Determining the Physiological and Reproductive Responses of Domyati Ducks to Different Dietary Levels of Coconut Oil as a Source of Medium-Chain Fatty Acids during Laying Period

Abstract

The objective of this study was to determine the optimal level of coconut oil (CO) supplementation in the diet to enhance the performance of Domyati ducks. A total number of 300 Domyati ducks (240 females and 60 males) aged 25-week-old were randomly assigned to 4 experimental groups of three replicates, each replicate included 5 males and 20 females of Domyati ducks. The groups received CO at 0, 1.0, 1.5, and 2.0% during the experimental period. The results indicated that egg weight, egg number, and egg mass significantly increased in treated groups, compared to the control group. Furthermore, fertility and hatchability percentages were superior in 1.0, and 1.5% CO groups, compared to other experimental groups. Low-density lipoprotein in ducks that received CO was significantly lower than that of the control group. It is concluded that the inclusion of CO at a 1.5% level could be enough and useful for improving the reproductive and physiological performance of Domyati ducks.