title: Artificial insemination and natural mating in the crossbreeding of the Muscovy drake and the Pekin duck.
abstract: Artificial insemination and natural mating were used for the crossbreeding of the Muscovy drake with the Pekin duck in order to produce the Mule duck. An average fertility rate of 48% was reached by artificially inseminating twice a week. In small flocks, however, when the male to female ratio was 1:2.5 (or higher), natural mating yielded a fertility rate of 80%.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001947:Breeding; D003307:Copulation; D003433:Crosses, Genetic; D004372:Ducks / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D005298:Fertility; D007315:Insemination, Artificial / Q000662:veterinary*; D008297:Male