Appendix 2
MEAT-TYPE DUCK-RAISING ON FISH PONDS

(Fish-cum-duck culture in Madagascar)

1. INTRODUCTION

In the fish ponds of the tropics and subtropics there is a continuous need for organic manure to maintain and increase the productivity level. The waters of the warm climate belts are scarce in plant nutrients which results in poor fish production.

The regular supply of carbon, phosphate, and nitrate compounds can assure a continuous biological process and consequently the fish production in the ponds.

One of the cheapest and most fruitful solution to this problem is fish-cum-duck culture. The European fish culture industry developed a large-scale fish-cum-duck culture after the second world war when industrial fertilizers were hardly available and there was a pressing need to produce more meat and fish. Nowadays fish-cum-duck culture is on the decline as there are now many other methods of increasing meat and fish production.

In developing countries, shortage and high costs of energy, poor transport facilities, and lack of industrial fertilizers have created a need to develop such animal protein production techniques, which utilize the locally available possibilities and resources.

The fish-cum-duck culture can be set up in the following ways:

1. at the subsistence level (small-scale) keeping a maximum 10–20 birds at one time;

2. at the medium level where 50–200 birds are kept;

3. on an industrial scale where many thousand ducks are raised on large fish farms and reservoirs.

At the industrial level a breeder stock is maintained for egg production, a hatchery for regular production of one day ducklings, nurseries for raising ducklings for stocking in the ponds or reservoirs. Suitable strains and improved stocks can easily be developed.

Medium level fish-cum-duck culture is handicapped by the acute difficulty of acquiring healthy, suitable ducklings for stocking the ponds.

The same difficultues are encountered at subsistence level culture.

To boost the development of this type of production, central hatcheries and duck nurseries must be established where the small- and medium-level growers are guaranteed the supply of good quality healthy ducklings for growing to market size. Such a centre can be established in connection with a larger fish farm where fingerlings can also be obtained.

In some Asian countries duck culture is traditional and private persons are engaged in medium-scale duckling production not only for their own use but also for selling to other growers.

2. FISH-CUM-DUCK CULTURE IN GENERAL

The duck, as any other warm-blooded animal, has a limited growth; that is, after reaching a certain body size and weight, characteristic of the species and strain in given circumstances, it practically stops growing. Modern animal husbandry utilizes this characteristic and keeps the animals for marketing only as long as they are still growing. Keeping the animals longer would imply a loss because their daily maintenance and care costs money and involves risk.

The general practice is to keep the young animals in the best possible conditions, give them the necessary food for fast growth so that they reach market size within the shortest time, and then sell them. Economic goals and high production are thus achieved.

For fish-cum-duck culture purposes mostly Peking duck strains are used, as this duck combines good meat and fast growth. The use of improved local duck strains can also be considered if their growth is satisfactory.

The duck is an aquatic animal; it needs water not only to drink but also to clean itself and swim. It also has a natural urge to collect food in the water.

The fish-cum-duck culture offers reciprocal benefits. The fish grow more quickly in a continually manured pond. The fish utilizes the food wastages of the ducks. The ducks live in a healthy environment and when they are allowed to roam in a bigger pond they collect natural food such as water weeds, and eat harmful animals, e.g., frogs, tadpoles, mosquito larvae, insects, worms, snails.

The duck, especially the Peking duck strain, is a highly voracious animal. If illumination and drinking water are available they also feed at night. Consequently, growth may be very fast. Within 50–56 days (7–8 weeks) the duck can obtain 2–2.5 kg weight given suitable food and drinking water and appropriate living conditions.

The ducks above a given age (14–20 days) are very hardy animals. They survive in very poor and inadequate conditions. However, in an unsuitable environment, the production (growth), utilization of food, egg production, number of fertilized eggs, hatching ratio of the eggs) will also be poor.

2.1 Data on the Peking Duck

2.1.1 The brood animals

The weight of the females ranges from 2.8–3.2 kg and that of the males from 3.3 to 3.5 kg. The male: female ratio in a group of breeders is 1:4–5.

The age of the brood animals is 1–3 years. The brood stock is usually changed after the first egg-laying season as egg-laying declines with age.

Egg-laying begins at 6–7 months. The yearly egg production is 120–150 (average 140) eggs, the weight of one egg is 75–95 g (average 80 g) and the size 8 cm long by 5 cm wide.

A brood-duck can incubate 12–15 eggs and a brood-hen can hatch 10–13 duck eggs. The incubation time of duck eggs is 28 days and hatching begins after 25–26 days incubation.

The weight of a 1-day duckling averages 50 g.

2.1.2 Market ducks (production data)

Depending on the quality and quantity of food meat production (1.5–2.5 kg live weight) requires 50–56 days.

At this stage, 150 g of usable feathers are also produced.

The amount of droppings (within 50–56 days) is 6 kg/duck. The food conversion rate is 3.5 kg food (15–18% protein) for 1 kg duck meat.

2.1.3 Loss in the killing process

The average loss is 15–17% of which blood: 3–4%, feather: 4–5%, gut: 5–8%, evaporation 1%.

2.2 Duck meat production

To summarize: the Peking duck strains are very fast-growing. Within 50–56 days they attain the market size and are ready for selling. After reaching that age the first moulting starts and growth practically stops. Therefore, it is not economical to keep them any longer unless there is a demand for fattened, force-fed ducks. The moulting birds are difficult to clean.

The following table shows the growth rate of the Peking duck (weight in grammes):

The growth of the ducks is in direct relation with the quality and quantity of food and keeping conditions. There are many duck strains (especially local ones) which do not grow fast by eating the same food as other strains and never reach the mentioned weight. It is worthwhile utilizing fast-growing, good quality strains.

2.3 Duck Feed Requirements at Different Stages of Growth

In small-scale, subsistence duck-raising, the birds are fed only grains and sometimes household leftovers, and are allowed to search for protein-rich natural food, vitamins, and minerals according to their needs.

If many ducks are kept in a limited area this natural source is very soon exhausted and the ducks consequently suffer from the lack of proteins, etc.

Modern duck-raising provides a complete feed mixture possibly in pelletted (compressed) form which contains all the necessary proteins (animal and vegetal), carbohydrates, fats, vitamins and minerals.

According to the Hungarian standard (1975) the following feed mixtures are prepared for ducks of different ages and production type.

Four types of feed mixture are prepared for young ducklings up to 14 days old (starter); followed by the rearing mixture up to 40-days and finally the fattening feed. The egg-laying animals are given a special feed to boost their production.

(Brackets denote the digestible protein content of the ingredients).

In Madagascar other feed ingredients are available; their protein content can be estimated as follows:

Wheat and barley can be substituted with broken rice, wheat bran with good quality rice bran, and the sunflower seed meal with other oil cakes.

When not all these ingredients are available the ducks have to be released on the ponds so that they can collect vitamins, proteins and minerals according to their taste.

3. RAISING DUCKS FOR MARKETING

Three periods are distinguished in the time span of raising market ducks.

• the first week
• the second week
• the remaining 5–6 weeks

3.1 Raising Ducklings in their First Week

The duckling is a very sensitive animal in its first week of life, even more than a chicken of the same age. Heavy losses may occur if the necessary precautions are not taken. These concern:

• temperature
• space
• light
• feed
• drinking water
• water for splashing

3.1.1 Temperature

The 1-day old duckling must be kept in a room with constant temperature. The suitable temperatures which must be maintained when the small birds are placed near to the floor are:

• up to 3 days old 31°–29°C
• between 4–7 days old 26°–23°C

The ducklings suffer greatly if the temperature is lower than those listed above. They assemble in large groups, climbing on each other and the weaker ones will be trodden to death. The ducklings in the middle of the groups cannot reach the feed and drink, and their growth is hampered.

In Madagascar, the temperature varies considerably in the different areas and seasons. Great differences also occur between the day and night temperatures. During the day all windows and doors may have to be open so that the room is ventilated to reduce the high temperature, while at night heaters must be switched on to raise the temperature and prevent the ducklings from catching cold.

In the room where the young ducklings are kept there should be a thermometer so that the temperature can be controlled often and adjusted accordingly.

The room can be heated in various ways:

• heating lamp (infrared)
• normal electric lamp (both must be hung 20–25 cm above the floor)
• electric heater
• kerosene lamp
• kerosene heater
• heating oven (fuelled by wood or sawdust)

In the subtropics throughout the seasons it is sufficient to use heating at night time. Precautions must be taken to avoid fire hazard.

3.1.2 Space requirement of the early ducklings

The young ducklings are restless animals and need space in which to move freely. They suffer in crowded conditions. In their first week of life 25–28 ducklings need 1 m² room area.

The resting place (room) of the young ducklings should be littered with dry grass or straw in 5–7 cm-long pieces. Dry leaves are not adequate for littering purposes. The ducklings are frightened by the noise of the leaves and run to escape it. Pine sawdust (soft wood) provides good litter, but the sawdust of hard wood is unsuitable as litter for small ducklings as they may eat it, and develop serious gut inflammation and die.

The litter must be refreshed daily and the room cleaned thoroughly, the litter being changed at least every other day.

Young ducklings are kept on a wire screen (2–2.5 cm mesh) in modern nurseries. The screen should be strong enough to bear the weight of the ducklings, self-feeders, water troughs, etc. The screen bottom of the pen is placed 1 m above the floor so that the droppings and debris can be easily cleared away. Air heating is usually installed under the screen, but when such a heating system is not available the laying chimney of the oven is built under the screen. The heating fuel used is wood, sawdust, straw, or other agricultural waste. The screen bottom has many advantages: the droppings fall through the screen and no litter is needed, the ducklings remain clean, and as many as 50–55 birds can be placed on a 1 m² screen.

3.1.3 Light

When electricity is not available one or two kerosene lamps can provide sufficient illumination. If the light goes out unexpectedly the ducklings start to screech in fear. To avoid this, a reserve kerosene lamp should be kept in good order. The duck cannot see in blue and white lighting but its sight is good in the yellow light emitted by a normal electric bulb.

Light has to be provided because the ducks are semi-darkness animals and also feed at night.

3.1.4 Feed

The freshly-hatched duckling starts to eat after the dry-up. After 6–12 hours of hatching it is advisable to offer food. If the ducklings do not get food and water within 24 hours they weaken and may die or their growth be stunted.

Only dry feed is given in the first week. The best is the pelletted feed 2–3 mm in size. The feed is offered ad libitum in a simple self-feeder. When pellets are not available, the food is given in meal form.

The feed must contain animal and vegetal protein (18–19%) carbohydrates and fats, minerals (calcium and phosphate) microelements, vitamins and antibiotics.

Having all these constituents (some available in premix form - mineral premix, vitamin premix) one can mix the appropriate feed. If available, starter chicken feed (No. 1) is also suitable for ducklings. Limestone (marble) grit (2–3 mm granules should also be provided in one flat tray and pebbles of the same size in another tray. The limestone grit, eagerly taken by the ducklings, provides calcium for the rapid growth of bones. The pebbles, taken by most of the birds, is necessary to grind the food in the muscular part (gizzard) of the stomach. The ducklings eat greedily finely cut green grass, water weeds, vegetable leaves, etc. It is also strongly recommended to provide them with fresh greens daily.

As the capacity of the crop (jabot) of the young ducklings is small they feed very frequently. A self-feeder (demand-feeder) is therefore advisable. Food offered in troughs or trays soon becomes trampled and is then refused. If the food is offered on trays it must be in small quantities, and the trampled food should be removed from time to time.

The necessary quantity of feed (starter feed) is 30 g dry feed/day/duckling in their first week. They eat about 16–18% of their body weight at that age.

Feed requirements for 100 ducklings in the first week of life is given below:

Average 3 kg/day

The swallowing process of the young birds is rather troublesome, the meal feed easily sticks on the palate and tongue, and the duckling washes its beak in the drinking water. Such type of feed is thus rather wasteful. The loss is nil if granulated (2–3 mm) feed is used. Using water-softened meal feed the loss is also less than in the case of dry meal feed.

3.1.5 Drinking water

After eating even a small amount of food the ducks usually drink. They drink more often than chickens. They wash their beak and mouth in the water. As a result, the drinking trough very soon becomes polluted by feed remnants. When the ducklings take food there is a great deal of activity between the feeding place (self-feeder or tray) and the drinking pots. It is very important to provide fresh, clean drinking water for the ducklings, and running water is preferable.

The ducklings readily splash in the drinking water because of their waterfowl characteristics and become totally drenched. This must be avoided in the first 3 days and therefore the drinking tray, pot, or canal must be covered with a screen so that only the beak of the birds can dip into the water. It is advisable to place the feeding place 1–1.5 m from the drinking water.

If no running water is available, the drinking water in the pots or trays must be changed very often because the feed remnants start to decay and foul the drinking water. There are well designed self-filling drinking pots which are very suitable.

3.1.6 Water for splashing

When the ducklings are hatched by a brood duck or hen they have a natural oily fat layer on their flock and they may go into the water immediately. The incubator-hatched ducklings have to use their own fat-gland to fatten their flock so as not to become soaked when entering the water. These ducklings should adapt gradually to the water during the first four days of life. When the sun shines warmly and the air temperature is high enough the three-day-old or older ducklings should be given the opportunity to splash. The splashing place could be a long flat tray or a flat basin sloping from 0 cm to 15–20 cm depth. This water soon becomes dirty and must be cleaned at least once daily. The ducklings must not be allowed to splash in cold weather.

As already described, the nursery of the early ducklings needs well equipped rooms and runs, and conscientious care. Specialized hatcheries and duckling distribution centres, or specialized private persons should be assigned for this work.

3.2 Rearing Ducklings in their Second Week

The 1-week-old ducklings can be put in ponds, especially in tropics and subtropics when the necessary conditions are available, i.e.:

• shelter in the case of cold and bad weather
• the enemies of the ducklings can be kept away
• both day and night temperatures are sufficiently high (not less than 18°C during night time)

If such an environment cannot be provided, it is highly advisable to keep the ducklings under controlled conditions even during their second week.

During the second week the ducklings become gradually less sensitive and become hardy enough to survive changing weather conditions.

The requirements which must be met at that stage are not so strict, and deviation from the prescribed treatment is not so fatal as within their first week of life.

3.2.1 Temperature

The necessary temperature for this age is 20°–18°C. If it is colder, heating is recommended.

3.2.2 Space

The growing ducklings need increasingly more space in which to move. Pen or room surface requirement is 1 m² for 25 ducklings, but the yard (run) must be more spacious allowing 1 m² area for 5 ducklings of that age.

3.2.3 Light

Second-week ducklings can live without illumination but drinking water and food should be provided so that the ducklings can eat and drink in the semi-darkness and in moonlight. If possible it is advisable to illuminate the room or pen during the whole night.

3.2.4 Feed

The quantity of feed increases in the second week at the following rate. The quality of the feed is the same as that of the first week.

Average 5.5 kg/day

If available, pellets are the best, otherwise well milled feed mixture should be offered as soft-feed, i.e., the food should be mixed with water so that it acquires a crumbly consistency. The duck can swallow the bigger pieces while the too wet feed is swallowed with difficulty and should therefore be avoided.

Limestone grit and pebbles should continue in the diet. Green grass cut in small pieces is eagerly eaten as before and can be mixed with the soft feed.

3.2.5 Drinking water

Sufficient clean drinking water is still required. The ducklings drink increasingly more water as their body grows. The number of drinking pots should be increased accordingly.

3.1.6 Water for splashing

If the ducklings have till now had no opportunity to splash they should be allowed to adapt to life in the water without delay. When they are already accustomed to water they can be released into the pond in day time if the temperature is warm enough. Below 10°C, this should be restricted to 1–2 h/day.

At the end of the second week the ducklings weigh 300–400 g and can be considered as advanced ducklings and strong enough to stock in the ponds.

In Europe the ducklings are kept in controlled conditions for their third week of life during the early spring time when the day temperature is only 5°–10°C.

3.4 Fish-cum-duck Culture

The main targets of the duck raising on fish ponds (fish-cum-duck culture) are as follows in order of importance:

• to produce healthy, clean tasting, tender young duck meat, cheaply and economically;

• to secure quick return of investments by producing duck meat as quickly as possible;

• to increase fish production

  • directly, by providing access to the feed remnants and feed offals of the ducks to the fish;

  • indirectly, through the faeces and manuring effects of the ducks which increase productivity and fish food production in the pond.

• to utilize the weeds and harmful animals which, uncontrolled, otherwise grow and multiply in the pond;

• to save protein ingredients of the artificial feed by allowing the ducks to collect protein-rich food in the pond;

• to provide a cheap, healthy and safe place for the ducks to live. This does not demand much capital and investment unlike keeping ducks in pens.

To achieve these targets and benefits there are different solutions depending on the circumstances and possibilities. Some of the solutions could not totally reach all the targets mentioned, and compromises should be made. However, rearing conditions which are against the nature of the ducks should be avoided.

3.4.1 Raising ducks on the ponds

Two types of duck-raising on fish ponds can be distinguished:

1. The ducks are released to roam freely in the fish ponds.

2. The ducks are kept in confinement screened off from the other parts of the pond.

Both alternatives have advantages and disadvantages.

In the first case, platforms or screen platforms are usually fixed over the pond water where the self-feeders are placed. These platforms are the feeding and resting places of the ducks. The platforms could be accessible from each side to the ducks through an oblique plank ladder fixed to the platform on one end and the other end equipped with floats. Thus the ladder adjusts itself according to the water level. The platform cannot be fixed on floats such as empty barrels, because a moving platform frightens the resting birds.

The ducks soon become used to returning to the platform after roaming in the pond.

The advantages of this system are as follows:

• the feed remains and manure falls directly into the pond, directly or indirectly increasing the production;

• the birds are safe at night from predators and stealing;

• as the birds search for food in the entire pond they may control water weeds and harmful animals, and supplement their diet with proteins and vitamins;

• an artificial diet could contain fewer proteins (10–12% only).

Disadvantages include:

• feed supply for the ducks is rather difficult (two-time loading of the feed is necessary);

• the ducks lose weight, or the feed conversion rate is low because of the free movement of the birds;

• the ducks crowded in one pond often go astray or move to other ponds (èspecially if the pond is small);

• building and maintenance of the platform are costly;

• it is difficult to capture the birds on large ponds at the end of the raising period;

• the birds often destroy the dams of the pond especially if the pond is small.

An alternative is to place the self-feeders on the embankment of the pond where they could be filled up from the truck. The resting place is also on the embankment. The advantages of this solution are obvious. The disadvantages are that the feed only partly reaches the pond and about 40% of the faeces remains on the dam. Damage to the dam is considerable where the feeding and resting places are located.

Nowadays many farms restrict the ducks in a confinement built in the pond. The confinement includes a well-paved dry run, protection of the dike (embankment) against damage, and a screened-off water surface in the pond. The screening is made so that the fish can enter under the screen into the confinement, but cannot escape. A duck cannot dive deeper than 0.5 m. If 0.2 m distance is left between the screen and the bottom, the fish can freely enter the confinement. In smaller ponds wave action and current may wash out the dissolved manure from the confinement if the mesh of the screening is wide enough (4–5 cm).

In calculating the space requirements of the ducks, for every 3 ducks a 1 m² yard is proposed (resting and feeding place), for every 15 ducks a 1 m² shelter area (not always needed), and for every 5–10 ducks a 1 m² fenced water surface.

The advanced ducklings (over 14 days old) are hardy enough to live on the pond during the night and in the open if enemies can be kept away. The duck easily adapts to remaining in a given place moving from time to time to take food. It is a sociable animal and does not like to be alone. Moreover it is a slow-moving animal easy to keep in a given place and restrict from roaming around. In a larger pond where enough natural food is available the ducklings do not attempt to escape.

The main requirements for duck-raising are to provide enough suitable food and free access to the pond water (during night time as well) and a quiet overnight and resting place.

As already mentioned, the feeding and resting place can be constructed as a platform fixed above the pond surface or arranged on the shore of the pond.

The birds should never be left without food and drinking water when the keepers are off duty. They would suffer a great deal and their production would deteriorate.

The duck is a very voracious animal and eats also in semi-darkness or by moonlight. To assure good digestion and utilization of the feed eaten it has to drink water very often while and after taking food.

The quantity of drinking water for ducks of different ages is as follows (in Europe).

The drinking water requirement is probably higher in the tropics and subtropics, because of the higher perspiration rate.

The feeding trays or self-feeders should be placed near to the water so that the ducks can eat and drink without walking long distance.

For safety purpose - keeping away the predators, stray dogs, thieves - it is necessary in most cases to keep the ducks closed at night time, but it should be so arranged that the ducks have free access to the pond water. This is easy to arrange if the pen is built over the pond surface.

3.4.2 Food and feeding

The rapid growth (and rapid return of investment) of the meat-type ducks can be achieved only by providing qualitively and quantitatively adequate feed. The ducks will stunt and all efforts will be in vain if that main requirement is not met.

If there is an animal feed mill in reasonable proximity, willing to prepare suitable feed mistures in pelletted form at a reasonable price, the development of a fish-cum-duck culture industry is rather easy. Otherwise, the feeds must be prepared in farm-scale according to need.

It is stressed that the pelletted (compressed) feed is the best, because it is easy to swallow, to digest, and less wasteful. The water softened “soft feed” comes next. The feed mixture in pulverized form is the worst and results in high wastage rate (if it is offered in platform over the pond most of the waste is utilized by the fish.)

The feed can be offered in self- (demand) feeders so that the duck can always find food, or on trays where they can feed only during feeding time. In the interests of rapid growth, better digestion of the food and less work, the demand-feeders are superior. The daily feed quantity for 100 ducks is as follows:

3.4.3 Stocking rate

The normal stocking rate of ducks in the fish ponds is 3–5 ducks/are (300–500/ha).