexual instinct in drakes is seasonal. In the first months, fertilization is high (96%), by the autumn it drops to 50%. Therefore, the incubation of musk ducks is carried out mainly in the spring. For breeding interspecific hybrids, it is preferable to mix Peking ducks with musk ducks.

Incubation of musk duck eggs

What is desirable to know? The egg of the musk duck has a fairly dense shell covering the shell and eliminating dehydration. However, exhaust gas removal and oxygen permeability are simultaneously reduced. This somewhat complicates the development of the embryo. Elderly eggs stored for two weeks at twenty degrees differ in better hatchability than completely fresh ones. The wild hen often leaves the nest for taking "baths". On her return she shakes herself above the nest, irrigating the hatching eggs. In addition, the future mother turns their paws, removing the film and thus opening the gas exchange areas. Therefore incubation of musk ducks should be carried out either in an inclined or horizontal position (the embryo develops better). So that they do not fall out of the trays when turning, they are covered with a net, fastening with a strong thread or braid.

For the eggs of this breed, modernized serial incubators "Universal" (IWV 15, IWV 45) are perfectly suited. It is very important not to forget about the cooling system. What is its essence? On the 16th day of incubation (and further) with the combined method, the eggs are flipped twice - at 8.00 and 20.00 (approximately). In the beginning, twenty-minute cooling by air is required, by rotating the drum two times. Then they are irrigated (4 minutes) from the sprayer (the position of the trays is horizontal).

Below is an indicative mode of incubation of musk ducks.

1 stage (1-16 days of incubation). The temperature is 37.8 ° C. Turns to the axis, 45 degrees. The humidity is 32%. Cooling and spraying are not required.

Stage 2 (17-21 days of incubation). The temperature is 37.6 ° C. Turn from the axis, 45 degrees. The humidity is 30,5%. Cooling twice, for 25 minutes. Spraying - twice a day.

Stage 3 (22-30 days of incubation). The temperature is 37.4 ° C. Turn from the axis, 45 degrees. The humidity is 28.5%. Cooling twice, for 30 minutes. The spraying mode is the same.

Stage 4 (30-31 days of incubation). The temperature is 37.2 ° C. Rotation is not required. Humidity is 31%. Spraying is two-time. Cooling - twice a day for 25 minutes.

Stage 5 (32-35 days of incubation). The temperature is 36,9 ° С, the humidity is 35%. Rotation is not required. Cooling - twice a day for 30 minutes.

Feeding

What do musky ducks eat? Feeding this bird can also be divided into stages: early (chicks) and mature (growing up, adults).

Three days (since birth) it is better to feed a chicken (or duck) finely crumbled egg. Then begin to add cottage cheese, poultry (necessarily friable - both dairy and broth). At the same age, they are already given greens (nettle is especially useful). Root crops are introduced in two weeks. Grain can be cooked, and can be fed in dry form. Nearby, two boxes are placed, filled with gravel (necessarily small) and sand (river). In winter, for feeding, use branches, vegetables, hay. Muscat duck ducklings, like adults, like Jerusalem artichoke (and tubers, and greens). And with top dressing by this plant weight is typed more quickly, plumage shines, egg laying increases. For winter it is desirable to stock up with silage from the herbage (nettle, dandelion, mokritsa, etc.). Grass necessarily crushed, stacked in jars (glass), compacted, a little podsalivaetsya (a spoonful of salt for 3 liters), the top is laid aspirin tablet. Such blanks are kept in the cellar.

Accelerates fattening included in the diet of slightly salted boiled corn, filled with fat.

In general, as far as nutrition is concerned, musk ducks are rather unpretentious.

Diseases, prevention

In principle, the immunity in musk ducks is quite high. Nevertheless, they can get viral hepatitis, lack of plumage, pasteurellosis (cholera), aspergillosis, salmonellosis (paratyphoid), etc. To avoid problems, it is necessary to take responsible approach to the arrangement of the house, temperature regime, lighting and, of course, feeding. The contamination of drinking bowls with feeders is not allowed. The premises should always be clean and dry.

Quite often, amateur poultry farmers face one of the serious problems - the "new duck flu". With a timely reaction, the outbreak can be suppressed with the antibiotic Terramycin. Ducklings can be susceptible to liver damage due to viral hepatitis. The mortality from this disease, frankly, is quite high. Only immunization can be a method of struggle here. What should I recommend for these purposes? As an example, the vaccine Capevac can be considered. It contains the plague virus (attenuated, lyophilized form), strain Jansen. The vaccine allows for active immunization of young animals. It is done twice, in the fourth and eighth week, before laying, by subcutaneous injection. Dosage - milliliter per bird. If the zone is unsuccessful, inoculate begin after 21 days. Revaccination - after two, maximum three weeks.