Description and features of the ducks of the Rouen breed, the rules for their maintenance
Meat duck breeds are always popular with Russian farmers. Among these species are birds with interesting characteristics. Consider the description, advantages and disadvantages of the Rouen duck, how to properly raise and feed it in the household, how to treat diseases, as well as the rules and features of breeding.
History
The Rouen duck was not bred from other breeds of domestic duck, as is usually the case in breeding work. Everything is much more interesting - these are wild birds, domesticated recently. The breed was obtained in France, the most promising and productive were selected from the wild livestock, then bred according to the standard scheme.
The Rouen duck is not a common breed, it is rarely found on farms. The breed in its original version is bred only in France, in England individuals with a more massive constitution and dark color are bred.
Characteristics and description of the breed
The appearance of the Rouen duck is remarkable, because it has not only a special constitution, but also a beautiful color of plumage. She immediately attracts attention, and some poultry farmers keep her like an exotic bird. The body of the ducks is inclined horizontally, muscular, with a wide deep chest, an oval back. The head is small, light, the neck is curved, the legs are short, the beak is thick, short, yellow with a greenish tinge, with a black spot at the end. The weight of adult drakes is 4 kg, ducks - 3.5 kg.
Plumage colors are similar to those of wild birds. The bulk of the feathers of ducks are kurapatchaty color, on the wings there is a wide blue-green stripe with white edging. 2 dark stripes run along the sides of the head. In drakes, the chest and wings are dark brown, the tail is black, the back and sides are gray, the head and upper part of the neck are green, under them is a narrow white ring. On the wings there is a blue-green stripe, like the ducks. The feet are dark orange.
Advantages and disadvantages
It is believed that Rouen ducks are bad brood hens and do not raise ducklings, so they can only be hatched in an incubator.
Rules for keeping and caring for Rouen ducks
Keeping this breed is as easy as most other domestic ducks. They can live in a small room, but it must be clean and light, insulated if the bird is kept in it in winter. You need to put a litter on the floor and ventilate the room every day while the birds are walking outside. Drinking bowls and feeders should be kept clean, especially those in which ducks received wet mash.
Near the duck house, you need to organize a walk, in which you place containers with water: Rouen ducks love to swim. If there is no special bathing container, they will pour water for drinking and arrange dirt in the house. Otherwise, Rouen ducks do not bring problems, they are calm by nature, do not quack, get along well with representatives of other types of poultry.
How to feed the birds?
Due to the breed's tendency to obesity, these ducks need to be properly fed. They gain weight quickly, but when excess nutrients are stored, they are stored as fat. At the same time, the quality of the meat deteriorates.
The diet for Rouen ducks is the same as for the rest. But carbohydrates and fats, both vegetable and animal, should be less in it. Feed only in accordance with the regime, and not ad libitum. The frequency of feeding the Rouen ducks is 2 times a day, optimally in the mornings and evenings. Ducks are fed with cereal mixtures and fresh grass, vegetable mash with the addition of chalk or premixes. If there is an opportunity to drive them out into the reservoir, then it should be used. Ducks can eat aquatic plants and small fish all day, so you don't have to feed them.
In winter, the Rouen ducks ration consists of cereal mash with the addition of any grated vegetables and root vegetables, fresh or boiled. They need to mix herbal flour, chalk, salt, solder solutions of vitamin and mineral preparations.
Overfed obese ducks do not fly well. This must be taken into account if it is planned to receive eggs from females. To have more fertilized eggs, you need to keep the birds on a diet.
Breeding features
To obtain thoroughbred young Ruan ducks, drake and ducks must be purebred. Crossbreeds will not inherit meat characteristics and original plumage.
Since Rouen ducks do not incubate eggs, you need to take care of a hen from a different breed or purchase an incubator. For a household, a medium-sized device is enough. Only selected material is laid in it: eggs must be fresh, with a whole shell, large or above average size. Ducklings hatch well and almost all survive, but require increased attention until the age when they begin to fledge.
In the first month, they are raised in a brooder, separately from the rest of the bird. He should stand in a warm room, not damp, without drafts. Lighting and heating are provided by a red lamp. You can feed with compound feed, and be sure to give water. If the option with natural feeding is chosen, then the ducklings need to be given a mash of finely crushed grain, grated vegetables and root crops, and taught to grass and aquatic vegetation.
Diseases and prevention from them
Rouen ducks can suffer from infectious and helminthic diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, young animals and adults are affected. The reasons for the development of diseases are unsatisfactory conditions of detention, lack of hygiene in the room. Especially often the bird gets sick in crowded housing, if it does not have the opportunity to walk on the street.
Improper feeding with the use of products in which nutrients, vitamins and minerals are not balanced, leads to a deterioration in health, weakening of the immune system. The lack of vitamins in the feed leads to the development of hypovitaminosis, which can be determined by the deterioration of the health of birds and the type of their plumage.The bird pecking eggs and each other is also a sign of a lack of vital compounds.
Prevention of infections and helminthiasis: cleaning the duckhouse, changing the litter, cleaning and disinfection of feeders and drinkers. Prevention of hypovitaminosis and metabolic diseases: feeding with green food, grain of various types of cereals and legumes. Inclusion in the diet of all kinds of vegetables, root crops, potatoes, premixes, fish and dairy industry waste.
Rouen ducks are a rare breed, not only because of their origin, but also because they are not suitable for industrial cultivation. Contained only in private farms for the production of game-like meat and delicious eggs.
