Muscovy ducks (Indo-ducks) are very popular among farmers. They are grown for the most part as a meat breed, however, the issue of egg production is also often relevant, especially for poultry breeders. Therefore, knowing at what age they start laying and what affects performance indicators is essential for planning stock growth and maximizing profits.
Age
Sexual maturity in Indian women occurs by 6-7 months, however, these time frames are not an invariable criterion, and the age when the bird lays its first egg depends on many conditions. For example, if you keep an indoo in warm, comfortable conditions and if you have the right balanced diet, sexual maturity may come a couple of weeks earlier than the specified period. And vice versa – when a bird is in a cool poultry house, it is forced to spend most of its energy on heating the body, as a result of which the process of sexual maturity is postponed and may occur at 8 months.
Indians are able to rush 2 times a year: autumn (late September – early October) and spring (April-May). The egg-laying period lasts from 1 to 2 months, and with good lighting and quality feeding, it can last a little longer. However, experienced poultry farmers do not recommend artificially increasing the egg laying time, since a good return cannot be achieved. As for the time of day, most of the indoutas begin to rush early in the morning and finish by lunchtime.
In addition to the conditions of detention, the presence of a drake also affects the time of the onset of egg production. So, in his absence, indo-ducks begin to lay much later, and their eggs turn out to be unfertilized. For greater productivity, the drake should be one and a half months older than the females and can serve up to 4 ducks alone.
Sometimes it happens that a one-year-old bird has not begun to rush, which indicates hormonal disorders and suggests that it is sent for meat. However, the majority of indochets, by the age of 7 months, as a rule, have already entered and are able to start hatching chicks. Given their long lifespan, reaching 20 years, a good mother hen is able to hatch more than one generation of chicks in her life.
Performance indicators
Egg laying indoutok at home is not constant and depends not only on growing conditions, but also on the age of the bird. So, individuals 6-7 months old per month are able to lay only 8 eggs, while in 8-month-old birds their number doubles and is already 16 pieces. Nine-month-old Indians are capable of laying 22 eggs, and ten-month-olds usually reach their peak productivity and bring 25 eggs per month. Then there is a certain decline, and individuals at the age of 11 months already bring 22 eggs, and by the year the egg production is completely reduced to 16 eggs.
Thus, when drawing up a plan for obtaining offspring, experienced poultry farmers consider the period of greatest productivity of the bird, which falls on the 10-month age of the bird. Indian women aged 1 year and older are able to bring no more than 15 eggs per month. As a rule, such eggs are no longer allowed to be bred, and are used for consumption, while the indoo is kept solely for the sake of meat. Based on the foregoing, each individual is capable of laying from 80 to 140 eggs per year, which indicates the meat direction of the bird and the unprofitability of keeping it for the sake of obtaining eggs.
How to distinguish an indo egg?
An indo-duck egg is noticeably different from a chicken egg and looks like this: it is much larger and weighs from 75 to 90 g, has an oval flattened shape and a large yolk size. The color of eggs is often white, sometimes acquiring bluish, brownish or greenish hues. They also differ in taste from chicken and goose and have a specific aftertaste. However, if they are used not as a separate dish, but as an ingredient in a salad, soup, meatballs or pastries, then you will not be able to feel the taste difference from chicken eggs.
Moreover, due to their chemical composition, musky duck eggs are ideal for the production of face creams and strengthening shampoos, as well as for the manufacture of mayonnaise. Widespread use in the food and cosmetic industry due to their high content of vitamin D, which promotes the rapid absorption of calcium, as well as B6 and B12, which improve blood quality and nourish nerve cells. Eggs also contain vitamins A and E, which have a beneficial effect on immunity, as well as substances such as potassium, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, selenium, proteins and folic acid.
However, despite the large number of obvious advantages, eggs indoutok require reasonable use. So, it is better not to give them to small children, as they may be too heavy for the delicate children’s stomach. People suffering from allergic diseases, as well as those who are overweight, should also refuse to eat indoutok eggs. Moreover, the consumption of raw eggs is not recommended, due to the high risk of infection with salmonellosis.
These eggs should be boiled for at least 20 minutes, and stored in the refrigerator for no more than 30 days. It is interesting that in our country, indoo eggs have not gained much popularity, while, for example, in Japan they are eaten in canned form, in China they are kept for 100 days before consumption, and in the Philippines they are eaten only after the formation of embryos inside.
Why don’t Muscovy ducks lay?
The most common reason for the absence of eggs in indochka is a violation of the conditions of detention, unbalanced nutrition, molting and aggressive behavior of adults in the house.
Food
In order for the Indo-duck to begin to rush on time, it must be properly fed. To do this, fresh herbs, hay, corn, eggshells and compound feed must be present in the bird’s diet. It is important to strictly dose portions of feed and not overdo it, since the musky duck, like any other breed of meat, quickly gets fat and stops laying. Therefore, if one or another individual, considered by the farmer for breeding, has the first signs of obesity, the frequency of feeding should be immediately reviewed, the menu adjusted and more often driven out for a walk.
Conditions of detention
Gross violations of the living conditions of the bird also lead to the cessation of egg production. The most common cause is low room temperature and drafts. Therefore, in regions with cold winters, it is recommended to carry out capital insulation of the poultry house and carry out full heating in it. In addition to the temperature regime, the arrangement of the nest can also affect the wear of indoutok. So, nests should be located exclusively along the walls, and the width of the perch should not be less than 30 cm.
In more cramped conditions, the bird will begin to experience stress and stop rushing. External conditions also have a considerable influence, such as the noise of a nearby construction site or the hum of a busy highway. In such cases, one should not expect high productivity from the bird, and in order to obtain offspring, it is recommended to resettle several individuals to a quieter and more secluded place. In addition, you should not move or re-equip a nest in which an Indochka has already laid eggs. Otherwise, the bird may leave it forever and begin to rush in places unsuitable for this.
The situation in the poultry house
It often happens that different poultry are kept in the same room. This often leads to a nervous atmosphere within the bird “collective”, as well as to frequent fights and competition. Moreover, an unhealthy environment provokes older individuals to peck the young, which often ends in the death of the latter. The reason for such aggressive behavior of birds is their too high density per unit area, the lack of the necessary amount of fresh air and dirt in the house.
Therefore, while growing birds of different species in the same room, it is necessary to take into account these points and prevent tension between its inhabitants. When planning the placement of chicks, it must be remembered that each bird should have its own personal space, which is why more than 3 indouts should not be settled per square meter. It is advisable to provide the birds with a walking area, and decontaminate the poultry house weekly.
Moulting birds
Moulting in indochets occurs after each oviposition and lasts about 2 months. Sometimes the change of plumage is delayed or, on the contrary, completed very quickly. This may depend on the climatic zone, the length of daylight hours and the type of bird feeding. In general, the more comfortable the conditions for keeping an indochka, the faster it will change its plumage and be ready for the next egg-laying cycle.
In addition to the above reasons, the absence of eggs in an indo-duck is often explained by the purchase of wild ducks or hybrids in the bird market that are not intended for breeding. Outwardly, chicks can be almost indistinguishable from Indochka babies, so buying a bird in spontaneous markets is a rather risky undertaking. It is better to purchase indo-chickens from trusted breeders or in large poultry farms.
Why don’t birds sit on the masonry?
Sometimes there are situations when an Indian woman regularly lays eggs, but categorically does not want to hatch a clutch. There may be several reasons for this behavior of the bird.
- Due to the fact that eggs are taken from the nest too often, the bird will not sit on them until their number reaches 20 pieces. Therefore, if there are not enough eggs, they must be laid. You can lay absolutely any number of eggs, even if the female has only one egg of her own. The main thing is to ensure that the bird starts hatching and continues it until the ducklings appear.
- Often the reason for refusing to hatch eggs is the presence of parasites or rats that drive the bird away from the nest and begin to pull apart the clutch.
- It often happens that the Indochka rushes rather badly, but diligently incubates the offspring and stays in the nest for as long as required. Such birds are immediately taken into account and left exclusively for hatching offspring. And sometimes it happens the other way around – the female is highly productive, however, having laid eggs, she instantly loses interest in them and does not sit on the masonry. This often happens with fairly young individuals, which is why they, like too old birds, should not be planted on eggs, since they are in most cases not able to hatch chicks.
- Also, poor conditions of detention are the reason for the refusal of the indochka from incubation. Among the factors that negatively affect the perseverance of the female, one can note too bright light, fuss in the house, or a poorly equipped and dirty nest. In general, Indian women have a strong maternal instinct, and therefore, without any good reason, they do not refuse laying.
How to nest train?
It is not difficult to teach an Indian duck to rush and hatch ducklings in a nest, you just have to be patient and do everything strictly in accordance with the recommendations of experienced poultry farmers. First you need to teach the bird to carry eggs in one place, and not scatter them all over the house. To do this, a false egg, for example, a wooden one, is placed in the nest equipped for it. Seeing him, the bird, as a rule, begins to lay its own eggs there, provided that the nest is clean and placed in the house correctly.
It is necessary to accustom to incubation of masonry as follows: as soon as the indochka has laid several eggs, they are marked with a marker and placed in the refrigerator at a temperature of 10 degrees. In their place, one egg from an earlier clutch is left, also marked with a marker, or a dummy. The next batch of eggs is also removed to a cool place, and they continue to accumulate until their number reaches 20 pieces. Cracked, too dirty and asymmetrical eggs are rejected and not allowed for further breeding.
After the Indochka gets used to the nest and the required number of eggs has accumulated, they are removed from the refrigerator and placed in the nest. The main thing is to do it unnoticed by the bird, and try not to disturb the laying order. Otherwise, the female will notice a catch and then it will become problematic to accustom her to the nest. When laying, they strictly ensure that eggs laid more than 10 days ago are not in the nest, as they are considered old and are not suitable for breeding ducklings.
Next, the hen is left alone and controlled so that she does not forget to eat and drink. One of the main conditions for accustoming a duck to a nest is the absence of annoying and distracting factors. The bird should not see the turbulent life of the inhabitants of the poultry yard, as well as other hens or drakes. It is important to provide the hen with everything necessary by placing a feeder and drinker in the immediate vicinity of the nest. Also, in the room where the bird hatches, the optimal thermal regime should be maintained and there should be no drafts.
In addition, you should enter the room very carefully so as not to frighten away the bird getting used to the nest, otherwise it may refuse to return. Often, Indian females themselves choose a place for their nest, trying to settle in some secluded corner and expressing dissatisfaction when other individuals approach this place. In such cases, it is recommended to install a box with a nest there.
When accustoming an Indian to a nest, it should be borne in mind that the level of intelligence in birds is different, and not all of them are quick-witted and ingenious. Therefore, you need to prepare for the fact that the process of seating the female on the nest may not proceed as smoothly as we would like, and in exceptional cases it may turn into a complete failure. In such situations, you should choose another hen, and send the rebellious “mother” for meat.
For information on when the Indians begin to lay eggs and what their egg production is, see the next video.
