White meat the target

Taupo Times, Volume 19, Issue 99, 23 December 1970, Page 9

White meat the target

Despite the dry climate and lack of large natural ponds many collective farms in South Kazakhstan, USSR, are now successfully raising ducks. One collective farm is breeding ducks in artificial ponds, and small canals 15-18 feet wide. In 1965 this farm produced 2356 cwt of duck meat; the estimate for this year is 16,000 cwt. This progress has been brought about by proper care and feeding. As soon as they are hatched the ducklings are put in special artificial-climate containers where they are fed special food to promote fast growth. After 35 days including the first three-day sojourn in the containers, most of them

weigh 51bs or more. For the feed the farmers use various mixed feed, grain waste, food concentrates and grass flour, while the ration of laying ducks includes some cod-liver oil, special supplements and lucerne. All this has made it possible for the farm to receive from every duck and its brood 328 lb of white meat. The farm's total outlay for the production of duck meat including some investments in capital construction and outfitting of water reservoirs, amounted to 800,000 roubles (a rouble equals a NZ dollar). This year, with meat deliveries still in full swing and saies as yet having reached only 1 100 tons of meat out of the 1600 tons planned, it has already netted an income of 2,042,000 roubles.