I've been raising ducks for five years now. I used to buy Moscow ducks, but this year I decided to get Peking ducks. They say they're the most easy-to-care-for and meaty. But it turns out they sold me Mulards. Although... I wasn't offended at all. Especially now that I've realized how easy this breed is to raise and how many advantages it has.
These are the ducklings we had:
They were fed a variety of "dishes"—specialized feeds and mixtures of corn, barley, and wheat. They were also given grain grinders, as the chickens also eat the same food.
They also love cauliflower (my son throws it whole, and the ducks start gnawing on it). We also throw zucchini from the garden around – they eat them perfectly. Of course, when they were younger, I used to grate them and then chop them. But now, with all the gardening and canning, I just don't have time for that.
I always included meat and bone meal and fish bone meal in their diet. I always sprinkled sand and shells in the yard where the ducks live. We even light a fire there sometimes to create wood ash.
Naturally, we take them out for a walk in the yard, which is located next to the garden - let them nibble fresh grass and destroy weeds.
But sometimes we pick grass for them ourselves.
They love crispy cabbage leaves the most, fortunately we have a lot of them.
These are the ducks that we have grown and have already reached the weight where they can be used for meat.
Now, briefly about the advantages:
- Mulards have a very calm and quiet character - they are friends with people (even those they see for the first time);
- after 5 months of life their weight is 6.5-8 kg;
- the meat has no unpleasant smell or taste;
- ducks are so neat and clean that their down and feathers are always clean;
- they are not picky about food;
- excellent health - never been sick.
And most importantly, they don't need their wings clipped because they don't fly very high. It's a bit odd for ducks, but it's very good. That's why I highly recommend the Mulard duck breed—they're wonderful birds!