Digao Duck

1. Origin

The Digao Duck is a large-scale composite meat duck line developed by the Australian Digao Company through the introduction and selective breeding of the Beijing Duck. It was introduced to China in the 1980s. Parent-stock breeding ducks of this breed were raised at the Huaqiao Farm in Guangdong Province. In 1987, the breeding duck farm in Nanhai County, Guangdong Province introduced parent-stock Digao Ducks, and the commercial ducks produced performed well.

2. Appearance characteristics

The appearance of the Digao Duck is similar to that of the Beijing Duck. Ducklings have red and yellow down, and after molting their juvenile feathers, the plumage becomes white. The head is large and slightly long, the neck is thick, the back is long and broad, the breast is wide, and the body is slightly long, with a full breast muscle and a slightly raised tail; there are 2-4 sex feathers; the bill is yellow, and the shanks and webs are orange-red.

3. Production performance

① Egg production: annual egg production is 200-230 eggs, average egg weight is 88 g, and the eggshell is white. ② Reproductive capacity: this duck reaches sexual maturity at 182 days, enters the peak laying period at 33 weeks of age, and the laying rate reaches more than 90%. The male-to-female breeding ratio is 1:5-6, the fertilization rate is more than 90%, and the hatchability of fertilized eggs is about 85%. Each female duck of the parent stock can provide about 160 commercial ducklings. ③ Meat production performance: the body weight of newly hatched ducklings is about 55 g, 1114 g at 30 days of age, and 2713 g at 60 days of age. At 7 weeks of age, commercial meat ducks weigh 3.0 kg, and the feed-to-meat ratio is 1:2.9-3.0; the semi-eviscerated dressing percentage is about 92.86%-94.04%, and the eviscerated dressing percentage (including head and feet) is 79.76%-82.34%. The breast muscle weight is 273 g, and the leg muscle weight is 352 g.

4. Adaptability

This duck has strong adaptability and can still maintain relatively high production performance even when the natural environment and rearing conditions change considerably. This duck is resistant to cold and tolerant of heat, likes to rest in dry places, and can naturally mate on land, making it a good duck breed for dryland pen rearing and net rearing in rural areas.