Another name for the indo-duck is the musky duck. Once upon a time, this amazing Indian woman lived in the wild, but they were successfully tamed and domesticated by the Aztecs in Latin America. On the territory of the Russian Federation, this bird was first recognized in the 20-30s of the 20th century. It began to be massively bred as domestic animals.
Indo-duck meat is popular because of its special taste and ease of digestion. In European countries, the liver of birds is of great value. The bird is bred in almost all countries of the world due to its high productivity. One adult within 12 months can produce more than a hundred eggs and hatch more than 70 chicks.
Origin of the species and description
Photo: Indian
The Muscovy duck is a representative of the chordates, belongs to the class of birds, is allocated to the order Anseriformes, the duck family, the genus and species Muscovy ducks. Muscovy duck, or as it is also called wood duck, got its name due to the distinctive feature of accumulating body fat in the head area. Ancient writers and researchers claimed that this formation has a specific smell of nutmeg. However, modern scientists cannot confirm this fact.
Video: Indouka
According to other existing versions, the name of the Muscovy duck is closely related to the name of the ancient Indian settlements of the central regions of Colombia, or even Russia, which were called “Muscovia”. According to some reports, ducks came to Russia with employees of the Moscow Company trading company, well-known during the reign of Catherine II. The first mention of the bird in literary sources falls on 1553. Piedro Cesi de Leona first described the bird in his creation “Chronicle of Peru”.
A little later than this mention in the book, the birds were brought to Africa, a number of countries in Europe and Asia. Even Australia and Russia were no exception. Muscovy ducks first came to the USSR from the GDR only in 1981. In 1988, it was delivered in large numbers to Russia from France. Initially, Indo-ducks were wild birds that lived in large numbers in South America and Mexico. The Aztecs domesticated the bird quite quickly and successfully.
Appearance and Features
Photo: Indouta bird
The appearance of these birds can differ depending on the variety. There are several types of poultry, each of which has a different color scheme.
Indochki can have the following colors:
- white;
- brown;
- variegated;
- black and white;
- purple;
- various shades of green;
- red.
It is worth noting that domesticated birds differ in size and appearance from wild birds. Wild ducks are about 1.5-2 times smaller and lighter than those kept at home. The average body weight of poultry ranges from 4.5 to 6 kilograms. Under natural, natural conditions, birds mostly have dark, muted tones. Domestic individuals are distinguished by a wide variety of bright, saturated colors.
Indo-woks have characteristic external features that are unique to this species of birds. They have a rather large body and a wide, sagging chest. The body has a slightly elongated contour and the shape of an ellipse. The ducks of this breed have pronounced sexual dimorphism – males are much larger than females.
Birds have a short neck, and short, but very strong lower limbs, on which there are wide membranes. The limbs have long and sharp claws. Another distinctive feature can be called strong, large and tightly adjacent to the body wings.
Interesting fact: Indoutas lack the fluff on their bodies, which is typical for most anseriformes.
The head of the birds is small. It has an elongated, flat beak. The eyes are small, around them there are skin growths of red color. They are somewhat less pronounced in females, and very pronounced in males. The more pronounced the red mask in males, the higher his position, status. Also on the head there is a small feather crest.
If the bird is frightened, or feels the approach of danger, the crest is understood and bristles. Duck feathers are very thick, which creates a dense, waterproof cover. This allows the birds to stay in the water for a long time.
Where does the Indian duck live?
Photo: Indian duck in water
When living in natural conditions, the bird is very fond of water bodies, especially swampy areas. It is in such areas that a huge number of various insects are found. It is worth noting that the Indians feel great without water, on land. Today, the Indian duck is widely distributed throughout the world as a poultry. It is grown for the purpose of obtaining meat, eggs, and also as beautiful, domestic animals.
Mexico, Central and South America are considered to be the birthplace of birds. Initially, these bird species lived in regions with a warm climate. If indochka live in optimal conditions for them, they are not prone to deposition of fat, and their meat becomes soft and easy to digest. like other types of poultry.
It is thanks to these qualities that the bird is successfully bred, both within individual agricultural lands and on an industrial scale. Today, in the wild in natural conditions, the habitat of these birds is somewhat limited.
Regions of natural habitats of Indochka:
- South America;
- North America;
- Argentina;
- Peru;
- Uruguay.
Under natural conditions, birds settle near water sources, in swampy areas, and forests. Nests prefer to twist mainly on trees. They spend a lot of their time there. This is facilitated by short but strong limbs.
What does an Indo-Dutch eat?
Photo: White Indian
Birds living in natural conditions feed on roots, seeds, stems and leaves, mainly of aquatic vegetation. In addition to plant foods are various insects, small fish and small crustaceans. Ducks don't tend to eat a lot. When kept in artificial, domestic conditions, birds need several times less food than other types of poultry.
An interesting fact: When keeping birds at home, it must be remembered that hot food and water can lead to the development of a large number of diseases.
What is used as a food base at home conditions:
- oats;
- wheat;
- corn;
- pre-soaked barley;
- fodder beetroot;
- fine mixture of herbs;
- fodder or food beet tops
When keeping poultry at home, it is imperative to add vitamins and mineral supplements to their diet. As such, you can use crushed eggshells, shells, chalk. As a top dressing, it is necessary to dilute salt in water and add it to the feed. In winter, bird breeders are advised to pour granite mixture and fiber into the feeders.
If birds lack vitamins, minerals, or the food is not balanced enough, they may behave in an uncharacteristic way. They drink their own eggs, pluck their feathers, or eat their bedding. This is an alarming signal, and means that it is worth reviewing the daily diet.
It is worth paying attention not only to the diet, but also to the feeding regimen. The most acceptable option is three meals a day. In the morning, the body best absorbs wet food – tops, fodder beets, in the afternoon it is better to give dry food – cereals and herbs. Indians gain weight well on corn, and at the same time they love it very much.
Peculiarities of character and lifestyle
Photo: Indian
Under natural conditions, wild ducks live in small flocks near various water bodies. Numerous groups form extremely rarely, mainly in the periods between reproduction. This species of birds is unusual for migration. Birds are very fond of water, but at the same time they prefer to swim in warm water, since they have insufficiently developed fatty lubrication of the feather cover. Swimming in winter is not recommended for these birds, especially in natural reservoirs, as the feather cover can freeze and the bird will drown.
When kept at home, the duck masters its territory quite quickly, gets used to it and tries not to leave. Due to the peculiar structure of the limbs and the presence of strong, sharp claws on them, birds are able to nest on the branches of trees.
Birds are calm and docile. However, there is one feature – quarrelsomeness with other types of birds. For this reason, they should not be kept together with other bird species. The reason for this behavior is competition and the struggle for food supply. For the same reason, there may be a manifestation of aggression towards the chicks. The tree duck is considered a quiet bird. She rarely speaks. If a duck has to endure stress, it will stop laying eggs.
Fun fact: Muscovy ducks must be kept clean of broken glass, metal chips, steel shavings, etc. Anything that can glitter attracts the attention of birds very much. The danger is that these items can be eaten.
When kept at home, birds need to create optimal conditions and equip the house with a certain temperature, or build a warm nest. It is also worth paying attention to the presence of a perch and the area of u200bu200bspace. Birds should not be kept crowded. The optimal area of space is one square meter for three adults.
Social Structure and Reproduction
Photo: Indo-duck ducklings
A characteristic feature of this species of ducks is the inability to form long, permanent pairs. To successfully breed a bird at home, you need to choose the right male. It must be large, have a pronounced, large growth around the eyes. Such a male will certainly produce healthy and strong offspring.
It is unacceptable to pair the spirit of individuals from the same brood. For hasty breeding of birds at home, it is necessary to choose only one male, since the presence of several males will lead to their constant struggle, and the female will not be fertilized. This will lead to the fact that the offspring will be weak and unviable.
One female lays about 7-10 eggs and incubates them in the nest for about 35 days. Females tend to randomly lay eggs. That is why it is worthwhile to build nests in advance in which the female will lay her eggs. Egg laying most often occurs at the beginning of spring. During the period when the female begins to incubate eggs, special attention should be paid to the diet, the content of vitamins and minerals in it. It is also worth putting a water tank in close proximity to the nest.
Interesting fact: Females are not characterized by the manifestation of care for offspring. During the period of incubation, if the female sees other people's little ducklings, she can easily leave her nest and go with other people's chicks.
If the chicks hatched at home, they will need help within the first few days. They need to be soldered, heated and fed, as they cannot drink and eat on their own. After a few days, you can send them to the duck. Feeding must begin with egg yolk. Gradually, the diet expands and replenishes with new products. A healthy individual from a new brood after 2-3 days from the date of birth weighs 60-65 grams, confidently rests on its legs, the plumage color is yellow.
Puberty is reached by individuals on the 200th day. Wood ducks are very often crossed with birds of other species. They are able in this case to give strong, but barren offspring. The average life expectancy of one individual at home with good care can reach 20 years. However, no one keeps so many poultry. Males are most often kept up to 6 years, females – up to 3. Young animals, which are intended for meat, are killed in the second month of life.
Now you know how many days an Indian woman sits on eggs. Let's see who hunts the muscovy duck in the wild.
Natural enemies of the Indo-duck
Photo: Indoch bird
Individuals that live in natural conditions have a lot of enemies. Almost all types of predators that live in the regions of their permanent residence love to hunt for ducks. The wild Indian duck is also a tasty prey for birds of prey, the size of which significantly exceeds the dimensions of the musky duck.
Natural enemies:
- fox;
- marten;
- raccoon dog;
- owl;
- crow;
- gull;
- hawk
For waterfowl, especially young ones, predatory large fish are dangerous. Under natural conditions, predatory animals and birds not only exterminate adults, but also destroy nests and eat eggs. Many tree ducks die due to lack of sufficient food. Wood duck nests are also destroyed during spring floods.
At home, birds often die due to insufficiently balanced and varied food, as well as limited space, keeping a large number of birds in a limited space.
Population and species status
Photo: A Hindu woman in Russia
To date, nothing threatens the population of the Muscovy duck. It is quite common in different countries of the world. According to the terminology of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, this species of birds has the status of “causing the least concern.”
The Indian duck is considered an unpretentious bird in terms of food and living conditions. She quickly adapts to new conditions, develops the territory. Nothing supernatural is required to keep and breed a bird. They need a nest for breeding and a small amount of food and water.
In comparison, Muscovy ducks consume almost half as much water and food as ordinary domestic ducks. In addition, the wood duck has a rather high survival and birth rate. Each mature female gives birth every year and incubates from 7 to 15 chicks at a time.
The Muscovy duck is a very beautiful bird. She was successfully domesticated and bred by farmers in many countries of the world. The Indian is distinguished by a meek, calm disposition and unpretentiousness to the conditions of detention.
