Duck Farming

Duck Farming

Duck is an aquatic bird and forms only 6% of our country’s poultry population. There are about 20 breeds of ducks. The native one includes Indian Runner and Syhlet meta. The exotic breeds include Muscori, Pekin, Aylesbury and Campbell. Domesticated ducks have been derived from the wild duck named Mallard (Anas boscas). Farming ducks is profitable as it can be combined with aquafarming practices.

Peculiarity of ducks:

The body is fully covered with oily feathers. They have a layer of fat under their skin which prevents it from getting wet. They lay eggs at night or in the morning. The ducks feed on rice bran, kitchen wastes, waste fish and snails.

Types of breeds: 

There are three types of ducks depending on the purpose for which it is formed. They are meat productive duck breeds, egg productive duck breeds, and breeds for both meat and egg production.

Advantages of duck farming:

They can be reared in small backyards where water is available and needs less care and management as they are very hardy. They can adapt themselves to all types of environmental conditions and are breed for feed efficiency, growth rate and resistance to diseases.