Poultry: Ducks

Ducks have several advantages over other poultry species, in particular their disease tolerance. They are hardy, excellent foragers and easy to herd, particularly in wetlands where they naturally tend to flock together. Ducks are relatively easy to raise and generally need less care than chickens. However, ducks are waterbirds and live best on or near water (lakes, ponds, streams), and ideally need to spend part of each day swimming.

Advantages and Disadvantages Breeds of Duck Muscovy Raising Ducks: How to begin References and Further Reading

In Asia, duck production is closely associated with wetland rice farming, particularly in the humid tropics and subtropics. An added advantage is that ducks normally lay most of their eggs within the three hours after sunrise (compared with five hours for chickens). This makes it possible for ducks to freely range in the rice fields by day, while being confined by night. Duck feathers and feather down can also make an important contribution to income.

A disadvantage of ducks compared to other poultry, when kept in confinement where they will require feeding (as opposed to free range foraging for themselves), is their relatively high levels of feed wastage. This is due to the shovel-shape of their bill, making their use of feed less efficient. The meat and eggs are therefore more expensive than from chickens.

Ducks are usually grouped into the following three classes:

	Meat or general purpose	Meat breeds include the Pekin, Muscovy, Rouen and Aylesbury.
	Egg production	Egg breeds include the brown Tsaiya of Taiwan Province of China, the Patero Grade of the Philippines, the Indian Runner of Malaysia and the Khaki Campbell of England.
	Ornamental	Ornamental ducks are rarely found in the family poultry sector.

All of the egg production breeds of ducks originate from the green-headed Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos platyrhynchos). The Indian Runner, Khaki Campbell, Pekin and Muscovy are the most important breeds in rural poultry.

The Indian Runner
This is a very active breed, native to Asia, and ideal for free-range. It is a very good egg layer and needs less water than most other breeds, requiring only a basin in which it can immerse its beak up to the nostrils. It is the most graceful and elegant of all ducks on land with its upright carriage and slim body. It stands at an angle of about 80° to the ground but when startled can be almost perpendicular.

The Khaki Campbell
Originally bred in England, this breed is derived from three breeds: the wild Mallard, the Rouen and the Indian Runner. The female has an overall khaki colour, and the male has a bronze-green head. The female is best known for her prolific egg laying ability.

The Pekin
Originally bred in China, this attractive meat breed is favoured by commercial producers throughout the world. It is large and meaty with an upright stance and a broad round head. It has white to lemon-yellow plumage and a yellow skin. It is hardy, a reasonable layer, and grows rapidly. Although timid, it is docile and easily confined by low fences. It is well suited to both large, specialized duck farms as well as smallholdings. Pekin ducks are the major meat duck breed in Thailand, Malaysia, Philippines, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and China.

In most tropical countries, there are local duck breeds that have been selected to suit local conditions. They may not perform as well as improved breeds, but they do have the ability to survive and produce well under local extensive and semi-intensive systems.

The muscovy is not actually either a duck or a goose, but is genetically closer to the goose. Like the goose, the Muscovy eats grass. It also has a long egg incubation period of 36 days, similar to geese, and significantly longer than ducks (28 days).

The Muscovy is popular in areas where there is not much wetland rice production, since it does not require water for swimming. The female Muscovy is a good brooding mother, and is often used as a foster brooder for other species. It is a poor layer, producing only 30 to 40 eggs per year under extensive management.

The male Muscovy can become very large (4.5 to 5.5 kg) while the female is smaller (2.3 to 2.8 kg). The feather colouring is usually a combination of black and white, ranging from mostly black to mostly white. The male has characteristic red fleshy outcrops around the eyes called caruncles. The Muscovy is the predominant waterfowl in Africa and Latin America, as it thrives well under free-range conditions. Numbers are increasing in parts of Asia where lean, red meat is popular.