It is a meat producing breed. It is similar to the goose as this breed can graze and eat grass. Drake has no curled feathers and ducks don’t grow in full feather even up to 16 weeks of age. They have sharp claws, rough skin and have strong and powerful flight. The breed further has two standard varieties which are as follows:
•    White variety: This variety has pale yellow or yellow color legs, pure white color plumage and has flesh color beak.
•    Dark variety: This variety has lustrous blue black color body and back.
 

Feeding baby ducklings: The feed of ducklings having an age of 3 weeks must include 2700 kilo calorie/kg of metabolizable energy and 20% protein content. After age of 3 weeks protein level must be 18%. The duck requires 50-60kg of feed in one year. For producing 1 dozen eggs and 2kg broiler duck it requires approximately 3kg of feed.  

Feeding ducks: Ducks are excessively greedy eater and are attractive in look. Along with feed they also eat earthworms, insects and greenish material present in water. When ducks are brought up in the shed, give them wet feed because it is difficult for them to eat dry feed. The feed is converted into 3mm tablets which are good for ducks to give them as a feed.

Feed to egg laying ducks: The laying ducks require about 16-18% of protein content in the feed. Mainly an egg laying duck eat 6-8 ounces of feed. But the amount may vary depending upon the ducks breed. Clean and fresh water must be provided to ducks all time. Fruits, vegetables, corns, small insects can be given in the feed as an extra supplement. Always try to give water along with feed as it will help the duck to easily consume the feed.
 

Shelter and care: It requires shelter which is quiet and secluded. It should be well ventilated and should have enough space so that ducks can easily expand their wings and groom. Clean and fresh water must be always available to the ducklings. Water fountains are recommended to the ducklings for fresh water.

Care of ducklings: After hatching ducklings require brooder which has a temperature of 90°F and then it should be lowered by 5°C every day. After some days when the temperature will match the room temperature then the ducklings are taken out from the brooder. Proper feed at proper interval of time must be given to chicks and clean water must be available every time in the brooder.

Care of laying ducks: For proper growth of ducks and production of good quality eggs, proper care of ducks are required. Mash or pellet is given in the feed at the proper time. For production of good quality eggs, 18% of protein content is required in the feed. Mainly an egg laying duck consumes 6-8 ounces of feed. Don’t give bread to ducks or ducklings in the feed.

Recommended vaccines: Proper vaccination at proper interval of time is necessary.
•    Duck cholera (Pasteurellosis) vaccination @1ml is given to duckling when it is 3-4 weeks old to prevent cholera disease.
•    Duck plague vaccination @1ml is given to duckling when it is 8-12 weeks old to prevent plague disease.

 

•    Duck virus hepatitis: It is a highly contagious disease which is caused by the herpes virus. It mainly occurs in young ducklings which is 1-28 days old. They caused internal breeding, severe diarrhoea and then ultimately death of the infected bird.
Treatment: No treatment is there once this disease gets infected. For prevention, vaccination of live virus duck hepatitis is given to the breeder ducks to prevent duck virus hepatitis.

•    Duck plague (Duck Virus Enteritis): It is a contagious and highly fatal disease. The disease mainly caused in both mature and young ducks. The symptoms are sluggishness, greenish yellow color diarrhoea and ruffled feather. The signs of this disease are spots appear on the mucous lining of the esophagus and intestines.
Treatment: Vaccination of attenuated live duck virus enteritis is given to cure duck plague.

•    Salmonella: The signs of this disease are depression, closed eyes, lameness, ruffled feathers etc.
Treatment: Vaccination of Amoxicillin is given to treat salmonella.

•    Aflatoxicosis: It is a fungal disease. It is mainly caused due to consumption of high moisture grains which contains Alfa toxins. The symptoms are sleepiness, depressed growth, paleness, increased bruising and decreased fertility.
Treatment: Increase the protein, vitamin content and mineral content by 1% in the feed. Addition of Gentian violet will help to reduce the effect of Alfatoxicosis disease.

•    Duck pox: The symptom is the retarted growth. Duck pox are of two types: dry and wet type. In dry pox the symptoms are wart like bruises found on skin and they healed in 2 weeks. In wet pox blight like lesions are observed near bill.
Treatment: Spraying of mosquito repellant or suitable vaccination is given to cure disease.

•    Riemerella anatipestifer infection: It is a bacterial disease. The symptoms are weight loss, diarrhoea which is blood stained sometimes, shaking head, twisted neck and high mortality rate.
Treatment: Vaccination of enrofloxacin, Penicillin and sulfodiamethoxine-ormetoprim @0.04-0.08% is given in the feed to cure from this disease.

•    Colibacillosis: It is the common infectious disease which is caused by E. coli. Its main sign is that it reduces hatchability.
Treatment: Medicine of Chlorotetracycline @0.04% and Sulfadimethoxine-ormetoprim @0.04-0.08% is given in feed to cure Colibacillosis disease.