EFFECTS OF NUTRIENT DENSITY, GROWING PHASE AND RAISING SYSTEM ON THE PERFORMANCE AND FEATHER PRODUCTION AND QUALITY OF MALE DUCKS

Abstract

An experiment varying in nutrient density fed at 3 growing phases (starter,
grower and finisher) to ducklings raised with or without water pond facilities was
mrried out to study duck meat and feather production. Basic diets were Tl = 12%
crude protein/2000 kcal ME, T2 = 16 %/2500 kcal ME and T3 = 20 %/3000 kcal
ME. Four treatment combinations were Tl-Tl-Tl, meaning at starter (0-4 weeks),
grower (4 — 8 weeks) and finisher (8 — 12 weeks) phase the ducks were fed diet T1, T1, and T1 respectively, Tl-T2-T2, T1-T2-T3 and T2-T2-Tl. Each treatment
combination consisted of 3 replicates, each of 15 day-old ducklings. Ducks were
raised in the pen facilitated with or without water pond Measurements were made
on growth performance and on proportion of feather fraction (down feather, plumes
etc) and also on cost-benefit value. Results showed that combination of diet density,
as well as water pond affected bodyweight (BW) and feather production (FP)
significantly. At final week (12 week), Tl-T2-T3 treatment produced highest BW
both for water pond system (1479 g/h) and for non-water pond system (1388 g/h)
and poor performance were observed from Tl-Tl-Tl and T2-T2-Tl treatments.
Imeresting to note, better nutrient density caused shorter small intestine length
significantly. Feather production did not correspond linearly with the nutrient
density or with the water pond. Highest production was from Tl-T2-T2 and T1-T2-
T3 (43 g/h) in the non-water pond and was highest from T2-T2-Tl (45.3 g/h) for the
water pond system. The best quality feather (down feather) production however, was
not influenced by water pond availability. Highest production was from duck fed
Tl-T2-T3 (4.71 g/h) and T2-T2-Tl (4.22 g/h) that were raised without water pond
facility, and from ducks fed T2-T2-Tl (4.67g/h) and Tl-T2-T3 (4,4l g/h) raised
with the pond facility. Economic analysis indicated highest profit was eamed from
Tl-T2-T2 treatment for both type of raising.