Czech J. Anim. Sci., 2026, 71(8):371-379 | DOI: 10.17221/81/2026-CJAS

Comparison of carcass traits between mallard ducks (Anas platyrhynchos) and domestic ducks (Anas platyrhynchos domesticus)Original Paper

Eva Straková ORCID..., Anna Brázdilová, Natalie Klessy ORCID..., Pavel Suchý
1 Department of Animal Breeding, Animal Nutrition and Biochemistry, Faculty of Veterinary Hygiene and Ecology, University of Veterinary Sciences Brno, Brno, Czech Republic

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of domestication and the associated rearing system and rearing conditions on the carcass traits of ducks, assessed on the basis of weight and yield parameters, including skinless carcass weight, skinless breast muscle weight, skinless thigh weight, skinless thigh muscle weight, and the corresponding yield parameters. The study included 20 wild mallard ducks (Anas platyrhynchos) living under natural conditions and 20 domesticated Cherry Valley ducks (Anas platyrhynchos domesticus) reared under intensive indoor production conditions with controlled lighting, temperature, and feeding regimes. Wild duck group comprised females (DWF; n = 10) and males (DWM; n = 10), whereas Cherry Valley duck group comprised females (DDF; n = 10) and males (DDM; n = 10). Wild ducks were harvested during the hunting season in September. The age of the birds was determined according to standard hunting and ornithological criteria based on the evaluation of morphological characteristics, and all individuals were classified as one-year-old, whereas domesticated ducks were reared to 42 days of age. The results demonstrated that body weight, skinless carcass weight, skinless breast muscle weight, skinless thigh weight, and skinless thigh muscle weight were significantly higher (P ≤ 0.05) in Cherry Valley ducks. This pattern was confirmed in females, males, and in the analysis irrespective of sex. Among the evaluated yield parameters, Cherry Valley ducks exhibited significantly higher skinless thigh yield and skinless thigh muscle yield (P ≤ 0.05). In contrast, wild ducks showed significantly higher carcass yield and skinless breast muscle yield, both in females and males analysed separately and irrespective of sex (P ≤ 0.05). These findings confirm that domestication and intensive rearing have a significant influence on growth performance and carcass traits in ducks.

Keywords: living conditions; meat production; waterfowl

Received: July 1, 2026; Accepted: August 4, 2026; Prepublished online: August 25, 2026; Published: August 26, 2026  Show citation

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Straková E, Brázdilová A, Klessy N, Suchý P. Comparison of carcass traits between mallard ducks (Anas platyrhynchos) and domestic ducks (Anas platyrhynchos domesticus). Czech Journal of Animal Science. 2026;71(8):371-379. doi: 10.17221/81/2026-CJAS.
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