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Itik Alabio Duck Monument
Alabio Duck
[edit]The Alabio duck, or locally known as Itik Alabio, is a breed of domestic duck from Kabupaten Hulu Sungai Utara, Kalimantan Selatan, Indonesia. The breed is considered to be a cross of the local duck and the Pekin duck. The breed was named Alabio by Saleh Puspo, a veterinarian who conduct researches on this breed 'The scientific name is "Anas Platyrhynchos" which means "wild dabbling duck from which domestic ducks are descended; widely distributed". It comes from the Latin word "anas" which means duck and the Ancient Greek word meaning "broad snouted, flat-bridged nose". [1]
They are in the class "Aves" and are apart of the family "Anatidae". They are considered waterfowls since they are found only in aquatic settings (ponds, rivers, streams, lakes etc.).
They are closely related to geese and swans
Life Span
[edit]The Alabio Ducks are able to live 4 to 8 years. Depending on the breed, some have been known to live for as long as 12 years.
Appearance
[edit]The feathers on the Alabio Duck are cream in color, whereas the beaks are typically orange or dark/light yellow. These feathers are also water-proof as are many birds' feathers. These ducks "preen" which means that they use their Uropygial Gland which produces a specific kind of oil to coat their feathers that keeps this water-proofing feature. They are able to turn their heads in a complete 360° motion, allowing for preening of all their feathers. Under these feathers are "down" feathers which are much more soft and fluffy than the water-proof outer feathers. These feathers work to keep the ducks warm in cold air and water.
They bear no teeth, only a bill that has small bristles on it useful for filtering small nutrients out of the food they eat.
Like most ducks, their feet are webbed to help with swimming in their aquatic lifestyle and they are unable to feel cold water, allowing them to survive in colder environments.
They have three eyelids, the third is called a nictitating membrane and is found on the side of the eye. Since birds are known for having a poor sense of smell, this allows them to see in color and allows them to hunt for food underwater. The three eyelids also play a role in cleaning the eye while they are fishing for food underwater or keeping the eye moist while the wind hits it during flying.
Differences between Genders
[edit]The male Alabio Duck has a distinctly colored with a bright blue or green head while the female Alabio Duck have a light brown head, which is useful for the female tries to remained camouflaged for protection from enemies.
Habitat
[edit]The Alabio Ducks require lots of space so they are able to fly around as well as some sort of aquatic setting so they are able to swim and drink.
Breeding
[edit]Alabio Ducks are most popularly bred for their excellent laying habits. In fact, they are among the best breeders in the duck family laying around 200 eggs a year. Most recently, however, many countries have found that the Alabio Duck have a tender meat and have thus been bred around the world because of this.
They are broody, meaning they lay on their eggs until they are ready to hatch
They are considered Precocial. This means that they are hatched with their eyes already open. They are also very independent when born and are able to leave the nest just hours after being hatched. It takes them only 5 to 8 weeks to learn how to fly on their own.
The males (drakes) have it inscribed in them to guard the nest, while the females (hens) will sit on her eggs to keep them warm until hatching. In general, a female Alabio Duck will lay around 5 to 8 eggs. It takes, on average, up to 28 days for the baby ducklings to hatch[2]
The egg of the Alabio Duck is much more nutritious than that of a chicken egg. It is able to stay fresher for a longer period of time due to the increase of calcium in the egg, thus making it harder. They also contain more albumin and Omega 3 fatty acids than a chicken egg does. Many chefs like to use these eggs because they make desserts fluffier due to the increase in Albumin. However, a downside of the duck egg is that it contains more cholesterol than that of a chicken egg.
Feeding
[edit]The Alabio Ducks are considered omnivores because they enjoy crustaceans, insects and occasionally plants as well.
They swallow these food products whole, and it is transferred down to their gut, which is called a gizzard.
- ^ "Alabio Duck". Retrieved 2015-9-18.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|access-date=(help) - ^ "Alabio Duck". Retrieved 2015-9-18.
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