Rosin Yellow Duck

Rosin Yellow Duck

　　Rosin Yellow Duck

　　Breed Description

　　Origin and Distribution: A new dual-purpose breed for meat and eggs. Mainly distributed in the Foshan area of Guangdong Province. Since 1964, this breed has been developed through progressive crossbreeding using the Peking duck as the sire and the Guangzhou Golden-Silver-Grey duck as the dam. A core group of the Rosin Yellow Duck breed has been established at the Livestock Farm of the Nanhai County Pingzhou Dajianwei Foshan Regional Agricultural Science Institute, and an evaluation flock base has been set up in Sanshui County.

　　Appearance Characteristics: Male ducks are characterized by grey heads, grey tails, brown legs, and white bellies. Their beaks, shanks, and webs are orange-red, with a few having bluish beaks, blue irises, and yellowish-white skin. Female ducks are characterized by yellowish-red plumage. The color of their beaks, shanks, webs, irises, and skin is the same as that of the males. Mirror feathers are grey.

　　Breed Performance:

　　① Growth Rate and Meat Production Performance Average Weight: Birth – 55 grams; 60 days – 1875 grams; 90 days – 2125 grams; 120 days – 2300 grams; 150 days – 2550 grams; Adult duck – 3125 grams. Ducklings at 80 days old can reach over 2500 grams after 10–15 days of force-feeding, with some reaching 3000–3500 grams. Before force-feeding (at 50 days old), the average semi-eviscerated slaughter rate is 75% for both males and females, increasing to an average of 80% after force-feeding.

　　② Egg Production and Reproductive Performance Female ducks start laying eggs at an average age of 145 days, with the earliest starting at 124 days. The average annual egg production is 200 eggs, with an average egg weight of 80 grams, and some reaching up to 100 grams. Eggshells are milky white, with a few being bluish. The mating ratio of males to females is 1:12. The average fertilization rate of breeding eggs is 88%, and the average hatching rate of fertilized eggs is 92%. Breeding ducks naturally molt once a year, starting in the hot summer and completing by the cold autumn, but artificial forced molting is generally carried out between May and June, resulting in a 35–40 day production halt.