Black ducks are a popular wild bird variant suitable for domestication. Beautiful and graceful on the water, they are clumsy on land and prefer to minimize their movements outside of lakes and ponds. Walking in nature, amateur naturalists often wonder what is the name of a duckling with a white beak and head, which bird has a crest or red beak – the answers can be found in our article.
The description of white-breasted breeds with black background plumage always attracts the attention of amateur poultry farmers. Such domestic ducks with a tuft are especially popular in the southern regions. Mixed forms of wild and domesticated birds are also quite in demand and allow the breed to heal, adding to its productivity and avoiding degeneration.
In selective breeding, black white-breasted ducks are used – a breed that has a high birth rate and belongs to the meat direction.
Features
If among wild ducks with black plumage the most common is the coot, a representative of the shepherd family, then completely different birds are used in home breeding. They are distinguished by a high rate of weight gain and are grown in order to obtain valuable dietary meat. The black white-breasted duck is a breed bred by breeders. Unlike its wild white-billed counterpart, it has a much more massive body, strong legs and spends most of its time on land.
When breeding a black white-breasted duck, three varieties of poultry were used at once. Among the producers were khaki campbell, Ukrainian gray and peknsky breeds. For an adult bird, the following indicators are characteristic:
- precocity – a mass of 2 kg is gained by the age of two months;
- reaching puberty at six months of age;
- weight of an adult bird up to 5 kg;
- egg production in the region of 140-160 eggs, each of which weighs about 100 g.
The external data of the black white-breasted duck is quite expressive. The large body is covered with black plumage, like the head; the drake has a green tint. The chest is snow-white, large, pronounced. The wings are long, the tail is short, the paws are small. Beak and eyes are dark brown.
The agricultural purpose of the breed is not limited to obtaining meat, poultry feathers are actively used in the production of bedding.
Varieties
All existing varieties of wild black ducks deserve special attention, as they have a bright personality, expressive appearance. It is worth considering all the available options in more detail.
Mallard
The classic breed of ducks with gray-brown and variegated feathers – the mallard, is one of the most common in its order. The bird gains weight up to 2 kg, the body of the male reaches a length of 62 cm. The head and neck of the males during periods outside the molt have a bright green iridescent plumage, the back and wings are black. The female with a red beak is more common; males are characterized by its gray or light olive color.
The mallard is not a migratory bird species, it remains for wintering in any suitable non-freezing reservoir. Females emit a characteristic quack, males hiss when recognizing a threat, and whistle during the mating season.
It is important to note that mallards lend themselves well to domestication, are distinguished by rapid weight gain in chicks, and excellent egg production.
Common Gogol
The white-breasted duck with black plumage is found in the United States and Eurasia. The American common goldeneye is a typical representative of its order, has a dense body up to half a meter long and gains weight up to 1 kg. The breed hibernates in freshwater reservoirs, as well as in hollows of trees. Leaves at least 5 eggs per clutch.
Gogol is a carnivorous bird that eats insects, worms, and small fish. You can distinguish this type of duck from others thanks to the wings with a bright white stripe on each of them. The chest, belly and sides also remain snow-white. The head of the bird is triangular, the iris is yellow, the webbed feet have an orange tint.
Gogol ordinary refers to migratory ducks. For wintering, he goes to the shores of Mexico or Greece. The bird is not suitable for home keeping.
Coot
The description of this black-plumed bird begins with its compact size. Coots originate from their shepherd brothers, they live in the water. A bird with a white beak and forehead looks unusual and bright. In combination with a black head and body, all these signs look very attractive and expressive. The coot has an unrecognized name “kachkaldak”.
Ornithologists also mention a variety of this bird that lives only in Morocco and Spain. The tufted coot has two red balls protruding above a leathery white protrusion on its forehead. The bird is exclusively herbivorous, spending most of its time in the water. Its distinctive feature is the absence of membranes – the paws of a yellow-red hue are complemented by gray fingers.
red-headed pochard
A bird with a black chest and near-tail part, gray sides and wings, a brown-red head (in drakes). The red-headed pochard duck is distinguished by its compact size, light weight (from 450 g) and excellent diving abilities. The duration of one dive can be 20 seconds. Divers spend most of their time on the water, their legs positioned in such a way in relation to the body that they always provide the necessary balance.
The breed is considered partially migratory; when living in warm regions, it does not leave them for the winter. The female diver is less brightly colored, has a light chocolate color of the head and dorsal plumage. The breed is suitable for domestication, but due to its small size and low egg production, it is rarely used in breeding.
Gray-cheeked Grebe
A duck of the grebe family – the gray-cheeked grebe is distinguished by its compact body size, elongated neck, compact head with an expressive beak, and a black crest on the back of the head. The main part of the body is painted black, there are blotches of brown and reddish tint. Grebes spend a lot of time on the water, are not of interest for domestication due to low productivity.
How to choose?
When selecting black breeds of ducks for home rearing, it is worth paying attention to the productivity and characteristics of poultry keeping. Most wild individuals do not have a predisposition to domestication, they do not gain weight well. For example, the most famous black coots are not of interest to the farm for this very reason.
To obtain meat and eggs, breeds of a general use type are chosen. The meat direction is quite highly valued – the birds in it are distinguished by rapid growth, active weight gain. If possible, black and white birds grown at home or on a farm should be preferred. When using wild, domesticated species or variants mixed with them, it is possible to obtain sufficiently high-yielding offspring only when working with mallards.
Other black ducks are not of interest for breeding work.
Ducklings purchased for home breeding must be healthy, active, with a uniform body edge. Any signs of deviation from the standard appearance are a reason for refusing to purchase breeding material.
Basic rules of content
Among the basic rules of keeping, which the domestic duck requires, include the following points.
- Mandatory provision of free range. There should be openings in the walls of the poultry house, allowing the birds to leave the house at the right time.
- Formation of a thick litter, at least 15 cm, from hay or dry grass. Ducks need protection from frostbite.
- Mandatory arrangement of additional heating. The black white-breasted duck, like its other domesticated relatives, is afraid of drafts. Maintain a comfortable temperature in the house at all times.
- Chicks in the first two weeks of life need an atmospheric temperature in the range from +25 to +28 degrees. As they grow, temperature indicators lead to the norm – about +18.
A home-bred duckling needs to be provided with a special diet. Babies in the first days of life are fed with a hard-boiled egg. From the third day, the chicks are given low-fat cottage cheese, oatmeal, five-day-old ducklings are offered additional greens, and nine-day-olds are given boiled potatoes. The frequency of feeding is 5-6 times a day.
Meat white-breasted ducks should be fed mainly with grain crops: bran, additives in the form of fishmeal, milk powder. Birds need salt, legumes, vitamin and mineral components. To form an optimal diet, it is recommended to use ready-made compound feeds with a balanced composition.
When keeping a black white-breasted duck in the summer, ducklings from the age of three weeks can walk in a corral covered with a canopy. For 5 heads of young animals, there should be at least 1 square. m of area fenced with a grid of space. One and a half month old birds can already be released into the water, while the volume of feeding with ready-made feed is reduced, taking into account the possibility of obtaining natural nutrition.
Breeding
Breeding domestic duck breeds implies opportunities for the successful and efficient production of high-quality dietary meat. Up to 15 chicks can be obtained from one adult hen, the duration of the incubation period is about 28 days. The survival rate reaches 93%. When using an incubator, careful selection of eggs is necessary – only options no older than seven days of age are suitable, without manifestations of defects and cracks.
It is worth paying attention to the fact that there are up to 5 females per producer.
Females who have gained a mass of at least 2,5 kg and males whose weight has exceeded 2,7 kg are allowed into breeding. In the course of natural incubation, the eggs are culled twice; on the 9th and 26th days, defective specimens are removed.
For black ducks of the Mulard breed, see the video below.
