1. PoultryScience,PVNRTVU
DUCK FARMING

2. INTRODUCTION
• Important position next to chicken in india
• about 10% of the total poultry population
• contribute about 6-7% of total eggs produced
in the country.
• Traditionally West Bengal and Kerala are the
major consumer states for duck egg and meat
• Anas platyrhynchos
Dr Gurram Srinivas

3. Statistics
• Duck population: 26 million (FAOSTAT2010)
• Duck meat prod: 38 million tons
• Duck egg production: 1.5 billion numbers (2nd
to chicken)
• About 90 % duck population are indigenous
type
Dr Gurram Srinivas

4. • Ducks are more prolific and produce 15-20 eggs more
than backyard chicken.
• Size of the duck egg is 10-15 gram larger than chicken
egg.
• Ducks have long productive and profitable life i.e., they
will lay in second and third year also.
• Ducks supplement their feed by foraging; hence it will
reduce the feed cost.
• Marshy, swampy river side, wet lands, barren lands not
suitable for chicken can be used for duck rearing.
• Ducks lay their eggs during early in the morning (3am
to 8am) and saves time and enables easy egg collection.Dr Gurram Srinivas

5. • Duck farming is having symbiotic relationship
with paddy cultivation.
• Ducks are quite intelligent birds and they can be
easily trained for their daily routine (going to
ponds, feeding etc) and it reduces the labour for
management.
• Ducks are quite hardy.
• thrive well in scavenging conditions
• Ducks do not require any elaborate houses
• suitable for integrated farming systems
Dr Gurram Srinivas

6. Breeds of ducks (egg and meat type)
• Exotic
• Khaki Campbell
• White Pekin
• Indian runner
• Muscovy
• Indigenous
• Pati, Deo, Raj Hanh, Nageswari, Chara,
Chemballi, Desi etc.
Dr Gurram Srinivas

7. Ducks can be used for
both egg and meat
purposes.
Dr Gurram Srinivas

8. KHAKI CAMPBELL DUCKS
• Mature Body Wt:
* Male :2.2to 2.4kg
* Female:2.0 to 2.2kg
Egg Production:
300 Eggs/Yr.
• Age at Maturity
19- 20weeks.
• Avg. Egg Wt.
60-68g
• FCR at 6wks: 3.7
Dr Gurram Srinivas

9. • Khaki Campbell – best egg producer – 300
eggs/year.
• Egg size varies from 65 to 75 gms
• White Pekin - table purpose.
• It is fast growing and has low feed
consumption with fine quality of meat.
• It attains about 2.2 to 2.5 Kgs of body weight
in 42 days of age, with a feed conversion ratio
of 1:2.3 to 2.7 Kgs.
Dr Gurram Srinivas

10. Indian Runner
• Egg type
• Perpendicular carriage
• Drake: 1.8 -2.2 kg
• Duck: 1.4-1.8 kg
• EP: 250-270 eggs
• EW: 65- 70 g.
Dr Gurram Srinivas

11. • Fawn white runner- grey and white in color, a
line of white running up to eyes extending
around the bill.
• Back and shoulders are fawn upper part of
breast and wings are fawn. Lower part is white
in color.
• Breast is full body is long and narrow with no
indication of keel bone body resembling
penguin shape.
Dr Gurram Srinivas

12. • White runner – white in all sections. Bill is
yellow. shanks and toes are orange.
• Pencilled variety- head of male is dull bronze.
Body and upper section of breast are medium
fawn and tail is dull bronze-green.
• Colored markings are medium fawn
throughout with light line of fawn running
round the edge of each feather.
Dr Gurram Srinivas

13. WHITE PEKIN DUCKS
• Mature Body Wt:
* Male :2900-3200g
* Female:2500- 2700g
• Egg Production:
150-180 Eggs /Yr.
• Age at Maturity
22-24wks.
• Avg. Egg Wt.
75-85g
• FCR at 6wks: 2.70
Dr Gurram Srinivas

14. • Breed originated from china. Large feathered
bird,yellow bills,reddish-yellow shanks and
feet & yellow skin.
• Eggs are tinted white.
• Capability of producing excellent quality of
meat.
• Birds by virtue of nervous temperment, bad
sitters.
Dr Gurram Srinivas

15. Muscovy
• Female have no curled
feather
• Mature male : 3.00 to
4.00 kg.
• Female: 1.8 to 2.5 kg
(half of male)
• Egg production: 50- 80
eggs
• ASM:25 to 28 weeks
• EW: 70-75 g
Dr Gurram Srinivas

16. • More like a goose in many ways , it is graser
• 2 standard varieties –white and dark.
• White has white plumage, pale yellow
legs,pinkand fesh colored beak.
• Dark has got lustrous blue black body and back.
• Muscovy are armed with very large sharp claws
and are quite capable of opening one’s wrist or
hand unless firmely grasped by the wings.
Dr Gurram Srinivas

17. Ayelsbury
• Plumage is white, legs are short and stumpy.
• Due to light bone weight high percentage of
creamy white flesh- this breed is regarded as
delux table bird.
• Reach market weight by 6 m.
• Eggs are tinted white.
Dr Gurram Srinivas

18. Indigenous duck
• Multicolour
• Drake : 1.5 to 2.2 kg
• Duck: 1.3 to 2.0 kg
• EP: 130 to 160
• EW: 65 to 70 g.
Dr Gurram Srinivas

19. • A sort of broiler type of ducks are reared at
kolleru lake of AP specially for meat.
• They are very similar to broiler meat
marketed at 6-8 months.
• Meat of such duck said to be more tasty
besides more nutritive.
Dr Gurram Srinivas

20. Sexual dimorphism
• Male : curling upward of tail feather
• Male: Quacking sound less
• Female: Continuous quacking sound
Dr Gurram Srinivas

21. INCUBATION
• 28 days, Muscovy duck – 35 days
• 37.5 to 37.2o C (99.5 to 99o F)- first 25 days -
setter
• 32.7 to 33.8oC (90 to 92oF) for the last three days
of hatching.
• Eggs are transferred to hatcher on 25th day.
• Candling – 7th and 25th day
Dr Gurram Srinivas

22. HOUSING
• ducks do not require elaborate houses
• semi intensive system
• Intensive system
Dr Gurram Srinivas

23. Brooding of ducklings (0-4 weeks)
• Ducklings may be brooded on wire floor, litter
or batteries.
• layer ducklings - 3-4 weeks
• meat type ducklings 2-3 weeks.
• Winter - 1-2.
• hover space - 90-100 sq.cm per duckling under
the brooder.
• A 250 watt bulb can brood 30-40 ducklings.
• The temperature of 32оC is maintained during
the first week. Dr Gurram Srinivas

24. • Under wire floor system of brooding, the
space recommended is 0.5 sq.ft per duckling
• deep litter system- 1.0 sq.ft per bird up to
three weeks of age.
• The thickness litter- 3 cm
Dr Gurram Srinivas

25. Brooding Requirement
• Provide balance feed asses to scavenge
• Duck should access feed with water.
Dr Gurram Srinivas

26. • Small groups of ducklings can be brooded by
broody chicken hens and some breeds of
ducks.
• Be sure litter is free of mould
Dr Gurram Srinivas

27. • Use one 250-watt lamp for 30 ducklings.
• Confine the birds to the heated area
corrugated paper with chick guard.
Dr Gurram Srinivas

28. Growing period
• Intensive
• Semi-intensive
• Range system
Dr Gurram Srinivas

29. Semi-intensive
• Rural area mostly semi-intensive
• Semi intensive -2.5 to 3sqft and 10-15 sqft for
run space
• May be allowed maximum time for scavenging
(are good foragers)
• They feed freely on insects and worms.
• Supplemental feed during scarcity
Dr Gurram Srinivas

30. Free range
• Minimum care
• Low cost
• No feed supplement
• Night shelter
Dr Gurram Srinivas

31. GROWER REARING (5-16 weeks)
• Under intensive system, floor space of 3 sq.ft
per bird up to 16 weeks.
• Under semi intensive system,
floor space of 2-2.5 sq.ft per bird for
night shelter and 10-12 sq.ft per bird for
outside run up to 16 weeks.
• Water in the drinkers should be 10 -12 cm deep
to allow the immersion of their heads.
Dr Gurram Srinivas

32. • In rural duck farming, straight run ducklings
(male and female) will be reared up to 20
weeks of age, then female ducks will be kept
for laying purpose and male ducks will be sold
for meat purpose after selecting good males
for breeding.
Dr Gurram Srinivas

33. Layer (above 17 weeks of age)
• Under intensive system, a floor space of 4 sq.ft
per bird.
• In semi intensive system a floor space of 3
sq.ft per bird for night shelter and 10-12 sq.ft
per bird of outside run space.
• Ducks prefer wet mash due to difficulty in
swallowing dry mash.
• For the collection of clean and hatching eggs, a
nest box with 30x30x45 cm dimension shall be
provided at the rate of one per three ducks.
Dr Gurram Srinivas

34. • Lighting duartion of 14-16 hours is necessary
for optimum egg production.
• The age at first egg 120 days
• 50 percent egg production - 140 days
• The annual egg number is 300 eggs for Khaki
Campbell ducks in intensive farming.
• The daily feed intake during laying, body
weight and egg weight at 40 weeks of age is
120-140 gram, 1800 gram and 68 gram
respectively.
Dr Gurram Srinivas

35. FEEDING OF DUCKS
• Ducks are good foragers
• Normally the rural duck farmers are practicing
exclusively extensive system of rearing with
grazing.
• In extensive system of rearing- graze on pre
and post harvested paddy fields, ponds, lakes,
canals.
• fallen paddy grains, insects, snails,
earthworms, small fishes, fingerlings, tadpoles,
water plants like algae
Dr Gurram Srinivas

36. • paddy cultivation and duck farming is having
symbiotic relationship.
• So active duck farming is seasonal, coincide
with monsoon based paddy cultivation season.
• As a thumb rule 100 ducks require 0.5 acre
paddy field per day for effective grazing.
Dr Gurram Srinivas

37. • In intensive and semi intensive system of
rearing, ducks may be fed with dry mash, wet
mash or pellets.
• Ducks prefer wet mash due to difficulties in
swallowing dry mash.
• The most important point in feeding is Ducks
should have an access to feed with water.
Dr Gurram Srinivas

38. Catching and handling
• Should be caught by neck
Dr Gurram Srinivas

39. Feed
Characterist
ics
Starter Grower Layer Broiler
starter duck
Broiler
finisher
CP % 20 16 18 23 20
Ca% 1 1 3 1.2 1.2
P% 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5
ME (kcal/kg) 2600 2500 2600 2800 2900
Dr Gurram Srinivas

40. Disease control
• Procure ducklings from disease free stocks
• Maintain proper hygiene
• Provide adequate feed, water and floor space
etc.
• Vaccination
• Give fresh feed without any moulds
• Sick birds to be isolated
Dr Gurram Srinivas

41. Common diseases of ducks
• Very few diseases compared to chicken
• DUCK plague
• DVH (not prevalent in India)
• Duck cholera
• Aflatoxicosis (0.03 ppm toxic)
• Parasites
Dr Gurram Srinivas

42. Vaccination
Disease Age Route dose
Duck cholera 3-4 weeks s/c 1 ml (ducklings)
2ml (adult
after1month)
Duck plague 8-12 weeks s/c 1 ml
Dr Gurram Srinivas

43. Integrated duck farming
• Duck –rice (200-
300/ha paddy field)
• Duck-fish integration
(70 ducks/100m2
• Duck-rice-fish
integration
• Ducks helps:
• weeding
• Insects control
• Manuaring
Dr Gurram Srinivas

44. Fish-duck farming material flow
Dr Gurram Srinivas

45. The ponds and channels for extensive duck
farming
Dr Gurram Srinivas

46. Integrated duck farming in rice fields
Dr Gurram Srinivas

47. The fallen grains of paddy field is utilized by ducks
Dr Gurram Srinivas

48. COMMON DISEASES OF DUCKS
Viral diseases
• Duck virus enteritis (Duck Plague)
• contagious disease affecting adult birds, characterized by
vascular damage with tissue haemorrhage and free blood in
body cavities. The intestine and gizzard will be filled with
blood.
• It usually occur in per acute form and the mortality varies
from 5-100 percent.
• The major symptoms are droopiness, ruffled feathers,
discharge from eyes and nostrils, swollen and sticky eyelids,
greenish watery diarrhea.
• In males prolapse of penis and in females severe drop in egg
production will be noticed.
• The lesions are vascular damage, severe haemorrhages in
gastro intestinal tract, petichae in liver, pancreas, lungs,
kidney, ovary. Dr Gurram Srinivas

49. • Parent stock and commercial stock shall be
immunized with live attenuated vaccines to
transfer maternal antibody to the chicks.
• Commercial layers also immunized with
vaccines at 8 weeks of age
Dr Gurram Srinivas

50. Duck virus hepatitis
• It is a highly infectious disease of ducks primarily
affecting ducklings of 2-3 weeks of age,
characterized by severe hepatitis.
• The major symptoms are closed eyes, falling on
their sides, severe convulsions and death. The
primary lesions are enlarged liver with
haemorrhages.
• The reddish discolouration and mottling
appearance of the liver with enlarged spleen and
kidney is observed.
• Breeding stock can be immunized at 6-7 months
of age to protect the ducklings.
Dr Gurram Srinivas

51. Bacterial diseases
• Salmonellosis:
• Salmonella typhimurium,
• usually occurs during first few days of life,
• clinical signs exhibited during the start of lay or peak
production.
• The major symptoms are swollen and edematous
eyelids.
• The primary lesions are enlargement and mottling of
liver, pericarditis and arthritis makes the bird difficult
in standing.
• The sulpha and furazolidone are the drug of choice for
salmonellosis and control is by removal of carrier birds.
Dr Gurram Srinivas

52. Pasteurellosis (Duck cholera)
• It is an infectious disease caused by Pasteurella
multocida around four weeks of age.
• The symptoms are raised body temperature, green
colour diarrhea, complete paralysis of legs and
sudden death.
• Prevention is by vaccination and treatment with
suitable antibiotics.
• The prominent lesions are pericarditis and
arthritis, petichae in myocardium.
• The distended pericardial sac will be filled with
yellow flakes and caseous masses.
• Treatment with sulpha drugs will be beneficial
and control with elimination of affected birds.
Dr Gurram Srinivas

53. Fungal diseases
Aflatoxicosis :
• Aspergillus flavus and they are most potent carcinogen for
ducks.
• Maize, Groundnut oil cake, soya bean oil cake, rice polish
are the major feed ingredients for aflatoxin production on
storage in wet conditions.
• Improper drying and humid weather favours the fungus
growth.
• Ducks are very susceptible to aflatoxin content of the feed
especially exotic ducks are more susceptible than
indigenous ducks.
• The common aflatoxins are B1, B2, G1, G2 and B1 is the
most potent toxin.
• The minimum toxic dose is 0.03 ppm in the feed.
Dr Gurram Srinivas

54. • The major symptoms are poor growth,
lameness, purple discolouration of feet and
legs. Ducklings will develop ataxia, convulsion
and death.
• There is no specific treatment for aflatoxin and
the preventive measures are, avoid the wet
and mouldy feed and feed stuffs and use of
completely dried feed and addition of
fungistats and toxic binders.
Dr Gurram Srinivas

55. Aspergillosis
• It is caused by Aspergillus fumigatus.
Inhalation and ingestion are main modes of
infection.
• The symptoms are dyspnea, gasping and
accelerated breathing and ocular discharge.
• The major lesions are yellowish grey material
or whitish fluffy spots in lungs, trachea, and
abdominal cavity.
• The prevention is by good management of
litter and avoiding over crowding
Dr Gurram Srinivas

56. THANK YOU
Dr Gurram Srinivas