Cherry valley ducks breeding at home. Characteristics and secrets of growing cherry valley ducks. The appearance of the bird

Cherry Valley is a popular duck breed, common in Russia among industrial poultry farms and private households. This poultry has a lot of advantages that determine its popularity. Today, buying these snow-white ducklings will not be difficult even for a beginner poultry farmer.

Cherry Valley is a meat and egg breed of birds, characterized by precocity and high rates in the preservation of young and adults. This bird has a lot in common, which are their main ancestors. Birds grow quickly, give tender and tasty nutritious meat, a lot of eggs. In addition, they are considered unpretentious in care.

breed standard

Cherry Valley ducklings are born yellow, but over time they completely change their plumage to white, like Peking ducks. By standard, birds have a dense, well-fed and fleshy body, which is held by thick paws of a red-yellow hue, located closer to the tail. The wings of ducks are small in size, fit snugly to the body.

According to the description of the standards, the entire cross of this breed is divided into two lines: maternal (102) and paternal (151). Depending on this, each direction has individual indicators in the characteristic. This applies to egg production, weight gain and survival rates. All birds of the Cherry Valley breed have snow-white plumage.

Ducks and drakes have an abundant fat layer, as they love to swim on water. Ducks of this breed begin to lay eggs in the seventh month of life. The weight of an egg averages from 70 to 90 grams.

Appearance

The neck is rather wide and dense, the head is medium in size with a convex frontal lobe. The eyes are often dark blue in color, the beak is yellow with an orange tint, it has a curved shape and is of medium size. The chest of the birds is wide, slightly protruding forward, the body is with a vertical landing.

Origin

Cross Cherry Valley was bred in the UK back in 1972, after which representatives of this hybrid breed were brought to the CIS countries. Here they gained great popularity and became massively in demand due to their unpretentiousness and high productivity rates. To this day, ducklings are in great demand in the poultry market.

Initially, the goal of breeders was to develop a breed that would immediately give a lot of eggs and enough meat. Peking ducks were taken as a basis, among which the maternal line was separated from the paternal one. The resulting two-line cross fully met the expectations of the breeders.

Features of maternal and paternal lines

According to the description, the paternal line of the cross (151) shows good results in the precocity of the young. Already at the age of seven weeks, ducklings reach a weight of three kilograms. Adult females weigh three and a half kilograms, and drakes can gain up to four kilograms of weight. Representatives of the maternal line (102) are somewhat inferior in precocity: seven-week-old ducklings weigh up to 2.9 kg, and adult ducks reach 3.4 kg in weight, drakes - up to 3.7 kg.

At the same time, maternal birds have increased egg production rates: ducks, depending on age, can produce from 120 to 150 eggs per year. In the paternal cross line, females incubate 100 to 120 eggs.

This video features a private duck farm.

Both young and adults should receive enough light to produce vitamin D. In the summer, you can let the birds out for a walk, and turn on dim lamps in the winter. The temperature in the duck house in winter should be from 16 to 18 degrees. At the same time, heating must be present, especially if you are raising small ducklings. Birds of this breed are prone to freezing, as a result of which productivity indicators can drop markedly.

The most important factor in the care and reproduction of ducks of this breed is feeding. Newly hatched ducklings should be fed more frequently due to the fact that their metabolism is more active than, say, chickens. Food should be given at least five times a day, focusing on proteins (cottage cheese, chopped eggs, yogurt, kefir. Gradually, greens in the form of chopped nettles should be introduced into the diet. From the tenth day of life, birds can be offered mash.

Adults are fed two to three times a day, while in the first half they often give mash, and in the second - grains. Birds are given cabbage, herbal flour, vitamin complexes and other useful components that are easy to purchase at a veterinary store. Proper nutrition is the key to high egg production and the quality of meat that ducks give.

Cherry Valley ducks have been the most popular breed for breeding for many years. This cross, at minimal cost, allows you to achieve high profits, since it is characterized by early maturity and good productivity. What are the main advantages of this breed of ducks and how to care for them - we will tell in our material.

Origin and distribution

Under this unusual name hides cross ducks. The main goal pursued by the English company Cherry-velly in breeding is to create birds with high productivity and fast growth rates.

Important! Duck productivity indicators are completely dependent on the quality of the feed. Therefore, it should always be fresh, varied and contain a sufficient amount of nutrients.

Cherry Valley immediately after its appearance attracted many poultry farms in the Soviet Union. Today, this cross is extremely popular throughout the post-Soviet space.

Standard and description of the breed

Appearance Cherry Valley breed is distinguished by the following features:

• wide chest and slightly elongated torso.

• thick neck and convex forehead.

• large dark blue eyes.
• bright yellow-orange beak of medium size.
• medium length thick legs of red-orange color.
• snow-white color.

Did you know? Red duck meat contains a large amount of trace elements and vitamins useful for the body.

Characteristics of the productivity of the breed

This poultry cross belongs to the meat and egg direction. A duck can lay 120 to 150 eggs in a year.
Representatives of this cross quickly gain weight - at the age of 7 weeks, the weight of an individual is from 2.6 to 3 kg. The weight of an adult duck is about 4 kg. Cherry Valley reaches puberty as early as 6.5 months.

Advantages of Cherry Valley Ducks

Birds of this cross:

• unpretentious to living conditions and diet;
• early-ripening (by 1.5 months of age, the weight of a duck reaches 3 kg);
• have high meat and egg productivity;
• have a high survival rate of ducklings.

Disadvantages of Cherry Valley Ducks

They have almost no flaws. The only difficulty in growing them is that ducks must have access to water and walking.

Breeding Cherry Valley at home

These birds do not require much attention. Their breeding is within the power of even beginner poultry farmers.

Nutrition and feeding

Cherry Valley is completely unpretentious in food, they are happy to eat sprouted grains, mash, green fodder and. Feed them should be 2-3 times a day and do not forget to provide enough fresh water. Be sure to add combined silage (mixture and) and granular feed to the diet.

You will have to tinker a little with ducklings of this cross, especially when there is a need to feed offspring from the first day of life. Here the main emphasis should be placed on protein foods - start feeding with eggs, cottage cheese and kefir.

Video: duck nutrition After a week, you can start adding green fodder. By the age of two weeks, mash and root vegetables can be added to the diet of ducklings. Make sure that all food for ducklings is chopped and always fresh.

Bird care

Cherry Valley should be able to walk. Therefore, when planning their breeding, be sure to take care of walking. Given the love of this cross for water, it is logical to place an artificial pond for ducks on the paddock.

The duck house should be cleaned as needed. Strong pollution should not be allowed, since such an environment is the optimal place for the reproduction of infections.
Representatives of the Cherry Valley cross have strong health, so the need for vaccination depends on the well-being of the farm in relation to the most common diseases.

Important! With the onset of cold weather, water procedures for birds should be stopped in order to avoid a surge in incidence.

Growing ducks is a rather laborious process. Of course, it is necessary to know some theoretical information about this case, and then put them into practice:

• the density of individuals should not exceed 3 heads per 1 square meter;
• daylight hours for these birds should last at least 10-12 hours. Lighting should be as uniform as possible. To do this, you can use ordinary lamps;
• the temperature in the duck house must be maintained at + 5 ° C around the clock. For young animals, the round-the-clock temperature should be within + 16-18 ° С;
• for bedding it is best to use peat, straw and sawdust. These materials absorb moisture well and generate heat;
• ventilation must be provided in the duck house, which prevents the accumulation of carbon dioxide in the room.

This cross is the ideal choice for beginner poultry farmers who want to achieve good results quickly.

The Cherry Valley breed has gained a lot of popularity in the farming industry. For any farmer who intends to breed and raise poultry, it is necessary to have a sufficiently strong and strong livestock that would short time could quickly gain weight and give meat and egg products. Cherry Valley ducks exactly meet these requirements.

Characteristics of the breed

Cherry Valley ducks with their external data are very reminiscent of the Peking breed. The description of the appearance has the following features:

• Slightly elongated body with a broad chest.
• The frontal part has a slight bulge and is located on a fairly thick neck.
• Eye color is dark blue, which are relatively large.
• The beak is medium in size, has a yellow-orange hue, with a slightly curved shape.
• Not very high and thick legs of a red-orange hue, which are located quite close to the tail.
• White color of feathers.

Since this breed is classified as a waterfowl, it is common for them to have a large fat layer. Muscle mass is well developed, but not evenly distributed.

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The meat of these ducks has a red color, in terms of its taste it surpasses white varieties of meat, although it has some rigidity.

Despite the fact that Cherry Valley duck meat cannot be classified as a dietary product, it has a number of other benefits, such as vitamins and trace elements.

For cooking, it is better to use the meat of young ducks, it is less fatty, unlike adults, but also less nutritious.

Description of the breed

Cherry Valley fits the description meat and egg breed birds, which are distinguished by high rates of livestock conservation and rapid weight gain.

Cherry Valley ducks appeared in 1972 in the UK, after that, a hybrid breed appeared in the CIS countries.

The original goal of breeders was to create a breed that could produce a lot of egg and meat products. The duck of the Beijing breed was taken as the basis, in which the maternal line was divided from the paternal line. The result obtained fully justified the time spent.

Ducklings of this breed are yellow at birth, but subsequently completely change their color to pure white.

Breeding of this breed is suitable for both home and industrial cultivation. This is probably due to the high survival rates.

Excellent immunity and the ability of ducks to survive in natural conditions make the breeding of this breed quite popular.

According to standards, the entire breed cross can be divided into two lines:

• Maternal.
• Paternal.

The indicators in the characteristics of individuals depend on this. First of all, weight gain, egg production and survival depend on this.

Maternal and paternal line and its features

The paternal line guarantees the rapid maturation of the livestock. Having reached seven weeks of age, ducks weigh an average of about three kilograms. Drakes can reach four kilograms in weight, and a duck - three and a half.

The mother breed is slightly behind in precocity; at the age of seven weeks, ducks weigh an average of 2.9 kg.

An adult drake reaches a weight of 3.7 kg, and a duck - 3.4 kg.

As for egg production, the maternal line is in the lead.

Unlike the paternal line, where one duck lays from 100 to 120 eggs, individuals of the maternal line, based on their age, can lay 120 to 150 eggs throughout the year.

Growing and keeping poultry

Breeding ducks is not a very difficult task for an experienced farmer. If you decide to purchase little ducklings, then before you bring them home, you need to equip a comfortable duck house for them.

It has three main requirements:

• Spacious room.
• Good lighting.
• Sufficient heat if breeding and rearing is planned throughout the year.

Breeding and further maintenance of ducks also have their own characteristics.

The first thing to take care of is maintaining a constant temperature during the cold season. The optimal indicator will be +16 degrees. If the room, despite the insulation, cannot provide this temperature, then it is recommended to use any type of heaters.

Despite the fact that this breed is quite frost-resistant, the cold may not affect the egg production and health of the livestock in the best way. As for lighting, a period of up to 14 hours is considered the optimal daylight hours.

As for the duckling itself, it must be equipped with nests. These functions are perfectly handled by wooden boxes, at the bottom of which straw is lined, in a ratio of 1: 2, based on total ducks. In addition, the Cherry Valley breed is very demanding on cleanliness, this will eliminate various diseases and mortality of livestock.

The Cherry Valley breed is very unpretentious in food and can eat any food.

The first few days for ducklings are the most responsible.

The daily diet should consist of the following components:

• cottage cheese,
• eggs,
• spoiled milk.

All components are carefully crushed, you can add a little fresh herbs to them.

From day 10, root crops and mash are gradually introduced into the diet.

Crumbly wet mixers that are placed on milk or water consist of the following components:

• Boiled egg.
• Millet porridge.
• Greens (onion, dandelion, clover and other plants).
• Ground grain.

From the age of one month, ducklings are allowed to be released into the pond, where they additionally receive plant foods, such as duckweed. But you need to remember that for fast weight gain you need grain feed.

The diet of an adult should include:

• Sprouted grain.
• Roots.
• Green and fresh grass.

Feeding should take place twice a day. To increase the mass, you can use a combined silo, which consists of the following components:

• Herbal flour.
• Chopped cabbage leaves and stalks.

Separate feeders should contain crushed chalk, crushed shells, shells and charcoal. In addition to food, the bird should be provided with water around the clock.

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Video: Drinking bowl - do-it-yourself bird dispenser

Cherry Valley ducks among domestic poultry farmers are considered quite popular. This breed is notable for both good egg production and the taste of meat. Let's see what characteristics of the bird it is recommended for the farmer to study for successful duck breeding.

Do not rush to acquire chicks of this breed. First of all, you should study the description of the Cherry Valley duck. Knowing about the key characteristics of this bird, you can understand what kind of care it needs, and what specifically you should pay special attention to. At first glance, this feathered creature resembles a Peking duck. The body is somewhat elongated, the chest is wide.

At the same time, the frontal part of this bird has a slight bulge. The representative of this species is also characterized by the presence of large eyes of a dark blue hue. The size of the beak is medium, and its shade is yellow-orange. Another one key feature Cherry Valley ducks are fleshy and wide feet, close to the tail and not particularly tall.

As for the color of the feathers, there is no palette of shades here: this duck is characterized by white plumage. A breed of duck called Cherry Valley is a waterfowl, which is why they have a fatty layer under the skin. Many farmers prefer to breed these ducks on the house plot, as their meat has excellent taste. It is red and a little rough.

Characteristics and productivity

Cherry Valley ducklings are often a desirable acquisition for domestic farmers. This type of poultry is considered quite productive and early maturing, as for a meat breed. If you provide birds with a complete and balanced diet, they will quickly begin to gain weight.

As a rule, according to the results of slaughter, the meat yield is about 65%. However, not meat alone. What is remarkable about this breed of ducks is their good egg-laying performance. In seven months, the farmer will be able to collect from one laying hen to 150 eggs. The duck begins to rush, reaching the age of six months. If you want to get poultry suitable not only for fattening for meat or collecting eggs, but also for full-fledged breeding in the local area, you should study the description of the Cherry Valley duck breed in detail.

Content Rules

The breed has many advantages. In addition to productive features, you should pay attention to the fact that the process of keeping these birds is carried out without any special difficulties. The thing is that such birds are unpretentious in their care, for their comfort it is enough to worry about the basic points. For example, if you are going to keep birds in the summer, simply identify them in a spacious barn. The main thing is that there is a litter on the floor, and the birds are protected from drafts.

For those who wish to breed such ducks in the winter, the construction of an insulated poultry house will be required. The optimum temperature should be around +10…+14 °C. The mode may vary, because it is not always possible to maintain a stable temperature. Nevertheless, if the temperature drops to +6 ° C and below, this will not have the most favorable effect on the state of the birds: they may stop laying eggs and then lose a lot of weight. Daylight is of great importance for the full keeping of ducks. It should be at least 10-12 hours, even in winter.

Feeding and care

In order for ducklings of a breed called Cherry Valley to develop rapidly, it is also necessary to adhere to the basic rules of feeding.

First of all, the daily diet should include mash and sprouted grains. However, you can’t do without dressings and vitamins if you want to achieve the desired result. That is why it is recommended to treat feathered pets with root crops, as well as fresh green grass.

You can get your birds off to a good start by feeding them at least twice a day. For best effect it is recommended to transfer ducks to three meals a day. The daily menu of your pet birds should first of all be balanced. Optimal choice for any farmer - a combined silo.

It should be fed to ducks from time to time, since the mixture contains the following useful components:

• herbal flour;
• grated cabbage leaves;
• ground cabbage stalks.

Vitamins are necessary for the development of ducks. Their diet should include protein foods (for example, cottage cheese, milk, and eggs). Do not forget that the presence of clean water in the drinkers is considered a mandatory moment.

Breeding features

Having studied the characteristics of the Cherry Valley duck, for sure many of the domestic farmers would like to start these feathered creatures on their house plot. However, remember: caring for newborn chicks is a rather painstaking task. In the first days, it is recommended to maintain a stable temperature regime in the duck house - up to + 16 ... + 18 ° C. Light day extend up to 14 hours. Under such conditions, your chicks will be able to develop normally.

Advantages and disadvantages

Study the description of this breed of ducks, and you will understand that it has more than enough advantages.

Among the advantages of the variety, the following should be highlighted:

• intensive growth of chicks;
• good meat yield and good egg production rates;
• decent survival rates for ducklings;
• unpretentiousness both in care and in feeding;
• effective breeding of chicks at home;
• aesthetic appearance.

If you believe the judgments of experts, the characteristics of this variety of domestic birds are worthy. Get such ducks in the adjoining area, and as a result you will get not only nutritious and tasty meat, but also a decent amount of duck eggs.

Video "How to feed ducks"

In this video you will learn how to properly feed ducks.

Many poultry farmers are trying to pick up a breed of poultry that is not picky in keeping. Among the ducks, the Cherry Valley breed occupies a place of honor. It is distinguished from the rest by a high rate of egg production and the amount of meat obtained. Cherry Valley ducks were bred by English breeders at the end of the last century on the basis of Peking ducks.

The purpose of the breed was to obtain the maximum amount meat product and eggs for breeding future offspring. The British carried out work in two directions: maternal and paternal, which gave positive results in both directions. The name was given in honor of the enterprise that carried out breeding activities.

Russian large enterprises first received this breed in 1972. Later, private farms received such an opportunity. Ducks are very popular because of their unpretentiousness in care, endurance and rapid growth. People mistakenly call them ducks Chilly Willy, Chereveli and so on.

Cherry Valley Ducks

Those who are interested should figure out who the Cherry Valley ducks are, what kind of new breed has appeared in Russia and whether it is worth paying attention to them.

Ducks Cherry Verri: description of the breed

According to the description of the breed and appearance, the Cherry Valley duck resembles its ancestors - Peking ducks. They also have an elongated, duck-like body with a broad chest, a prominent forehead, and a thick neck. Ducks have large dark blue eyes. The average curved beak is presented in yellow-orange shades. The Cherry Valley duck breed has thick red or orange legs that are close to the tail. White feathers. Adults have a large body fat and unevenly developed muscles.

World breed standard:

• A duck has a weight of 3.4 to 3.7 kg, a drake weighs up to 4 kg. At the seventh week of life, the weight of a young duck becomes 2.5 - 3.5 kg.
• Adult birds have a safety level of 98%, young birds - 95%.
• The beginning of laying eggs falls on 6-7 months of life.
• The weight of one egg can reach 100 g.

meat characteristic

Representatives of the breed are characterized by rapid weight gain. By three months, their weight can reach 3 kg. This is achieved through a balanced diet of birds.

The meat of Cherry Valley ducks is red in color, slightly stiff compared to white meat, and excellent in taste. It does not apply to the dietary type of meat (reason: long-term absorption). The advantage of this product is the high content of vitamins and microelements. The meat of young individuals is most often consumed in food, because it has less fat and more nutrients.

Additional Information. Breeders distinguish between two types of cross: maternal line and paternal line. The maternal line is characterized by a higher egg production rate - up to 150 eggs in 12 months. In the paternal direction, the indicator does not exceed 120 eggs. The paternal variety specializes in building meat mass. At 7 months, an individual can reach a weight of 3.5 kg. At the same age, maternal ducks weigh 2.9 kg.

Productivity

Carcass weight after slaughter is 66-68% of total weight. From one individual you can get up to 3 kg of meat. The most nutritious and tasty is considered to be the meat of young birds that have reached the age of 7 months. With good maintenance and a balanced diet, one duck can lay up to 100 eggs in six months.

Rules taken into account when preparing the duckling:

• The room for keeping ducks is chosen spacious. For 1 sq. m place no more than 3 ducks.
• Ducks must be provided with light up to 12 hours. For additional lighting, simple medium-bright lamps are used. Light should be distributed evenly.
• The temperature in the room is kept at a level not lower than +5 degrees. It is important to monitor the temperature especially in winter days. For laying ducks, the temperature regime should be increased.
• The duckling should be kept in order, this will avoid the death of birds from unsanitary conditions.
• As bedding, you can use materials that absorb moisture and give off heat, such as peat, sawdust or straw.
• Provide good ventilation to prevent carbon dioxide from collecting in the house.

When arranging a poultry house for Cherry Valley ducks, standard perches are replaced with wide beams, which should be fixed to the walls at a height of 20 cm from the floor.

Need to build a home

There should be a place for walking birds. In the spring and summer, a pool is built for swimming birds. In winter and autumn, you can limit yourself to a walk along the corral with straw bedding.

Important! In winter and autumn, water procedures are contraindicated for these birds. Otherwise, colds may occur.

In care, this breed is not whimsical. The poultry house should be cleaned regularly. Severe pollution will lead to the multiplication of diseases, which can kill the entire livestock. Cherry Valley have good immunity, so each poultry farmer decides for himself whether to vaccinate.

feeders

When choosing a feeder, keep in mind that Cherry ducks scatter their food around the duck house. Therefore, for the feeder, you should choose a long trough with high sides. The containers are filled by a third. Ducks should always have clean drinking water.

Ducks should always have clean drinking water.

nests

For nests, cardboard boxes or wooden boxes are chosen, which are placed along one of the walls. The dimensions of the boxes for one duck should be 60 * 50 cm, and the height should be 10 - 25 cm. The number of nests is made twice as many as the number of birds.

Feeding adults

Poultry farmers often have a question about how and how much to feed Cherry Valley ducks. It is important to figure out how to make a balanced diet for birds at home.

Feed ducks 2-3 times a day. There are 2 types of food:

1. Dry food. It is most often used in industrial farms for automated feeders. It is a granule of vitamins and vegetables.
2. Combined feed. Such a diet includes morning feeding with a wet mash. For its preparation, bran, grass meal, fish waste, cooked root crops are used. The mixture is diluted with water. You can also give whey or yogurt. The evening diet includes grain, oats or barley. To improve digestion, gravel or chalk is mixed in.

Feeding and caring for Cherry Valley ducklings

At the age of seven months, the birds begin to lay eggs. One individual can breed up to 20 chicks. Ducks have a well-developed parental instinct, so they can sit on eggs on their own.

Important! When ducks sit on eggs, they should not be disturbed for the first couple of days. On the third day, in cases where the bird does not go out to eat, it is carefully removed from the nest and brought to the feeder. After the bird has eaten, it is returned to the nest.

Little ducklings have excellent immunity. The hatched chicks are covered with thick yellow down. The probability of the loss of young chicks, with proper care, is only 4%.

Nutrition of newborns should be selected balanced, special attention is paid to protein products. The first 10 days, babies should receive crushed eggs, cottage cheese, kefir. On the fifth day, chopped greens, onions or nettles can be introduced into the diet. After 11 days, ducklings are given root crops and a little mash, which are intended for adults.

Diseases

One of the common causes of diseases is improper care and poor hygiene of the duckling. By observing a broiler duck, you can determine the lack of minerals in food, which will lead to the death of birds.

• With a lack of vitamin A, ducks get conjunctivitis.
• With a deficiency of vitamin E, the pulse weakens and convulsions appear.
• The lack of mineral components is marked by symptoms of an endemic disease: birds eat sawdust, small stones, tear out their feathers.

Replenish vitamins by including greens and special vitamins in the diet of birds, the level of minerals will help restore bone meal.

Greens are rich in nutrients

A sharp change in temperature contributes to the occurrence of a cold, catarrh or omphalitis. Symptoms of diseases: poor appetite and immobility of the bird.

Stale food will lead to intestinal infections and diarrhea.

Note! When the first symptoms of diseases appear, the infected duck is separated from the rest. You should take care of disinfection procedures in the duck house. When diseases are caused by a lack of vitamin and mineral elements, the diet of birds is reviewed.

Pros and cons of the breed

Breed advantages:

• High meat productivity and egg production.
• Early maturity. The weight of a 1.5 month old duck can reach 3 kg.
• Good percentage of survival in young individuals.
• Ducks do not require complex care.
• Even a novice poultry breeder can handle duck breeding.

The main drawback is the need to provide access to walks in the fresh air and water.

Growing a Chere Valley duck does not require special knowledge and skills. Proper maintenance and nutrition allow you to get a large amount of meat product in 4 months. This breed is suitable for breeding, both on the scale of a large farm and in private backyards. The breed is valued for its high productivity, unpretentiousness in care and nutrition. Breeding this cross is suitable even for beginner poultry farmers and will quickly achieve high results.