Contents
The first experiment on breeding industrial broiler cross among ducks began in 2000 at the Blagovarsky breeding plant, which is located in the Republic of Bashkortostan. Breeders crossed 3 breeds of ducks: the Indian runner, the foreign cross “Super-M” and the “own” Blagovar breed of ducks. The goal was to obtain a duck broiler cross with the same productive characteristics as Western ones, but less demanding on feed and keeping conditions.
Agidel duck turned out to be fully consistent with the necessary requirements. Two lines of Agidel cross have been created: A345 and A34. The lines differ slightly in their productive characteristics. In general, ducks of the Agidel breed meet industrial requirements. Work on improving the cross is still ongoing. Although there were three “parental” breeds, today hybrids have already produced offspring with consolidated characteristics. In other words, Agidel ducks are beginning to claim the title of the breed.
A duck carcass with white plumage always looks more attractive due to the absence of dark stumps in the skin. In addition, the industry that processes duck down is more likely to take white. Such fluff is more expensive than dark. For a private trader, such subtleties usually do not matter. The meat and egg characteristics of poultry are more important to him.
Description of the Agidel breed and productive characteristics
Large duck with white plumage. The head is large and long. The eyes are set high and dark in color. The beak is large, wide. Beak color is yellow. The neck is long, of medium thickness. The chest of the duck is well muscled, deep, protruding forward. The back is wide, long. The body is placed almost horizontally.
Being a broiler breed, Agidel ducks grow very quickly and are suitable for slaughter as early as 2 months. The breeding farm in the productive characteristics of the Agidel breed indicates the average egg production of this cross for 280 days of the season – 257 pieces. The weight of one egg is 90 g. High egg production is the heritage of one of the parent breeds – the Indian runner, improved by directional selection.
It must be remembered that the Agidel duck breed has two lines: one is closer to the egg, the second is aimed at obtaining meat. The egg production of the first line is higher than that of the second one, so the data on egg production are averaged. If the “egg-laying” version of the breed today can lay 260 eggs in 40 weeks, then the indicators of the second will be about 240 eggs in the same period.
There is also a difference in the meat characteristics of the “egg” line is lighter and gives less meat than the “meat” line. Although both of these lines belong to the same Agidel breed.
By 42 days, Agidel ducks reach a weight of 3100 g. The carcass fat content of representatives of the Agidel breed is lower than that of ordinary meat ducks and is 29,4%. “Standard” obesity averages 35%.
Ducks of the Agidel breed begin to rush from 6-8 months, depending on the type of feed fed. When receiving compound feed intended for laying hens, the egg-laying season for females begins earlier.
Breeding and rearing Agidel ducks
Since splitting is still taking place in crosses, it is better not to breed the Agidel breed at home. The offspring most likely will not retain parental qualities, and the group of Agidel ducks, which does not give splitting, is still too small. Therefore, it is better to buy Agidel ducklings directly from the Blagovarsky breeding plant or buy an incubation egg there.
Often, this is precisely what determines the dissatisfaction of the owners of private farmsteads with the growth rate of “agidels”.
When incubating eggs from ducks of the Agidel breed, 81% of ducklings hatch. Agidel ducks have a good safety of young animals. More than 97% of hatched ducklings survive.
Advantages of the Agidel duck breed:
- fast set of muscle mass;
- relatively low fat content of meat compared to other breeds of ducks;
- immunity to leukemia;
- high quality down and feathers.
The disadvantages include only the need to display this cross in incubators, which may be inconvenient for private owners.
Features of keeping and feeding
It is more profitable to grow drakes for meat, ducks are smaller, but more mobile. As a result, female feed intake is the same as that of drakes, but the return is lower. The average figure for feed costs is 2,24 feed. units
When ducklings hatch from eggs, their gender cannot be immediately determined. And given the white color, even later the sex can only be determined by size and quacking. By quacking, not earlier than the young stop squeaking, like little ducklings. That is, around the time of slaughter.
Freshly hatched ducklings are provided with a warm brooder (28-30°C) with round-the-clock lighting. The brooder should be spacious enough to stay dry for at least some time. Ducklings, like adults, love to splash in the water, managing to spill water even from vacuum drinkers. But in the first days of life, the fluff of ducklings easily gets wet and staying on a wet litter can have a critical effect on them.
Ducklings grow quickly and from the first days of life they require high-calorie food with a high protein content to build muscle mass. With round-the-clock lighting, ducklings will eat even at night, so we must not forget about providing food for the chicks at night. After feeding, the ducks go to drink and the presence of water is also necessary.
A balance between dry litter and constant water availability can be achieved either over a large area or deep litter. The ability to splash water can also be limited by making nipple drinkers for ducklings.
Downy ducklings get wet even after 2 weeks, until they change down to feathers. But those chicks who are already older than two weeks have a large body area and it is easier for them to withstand hypothermia. Therefore, in any case, it is better not to leave fledgling ducklings for a long time in a pond.
In the photo, Agidel ducklings are about a month old.
Industrial crosses are bred with the expectation that they will initially be fed with ready-made feed. Agidel ducks are no exception. Ducklings start life with starter feed for broilers. Even in adulthood, ducks of this breed are better given grain than mash. Any transition to another type of food is best done very gradually.
The poultry house for ducks should be bright, dry and well ventilated. And you need to keep the bedding clean. Ducks are not just considered a dirty bird. True, the concept of “dirty” in this case is controversial. The duck loves to make a swamp near a drinking bowl or a bath, but she eats clean food, unlike an omnivorous chicken.
Just in the photo, the hot love of ducks for the swamp near the drinking bowl is clearly visible. And a beginner who wants to get ducks for himself must be prepared for this.
Agidel ducks can get by with a small bath in an aviary. If you provide them with a large reservoir, then it is better to arrange a poultry house as far as possible from the pond. In this case, the ducks will have time to dry before they reach the house, and will not bring dirt into the house.
In general, the content of Agidel does not differ from the content of ducks of other breeds. Ducklings can even be kept in the same aviary. Then the difference between agidels and other ducklings will be clearly visible. Agideli is larger.
Reviews of owners of Agidel crosses
Conclusion
Agidel ducks are still little known among private traders, especially since at the moment Agidels still need to be bought directly from the factory. When the necessary productive traits are fixed and splitting along them stops, ducks of this breed will take their place not only in industrial poultry farms, but also in private farmsteads.