Cherry duck - welly. Cherry Valley ducks - description of the breed Cherry Valley duck description of the breed

Cherry Valley ducks are one of the most popular breeds in the world. This hybrid is very productive and also unpretentious. Such broiler ducks are bred both in industrial enterprises and in household farms.

History of the breed

Like most modern highly productive hybrids, Cherry Valley ducks were bred on the basis of the Peking duck. English specialists carried out the selection of this bird in the 70s of the last century. The cross turned out to be very successful and quickly spread throughout the world. Today, it is also grown by Russian summer residents.

Appearance of the bird

The plumage of the Cherry Valley cross, like its ancestor, the Peking duck, is completely white. The legs and beak of these hybrids are bright orange. Characteristic features of the breed are also:

• wide and dense neck;
• protruding chest;
• medium-sized head with a convex forehead;
• dark blue eyes;
• vertical body position.

In general, the Cherry Valley duck is actually a very powerful and massive bird. The photo below certainly confirms this.

Biological features

Unfortunately, the plumage of these broiler ducks is not very thick. Cherry trees cannot tolerate Russian cold without reducing productivity. In the winter, the barn with these ducks must be heated. However, domestic summer residents breed cherry trees mainly only in the summer. After all, ducks are early ripening and reach slaughter weight by the age of 2-3 months. Therefore, in most cases, not very good resistance to cold does not play a special role when breeding this breed.

Currently, there are two main lines of cherry valley ducks bred on farms: paternal and maternal. In appearance, these two varieties are practically no different. However, their productivity indicators are not the same.

All Cherry Valley ducks love to swim. Therefore, their layer of subcutaneous fat is quite large. For the most successful keeping of these ducks on the farm, it is advisable to equip at least a small artificial pond.

In addition to excellent productivity indicators, farmers consider the good survival rate of young animals to be an advantage of cherry valley poultry. Lunging in a flock of these ducks is rare. The survival rate of Cherry Valley is 92-95% at an early age and 95-98% at the last stages of cultivation.

Cherry Valley ducks: productivity characteristics

Like any other duck, this hybrid is raised primarily for meat. However, this bird shows good results in terms of laying eggs. From paternal Cherry Valley ducks you can get up to 100-120 pieces. per year, and maternal - up to 150 pcs.

Cherry Valley ducks, described in detail above, reach slaughter weight, as already mentioned, at the age of approximately 2.5 months. It is believed that keeping this bird for a longer period of time is unprofitable. From 4 months, ducks begin to consume enormous amounts of food. From this moment on, Cherry Valley's weight gains very slowly. In addition, the carcasses of “overexposed” ducks lose their presentation. This happens due to the juvenile molting of the bird. There are a lot of “stumps” left on the carcasses.

At the age of 2-3 months, paternal Cherry Valley broiler ducks usually gain weight of 3.5-4 kg. But such indicators can only be achieved with proper feeding. The bird of the maternal line also grows quite massive. At 3-4 months, such ducks weigh 2.5-3.5 kg.

What should a barn be like?

In the warm season, Cherry Valley ducks can be kept either in a permanent poultry house or simply under a canopy - in an aviary. The first option is considered more preferable. If the ducklings are purchased, for example, in mid-late spring, under the canopy they will begin to freeze and get sick. In any case, the optimal ambient temperature for these ducks is 16-25 o C.

As already mentioned, for cherry valley it is advisable to equip a small pond on the site. You can simply dig a hole under the pond, cover its bottom with waterproofing material and fill it with water. Cherry Valley ducklings are allowed to be released to swim only after they have fledged. Bathing is contraindicated for small chicks raised without a brood hen. Such ducklings do not yet have subcutaneous fat. Therefore, in water they can easily become hypothermic. As a result, the kids will definitely get sick.

If it is not possible to arrange a pond, several large troughs with water should be placed in the Cherry Valley enclosure. It is not recommended to place such containers in a permanent poultry house. Cherry Valley cats love to splash around, and in this case the barn will always be damp. And this, in turn, can also cause the bird to become sick.

Feeding: features

The characteristics of Cherry Valley ducks in terms of productivity in terms of weight gain are really very good. This broiler grows quickly. And therefore, ducks should receive food that is sufficiently high in calories. This cross is most often fed mash and grain. In the absence of a natural body of water, food is given to the bird three times a day. If the latter is available, twice a day. In the morning the bird is fed mash. Next, the young animals are released onto a lake or pond. In the evening, Cherry Valleys are fed grain. If there is no natural reservoir, the ducks are offered another portion of mash for lunch.

The Cherry Valley diet should contain not only plant food, but also animal food. For example, you can offer ducks fish, meat and bone meal, etc.

Use of feed

The Cherry Valley feeding scheme described above is called “wet”. But often these ducks are kept on a dry diet. In this case, the birds are offered special feed. This method of raising broiler ducks is more expensive than the “wet” method. However, when using it, the labor intensity of keeping this bird is significantly reduced. After all, when using compound feeds that initially contain all the components necessary for the rapid growth of poultry, farm owners do not need to waste time preparing mash.

Typically, feed for raising Cherry Valley ducks is used on fairly large farms or poultry farms. But sometimes private owners also use this method of feeding this bird. In this case, the main difficulty lies in choosing a high-quality and at the same time fairly inexpensive mixture.

Caring for little ducklings

Unfortunately, not all farmers have the opportunity to buy Cherry Valley chicks, despite the fact that the cross is quite popular. After all, not every poultry farm sells just such ducklings. However, if desired, a farmer can order a hatching egg from a bird of this breed without any problems. Ducklings are hatched using standard technology.

The hatched chicks, after their down has dried, are “relocated” from the incubator to a brooder or box. At first, the ambient temperature for ducklings is maintained at a level of at least 30 o C. Then, over the course of a week or two, this figure is reduced to 24-26 o C.

Feeding little ducklings

In the first days of life, hatched chicks are fed mainly protein foods. This could be, for example, cottage cheese, chopped duck eggs, yogurt. After a few days, chopped greens are introduced into the chicks’ diet. Ducklings are offered crushed grain for the first time on the 10th day after hatching.

The metabolism of small Cherry Valleys is accelerated. Therefore, in the first days, chicks of this breed should be fed at least 5-6 times a day. At two to three weeks, food can be given 4 times a day. By one month, the ducks are transferred to the adult feeding regime.

Cherry Valley duck: reviews from farmers

Domestic homestead owners have a good opinion about this bird. This cross is considered quite productive. These ducks, of course, rarely gain a weight of four kilograms at home in two months. However, in this regard, their productive indicators are still close to those declared by the manufacturers.

When properly maintained, these crosses rarely get sick. There are also good reviews about Cherry Valley ducks from farmers because they actually lay quite a lot of eggs.

The meat of these broilers, as many farmers note, is fatty. But at the same time it belongs to the type of red. This meat is a little tougher than white meat, but has a much more pleasant natural delicate taste.

Cherry Valley ducks are a breed characterized by accelerated body weight gain, good egg production and unpretentious maintenance. These qualities have made Cherry Valley ducks popular among poultry farmers all over the world.

The Cherry Valley breed was selected in England on the basis of Peking ducks. The breed received its name from the British breeding company Cherry Valley, although many poultry farmers mistakenly call these ducks Chilli-willy.

Selection work was carried out within two lines: maternal and paternal. As a result, a two-line cross was developed: 151 - maternal, 102 - paternal. The paternal line has lower egg production and higher meat productivity.

Cherry Valley came to Russian territory in the 70s of the last century and was initially bred in large poultry farms. Then it gained popularity among private farm owners.

Externally, the breed resembles its ancestor - the Peking duck. The birds have a large, elongated body with a broad chest. The head of a duck with a developed forehead is located on a thick neck. The bird's beak is bright orange and its eyes are large. The breed's legs are thick, short, and located closer to the tail. The breed has developed muscles and a good fat layer. Cherry Valley's plumage is white.

The Cherry Valley drake differs little from the duck. The plumage of both sexes is pure white. The male weighs only 0.5 more than the female. The only difference between the drake is its rougher profile and massive head.

Features of the maternal and paternal lines

Experts divide Cherry Valley into two types of crosses: paternal and maternal. There is a slight difference between them.

From the point of view of productivity, the maternal line is more productive; such a Cherry Valley duck lays up to 130-150 eggs per year. The paternal line is characterized by lower egg production, about 100-120 eggs per year.

On the maternal side, ducks are slightly larger and in adulthood their body weight can reach 4 kg. Cherry Valley ducklings already weigh about 2.6-3 kg at the age of 7 weeks.

Ducks of this breed begin laying eggs at the age of 7 months. The weight of the egg depends on the age of the bird, on average it is 70-90 grams.

Productivity characteristics

Cherry Valley is an early maturing breed. Ducks quickly gain weight and by the age of three months they gain a mass of 3-4 kilograms. Duck meat is considered a delicacy. Because it has a pronounced, rich taste. The meat yield when slaughtering a duck is about 65%.

Productivity depends on the line:

• Paternal ducks weigh 3.2-3.5 kilograms. The egg production of the line is 100-120 eggs per year.
• Maternal ducks are larger in size, their weight is 4 kilograms. At the age of 60 days, ducklings gain body weight of about 3 kilograms. The egg production of the line is up to 150 eggs per year.

The breed begins laying eggs at seven months. The weight of eggs reaches 100 grams, in young birds - up to 70 grams.

Advantages of Cherry Valley ducks

Birds of this cross:

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

Disadvantages of Cherry Valley Ducks

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

The duck is surprisingly unpretentious in terms of living conditions. The main thing is to follow a few rules:

The Cherry Valley breed has a developed metabolism, so the bird has an excellent appetite, is practically omnivorous, and even a novice poultry farmer can cope with feeding it. It is recommended to feed ducks 2-3 times a day.

The first one or two meals consist of mash: leaves and chopped heads of cabbage, chopped greens, grass meal, granulated food. This “silage” has a good effect on the taste of meat. In the evening, sprouted grain (a mixture of oats and barley) is poured into the feeders.

During active egg laying, vitamin and mineral complexes are regularly added to the feed and fine gravel is mixed in to improve digestion.

Birds must always have access to clean drinking water. The water becomes contaminated with food particles, so it must be changed after each feeding.

What should a barn be like?

In the warm season, Cherry Valley ducks can be kept either in a permanent poultry house or simply under a canopy - in an aviary. The first option is considered more preferable. If the ducklings are purchased, for example, in mid-late spring, under the canopy they will begin to freeze and get sick. In any case, the optimal ambient temperature for these ducks is 16-25 o C.

As already mentioned, for cherry valley it is advisable to equip a small pond on the site. You can simply dig a hole under the pond, cover its bottom with waterproofing material and fill it with water. Cherry Valley ducklings are allowed to be released to swim only after they have fledged. Bathing is contraindicated for small chicks raised without a brood hen. Such ducklings do not yet have subcutaneous fat. Therefore, in water they can easily become hypothermic. As a result, the kids will definitely get sick.

If it is not possible to arrange a pond, several large troughs with water should be placed in the Cherry Valley enclosure. It is not recommended to place such containers in a permanent poultry house. Cherry Valley cats love to splash around, and in this case the barn will always be damp. And this, in turn, can also cause the bird to become sick.

Poultry house arrangement

If you plan to keep ducks all year round, then you cannot do without building a “house”. Although this bird is not picky about temperature conditions, in winter it needs at least +5°C.

When building a poultry house, you should focus on the density of poultry stocking. For adult individuals, it should be 3 heads per 1m2.

Duckling houses are not equipped with perches; instead, bars are placed along the walls at a height of 15 - 20 cm from the floor, with small gaps left between them so that droppings fall into them.

Feeders

Ducks scatter feed very often, so it is important to choose the right design of feeders. Elongated wooden troughs with high walls proved to be the most practical. To avoid unnecessary wastage of feed, they should be filled to no more than a third of the total volume.

Nests

Ducks lay eggs in nests that are placed along the free wall of the poultry house. Their width must be at least 40 cm, length - 50 cm, and height - 25 cm.

So that ducks can freely climb into the nests, a threshold up to 10 cm high is arranged for them. The period of active egg-laying begins at 2-3 o'clock in the morning and lasts until 6 o'clock in the morning. During this time, they produce 70% of the daily collection of eggs.

When arranging a poultry house, it is important not only to have feeders, but also containers with water for bathing

Feeding the ducks

Growing Cherry Valley does not require special skills; even a beginner can do it. The main thing when breeding broiler ducks is to provide them with the right and balanced feed. Their body is adapted to a very intense metabolism. Therefore, the diet must include a lot of young greens, which serve as a natural source of vitamins and microelements.

Keeping poultry on water ranges gives good results. At the same time, ducks eat a large amount of aquatic vegetation, small amphibians, various insects and plankton. In the crop and in the intestines of the bird there are special microorganisms that help the active absorption of fiber.

Types of feeding

In duck farming, two types of feeding are used: dry and combined. The first is used in large poultry farms, where granulated feed is supplied to the birds automatically.

The combined type of feeding is designed for private farmsteads. In this case, the ducks are fed wet mash from a mixture of grain crops. At a short distance from the feeders, drinkers are installed, the depth of which allows the bird’s nasal openings to be washed. Along with the feed, ducks are given gravel, which improves digestion.

During the laying period, to enrich the ducks' diet with vitamins, they are additionally given sprouted grain, usually oats or barley. And wet mash is additionally enriched with skim milk, yogurt or whey.

Ducks should be fed at least 2 times a day, and preferably 3. They feed wet mash in the morning and afternoon, and grain in the evening.

You should know that the quality characteristics of the diet have a significant impact on the taste of meat.

Features of feeding ducklings

Raising young ducks has its own characteristics.

1. In the first week of life, they must receive protein feed. For these purposes, you can use low-fat cottage cheese, yogurt or boiled eggs.
2. Once the ducklings reach 10 days of age, they can begin to be fed with fresh herbs and mash.
3. Ducklings should receive plenty of water.

Cherry Valley ducks should only be bred in a specially equipped room.

Video:

Use of feed

The Cherry Valley feeding scheme described above is called “wet”. But these ducks are often kept on a dry diet. In this case, the birds are offered special feed. This method of raising broiler ducks is more expensive than the “wet” method.

However, when using it, the labor intensity of keeping this bird is significantly reduced. After all, when using compound feeds that initially contain all the components necessary for the rapid growth of poultry, farm owners do not need to waste time preparing mash.

Typically, feed for raising Cherry Valley ducks is used on fairly large farms or poultry farms. But sometimes private owners also use this method of feeding this bird. In this case, the main difficulty lies in choosing a high-quality and at the same time fairly inexpensive mixture.

Caring for little ducklings

Unfortunately, not all farmers have the opportunity to buy Cherry Valley chicks, despite the fact that the cross is quite popular. After all, not every poultry farm sells just such ducklings.

However, if desired, a farmer can order a hatching egg from a bird of this breed without any problems. Ducklings are hatched using standard technology.

The hatched chicks, after their down has dried, are “relocated” from the incubator to a brooder or box. At first, the ambient temperature for ducklings is maintained at a level of at least 30 o C. Then, over the course of a week or two, this figure is reduced to 24-26 o C.

Ducklings should not be given:

• bread;
• dairy products (except cottage cheese);
• flour;
• boiled porridge (except oatmeal);
• berries (strawberries, raspberries, any others);
• grape;
• silage;
• fresh nettle (it must be dried or doused with boiling water);
• cabbage;
• sunflower seeds;
• chicken feed;
• maple leaves (causes intestinal blockage and death of chicks).

You can feed corn, peas, legumes, oats, cake, meal, wheat, rye, barley, tomatoes, carrots, grass, and give mineral supplements (chalk, shell rock, bone meal, coarse sand, crushed shells). Vegetables must be chopped and it is best to fill them with water. The bird also loves aquatic vegetation, insects and worms. Small fish can be given only after the ducklings have swum in open water.

Characteristic diseases

Poor hygiene when keeping ducks and improper feeding can lead to diseases in pets. Broiler breeds, which include the Cherry Valley duck, react especially acutely to infections and lack of vitamins in food. The sick individual begins to emaciate and dies en masse.

Lack of vitamin A in the feed causes conjunctivitis in birds. Vitamin E deficiency manifests itself in the form of seizures and weakening of the pulse. A lack of minerals causes the development of Urovsky disease. Birds begin to tear out their own feathers, eat sawdust, and collect small stones at their walking sites.

The lack of vitamins is compensated for by a sufficient amount of greens in the diet and the addition of special premixes. The amount of minerals in the body is replenished by adding bone meal.

Violation of the temperature regime leads to colds in birds and accompanying diseases: catarrh, omphalitis. Birds stop eating and become inactive. Contaminated food leads to infections entering the intestines. Digestive disorders manifest themselves in the form of diarrhea.

If there are any signs of disease, the sick individual must be separated from the rest of the flock and the poultry house must be disinfected. If diseases are associated with a lack of vitamins and minerals, it is worth reviewing the ducks’ diet.
Compliance with all recommendations and rules in raising Cherry Valley ducks guarantees quick profits. Simple technologies will allow you to get a sufficient amount of meat in just 3-4 months. The breed is suitable for mass cultivation in large farms and for small farmsteads.

Cherry Valley duck: reviews from farmers

Domestic homestead owners have a good opinion about this bird. This cross is considered quite productive. These ducks, of course, rarely gain a weight of four kilograms at home in two months. However, in this regard, their productive indicators are still close to those declared by the manufacturers.

When properly maintained, these crosses rarely get sick. There are also good reviews about Cherry Valley ducks from farmers because they actually lay quite a lot of eggs.

The meat of these broilers, as many farmers note, is fatty. But at the same time it belongs to the type of red. This meat is a little tougher than white meat, but has a much more pleasant natural delicate taste.

Conclusion

Raising the Cherry Valley breed and keeping these birds is not difficult and does not require professional knowledge; even beginners can master the breeding of Cherry Valley ducks. The most important aspect for livestock is a properly selected and equipped facility where rearing will take place. It must meet the requirements necessary for birds to live, which are demonstrated in some videos. The room should be:

• spacious, with a sufficient amount of daylight, and in its absence, equipped with additional sources of artificial lighting, allowing for at least 14 hours of daylight.
• warm, in order to maintain and maintain the required air temperature in the winter period in the range from 16 to 18 ° C, which will ensure continuous egg laying of ducks. If it is impossible to maintain the temperature at the proper level, they resort to additional artificial heating.
• with the equipment of nesting places where ducks would hatch eggs, the number of which should be twice as large as the number of birds, for which boxes or boxes measuring 25*60 cm are used,
• clean, regularly cleaned to prevent the entry and spread of infections in the poultry house.

Considering that the described breed of ducks is ready to spend more time on the water, poultry houses are built as close as possible to open water bodies or artificial places for swimming are made near the birds’ habitats. When the cold season sets in, bringing ducks to the pond is stopped to avoid hypothermia of the birds.

The good resistance of duck organisms to infections and diseases, the ability to survive in natural conditions have made the Cherry Valley duck breed quite in demand in the field of poultry farming.

Early maturing Cherry Valley ducks are easy to care for, have excellent egg production and meat productivity. By eight weeks they manage to gain live weight up to three kilograms. Thanks to this, it is profitable to breed birds of this breed on personal farmsteads and farms.

Cherry duck - welly

Cherry wellies were bred in Great Britain, and the ancestor was the Peking duck. The breed received its name in honor of the company that created it. English scientists managed to select a universal breed with increased egg production and rapid weight gain. The sample was conducted simultaneously on the maternal and paternal lines. Both options turned out to be successful, and this is how a two-line cross appeared.

Table 1. Differences between different lines of the Cherry-Velli duck breed

Ducks from the paternal line gain weight faster and are meatier and fatter. The mothers lay eggs well and are more suitable for breeding.

Cherry-welly ducks are universal in productivity

Birds of a two-line cross appeared in Russia in the seventies. At first they were kept only in large farms. But gradually the owners of private farmsteads took a closer look at the bird and appreciated its merits. Now Cherry Valley is bred in farms of different sizes. Farmers have Russified the name and sometimes call these ducks “chili-wili.”

Appearance of birds

According to standards, the distinctive features of birds of this breed are as follows:

• snow-white plumage;
• the body is vertical, the chest is wide, the muscular system is well developed;
• the paws are short, thick, orange-red, located closer to the tail;
• the wings are small, tightly fitting to the body;
• the neck is not long and thick;
• the head is medium in size, the forehead is convex, the eyes are bluish-blue;
• the beak is dense, bright red.

The birds are quite large, beautiful and important, and have a calm character.

Keeping at home

In order for Cherry Valleys to gain weight well and produce more eggs, they need to be provided with comfortable conditions.

Table 2. Basic standards for keeping Cherry Valley ducks

Cherry valleys are not very afraid of the cold due to their dense plumage and survive at above-zero temperatures. But these are heat-loving birds, and experience discomfort at low temperatures, which leads to inhibition of weight gain and loss of egg production. And if dampness is added to the coolness, there is a risk that Cherry Valleys may catch a cold.

Excess moisture also affects the plumage. It gets dirty and stops storing heat. Dirty birds try to clean their plumage and are constantly smeared with fat, which leads to irritation of the coccyx gland. The feathers around it fall out, exposing the skin, which increases heat transfer. This leads to decreased immunity and resistance to diseases.

Important! Weak birds lay poorly and lose weight.

Good ventilation will help disperse damp air, it will also reduce the amount of carbon dioxide and saturate the space with oxygen. But there should be no drafts. If it is intended to ventilate the poultry house using normal ventilation, the windows during its construction are mounted as high as possible.

Litter selection

To create comfortable conditions in the poultry house, you will need high-quality bedding. For ducks, the ideal deep version is: when one layer becomes dirty, a fresh one is sprinkled on it. This helps maintain the desired microclimate, since a biothermal process takes place inside the litter. Organic matter gradually breaks down and releases heat.

The bedding material must be dry, hygroscopic, not moldy, and retain heat. These requirements are met:

• straw and chaff;
• sawdust and shavings;
• ground corn cobs,
• peat and dry leaves.

The litter is replaced twice a year - in spring and autumn. But adding layers must be done regularly. The duck house must be clean. A dirty room leads to the spread of infections. Used bedding material is sent to a compost pit.

Cherry wellies do not need perches. They are replaced by boards 40 cm wide and 50 cm long. They are fixed to the walls of the duck house 15 cm from the floor. Gaps are left between the beams for droppings to fall.

Bathing in water and ash

Ducks of this breed definitely need a place to walk with an equipped pond. It’s good if the site is located on the shore of a pond. But if there is no natural reservoir, an artificial pond is created. It should be so deep that the ducks can dive without any problems. In winter, water walking is stopped so that the bird does not catch a cold.

Video - An unusual option for keeping ducks in a polycarbonate greenhouse

Duck performance characteristics

Cross-country meat is close in composition to red meat. It is not dietary, but is rich in valuable elements. To obtain a quality product, young animals are slaughtered at three months of age. Their meat is more tender. It is important not to miss the moment, otherwise the product will be stringy and at the same time excessively greasy. Each young duck produces about three kilograms of meat. The carcasses look presentable. Thanks to the white plumage, there are no dark feather stumps on the pinkish skin.

This early maturity provides another economic benefit. If you don’t want to breed Cherry Valley for eggs, you don’t have to build an insulated nesting coop. It is easier to buy chicks in the spring and slaughter them by the end of summer.

Laying hens lay their first eggs at seven months of age. The weight of eggs reaches 100 grams, in pullets - up to 70. If the conditions for the bird are comfortable, one feathered lady of the paternal line can produce up to 120 eggs per year, and up to 180 for the mother.

Cherry valley eggs are large, weighing up to 100 grams

Breeding ducks and caring for ducklings

If you want to create your own herd, it is better to choose representatives of the maternal line. For breeding, it is necessary to equip the house with nests at the rate of 1:2 to the total number of individuals. Convenient nests are made from wooden boxes with dimensions of 600x400x250 mm. A straw bedding is placed inside. Cherry Valley cats have short legs, so for convenience, the boxes are equipped with ladders. Place the nests on one of the walls of the duckling house, where there is no bright light.

Help for the expectant mother

As soon as the duck begins to lay eggs, it tries to settle into the nest. What a poultry house owner needs to know about caring for a duck during hatching:

• When a duck sits on the eggs, it should not be disturbed for the first two days so that it does not abandon the clutch.
• If the bird does not leave the nest for longer, you need to take it to the drinking bowl and feeder. Probably, after having a snack, she will go to the nest herself.
• If the duck is confused and does not find the nest, the owner must return it to its place himself.

The procedure is repeated several times until the hen learns to go from the eggs to feed and return back. One duck can hatch up to 20 eggs. Cherry Valleys are responsible mothers and do not need to be hooked on eggs. And they take good care of the hatched chicks.

Nursing chicks

Ducklings begin to be born after 25 days of incubation or incubation. The chicks of this breed are strong and resilient; no more than 4 percent of newborns die. The ducklings are large and covered with yellow down.

If the chicks appeared naturally, the mother will take care of them. The only thing the owner must do is provide proper nutrition.

But babies incubated or bought at one day old require special care. The crumbs should not freeze when the temperature drops, so a special heated box on racks is equipped for them.

How to equip it:

1. Cover the inside of the structure with heat-insulating material - foam tiles or multi-layer cardboard.
2. Place a tank of 8 - 10 liters of hot water.
3. Place a folded blanket or pillow on top.
4. Cut a passage up to 200 mm high in the side wall of the box so that kids can get to the heater.

This simple device retains heat for eight hours.

If the babies were purchased in June, the house is usually quite warm. Then a small, windproof pen is fenced off for the ducklings, preferably with 24-hour lighting. They don’t need anything more than food and clean water.

But temperature fluctuations need to be monitored so that the crumbs do not freeze. In the first seven days of life, the thermometer should not fall below 28°C. In the second week, the temperature is gradually reduced to 22°C, and by the end of the third - to natural in the house.

Babies can only be allowed into the pond when they are three weeks old. Otherwise they may catch a cold. In order not to deprive them of the joys of bathing, a tub of warm water is placed in the pen.

Feeding rules

The health and productivity of poultry depends on proper nutrition. Diet also affects the taste of meat. In nature, ducks feed on greens, insects, and plankton. At home, they need to choose a diet that will replenish all the necessary nutrients.

In large farms, Cherry Valley is given as feed. On average, one duck needs 260–300 grams of food per day. They pour food into the feeders three times a day - morning, afternoon and evening.

Owners of private farmsteads usually feed ducks with self-created food. For breakfast and lunch, wet mash is suitable, including swollen grains (corn is best) and bran, herbal flour, boiled potatoes or carrots, table scraps and some dairy products. For dinner, the bird receives oat and barley sprouts, dry grains, and a little crushed shell or chalk. “Dishes” need to be lightly salted.

To make the meat tastier, you should add greens and cabbage leaves to the food. During the period of active egg laying, the amount of mineral supplements is increased to improve the properties of the shell.

Babies of this breed grow rapidly. They need a lot of protein. For the first seven days after hatching, they are fed chopped eggs and cottage cheese. You can add chopped young nettle after scalding the leaves. When the ducklings are one and a half weeks old, add other greens - clover, dandelion leaves and crumpled boiled potatoes. Then gradually add a little mash at a time so that the kids adapt to adult food.

When the ducklings are three weeks old, they are given four meals a day.

The babies are fed six times a day. By the age of three weeks, the number of meals is gradually reduced to four, and after another week the young animals are transferred to the adult diet. With a full diet, by seven weeks young birds gain 2.6–3.5 kg of live weight.

Birds of this breed eat sloppily; it is important to keep the feeders and the area around them clean. To maintain hygiene, the easiest way is to install elongated trays with high sides and fill them no more than a third. The water in the drinking bowls is changed after each feeding.

Video - How to make the right food for ducks

Characteristic diseases

If the house is dirty and the diet is inadequate, even persistent and hardy Cherry Velli will get sick.

What does a shortage of valuable elements in the poultry menu lead to:

• to conjunctivitis due to lack of vitamin A;
• to cramps and weak pulse with a lack of vitamin E;
• to Urovsky disease (or Kashin-Beck disease) with mineral deficiency.

The latter disease is manifested by ducks pulling out their own feathers, eating sawdust and swallowing small pebbles.

To normalize the condition of your pets, you need to adjust the diet by adding the missing elements. Vitamin deficiency is compensated by the abundance of greens in the diet and premixes. Deficiency of mineral elements - by adding meat and bone meal to the feed.

In cold and damp poultry houses, ducks get cold, do not want to move, and lose their appetite. The consequences of this can be diseases such as omphalitis and catarrh. If an infection has penetrated through the feed or dirt in the house, the ducks will have intestinal upset.

If symptoms of the disease appear, the sick bird should be placed in a separate cage, and the poultry house should be disinfected. Then a veterinarian is called to examine the sick duck, make the correct diagnosis and prescribe treatment.

Advantages and disadvantages of the breed

Summarizing the description of Cherry Valley ducks, it can be noted that there are many advantages in breeding the breed:

• precocity;
• high productivity of both meat and eggs;
• good vitality in both chicks and adults;
• unpretentiousness to maintenance, care and breeding.

In addition, the ducks look attractive and will decorate the yard. Among the disadvantages, farmers note the need for walking with the obligatory arrangement of a reservoir.

Growing cherry valley crosses does not require specialized knowledge and skills. Even an inexperienced poultry farmer can handle it, getting both tasty eggs and high-quality meat with little effort.

Feeding Cherry Valley ducklings in the first days of life requires special attention. Although the breed is characterized by an increased survival rate of chicks (only 4% die), for which it is valued by breeders, the ducklings still need to be provided with the most comfortable conditions possible. The first three days provide a temperature of +28-30 C, a dry room, bedding made of straw and hay. Lighting these days should be almost around the clock (up to 18 hours).

Diet

A distinctive feature of the Cherry Valley breed is that ducklings quickly gain weight after they begin to feed on their own. The main thing is that after hatching and drying, he drinks water. For this purpose, ducklings are watered from a pipette with water containing a weak solution of manganese. Then they accustom them to drinking bowls by dipping their beaks into the water. Ducklings are born with intrauterine yolk in their stomach, so at first they may not feel hungry, and their swallowing reflex is weak. To stimulate it, food is scattered over the backs of the chicks. In this case, the natural reflex is triggered to grab moving food. You can try force-feeding weakened ducklings with egg yolk diluted with milk.

Feeding ducklings includes several periods: from the first days to a month. On the first day of life, the chicks are fed a boiled chopped egg so that it gradually adapts to other foods. On the second day, you can already make a mash with eggs and starter feed, or sifted cuts. On the third day, add low-fat cottage cheese, kefir, and finely chopped herbs.

In Cherry Valley chicks, the stomach quickly poisons food, so it is given in small portions up to 8 times a day. Closed drinking bowls should always have clean water. The advantage of mixed feed is that it contains the necessary proportions of microelements and vitamins for ducklings. If the ducklings eat 30 g of food in the first days, then in the second decade the portion is increased to 80 g and fed 4-5 times a day.

Diet of ducklings in the second and third decades of the first month

Gradually the diet is expanded by 10-20 g per day. Approximate diet for one duck chick:

• starting feed or ground grains 60-70 g;
• green and succulent food from 50 to 60 g;
• fish, meat broths, ground tripe 15 g. Add 0.3 g of salt to them;
• cottage cheese 10 g;
• boiled potatoes 40 g, you can add broth, meal, bran, cake in different proportions (up to 70 g);
• food additives: crushed shells and sand 3 g, bone meal, fish meal 1.5-2 g.

In the third decade of the first month, the diet is increased by 1/3, milk and cottage cheese are excluded. If Cherry Valley ducklings are grazing and swimming in a natural pond, then the diet can be reduced by 30%. After a month, the ducks are considered fully grown; their diet can only be increased slightly. This breed has a very short maturity period for slaughter. At 55 days, with a normal balanced diet, they reach a weight of up to 3 kg. There are two Cherry Valley crosses: maternal (less weight, egg-laying ducks) and paternal (higher weight, meat ducks).

It is worth noting that the Cherry Valley breed is quite heat-loving. During the cold season, the temperature in the poultry house should be kept within 16 C. The optimal daylight hours for ducks of this breed are 16 hours; in the evening it may be less intense.

Cherry Valley ducks are one of those poultry species that are not fussy about their care. This breed is very popular among breeders and is characterized by a high percentage of meat production and excellent egg production. By the second month of life they gain weight up to 3 kilograms.

This characteristic makes them very advantageous for mass breeding both at home (in the country) and on farms. The Cherry Valley breed was developed by English breeders and was aimed at preserving the amount of meat and improving egg production. The end result met all the scientists' hopes.

Representatives of this hybrid were brought to us from England in the 70s.

Cherry Valley - broiler breed of ducks

General information

In terms of external characteristics, this breed of duck resembles the Peking duck. Large, fleshy, heavy ducks belong to the waterfowl family, and therefore have a thick layer of fat and a well-developed muscle structure.

The long body of the bird with a wide chest is covered with white feathers; on a thick neck there is a head with a developed frontal lobe and large eyes. The orange, slightly curved beak is bright orange.

Low thickened paws are located in the area closer to the rear of the body, and small wings fit tightly to the base of the body.

This cross is divided into two lines, maternal and paternal. They are slightly different from each other. If the first line is aimed at increasing meat.

At the same age, individuals of the paternal line weigh more than individuals of the maternal line; the former are inferior to the latter in the number of eggs laid.

The maternal line, although not distinguished by a very large body, is characterized by intense egg production.

The main advantages of Cherry Valley ducks include:

• large build;
• rapid weight gain in young individuals;
• active egg production.

Cherry Valley's characteristics are close to the Peking duck breed

Upon reaching the maximum possible size, Cherry Valley ducks are slaughtered for meat preparations. Breeders keep several adults due to good egg production for further breeding. Closer to the seventh month of life, this breed of duck begins to actively lay eggs and over the next six months it is possible to obtain from 130 to 150 eggs from each individual.

Most often, slaughter is carried out when ducklings reach 3 months. Such meat is the most healthy, tasty and nutritious, although it cannot be called dietary. If this moment is missed, then you need to be prepared for the fact that the meat of an adult duck will be tougher and fattier, but, according to buyers, it still remains incredibly tasty.

Red meat contains a large amount of vitamins and microelements that are required for the healthy functioning of the human body.

Cherry Valley ducklings are strong and resilient. They are born with yellow fur. Of the total flow, no more than 4% of young animals die. This is another reason why farmers prefer to raise Cherry Valley ducks.

Cherry Valley reaches slaughter age at three months

Poultry breeding and keeping

Raising Cherry Valley ducks is not a difficult task and does not require special training. The main thing before buying young animals is to take care of arranging a comfortable nesting area. The room where the bird will be kept must be spacious, well-lit and naturally insulated (for year-round breeding and rearing).

In the cold season, for the proper development and growth of Cherry Valley ducks, it is worth providing them with an optimal temperature regime, which should not be lower than +16 degrees.

If the insulation of the room does not make it possible to maintain such a temperature, breeders recommend using heating devices.

Despite the fact that a bird of this breed normally tolerates temperature fluctuations and even frosts, this can affect egg production and general health.

Regarding the lighting of the duckling house, the optimal indicator is good lighting for at least 14 hours a day. It is not necessary to use special lighting devices in the evening; ordinary low-power incandescent lamps are suitable for this.

The duckling house must be equipped with nests in the form of ordinary wooden boxes with straw bedding, in a ratio of 1:2 to the total number of ducks. The average dimensions of the nest are 60x25 cm.

Ducks must be kept clean, otherwise diseases cannot be avoided.

Raising Cherry Valley ducks requires keeping the duckling house clean in order to avoid various diseases and mass mortality of poultry.

In addition to the ducklings, the walking area must contain a pond or an artificially created swimming pool for birds. It is recommended to protect the birds from the pond with the onset of winter cold so as not to provoke diseases and their death.

The mixture for the ash bath is made by combining fine sand and wood ash in equal parts. The box with the mixture is placed in the duck house and its contents are replaced within a month.

Proper feeding

Raising Cherry Valley ducks does not require special knowledge and skills to feed them. Even novice breeders can handle this quite well. The diet of an adult consists of mash and sprouted grains.

They prefer to eat root vegetables and green juicy grass as a delicacy. You need to feed the bird at least twice a day, and ideally three times. The use of combined silage as feed will be beneficial for growth and development.

This food contains:

• grass meal;
• grated cabbage leaves;
• ground cabbage stalks.

The breeder must remember that the quality of feeding greatly affects the taste characteristics of the meat and the intensity of egg production.

Ducks must have access to clean water

In addition to high-quality and balanced feed, poultry must have constant access to clean and fresh water for drinking. It is recommended to change it during each feeding.

Raising ducklings is already a more painstaking task. They will have to be taken good care of during the first week of life. The daily diet should contain protein foods (cottage cheese, eggs, sour milk). All products need to be finely chopped, little by little mixed with juicy greens. Only on the 10th day of life can ducklings be given root vegetables and mash.

Summarizing all the above information, we can safely say that there is nothing complicated in raising and keeping Cherry Valley ducks. All you need is desire and free time. If you follow all the rules, a quick result is guaranteed and, as a result, a good profit!

Source: http://SeloMoe.ru/utki/cherri-velli.html

Cherry Valley: features of the duck breed, maintenance and breeding

Cherry Valley is a popular type of domestic duck. Breeders love this breed for its attractive appearance, unpretentious maintenance and high productivity. Breeding such ducks is considered very profitable both in terms of meat and eggs. Combined yield is especially valuable on industrial farms. However, private individuals often take up the task of raising these birds.

History of the breed

The Cherry Valley duck comes from England. British breeders set out to develop a breed of poultry that would have maximum meat productivity and would not lose egg production.

Large Peking ducks were used as a basis. Selection was carried out on the maternal and paternal lines simultaneously. Both results were positive and met the hopes of scientists.

The name of the breed was given in honor of the company that dealt with cross-breeding.

Broiler cherry wellies quickly gained popularity among English farmers. They were happily purchased for poultry farms and private yards. At the very beginning of the 70s of the 19th century, the countries of the USSR became interested in the hybrid. This duck was brought to Russia in 1972 by order of several large poultry farms. Later, Cherry Valley began to be sold to household plots and village yards.

The popularity of this duck breed continues throughout the world to this day. The reason for this is the endurance, unpretentiousness, rapid growth and decent productivity of individuals. Some even keep these birds as pets, because the white fluffy Cherry Wellies are very cute.

Breed characteristics, appearance and photographs

In appearance, Cherry Wellie ducks are very similar to their Beijing ancestors. Like their progenitors, they are born with yellow plumage, which becomes lighter with age. People sometimes mistakenly call the breed “Chili Wili”.

The meat of such a duck is considered safe due to the innate ability of individuals to perfectly resist adverse factors and diseases.

Important. Cherry welly duck meat has similar properties to red meat. It is not considered dietary, but is considered especially useful for its rich composition of microelements. The meat of young ducklings is less fatty.

World standards stipulate the following characteristics of cherry valley:

• duck weight – from 3.4 to 3.7 kg, drake weight – from 3.5 to 4 kg, the weight of a young individual by 7 weeks should be in the range of 2.6 – 3.5 kg;
• safety of adults – 98%, juveniles – 94-96%;
• begin to lay eggs at the age of 6 – 7 months;
• there are 2 cross lines - maternal and paternal;
• egg weight – 70-90 g.

Cherry Valley ducks Two Cherry Valley ducks in the photo Cherry Valley duck breed

The description of Cherry Valley is also prescribed by the standards:

• plumage– white;
• torso– vertically directed, elongated with a wide chest, pronounced muscles, wings tightly adjacent to the body, impressive fat layer;
• legs– low, fleshy, dense, located near the tail, red-orange in color;
• head- medium in size, with a thick neck, a convex forehead, a yellow-orange curved beak, large blue or dark blue eyes.

The dimensions of an individual depend on gender and belonging to the cross line.

According to the standard, the breed is divided into maternal and paternal lines.

The paternal line is characterized by faster weight gain, therefore it is aimed at meat production. At the age of 7 weeks, the weight of the paternal duck is at least 3.5 kg versus 2.9 kg in the maternal line.

Representatives of the maternal line have a more modest physique, but are leaders in the production of eggs. Maternal ducks produce 120-150 eggs per year, while one individual of the paternal line carries only 100-110 eggs. Such individuals are more suitable for breeding.

Cherry Valley ducks

Cherry Valley ducks are not picky about their maintenance.

Poultry house arrangement

When arranging a duck house, you need to focus on the following room parameters:

1. Space– the housing density should be no more than 3 heads per 1 sq.m.
2. Light– ordinary yellow lamps of medium brightness are suitable as a source. The entire area should be illuminated as evenly as possible. A duck's daylight hours are 10-12 hours.
3. Warm- Cherry Valley is not too sensitive to temperature, but the enclosure should not be colder than +5 degrees, especially in winter. Laying hens require a higher temperature regime.
4. Purity– unsanitary conditions contribute to bird disease.

Ducks do not need perches. They are replaced by wide (from 40 cm) and long (at least half a meter) bars, which are attached to the walls 15-20 cm from the floor. Gaps are left between the bars for droppings to fall onto the floor.

For free summer keeping, in addition to the barn, it is advisable to organize a walking enclosure with straw bedding. In spring and summer there must be a pool or pond near the premises with a depth sufficient for swimming. In winter and autumn, water procedures are excluded in order to protect the flock from disease and extinction.

In spring and summer, ducks should have free access to a container of water.

Duck feeders

Cherry Valley ducks tend to scatter food around the house, so the design of the feeders is important to maintain cleanliness. The most optimal are long troughs with high sides.

Arrangement of nests

One wall of the poultry house is allocated for nest placement. Each duck needs approximately 60x50 cm of space. The height of the nest is about 25 cm. A decent option for a nest would be a wooden box or a box made of thick cardboard with straw. To make it easier to climb into it, you can arrange a step 10 cm high.

The number of nests is determined from the heads of ducks - there should be half as many boxes as birds.

Care and feeding

How to feed Cherry Valley ducks is an important question, since the health and productivity of the livestock depends on nutrition. Balanced food in the free life of ducks includes a lot of vegetation, plankton, insects and small aquatic inhabitants. The breeder’s task is to compensate for the necessary substances at home.

Types of feeding

There are two types of duck food:

Ducks can be fed in two ways: dry and combined.

1. Dry– granules from vegetables, grains, vitamin mixtures. More often used by large farms in automatic feeders. For private farms it is rarely used or as a feed.
2. Combined– in the morning, wet “porridge” is given from swollen grains and bran (oats, millet), herbal flour, fish waste, boiled root vegetables with the addition of water, light milk, whey or yogurt.

   In the evening, the diet is based on oat and barley sprouts, dry grain, special gravel, shell rock, and chalk for digestion.

Feeding is carried out 2-3 times a day. For treats, give fresh chopped vegetables, cabbage leaves and stalks. Water and food are changed to fresh ones with each feeding.

Potatoes, beets, and carrots are permissible among root vegetables. The mash must be seasoned with salt and periodically sprinkled with yeast.

Important. The diet has a direct impact on the future taste of meat.

Features of feeding ducklings

Young ducks require an increased amount of protein as they actively build muscle mass during growth. In the first week, the basis of the diet is boiled eggs, low-fat cottage cheese, and yogurt. The protein is mixed with scalded chopped nettles.

From 10 days other fresh greens and wet “mash” are introduced. Clover, dill, sow thistle, dandelions, young green onions, and boiled root vegetables are useful.

Breeding Cherry Valley ducks

To ensure optimal breeding conditions, the temperature in the duck house must be kept at least 16-18 degrees Celsius. In winter, heaters are installed and daylight hours are extended to 14 hours.

From 7 months, ducks begin to sit on nests. For the first 2 days, the laying hen should not be disturbed. If she sits longer, she should be carefully removed from her seat and taken to the feeder and drinker. It happens that after eating the individual does not go to the nest, then it should be carefully returned to its place.

In order to get ducklings, it is necessary to maintain the temperature in the duckling house at least +14 degrees.

If necessary, the procedure should be repeated several days in a row until the duck learns to leave the eggs for feeding and return back.

Productive Features

The yield of slaughter meat from cherry wellies averages 65-68% (about 3 kg per duck). The meat of 7-month-old animals is considered optimal in terms of fiber and taste.

In good housing conditions, with proper feeding, one duck can produce up to 100 eggs in six months.

Advantages of Cherry Valley ducks

The breed differs from others in a number of advantages:

• intensive rapid growth;
• high productivity of meat and eggs, good increase in income due to their sale;
• decent survival rates;
• lack of pickiness about conditions and food, easy maintenance in private conditions;
• Even novice poultry farmers do not have any difficulties with breeding;
• attractive appearance, popularity of the cross, which makes it easy to sell offspring.

Cherry Valley ducks have many advantages: fast growth, high productivity, attractive appearance.

Breeders reviews

Ivan Ilyich. I have been breeding Cherry Valley for over a dozen years. During all this time, only 2-3 ducks died. Excellent breed and pleasing to the eye.

Leonid. We keep these on our farm. Funny. The meat is healthy and tasty, the broth is rich. All that is needed.

Julia. Ducks are for everyone depending on the taste of meat. Not whimsical, but quite noisy. They grow quickly and eat everything offered. We've been divorcing for a long time, no problems.

Source: http://ferma-nasele.ru/cherri-velli-utki-opisanie-foto.html

Cherry Valley ducks – a successful cross

Any owner will be happy to keep in his house a breed of duck that is characterized by high egg production, rapid weight gain and unpretentious maintenance. Cherry Valley ducks fully meet the above requirements. They can be classified as birds of combined productivity. You can successfully obtain both meat and eggs from these ducks.

Story

Cherry Valley ducks originated in England. Birds of the Peking duck selection were taken as the basis. Characteristics of the paternal line (151):

• egg production – 120 eggs;
• weight of young animals at seven weeks is 3.4 kg;
• weight of adults: females – 3.5 kg, males – 4 kg.

Characteristics of the maternal line (102):

• egg production – 150 eggs;
• weight of young animals at seven weeks is 2.9 kg;
• weight of adults: females – 3.4 kg, males – 3.7 kg.

This two-line cross combines the best qualities of both lines. It has gained popularity among poultry farmers in many countries around the world. The breed came to the post-Soviet space in 1972. She has not lost her popularity even today. It is purchased with pleasure both for private farmsteads and for large poultry farms.

Cherry Valley ducks are very similar in appearance to Peking ducks. They have a powerful build and a vertical body posture. The wings are short, tightly pressed to the body, short legs, thick neck. Bright orange beak and white plumage (in the vast majority).

Cherry Valley ducks: characteristics

This is perhaps one of the most popular and fastest-ripening meat breeds. Ducklings gain weight up to 3 kg in two months. Meat yield averages 65%. The slaughter yield reaches 80%.

Despite the fact that this breed of Cherry Valley ducks has a meat type of productivity, it inherited high egg production from the maternal line - up to 150 eggs in seven months. Ducks begin laying eggs at 6 months. They are perfect for those poultry farmers who want to raise poultry themselves.

The Cherry Valley duck (you can see the photo in the text) does not require special conditions. The bird is unpretentious and pays very well for food. For summer keeping of birds, a spacious barn with bedding for overnight stays (the main thing is that there are no drafts), free grazing during the day and access to water is sufficient.

In winter, you will need an insulated room, the ideal temperature for keeping it is +10...+14 °C (in any case, not lower than +6 °C). As the degrees drop, the bird stops laying eggs and suddenly loses weight. To maintain the level of weight gain and maintain good egg production, the birds are given longer daylight hours using artificial lighting. Its total duration should not be less than 10-12 hours.

Ducklings are very hardy, the survival rate is high. The most important thing is to control their feeding for the first couple of days so that all the babies peck at the food together. A properly selected diet from the first days of a bird’s life will help to achieve the desired result.

Ducks are fed both plant and animal food. The diet includes crumbly mash; they are prepared in milk or water. Season with hard-boiled eggs and millet porridge. Gradually introduce grains and herbs. Greens that are useful for ducklings include dill, onions, clover, dandelions, and sow thistle. At the age of a month, the young animals are released into the pond (if there is one).

When free-ranging, the bird gets its own greens from the pond. Animal food in the form of insects, small fish, tadpoles, and worms is also added here. But on a free range without feeding with grain, bran and other feeds, the bird will not quickly gain weight.

We must not forget that well-selected and balanced food will help ducklings gain the necessary live weight on time.

Advantages

The Cherry Valley duck breed is distinguished by a number of qualities that distinguish it from the variety of other duck breeds:

• intensive growth of ducklings (by 2 months, young animals gain 80% of the weight of an adult);
• high egg productivity - up to 150 eggs;
• safety of young animals 96%;
• safety of adults 98%;
• unpretentious to the conditions of detention.

Today, in private and small farms, there is a clear trend towards breeding poultry that can gain weight in 45-50 days. Cherry Valley meets these requirements, and this is precisely the secret of such a demand for the breed.

The level of demand is influenced by the fact that many specialized farms are engaged in their breeding. Private owners and farmers always have reliable suppliers of quality cherry valley duck stock.

Source: http://.ru/article/194963/utki-cherri-velli-udachnyiy-kross

A variety of Pekingese breed - getting to know the Cherry Valley duck

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

Cherry Valley is a meat and egg breed of birds, characterized by early maturity and high rates of preservation of young and adult birds. This bird has much in common with Peking ducks, which are their main ancestors. The birds grow quickly, produce tender and tasty nutritious meat, and a lot of eggs. In addition, they are considered unpretentious in care.

Breed standard

Ducklings of the Cherry Valley breed are born yellow, but over time they completely change their plumage to white, like Peking ducks. According to the standard, birds have a dense, well-fed and fleshy body, which is supported by thick red-yellow paws located closer to the tail. The wings of ducks are small in size and fit tightly 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 its characteristics. 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 layer of fat, as they love to swim in the water. Ducks of this breed begin laying eggs in the seventh month of life. The average weight of an egg is from 70 to 90 grams.

Appearance

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

Origin

The Cherry Valley cross 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 produce a lot of eggs and enough meat at once. Peking ducks were taken as a basis, among which the maternal line was separated from the paternal line. The resulting two-line cross fully met the breeders' expectations.

Features of the maternal and paternal lines

According to the description, the paternal line of the cross (151) shows good results in early maturity of young animals. 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 four kilograms of weight.

Representatives of the maternal line (102) are somewhat inferior in early maturity: seven-week-old ducklings weigh up to 2.9 kg, and adult ducks reach a weight of 3.4 kg, drakes - up to 3.7 kg.

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

This video features a private duck farm.

Both young animals and adults should receive enough light to produce vitamin D. In the summer, birds can be released for walking, and in winter, dim lamps can be turned on.

The temperature in the duck house in winter should be from 16 to 18 degrees. In this case, 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 may drop noticeably.

Care and feeding

The most important factor in the care and reproduction of ducks of this breed is feeding. Newly hatched ducklings should be fed more often 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 nettle should be introduced into the diet. From the tenth day of life, mash can be offered to the birds.

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

Productive Features

As mentioned above, the egg production and weight of Cherry Valley mainly depends on the type of line to which the birds belong. On average, they produce 100-150 eggs and 2-3 kg of pink meat, which is slightly more tough, but at the same time has an excellent taste. Young animals can be slaughtered at the age of seven weeks, which is when poultry meat provides many benefits to humans.

Birds of this breed also show a high survival rate: 92-95% at a young age and 95-98% at a mature age. These ducks are suitable for growing and breeding for both beginners and experienced farmers in industrial or private conditions.

Photo gallery

Photo 1. Domestic ducks on the run Photo 2. Cherry Valley ducks in the poultry house Photo 3. Breeding ducks in industrial conditions

"Peking ducks on the farm"

This video clip shows the conditions for breeding Peking ducks on a farm.