If you are attracted to the ducks of the original black color and you would like to consider the option of breeding them at home, then we advise you to pay attention to one of the most interesting and popular breeds, the Black White-breasted Duck.
Among the representatives of the wild fauna, black coot is distinguished by a coot. Read about the features of each of these birds in our article.
Coot
The coot, or coot, belongs to the shepherd's family. In nature, there are 18 species. This is the most massive breed of waterfowl and a common object of interest of hunters.
Poultry farmers should consider the peculiarities of keeping ducks such as the Indian runner, Temp, Kayuga, Bashkir, Mulard, Peking (Star-53) and the blue favorite at home.
Breed features
A coot is a medium-sized bird. The length of her body does not exceed 38 cm, weight - 1 kg. Build tight. On the sides of the case is somewhat flattened. Feathers on the head, neck and upper part of the body are painted in dark gray or black. Chest and belly somewhat lighter - in gray tones. 
A characteristic feature of the appearance of a coot is a white plaque on the forehead and a white beak. Beak sharp, compressed at sides. The paws are yellow or orange with long gray fingers, which do not have membranes, but are bordered with lobes cut at the edges. Females and males practically do not differ in appearance. But their voice is different: in females it is loud and sonorous, in males it is quiet and deaf.
Coot life expectancy is 18 years.
Did you know? British scientists from the University of Exeter, attaching GPS sensors to wild red ducks, found that they can fly up to a height of 6.8 thousand meters during the flight. It is at this height that they overcome the mountain ranges of Everest. Note that at an altitude of 13 thousand meters passenger planes fly, and at an altitude of about 5 thousand meters a person begins to suffer from high altitude hypoxia.
Spread and lifestyle
The coot is often found in the warm season in various fresh and light-salted water bodies in Eurasia, North Africa, Australia. It migrates along a difficult route. The same birds at different times can fly in different directions. In the spring, they fly to a new habitat in March-May, in the fall - in September-November. Southern coots are sedentary. 
Coot nests in shallow water, right on the water, among dense thickets of reeds, sedges, reeds. In those places where the birds stop for the winter, they gather in large groups - up to several hundred in one reservoir. Birds spend most of their time on the water.
Important! For strong immunity, fast and proper development of a black white-breasted duck pond is needed. The presence of nearby water can significantly minimize feed consumption.
These birds are monogamous - they create a constant pair. Both partners are responsible for building the nest and hatching eggs. In one season, females lay 2-3 eggs laying 7-12 eggs each. Chicks appear after 22 days. They can start self-sustenance at the age of 1.5-2 months, flights - in 65-80 days. Puberty reach next season. 
They feed on coots with greens and fruits of aquatic plants. Up to 10% of their food is animal feed - mollusks, fish, eggs of aquatic birds. For food, ducks can dive to a depth of 1-1.5 m.
Proper nutrition is the key to good bird health. Read on how to properly formulate a diet for ducks at home, how to feed small ducklings, and also how to independently prepare compound feed for ducks.
Molting occurs before the autumn migration from June to October. At this time, coots gather in flocks in large reservoirs. Until the pen is updated, they cannot fly, so they prefer to hide in the bush.
Video: Black Coot Duck
Black and white duck
A black white-breasted duck was bred by Ukrainian breeders when crossing 3 breeds: Ukrainian egg, meat from Beijing and meat and egg Khaki-Campbell. The result was a large individual weighing 3-4 kg with beautiful decorative characteristics, high egg production and tasty meat.
Read also about the most popular breeds of white ducks.
Breed features
The head and back of these ducks are black, the chest is white. Females and males can be easily distinguished from each other, since the latter have plumage around the neck with a purple tint.
The head is small in size, slightly flattened at the sides, elongated. The bill is short, curved down, black. Torso vertical format. The chest is wide, massive. The neck is long. The tail is small, slightly raised. Paws are short, black. 
Females hatch from 110 to 140 eggs weighing 85-90 g. Egg production has been at a high level for several years.
Did you know? During the armed conflict between the British and the Irish in 1916, during combat clashes in the central park in Dublin (Ireland), the armies of both countries stopped fire at a certain time, thereby allowing the park's attendant to feed the ducks, who were massively living in a park pond.
Puberty in black white-breasted ducks occurs at 6 months. In 2 months can gain weight 2 kg. At the same time they are ready for slaughter.
Representatives of the breed are distinguished by strong immunity. They rarely get sick and are resistant to parasites. Can survive in any conditions. Females are good chicks and mothers. The safety of ducklings - 90-92%, mature individuals - 95-96%. The duration of incubation is 28 days.
For sure, it will be useful for you to find out how many days a duck sits on eggs, what types of ducks are, why a duck floats on water, and also get acquainted with the rules of breeding wild ducks.
Maintenance and care
Special conditions of detention require only young individuals. They are demanding for temperature. The best for them is heating up to + 22-30 ° С. Adult representatives of the breed are not afraid of cold. A dry bedding, good ventilation, no drafts are important for them in a duckling, wooden floor is desirable. 
If your goal is to achieve maximum productivity, then in the room where the ducks are kept, you need to set the temperature at + 18-25 ° С. The recommended density of the duckling is 5 individuals per 1 square meter. m
Agree, it is very important to provide the bird with comfortable conditions for development. Learn how to build a duck shed yourself, and learn how to make a nest for a domestic duck.
The Utyatnik and the walking place should be equipped with drinking bowls and deep feeders, since black white breasts do not differ in accuracy and like to scatter feed.
In industrial conditions, this breed is fed with mixed fodders, in households most often as food for it are grain, bran, grass, meal, bone meal, fish meal, and wet mash. 
Black ducks are amazing creatures of nature and the work of man, which attract attention with the beauty of their plumage. The two most well-known black duck breeds are the wild coot with a white beak and the domestic Black White-breasted. Despite the same color of the plumage, these waterfowl birds have different lifestyles, food preferences and attitudes towards humans.
