The Bashkir duck breed got its name thanks to the breeders of the Blagovarsky breeding plant located in Bashkortostan. It is noteworthy that the withdrawal process was not targeted. The breed appeared in the course of breeding work to improve the performance of the Peking duck, as a result of which mutant individuals began to appear.
The mutant specimens showed high resistance to diseases, good productivity and unpretentious care. The Blagovar breeders decided to take advantage of the unexpected result, began to select mutants and purposefully multiply them. As a result, they managed to achieve sustainable results in breeding a new breed, which received the official name "Bashkir colored duck". Ducks of this breed are considered an ideal option for breeding in private household farms, but at the same time, many large poultry farms breed "Bashkirs".
Features of the breed
The Bashkir colored duck is of two types, distinguished by color - "black white-breasted" and "khaki". In addition, outwardly, the breed can be identified by its muscular, large, widely spaced legs, a wide concave beak and a flattened head. The main features of the ducks of this breed are their unpretentiousness, frost resistance, excellent indicators of egg and meat productivity and high resistance to diseases. The live weight of an adult can reach 4 kg, while there is practically no fat in the carcass. Up to 70% of live meat comes out from each individual, which does not have a specific smell and has a special tenderness. For 40 weeks of life, Bashkirs are able to incubate from 200 to 230 eggs, weighing 80-90 g, the average hatchability of which when kept in an incubator is 78-80%.
Features of breeding and maintenance
Bashkir colored ducks are an early maturing breed, with the right content, the meat of ducks and drakes acquires value after 52 days of growing. After this period, the intense weight gain stops and the ducks begin to shed. An adult can be kept in a household for up to 4 months.
After a new brood has appeared in the incubator, it should be placed in a specially equipped, well-lit room or cage. During the first 20 days, the duckling room should be kept at a constant temperature of 30ºC. The floor of the room must be covered with a deep, heat-retaining mat. It is worth noting that for the appearance of a brood, it is not necessary to use an incubator, the Bashkir ducks, thanks to the increased maternal instinct, hatch eggs themselves without any problems. After 20 days of keeping the ducklings, the room temperature can be lowered to 16-18ºC. It is best to walk the brood together with the brood on a nearby water body. After 3 weeks of keeping, daylight hours for young animals should be reduced to 9-10 hours. In food, Bashkir ducks are unpretentious, they can be fed with any grain feed for poultry.
