Evaluating Growth Performance and Economic Efficiency of Indian Major Carps in Integrated Fish-duck Farming Systems

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The experiment was conducted in three villages in Namakkal district to evaluate the effects of an integrated fish-duck farming system on the physico-chemical and biological parameters of pond ecosystems, as well as on overall fish production. This eight-month trial took place from July 2016 to February 2017. Ponds were stocked with fingerlings at a density of 6,000 per hectare, using Indian major carps like Catla (Catla catla), Rohu (Labeo rohita), and Mrigala (Cirrhinus mrigala) in a 4:3:3 ratio to maximize energy utilization through polyculture. Indian Runner ducks (Anas platyrhynchos) were included in the system to provide meat and naturally fertilize the ponds through excreta while grazing freely. In this village-based cultural practice, fish were not given supplementary feed. Instead, the ducks were fed with household food scraps and agricultural by-products, such as broken cereal grains and rice bran, which are readily available in rural areas. The study revealed that water quality parameters such as pH, dissolved oxygen, and alkalinity were significantly higher in the integrated ponds compared to control ponds (without ducks). Additionally, plankton levels (both phytoplankton and zooplankton) improved markedly in the integrated ponds. The Indian major carps in the integrated ponds also achieved better body weight than those in the control ponds. This improved growth rate contributed to a yield of 8,928 kg/ha/year in the integrated system, compared to 5,145 kg/ha/year in the control ponds. These results demonstrate that integrated fish-duck farming is more profitable than non-integrated systems (control) under rural conditions in Tamil Nadu, as it yields higher fish production without additional inputs.