Measurement and Analysis on Body Size Traits and Slaughter Performance of Three Indigenous Duck Breeds (Lines)

PurposeTo discover the breed (lines) characteristics of Peking duck Z9 line, Jingxi hemp duck and Ji’an red feather duck by analyzing the gender and breed difference and also the correlation between body size traits and slaughter performance of three breeds (lines) at 300-day-old.

MethodsPeking ducks Z9 line, Jingxi hemp ducks and Ji’an red feather ducks, which hatched out at same day, were raised at the same feeding and management condition to 300-day-old, and 60 ducks (half male and half female) were selected for slaughter determination, respectively. Body size were measured before slaughter, and then the slaughter performance was measured after slaughter.

ResultsThe keel length and shank girth of Peking duck Z9 line were extremely significant better than the other two breeds, and the body slope length of Jingxi hemp duck was significant better than the other two breeds, while there were no advantages on Ji’an red feather duck body size traits; the body size traits of male ducks were better than female ducks in these three breeds (lines); except the body slope length and half diving depth traits, the body size traits of Peking duck Z9 line female ducks were as whole better than the other two breeds; the body size traits of Peking duck Z9 line and Jingxi hemp duck male ducks were as whole better than Ji’an red feather duck male ducks. The half eviscerated weight, eviscerated weight, chest muscle weight, leg muscle weight, half eviscerated rate, eviscerated rate and chest muscle rate of Peking duck Z9 line were extremely higher than the other two breeds, the alive weight, slaughter weight, half eviscerated weight, eviscerated weight, chest muscle weight, leg muscle weight and chest muscle rate of Ji’an red feather duck were extremely lower than the other two breeds, and the slaughter performance of Jingxi hemp duck were at the medium level of these three breeds (lines); except the slaughter rate, the slaughter performance of male ducks in Peking duck Z9 line and Jingxi hemp duck were as whole better than that of female ducks, and the slaughtering performance of female Peking duck Z9 line were better than that of the other two breeds; the slaughter performance indexes of male Ji’an red feather duck were as whole the worst in these three breeds. There were different degrees of positive correlation between alive weight and most body size traits in three breeds (lines). There were different degrees of positive correlation between shank length, shank girth and slaughter performance in Peking duck Z9 line, between body slope length, keel length, half diving depth and slaughter performance in Jingxi hemp duck, between keel length, shank length, shank girth and slaughter performance in Ji’an red feather duck. There were extremely significant positive correlations among different slaughter performance in three breeds (lines).

Conclusion300-day-old Peking duck Z9 line has the most advantages in body size traits and slaughter performance among three breeds (lines), Jingxi hemp duck is at the middle level, while the body size and meat production of Ji’an red feather duck are the smallest; the body size traits and slaughter performance of male ducks of three breeds (lines) are better than those of female ducks as a whole. As in three duck breeds (lines), there are different degrees of correlation among body size traits and slaughter performance, the body size traits can be used to predict the slaughter performance and accelerate the breeding process.