Indo-duck is an independent breed of ducks that lives in South and Central America and was domesticated by local Indians in the 16th century. The opinion that it was bred by crossing a turkey and a duck is wrong. The growing popularity of the breed on the territory of other countries and continents is due to its unpretentiousness to the conditions of detention.
Muscovy duck is popularly called Indo-duck. There are several versions where both names came from. According to one of them, warty growths near the eyes and beak, located on the head of adults, secrete fat with the smell of musk. Although this fact is only mentioned in some literary works of ancient years. For example, in the book of Pedro Cieza de Leone "Chronicle of Peru", where the Indo-woman is called "Jester". Modern farmers engaged in breeding the breed have never experienced such smells.
The same growths on the bird's head are sometimes misleading, resembling the appearance of a turkey. Therefore, some mistakenly believe that the Indo-duck arose as a result of crossing a duck with a turkey. However, experts say that the Indo-female is a completely independent breed, domesticated by the efforts of the Aztec Indians who populate the territory of central Mexico. It is in these places, as well as in Central and South America, that wild muscovy ducks live. Perhaps "Indo-duck" is just a duck of the Indians.
Indoor exterior
In general, not only coral growths on the head of an Indo-female make her look like a turkey, but also a very wide chest. Unlike other duck breeds, the Indo-Duck has a much shorter neck. The legs are also short, on which a squat body with a wide and long tail is piled up. The plumage of Indo-ducks is not very diverse, mostly they have a gray-black color with white blotches in the neck and chest area, but they can also be fawn. The black white-winged breed has more white feathers and from the name you can guess where exactly they are concentrated.
If we compare domestic Indo-Ducks with wild ones, then the former surpass their relatives in weight. Free-dwelling drakes do not grow more than 3 kg, and females, as a rule, are half that size. In domestic females, the weight can reach over 3 kg. It is clear that such a difference is explained by the large energy consumption of the body of a wild bird, which is forced to move more in search of food and nesting places. By the way, for the peculiarity of wild Indo-ducks to nest on the lower branches of trees, they received another name - wood duck.
Features of keeping in the household
The instinct of nesting in trees has not passed without a trace, domestic Indo-girls prefer to sit not on the ground or on a bed of straw, but on a perch. Only a chicken roost is not suitable for ducks, they need to equip a place with a log. Otherwise, unpretentious Indo-women can be kept in the same conditions as chickens. They are fed, as a rule, with wet mash 2-3 times a day, which include chopped grass, table waste and grain mixture. With special pleasure, the Indo-women absorb crushed corn, but dry barley can be dangerous for them. It must be pre-soaked and given along with water.
If there is a reservoir nearby, then the Indo-girls will use it, but they do not feel a special need for water. And in cold weather, closer to autumn, such bathing is even contraindicated, since Indo-women do not have the necessary amount of fat, like other waterfowl, and the feathers can simply freeze. Indo-women have enviable resilience - they are not afraid of any infections. They gain weight just as quickly as Peking ducks, with which they are sometimes crossed if kept only for meat. Individuals obtained from crossing will be sterile. Indo-mothers are good hens and caring mothers. Only the first 3 days will need human help in feeding the offspring, since the ducklings are completely helpless in this regard, and they will have to be fed by force.
