INDIAN DUCK FARMING’S POTENTIAL AND RISING TRENDS

INDIAN DUCK FARMING’S POTENTIAL AND RISING TRENDS

Dr. Rambabu.D, Associate Professor

Dept. of Poultry Science, College of Veterinary Science, Korutla

PV Narsimha Rao Telangana Veterinary University

Jagtial dist – 505 326. Telangana State.

e-mail: ram_vetdoc@rediffmail.com

Key Words: Duck farming, Chicken farming, Duck breeds, Brooding, Health care, Integrated or Combined duck farming and Vaccination.

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Farmers in India engage in a wide variety of poultry and cattle farming, and they profit from it. Farming of poultry includes raising chickens, turkeys, ducks, geese, guinea fowl, pigeons, ostriches, emus, partridges, pheasants, and other poultry. In India, chicken farming is a well-known practice of raising fowl. Poultry raised for meat and eggs. In addition to chicken, duck also has the same characteristics, although it is employed as similar to chicken. Due to this issue, we offered a series of duck farming in this study and also explained the methods and applications for this farming. Due to its benefits for livestock around the world, duck farming feather, beef, and egg. Ducks are farmed for eggs and meat, just like chicken. According to the 2012 Livestock Census, there are 32.09 million ducks in India, making up 12.34% of all poultry. The growing and shifting demographics of the duck population revealed that they are primarily found in the Eastern, North Eastern, and Southern states of the nation. Duck farming is still practiced by minor and peripheral farmers, roving clans, and is seen as a travelling, widespread, irregular activity in India. You can raise ducks in one of the three following ways. They are range system, intensive, and semi-intensive. Duck farming can also be combined with other forms of agriculture, such as fish farming and/or paddy cultivation. In addition to the food obtained via scavenging, feeding ducks is also fairly simple and involves using worms, wheat, paddy, oats, and kitchen scraps like green leaves, chopped vegetables, and lettuce. In addition to all of these, well-nourished food is a fantastic complement for the ducks in a healthy poultry farm. Compared to chicken and turkeys, ducks are more active and less prone to sickness. The use of vaccines is essential for better disease prevention. Therefore, duck farming is feasible and profitable in the same way that chicken farming is.

INTRODUCTION

Duck farming is a well-known and profitable industry. Ducks are very easy to find all throughout the world. Eggs and meat are in plentiful supply, and there are many varieties of duck available worldwide. All of the modern farming ducks in the world today are descended from wild birds. Those untamed birds startled people all across the world, and some of them have been domesticated as a reliable food source. Almost all of those birds are different species of wild duck. Paradoxically, red wild hens are the source of all chicken in the world. Additionally, ducks are water creatures. Due to its egg, animal protein, and quill, the duck is a profitable stock production in the world. Ducks are grown for their flesh and eggs, just like chicken. The size of duck eggs is reasonable; they weigh roughly 4.5% of the weight of a duck. Additionally, ducks are more adaptable to the free-range style of rearing and more prolific than chicken. They also grow more quickly than chicken does. When compared to chicken, they prefer modest dwellings.

The stock study from 2012 shows that 32.09 million ducks live in India, accounting for 8.52 percent of all poultry persons. According to figures from the food and agricultural organization, in 20 years, the output of duck meat increased from 0.034 million tonnes to 0.18 million tones, a 526 percent increase in growth rate. The country’s Eastern, North Eastern, and Southern states are where the duck population is determined, according to the population’s demographic and spreading factors. Leading in duck farming and duck population are the states of Assam, Kerala, west Bengal, Orissa, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Tamilnadu. In India, there are several different types of duck farming, including nomadic, widespread, regular, and large-scale farming. The fact that duck egg and meat pair incredibly well and taste excellent for their coastal-based cooking needs is one of the reasons Kerala and West Bengal are traditionally the two most important consumer environments for this product.

The advantages of duck farming include: Ducks produce more eggs than chickens do throughout the course of a year. When measured against a chicken, the size is similarly substantial. Ducks are less of a worry and look well in scavenging environments. Ducks use scavenging to supplement their diet. They eat other aquatic animals, beetles, snails, earthworms, small fish, and grains that have fallen in paddy fields. Ducks have a longer, more lucrative life expectancy, according to a beneficial fact of observation. Even in the second year, they continue to lay well. Unlike chicken, ducks do not require any expensive homes. Ducks are more resilient to common bird diseases, more hardy, and more simply pained. Outstanding locations for duck farming include marshy riverbanks, moist soil, and infertile moorlands where neither chicken nor any other form of stock would flourish. Ducks lay 95–98% of their eggs before 9.00 AM in the morning. As a result, we are saving a tonne of time, and labour is profitable.

Ducks are appropriate for mixed farming practices including duck-fish-rice farming and duck-cum-fish farming. In duck-cum-fish farming, duck compost is used as fish food, and fish don’t need any additional pond nourishment or fertilizer. When duck farming and rice production are combined, the ducks perform four crucial tasks: interploughing as they search for food; breaking up the soil surrounding the rice plants with their bills; weeding, pest control, and fertilizer. Ducks are honorable killers of potato bugs, grasshoppers, snails, and bullets. Ducks can help pinpoint the issue in locations where liver oddities are a concern. Ducks can be utilized to allow mosquito pupae and larval water forms. Ducks are able to go to ponds on their own and return in the evening, they are easily domesticated, and they have a reasonable level of intelligence.

About 9% of India’s poultry population is made up of ducks. States like West Bengal, Orissa, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Tripura, and Jammu & Kashmir are rife with them. Ducks are primarily of the domestic variety and are raised for their eggs by scavenging in the wild. They are capable of producing 130–140 eggs per bird per year. Ducks are more easily ruminated, hardy, and resistant to common bird illnesses. Duck schooling may be a better solution in areas where fowl or any other form of store does not thrive, such as muddy waterways, marshes, and barren moors.

DUCK REARING SYSTEMS

Ducks may be raised using a variety of methods. Farmers can practice adjusting this raising strategy to their own needs and available resources.

RANGE SYSTEM

Only at night are the ducks enclosed and maintained in a pen. The ducks are free to roam outside during the day in search of food. By leaving some additional food in the lodging, they are lured inside at night. Only night protection and nests are required for the ducks to lay eggs. Ducks will remain in the area if you treat them well. The fact that the ducks go to the forage and gather it on their own is an improvement over the current approach. The grower can now get nutrients that are otherwise inaccessible. After the rice harvest, some farmers in Asia congregate their flocks to do extensive damage.

RESTRICTED SYSTEM

The ducks are kept permanently enclosed, either in a covered shelter or in a run outside. The ducks will remain where they are. Monitoring and examining them is stress-free. A pond can be placed in the open run section of an outdoor run, making it simpler to provide the ducks with access to water.

INTERNAL SYSTEM

The internal plan is for large-scale duck farms, and it calls for developing the manufacturing to cut labour expenses. In comparison to the other two housing schemes, this one demands greater assets. All must be nourished, watered, and cleaned frequently by the cultivator. Growth may be quick and production can be cheap with the right management. Give ducks a large, shallow area with water so they may clean off and take a bath. They must be positioned above a draining area that is surrounded by wire or slatted flooring, just like open drinkers.

FARMING BREEDS

Khaki Campbell is the breed that produces the most eggs among those utilized for egg production in farms.

It has been shown that this breed’s specific egg output has averaged more than 300 eggs per duck each year for a period of more than twelve months. Weight ranges for Khaki Campbell ducks are 2 to 2.5 kg and 2.2 to 2.4 kg for drakes. Egg weight can range from 68 to 80 grammes. The White Pekin duck is the most well-known and well-liked duck in the entire world for table use. It is rapidly expanding, consumes little feed, and produces meat of excellent quality. With a feed exchange ratio of 1:2.3 to 2.7 Kg, it reaches a body weight of approximately 2.1 to 2.6 Kg in 45 days of age.

DUCKS’ FEEDING

The majority of Indian farms employed the country-side approach of feeding the ducks. Furthermore, the farmers of the farms are tired of having to feed the ducks wheat, rice, rice bran, coconut stem powder, or some other food. In certain farms, the farmers are feeding and caring for their chickens quite effectively. Wholesome foods that are delivered from markets. An investigation revealed that Tamilnadu’s duck farmers based on age, different foods for their ducklings are fed. Therefore, in addition to those feeds from Ducks eat forage, insects, snails, kitchen scraps, paddy grains, and weeds. The faeces from ducks is used as rice fields’ fertilizer. Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu duck farmers mix locally available feed ingredients to feed mature ducks. Ducks must never be allowed access to areas where there is no water to eat. Birds must always have the right to eat during the first eight weeks, but as they become older, they can start getting two meals a day, one in the morning and one in the late afternoon. Up until the age of 20 weeks, Khaki Campbell ducks consume approximately 15.5 kg of feed. Following that, the amount of food consumed per bird every day varies between 120 g and more, depending on the availability and rate of production of greens. Recommended nutrient requirements for layer and broiler ducks, a feed scale for Khaki Campbell ducks, information on broiler ducks’ typical live weight and feed intake, and feed monitoring techniques at Duck Farm are also given. The following table-1 lists the recommended nutrient needs for egg and meat type duck:

Table1: Suggested nutrient requirements for egg and meat type duck

SL. NO	CHARACTERISTICS	STARTER DUCK	GROWER DUCK	LAYER DUCK	BROILER STARTER DUCK	BROILER FINISHER DUCK
1.	Moisture, % (Max.)	12	12	12	12	12
2	Crude Protein, % (Min.)	20	17	18	24	20
3.	Crude fibre, % (Max.)	8	9	9	7	8
4.	Acid insoluble ash, % (Max.)	5	5	4	5	3
5.	Salt, % (Max.)	0.65	0.65	0.65	0.65	0.65
6.	Calcium, % (Min.)	1.30	1.30	3.30	1.60	1.60
7.	Phosphorous (Available), % (Min.)	0.75	0.75	0.75	0.75	0.75
8.	Linoleic Acid, % (Min.)	1.15	1.15	1.15	1.15	1.15
9.	Lysine, % (Min.)	1.20	0.70	0.75	1.30	1.20
10.	Metabolizable Energy (Kcal/Kg) Min	2700	2600	2700	2900	3000

 

WATERING OF DUCKS

Despite the fact that ducks are water birds and love the water, contrary to the widespread myth among farmers, water for swimming is not required at any stage of rearing. However, water in drinking fountains or water supply canals inside the home must be deep enough to allow for head absorption rather than self-absorption. If they fail to do this, their eyes may get irritable and scabby, and in some cases, blindness may set in. In addition, they clean them to maintain them clean and regularly clean their bill.

BROODING OF DUCKS

Ducklings may be incubated in a battery, litter, or wire ground. For 3–4 weeks, layer ducklings go through a gloomy period. Ducklings of the animal protein variety only require 2-3 weeks of darkness. Typically, the brooding period might last up to one or two weeks longer than the stable period during the winter. Per duckling, provide 95–100 square centimeters of hover space throughout the brooding season. 30–40 ducklings can be raised using a 100 watt bulb. During the first week, 32°C remains the temperature. It cools down by around 3°C per week until the fourth week, when it reaches 24°C. Up to three weeks of age, 0.5 square feet per bird on a wire floor and 1 square foot per bird in a litter is sufficient. Drinkers should have a depth of water between 5.0 and 7.5 cm, just enough to allow for drinking without having to lean over. In order to entice the excess humidity in the ducks’ composts, the depth of the litter during deep litter brooding will be 3 cm and above.

MEDICATION AND HEALTH CARE

Compared to chicken and turkeys, ducks are more active and less likely to contract infections. If infections do occur, they are likely the result of an unhygienic environment, poor administration, or a genetic weakness brought on by breeding. With the objective of recognizing whether a duck is nauseating you first have to recognize how a strong duck aspects. Table 2 lists the key differences between healthy and unhealthy ducks in terms of their features.

Table.2: Major characteristics features of healthy and illness ducks.

Sl. no	Characteristics	Healthy ducks	Unhealthy ducks
1	General condition, first impression	Lively	Listless, unusually quiet
2	Weight	Good	Often light
3	Growth rate	Normal	Too slow
4	Eyes	Lively, bright	Listless, dull
5	Cloacae (genital / anal area)	Large, soft, moist, pink	Shrivelled, dry, discoloured
6	Skin	Soft, loose	Wrinkled, dry

The most important details in this table describe how to recognize a healthy duck, including how it should be developing, how its eyes and cloacae (genital/anal area) glance, and how its skin feels. Studying ducks for a short period of time is an excellent method to become familiar with how a healthy duck seems. This doesn’t mean you have to pick up every duck every day; allot simply 15 minutes to watch the flock move around and observe the ducks’ appearance and level of nutrition. The two most crucial components of preventing ducks from getting sick are basic cleanliness and immunizing ducks.

Table 3: Vaccination schedule

Name of the vaccine	Route	Age of ducks
Duck Cholera (Pasteurellosis)	SubcutaneousDucklings, Adults	3-4 weeks
Duck Plague	SubcutaneousAdults	8-12 weeks.

 

Some illnesses are so contagious or mutually reinfecting that guarding the ducks is necessary. Vaccinating your ducks is especially helpful if duck raising is widely popular in the area.

SYSTEMS FOR COMBINED DUCK REARING

Duck ownership syndicates well with other types of agriculture. In these systems, the several farms that produce in tandem with one another and the farmer benefits from increased productivity and money. Byproducts and waste are utilized. Two well-known integrated systems are housed there.

PADDY CULTIVATION IS INTEGRATED WITH DUCK REARING

The approach that benefits the owners both economically and traditionally is the one that integrates duck farming and paddy production. Ducks in paddy fields consume harmful insects and snails, which benefits the paddy while also providing food for the ducks. The farmer assesses risks. For instance, there is still a harvest of eggs and duck meat if the rice crop is minimal. A method of duck farming used by the underprivileged agricultural labourers in South India is known as wandering duck farming. By raising ducklings, the farmer begins raising ducks in December. Large farmers were used to get ducklings. By February, when the second crop of paddy’s production has been exhausted, the labourers’ relocation with the ducks has begun. In general, the paddy farmers in Tamil Nadu and Kerala are happy to see the ducks. The ducks eat snails and small fish in addition to the field’s abandoned rice grains. When the water is agitated by the ducks, the weeds’ growth is restricted since their ability to photosynthesise is reduced. Their actions also promote the growth of the rice stalk, root, and leaves, hastening the growth of the grain.

A concentrated demand for insecticides and fertilizers helps the biological system over time. In the evening, ducks spend the night on the fields. The ducks are allowed one or two hours after daybreak, when egg laying is essentially complete and eggs can be easily gathered. Duck eggs are provided to landowners as payment. The paddy fields produce well because the ducks eat well there, and the fields produce well because of the duck moulds.

FISH PONDS AND INTEGRATED WITH DUCK REARING

In the combined duck-fish farming, the surplus and excrement from the duck coop can be processed again and used for fish culture. This may increase naturally occurring food production in the ponds, which will increase fish productivity. More money can be made by merging the duck and fish cultures. This offers the farmers the deserving advantages. The faeces can be disseminated evenly around the ponds and used as healthy manure for the fish that have amassed there if the ducks are allowed to congregate in the fishponds with ease. As a result, there is a decrease in the cost of manure, feed, and additional fish food. Due to the ducks’ presence in the fishponds, the ponds’ ecological production is enhanced and aquatic weed growth is inhibited. The amount of oxygen in the ponds increases as a result of the ducks’ swimming activity. There is no need to provide additional feed for ducks because they consume the weeds, insects, larvae, worms, and other organisms that build up in the pond.

Fish smaller than 10 cm cannot be placed in the pond in this type of duck farming method because the ducks will consume them. 15000 numbers of fish seeds can be encouraged per hectare. The concentration offered may vary depending on the fishpond’s natural environment and the availability of fish seeds. Duck growth is influenced by species type and egg-laying capacity. Appropriate administration is crucial for the duck-fish approach to produce more meat and eggs. Well-ventilated shelter must be provided, and standing still near waste water must be prohibited.

CULTIVATION OF PADDY DUCK AND FISH

Duck and fish can be raised on the same field as paddy is being grown. The farmers can make a yearly increase in income using this strategy.

CONCLUSION

Compared to courtyard chicken, ducks produce roughly 25 more eggs per egg. Additionally, a duck egg weighs 10 to 15 grammes more than a chicken egg. Because they also lay eggs in their second and third years, they have a more fruitful and prolific life. Consequently, it will lower the cost of food. Ducks typically lay their eggs in the morning since it is so simple to gather them and they don’t worry about them going missing. Since rice cultivation and duck farming are interdependent, paddy cultivation and ducks can be coupled in all paddy agriculture areas. Given their intelligence, these birds may easily learn to perform their daily tasks, which reduce the need for monitoring. They are fairly tough birds who can endure pain and are immune to common avian diseases. Broiler or green ducks mature much more quickly than chicken and have better feed efficiency. Duck farming is a growing industry in India that can be created in various locations by farmers for their own personal interests. For the development of its prospects for the future, it wants people to be more conscious.

 REFERENCE

 Bhagaban K (2006) A training manual On polyculture and integrated fish farming, Assam Agricultural Competitiveness Project (AACP), Govt. of Assam Organized by College of Fisheries, Assam Agricultural University Raha – 782103, Nagaon Assam, India.

Ensminger ME (1992) Duck Geese, and Miscellaneous Poultry, Poultry science 3rd edn. Pub. IBDC Lucknow, Pp 359-363.

Narhari D (2009) Housing and management of ducks, IV World Waterfowl Conference, Thrissur, India pp. 45-47.

Sivakumar T, Murugan M, Gopinathan A (2009) Indigenous Feeding Technologies Prevalent In Rural Duck Farming of Tamilnadu, IV World Waterfowl Conference, Thrissur, India.

Sreenivasaiah PV (2006) Scientific Poultry Production, A unique encyclopaedia 3rd revised enlarged edition, International Book distributing Co, Luncknow, U.P.

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