Discussion on Breeding up Hatchery Quality Birds.

[CelticOaksFarm]

Yes anyone with a limited space who wants high quality needs to start there with there first purchase.

 

[Kevin565]

Which is basically the situation I'm in if I ever get into breeding. While a breeding project is nice I really don't have the time or space for it. Which leads me to another question. If I were say to purchase a excellent quality pair of Calls. I bred them and kept the best looking ducks to breed back to their father. At what point do I need to introduce new blood?

 

[CelticOaksFarm]

2013-- Pair X breed (and are tiny rubber ducky top quality)

2014--You retain duck Y and Duck Z (2013 off spring)to breed back to dad

2014--You retain Drake W (2013 off spring) to breed back to mom

2014 fall you look to out source for 1 new drake (M) and 1 new duck (N)to add for 2015

1-You can then place pair X back together

2-Take drake W to pair with the new duck N

3-Take ducks Y & Z and pair with M

You now have two pairs and a trio for breeding, and producing unrelated pairs from.

In 2015 you could look for two more ducks to make trios from breeding group 1 & 2 for 2016 and run three trios at that time.

 

[Kevin565]

That's exactly the information I needed to know thanks so much Celtic! This should apply to any species of bird correct?

 

[CelticOaksFarm]

Yep it's basic breeding principle. As long as the resulting off spring are what you are hoping to achieve then this formula works well. You have to use a good ID system that is permanent on the bird. Butt end leg bands that are numbered, numbered brass wing bands both work for record keeping and tracking off spring. They also help you track which rids are which bloodlines if you buy a pair from a well known breeder it nice in three or five years to still trace those two birds.

 

[Kevin565]

Yep it's basic breeding principle. As long as the resulting off spring are what you are hoping to achieve then this formula works well. You have to use a good ID system that is permanent on the bird. Butt end leg bands that are numbered, numbered brass wing bands both work for record keeping and tracking off spring. They also help you track which rids are which bloodlines if you buy a pair from a well known breeder it nice in three or five years to still trace those two birds.

That's great to here. I do have a question about the bands. All of them down here are metal. Will they easily rust with the ducks constant swimming?

 

[CelticOaksFarm]

Not at all, the calls we had all had them. They are alum not Steele so they should not rust ever.

 

[CelticOaksFarm]

This little drake and the duck too are both high quality, show able birds. It also shows the butt end band in use. I used this drake for comparing other calls against.

 

[Kevin565]

This little drake and the duck too are both high quality, show able birds. It also shows the butt end band in use. I used this drake for comparing other calls against.

. You raise yours on wire? I had to do some moving of pens earlier this week and right now have the small ducks on wire. It's so much easier to keep clean.

 

[CelticOaksFarm]

Love the raised pens. We do have ground space (they used in off season) but raised pens are just so easy to clean and tend to them in. We use the raised pens now as our duckling brooders for the big ducks. As long as they have a place to get off the wire to rest I see no issue with raised pens. With our heat they are great open air concepts too.