Tianzhu Black Muscovy Duck

Tianzhu Black Muscovy Duck

　　Breed Name: Tianzhu Black Muscovy Duck

　　Breed Description

　　Origin and Distribution: Primarily produced in Tianzhu County, Guizhou Province, with distribution also found in Jinping, Sansui, Taijiang, and Jianhe. This breed of duck is characterized by rapid growth, tolerance to coarse feed, excellent meat quality, and high meat production performance. According to the "Tianzhu County Annals," in the 29th year of the Guangxu reign (1903) there were already foreign ducks (i.e., Muscovy ducks), indicating that the breeding of Muscovy ducks in Tianzhu has a history of over a hundred years. Surveys show that in the late 20th century, Muscovy duck breeds were also introduced from other provinces. In the mid-1930s, Jin Xianglian, a farmer from Damma in the county, successfully crossbred a male Muscovy duck with a local mallard duck.

　　Appearance Characteristics: The body is shaped like an olive. The head is large and coarse, with a relatively short neck. The beak is short and narrow, with red flesh wattles around the base of the beak and eyes, which are more developed in males than in females. The chest is broad and flat. The wing feathers are well-developed and extend to the tail. The tail is long and slender. The entire body is covered in black feathers, though a small number of individuals have white feathers on the wings and abdomen. The shanks are slightly short, resulting in slow movement. The shanks and webbed feet are either black or orange-yellow, and the claws are black.

　　Breed Performance:

　　① Growth Rate and Meat Production Performance Average Weight: Birth – 50g; 30 days old – 675g; 60 days old – Male: 1200g, Female: 1100g; 90 days old – Male: 1800g, Female: 1500g; 120 days old – Male: 2130g, Female: 1700g; Adult Male: 2800g, Adult Female: 1800g. Feather growth: At birth to 10 days old, the whole body is covered in down; at 30 days old, new feathers grow, replacing the down; at 60 days old, primary wing feathers emerge, with new feathers gradually extending from the neck to the waist; at 90 days old, wing feathers extend from the waist to the back; at 110 days old, the full set of feathers is complete. Adult Male: Semi-eviscerated carcass dressing percentage is 85.10%, Female: 84.50%; Adult Male: Fully eviscerated carcass dressing percentage is 73.76%, Female: 71.76%.

　　② Egg Production and Breeding Performance Female Muscovy ducks begin laying eggs at an average age of 240 days. Average annual egg production is 65 eggs, with an average egg weight of 68g. Average eggshell thickness is 0.42mm, and average egg shape index is 1.38. Male Muscovy ducks reach sexual maturity at 210–230 days. Breeding ratio is 1 male to (6–8) females. Average fertility rate of breeding eggs is 95%, and average hatching rate of fertilized eggs is over 95%. Female Muscovy ducks have strong brooding instincts. Useful life span is 1 year for males and 2 years for females.