Fundamentals of Duck Farming

Fundamentals of Duck Farming

Akansha Sharma¹, Rajni Arora²

^{Department of Livestock Production Management, CVAS Bikaner, RAJUVAS}

^Abstract

The article explores the evolution, classification, distribution, domestication, special characteristics, breeding, and management of ducks, emphasizing their significance in global agriculture. Duck domestication traces back 2000 years, with Asia hosting 89.7% of the global population. The piece delves into the classification, highlighting ducks’ place in the animal kingdom as part of the Anatidae family under the Anseriformes order. Various breeds are examined, such as the Pekin, Aylesbury, Muscovy, Rouen, and Indian Runner, each detailed by origin, physical traits, and purpose. The study underscores the diversity of duck breeds, each optimized for meat or egg production. It reflects on India’s role as the world’s fifth-largest duck producer and offers a profile of local breeds like the Nageswari and Pati duck. Management systems are analyzed, from traditional scavenging to modern confined setups, exemplified by integrated models such as duck-fish and duck-rice-fish-azolla farming. The piece explores incubation requirements, distinguishing between chicken and duck species, and discusses the advantages of duck farming. Ducks are celebrated for their prolificacy, foraging abilities, and adaptability to diverse landscapes. The manuscript highlights ducks’ economic value, larger egg size, and lower feed cost due to foraging habits. It portrays them as trainable and efficient in scavenging conditions. In summary, the article provides a comprehensive overview of duck husbandry, spanning phylogenetics, distribution, domestication, breeding, and management systems. It celebrates the versatility of ducks in agricultural ecosystems and underscores their potential to enhance food security through innovative farming practices.

Keywords: Duck farming, Duck breeds, Sustainable duck husbandry, Integrated Farming Systems, Duck management

 Duck is one of the earliest domesticated species of poultry, which happened around 2000 years ago. It is the second important poultry species, next only to chicken in terms of eggs and meat production. Majority of ducks are reared in Asia (89.7%) followed by Europe.

Phylogenetic classification:

Population and distribution:

• World duck population was 1177.4 million in 2019
• India ranks 5th in the world duck population in 2019 (FAOSTAT 2021)
• In India, out of the total backyard poultry population (317.07 million), domestic ducks account for 3% share (20th Livestock Census 2019, Govt. of India, BAHS 2022)
• Ducks are mostly reared in the eastern, north-eastern and southern parts of the country The majority of the ducks reared are native or local

Domestication:

All species of ducks and geese are members of the family Anatidae and the order Anseriformes.

• Almost all domestic duck breeds have been derived from Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos)
• Mallards are found near ponds, marshes, streams, and lakes, where they feed on plants, invertebrates, fish, and insects
• They are dabbling or surface-feeding ducks
• On land, mallards also graze and forage for food.
• Domestic ducks are mostly polygamous, where wild Mallards are monogamous
• Domestic ducks are less violent than Mallards and have lost their territorial nature.
• Despite these variations, farmed ducks and wild mallards routinely mate and produce totally viable hybrid offspring.

Special characters of ducks

• Oily feathers:Prevents entering of water inside the feathers to reach the body and remains dry
• Webbed foot:It helps the ducks for easy swimming
• Bill:Strong and specially shaped to eat moss, insects, fish egg, hard snail, etc.
• Time of laylaying season: Unlike chickens, ducks begin laying eggs at night or very early in the morning.

Systems of management:

Carlen and Lansfors (2002) noticed the following three main system of duck production:

• Scavenging systems:Free ranging within the farm and the village (garden, home, or village pond). Daily herding (beyond the farm) in rice fields, dikes, canals, rivers, and tidal areas. Seasonal transhumant supervised ranging (beyond the locality). It is a traditional system
• Integrated duck production:Widespread in Asia. Examples include; Duck–fish farming system, Rice–fish–duck (most common system), and Duck–rice–fish–azolla farming system. The ducks are usually egg layers and are confined overnight; during this time, they lay eggs.
• Confined systems:Commercial and semi-commercial farms that produce eggs and meat. In enclosures or floating in ponds, canals, or rivers is a duck-fish combo. It is becoming more popular in Asian countries especially in meat-type duck production. Sometimes, ducks are raised in completely enclosed homes with regulated microenvironments. The ducks are occasionally given access to bathing areas, either indoors or outside.

Breeds of duck:

The breeds are mainly classified as egg type and meat type breeds of ducks.

Meat type duck

• Pekin:
• Origin: China
• Called as ’emperor ducks’
• Most popular table duck in the world
• Bill and legs are deep orange
• Pekin duck can grow up to 3.27 to 3.55 kg at 42 days of age

Aylesbury:

• Name is derived from Aylesbury in UK
• Large white fowl, popular as a table bird weighing 3.6 to 4.1 kg
• Bill is yellow and legs are deep orange
• The primary distinction between the Aylesbury and Pekin meat ducks is the color of their skins: the Pekin has yellow skin, while the Aylesbury has white skin.

Muscovy:

• Native species of South America
• Sexually dimorphic breed
• Male has a knob on the head and are larger weighing 4.6 to 6.8 kg
• Females are comparatively smaller and weigh 2.7 to 3.8 kg
• The laying period of Muscovy is from March up to September giving about 80 eggs per laying duck
• Peculiar character: communication between the birds is by hissing

Rouen duck:

• Originated in Northern France
• Very large duck weighing 4-5 kg
• It bears the beautiful plumage pattern of the mallard
• It drags their bulging body over the ground while walking
• Rouen is primarily thought of as decorative, but because of its size, it can also be used as a meat breed.

Egg type: Campbell

• Bred in England
• Campbells are among the best general-purpose ducks
• Average weight is 2 kg
• There are three varieties of the bird
• The original and still most common variety is the Khaki.

Indian Runner:

• Appearance is white to fawn in color
• Body shape is like soda water bottle
• Very hardy egg type breed
• Lays 250 eggs

Indian duck breeds

Nageswari:

• Nageswari ducks are locally called “Nagi,” the snake deity
• Head has a high snake like posture with a white stripe in the neck extending up to the breast.
• Belongs to Cachar and Karimganj districts of Barak valley of Assam
• Ducks have blackish brown feathers on their wings, tail, and back.

Pati duck:

• They are raised in backyard systems in rural Assam state, India, and are utilised for ceremonial sacrifices of meat and eggs.
• The head is greenish black, the tail has black and white feathers, and the plumage is dark brown.
• The Pati duck produces between 75 and 93 eggs a year.

Kuttanad duck:

• Native breed of Kerala
• Two varieties: Chara and Chemballi
• The major difference between drakes is in the plumage color of head region, which is lustrous greenish black in Chara and dull greenish black in Chemballi
• Average egg production is 116 to 124 which is higher in Chemballi variety

Management in different phases of bird:

Brooder ducklings: 0-4 weeks

• Space requirement: 90-100 sq.cm per duckling under the brooder
• Light requirement: 250 W for 30-40 brooders
• Temperature: 32⁰C

Grower: 5-16 weeks

• Generally, the male and female birds are reared combined up to 16 weeks of age
• For intensive system space req.is 3 sq.ft./bird
• For semi-intensive system 2-2.5 sq.ft.

Layer: above 17 weeks

• Lighting duration: 14-16 hours everyday
• Age at first egg is generally 120 days
• Annual egg number is 300 eggs for Khaki Campbell under intensive farming
• Daily feed intake of layer: 120-140 g per day

Table: Incubation of duck eggs

Advantages of duck farming:

• Ducks are more prolific than backyard chicken producing 15-20 more eggs on an average
• Duck egg is larger in size (10-15 g larger)
• Ducks have forage habit that reduces the feed cost
• Location of duck rearing is much more convenient where marshy, wetland, swampy river side lands can be utilized
• Integrated duck farming models can also be built
• Ducks are intelligent birds that can be trained for daily routine
• Ducks can thrive well in scavenging conditions also.

References:

• Annual Report: BAHS (2022). Basic Animal Husbandry Statistics. Retrieved from https://dahd.nic.in/sites/default/filess/BAHS_2022-English.pdf.
• Breeds of duck. Retrieved from https://www.slideshare.net/rameswarpanda98/breeds-of-duck
• Carlén, E. & Lansfors, B. 2002. Duck production in the Mekong Delta of Vietnam _ A survey with emphasis on the development and the sustainability. Minor Field Studies No. 209. Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden.
• Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Rome, Italy (2021). https://www.fao.org/food-agriculture-statistics/en/.
• Su, C.H. (2022). Breeds of Domestic Ducks. In: Jalaludeen, A., Churchil, R.R., Baéza, E. (eds) Duck Production and Management Strategies. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-16-6100-6_2

Please follow and like us: