Weight Of Ducks Research Articles

Effects of Fresh Azolla microphylla Supplementation on Pelleted Basal Diet to Local Muscovy Duck Breed Production Performances

The study was aimed to evaluate the effect of feeding fresh Azolla microphylla on pelleted basal feed on the Local muscovy duck breed production performances. The research was done for 2 months August to September 2023, in the Muscovy duck farm, Paguyuban Petani Mandiri Kademangan, (PPMK), Blitar Regency, and feed analysis was done in the Nutrition and Animal Feed Laboratory, Faculty of Animal Science, Muhammadiyah Malang University. The research method used is experiment using a completely randomized design consisting of 3 treatments and 5 replications, each experimental unit used 4 ducks, reared and plotted randomly in the litter cage. The research variables observed were: day old duck weight, final weight, feed intake, FCR and performance index. The results of the study of the effect of supplementation 10% of fresh Azolla microphylla on the best performance index of Muscovy duck (Cairina moschata), can be apply for duck feed.

Impact of biotechnological transgenesis procedures on duck productivity

The use of poultry as a unique model of biological research was characterised by a high level of efficiency, however, methods for creating transgenic ducks, complicated by the structure of waterfowl eggshells, are of low efficiency. The purpose of the study was to determine the influence of various biotechnological procedures for creating transgenic ducks on their productive qualities and reproductive ability to identify the optimal method for creating transgenic poultry for further use in scientific, research, or economic purposes. Weighting, morphometric and statistical analysis of productive traits were used during the study. 40 ducks (4 experimental groups of animals and about 3,000 of their eggs) were studied. The lowest value of the egg productivity index was obtained in the group created by busulfan injection (79.5±11.8%), the highest – in the group created by sperm-mediated gene transfer (91.8±2.3%), the group of direct injection of transgenic construct – 89.0±2.0%, which indicates that this biotechnological method of introducing transgenic construct did not have a clear effect on this indicator. The weight of ducks in different experimental groups ranged from 1,323.50±65.36 g (using the sperm-mediated gene transfer) to 1,608.08±94.76 g (in the group created using busulfan). Ducks that received direct injections had an average weight of 1,480.42±35.01 g. In the control group, the average weight at sexual maturity was 139.5±9.67 g, in the busulfan group – 148.2±13.13 g, in the direct injection group – 143.16±7.25 g, and in the spermmediated gene transfer group – 140.67±13.13 g. It was found that the method of injection into the embryo of a recipient sterilised with busulfan and the introduction of donor blastodermal cells negatively affect the reproductive qualities of ducks. The practical significance of the study lies in the fact that as a result of the analysis of the productivity of ducks obtained by various methods of transgenesis, it was determined that the most effective of the evaluated methods is the transfection of DNA of the transgenic construct with sperm (Sperm-mediated gene transfer, SMGT)

APPLICATION OF MULTIVARIATE STATISTICAL ANALYSIS IN CHARACTERISING THE PHENOTYPIC VARIABILITY OF LOCALLY ADAPTED MUSCOVY DUCKS (CAIRINA MOSCHATA) IN NIGERIA

While there are studies that describe the biometric traits and phenotypic variations in Muscovy ducks in Nigeria, there are limited studies that employ a multivariate approach to depict the phenotypic variability of Muscovy ducks in Nigeria. Therefore, this study aimed to explicate genetic variabilities within C. moschata using qualitative and biometric traits. This study used a multivariate statistical method to phenotypically characterise locally adapted Muscovy duck populations from seven ecogeographical locations in Ibadan, Nigeria. Four qualitative traits (eye colour, bill colour, bean colour and shank colour) and eleven biometric traits (head length, neck length, body length, wings length, shank length, toe length, thigh length, bill length, breast length, breast width and bodyweight) were evaluated in 201 ducks (109 males and 92 females). To study the possible effects of geographical locations on selected phenotypes, frequency distribution, univariate analysis, stepwise and canonical discriminant analyses and cluster analysis were performed. The association between body weight (BWT) and other biometric traits was assessed using the Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient. Male ducks (drakes) were generally more abundant than female ducks (hens). The most prevalent colour traits of locally adapted Muscovy ducks were brown eye colour (70.65 %), black bean colour (62.69 %), pinkish white bill colour (45.27 %) and grey shank colour (56.22 %). Overall, ecogeographical location did not significantly affect (p < 0.05) the measured biometric traits. However, across all locations, the sexual dimorphism was favourable in male ducks, with respect to biometric traits. Stepwise-canonical discriminant analysis revealed a substantial intermixing of biometric traits, especially in Molete, Oje, Adogba and Ajibode ducks. Similarly, the cluster analysis, although it separated the birds into different clusters, showed some level of admixture. The small Mahalanobis distance (0.61 − 3.88) suggested that, with respect to location, there was more morphological similarity than dissimilarity between ducks. The correlation analysis revealed that the body weight of ducks can be fairly estimated from other biometric traits due to their positive, statistically significant correlation. In general, the ducks from all seven ecogeographical locations were rather homogeneous than heterogeneous.

Integration of rice-duck on growth and yield of paddy crops (Oryza sativa L.)

This study aims to examine the effect of the number of ducks on the growth and yield of paddy. This research was conducted in Paloh Village, Samalanga District, Bireuen Regency. This research started from July to November 2021. This study used a non-factorial randomized block design with three replications. The treatments of this experiments were the number of ducks per hectare, namely control (without ducks), 1,200 ducks.ha−1(3 ducks/Plot), 1,600 ducks.ha−1 (4 ducks/Plot), 2,000 ducks.ha−1 (5 ducks/ha Plot), 2,400 ducks.ha−1 (6 ducks/Plot), and 2,800 ducks.ha−1 (7 ducks/Plot). The experimental plots size were 5.0 m x 5.0 m and each plot was fenced with plastics. The observation parameters are plant heights, number of tillers, weight of ducks, weed population, number of snails, panicles numbers, panicles length, filled grain weight, empty grain weight, 1000 grains weight, yield potential, and rice yield. The results of this study showed the number of duck on paddy crops had a very significant effect on the parameters of plant height and the number of tillers at 30, 45, and 60 days after planting, filled grain, yield potential, rice yield, duck weight, number of snails, but had no significant effect on the plant biomass (dry weight) parameters, panicles number, panicles length, empty grain weight, and 1000 grain weight and was able to suppress weed populations accurately.

Effect of Storage and Weight of Egg on Post-Hatching Performance of Local Ducks

The effect of treatments: storage time (0, 3, and 7 days), and egg weight (small<58 g; medium: 57.99 – 64.99 g; large> 65 g) on the performance of local ducks were studied. Incubation of 785 eggs was carried out in a commercial incubator and after hatching 162 ducklings were weighed and distributed into nine treatments (18 ducks each). Live body weight, feed intake, weight gain, and feed conversion ratio were recorded during the experiment period of 42 days. Results showed that at all periods the live body weight of ducks from large eggs was significantly (p<0.05) and numerically heavier compared with ducks from the medium and small eggs of the three storages. While the ducks from T12 were significantly or numerically higher feed intake compared with other treatments at all periods. The weight gain and feed conversion ratio were also significantly affected by treatments vibratory in different periods. Generally, Duck from T22 at (1-7 and 36-42) day, T12 at (8-14) day, T11 and T21 at (15-21) day, and T33 at (22-28) day had significantly higher weight gain. Ducks from T23 at (8-14) day, T33 at (15-21) day, T21 and T23 at (22-28) day and T13 at (36-42) had significantly and numerically lower feed conversion ratios. Since optimum duckling performance can only be achieved when chicks hatch from egg weights were considered according to storage times.

Yasmina Wicks, Javier Álvarez-Mon. “An Elamite Duck Weight in the Susa Museum: New Evidence for the Behbahan Plain in the late seventh/early sixth century BCE”

Yasmina Wicks, Javier Álvarez-Mon. “An Elamite Duck Weight in the Susa Museum: New Evidence for the Behbahan Plain in the late seventh/early sixth century BCE”

Research Note: Integrated transcriptomic and metabolomic analysis reveals potential candidate genes and regulatory pathways associated with egg weight in ducks

Egg weight is an important indicator of egg phenotypic traits, which directly affects the economic benefits of the poultry industry. In the present research, laying ducks were classified into high egg weight (HEW) and light egg weight (LEW) groups. To reveal the underlying mechanism that may be responsible for the egg weight difference, the integrated analysis of transcriptomes and serum metabolomics was performed between the two groups. The results showed extremely significant differences (P < 0.01) in the total egg weight at 300 d, and average egg weight between the HEW and LEW groups. 733, 591, 82, and 74 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified in the liver, magnum, F1, and F5 (hierarchical follicles) follicle membrane, respectively. The candidate genes were screened further from the perspective of forming an egg. In terms of egg yolk formation, the functional analysis revealed fatty acid metabolism-related pathways account for 36% of the liver's top pathways, including fatty acid biosynthesis, folate biosynthesis, fatty acid metabolism, and glycerol lipid metabolism pathways. FASN gene was identified as the key candidate gene by comprehensive analysis of gene expression and protein-protein interaction (PPI) network. In the follicle membrane, the DEGs were mainly enriched in protein processing in the endoplasmic reticulum, and MAPK signaling pathway, and HSPA2, HSPA8, BAG3 genes were identified as crucial candidate genes. In terms of egg white formation, the functional analysis revealed protein metabolism-related pathways account for 40% of the magnum's top pathways, which includes protein processing in the endoplasmic reticulum pathway. HSP90AA1 and HSPA8 genes were identified as key candidate genes. In addition, the integrated transcriptomic and metabolomic analysis showed that arginine and proline metabolism pathways could contribute to differences in egg weight. Thus, we speculated that the potential candidate genes, regulatory pathways, and metabolic biomarkers mentioned above might be responsible for the egg weight difference. These findings might provide a theoretical basis for improving the egg weight of ducks.

Effects of dietary organic acids and probiotics on laying performance, egg quality, serum antioxidants and expressions of reproductive genes of laying ducks in the late phase of production

Five hundred and forty Cheery Valley ducks were used to investigate the effects of dietary supplementation of acidifier and compound probiotics, individually or in combination, on production performance, egg quality, immune and oxidative status, expression of reproductive, and calcium binding related genes from 42 wk to 48 wk of age. Ducks were randomly allocated to 9 treatment groups with 6 replicates and 10 ducks per replicate for each group. A 3 × 3 factorial arrangement, with 3 dietary inclusion levels of acidifier and probiotics (0, 2, and 3 g/kg acidifier; 0, 1, and 2 g/kg probiotics) were used. The acidifier used was mainly consisted of Benzoic acid, Fumaric acid, phosphoric acid, and formic acid. The main components of the probiotics were Bacillus subtilis and Clostridium butyricum. Dietary supplementation of probiotics improved the daily feed intake, egg production rate, and body weight of ducks (P < 0.05), and diet acidifier also increased the daily feed intake compared to the control (P < 0.01). Egg quality was improved by diet inclusion of probiotics, including Haugh unit, albumen height, egg shape index (P < 0.01), and eggshell hardness (P = 0.05). A significant increase in Haught unit and yolk weight was observed in ducks fed diet added with acidifier (P < 0.05). Acidifier supplementation reduced the total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC), immunoglobulin A (IgA), and IgG content and the catalase (CAT) activity in the serum (P < 0.05), in accompanied with an increased malondialdehyde (MDA) concentration (P < 0.05). Serum total superoxide dismutase (T-SOD) activities were improved by dietary inclusion of probiotics (P < 0.05). There was an interaction effects on serum IgA and IgG contents between acidifier and probiotics (P < 0.05). Diet supplementation of probiotics improved the ovary follicle-stimulating hormone receptor (FSHR) and estrogen receptor (ER) gene expressions (P < 0.01), while dietary acidifier reduced the transcription levels of FSHR and luteinizing hormone receptor (LHR) (P < 0.01) in ovary. In the uterus of the oviduct, expressions of FSHR, and carbonic anhydrase 2 (CA2) were also increased by diet probiotics (P < 0.01), and diet acidifier reduced the gene expressions of calbindin-D28k (CaBP-D28k) and CA2 (P < 0.05). Significant interaction effects between diet acidifier and probiotics were obtained on gene expressions of FSHR, LHR, and ovalbumin (OVAL) in the ovary (P < 0.05), and LHR, CaBP-D28k, and CA2 (P < 0.05) in the uterus. It can be concluded that production performance and egg quality of laying ducks can be improved in the late phase of reproduction by dietary inclusion of probiotics, while the organic acid mixture caused a decline in serum antioxidant and immune capacity of the ducks.

Machine Learning Approach to Predict Air Temperature and Relative Humidity inside Mechanically and Naturally Ventilated Duck Houses: Application of Recurrent Neural Network

The duck industry ranks sixth as one of the fastest-growing major industries for livestock production in South Korea. However, there are few studies quantitatively predicting the internal thermal and moisture environment of duck houses. In this study, high-accuracy recurrent neural network (RNN) models were used to predict the internal air temperature and relative humidity of mechanically and naturally ventilated duck houses. The models were developed according to the type of duck houses, seasons, and environmental variables by learning the monitoring data of the internal and external environments. The optimal sequence length of learning data for the development of the RNN model was selected as 120 min. As a result of the validation, both air temperature and relative humidity could be accurately predicted within 1% error. In addition, simplified RNN models were additionally developed by learning only from the data of external air temperature, relative humidity, and duck weight, which are relatively easy to acquire at the farms. The accuracy of the simplified RNN models was similar to the basic model for predicting the internal air temperature and relative humidity of duck houses in real time. In the future, for the convergence of information and communications technologies (ICTs) and application of smart farms in duck houses, the RNN models of duck houses developed in this study can be applied to predict and control the internal environments of duck houses using the model predictive control (MPC) technique.

Productivity of germinative duck chimaeras and their descendants

The relevance of the study is conditioned upon the necessity to explore the possible influence of chimerisation on the productivity of germinative duck chimaeras and their descendants. To obtain duck chimaeras, the method described by Aige-Gil &amp; Simkiss and Tagirov was applied. Shanma duck embryos were used as recipients and Shaoxin duck embryos homozygous for the plumage colour gene (wild type) were used as donors. To evaluate the egg production of germinative chimaeras of ducks, the analysis of experimental animals and their control counterparts was performed. Analysis of the age of sexual maturation (laying the first egg) indicates that the chimaeras matured later. While in the control group the average age of puberty was 139±9 days, in the chimaera group it was 148±13 days. Thus, it can be concluded that in this experiment chimaeras matured later than control animals, which may be related to the effect of busulfan during the sterilisation of recipient embryos. The average live weight of ducks in the control group was lower, and the group itself was more united. Thus, in control ducks, the weight was 1422.40±57.00 g, and in chimaeras – 1608.80±94.76 g. The advantage of chimaeras over the control group in terms of live weight may be related to the fact that the control group consisted of recipients of the Shanma breed. Egg production of ducks for the entire research period was 87.5±0.05% (control) and 79.5±0.12% (busulfan). The weight of eggs in ducks of two groups for the entire period was: 70.62±0.199 g (control) and 71.15±0.157 g. Morphometric parameters of eggs of the researched groups of ducks: average values of egg length – 6.056±0.0564 cm (control) and 6.269±0.1341 cm (busulfan); egg width – 4.520± 0.0053 cm (control) and 4.529±0.004 cm (busulfan). There were no statistical intergroup differences in the morphometric parameters of the eggs of the research groups. Analysis of the productivity of daughters of germinative duck chimaeras demonstrates that, in general, the chimerisation of parents did not affect the productivity of their daughters. The analysis of the productivity of the group of daughters obtained from chimeric animals demonstrates that, by most indicators, this group occupies an intermediate place between the groups whose breeds served as donors and recipients. The method author of the research uses to obtain chimaeras is of practical value for the conservation of genetic resources

Expression of FKBP prolyl isomerase 5 gene in tissues of muscovy duck at different growth stages and its association with muscovy duck weight.

ObjectiveFKBP prolyl isomerase 5 (FKBP5) has been shown to play an important role in metabolically active tissues such as skeletal muscle. However, the expression of FKBP5 in Muscovy duck tissues and its association with body weight are still unclear.MethodsIn this study, real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction was used to detect the expression of FKBP5 in different tissues of Muscovy duck at different growth stages. Further, single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were detected in the exon region of FKBP5 and were combined analyzed with the body weight of 334 Muscovy ducks.ResultsFKBP5 was highly expressed in various tissues of Muscovy duck at days 17, 19, 21, 24, and 27 of embryonic development. In addition, the expression of FKBP5 in the tissues of female adult Muscovy ducks was higher than that of male Muscovy ducks. Besides, an association analysis indicated that 3 SNPs were related to body weight trait. At the g.4819252 A>G, the body weight of AG genotype was significantly higher than that of the AA and the GG genotype. At the g.4821390 G>A, the genotype GA was extremely significantly related to body weight. At the g.4830622 T>G, the body weight of TT was significantly higher than GG and TG.ConclusionThese findings indicate the possible effects of expression levels in various tissues and the SNPs of FKBP5 on Muscovy duck body weight trait. FKBP5 could be used as molecular marker for muscle development trait using early marker-assisted selection of Muscovy ducks.

The Influence of different growing modes on the physiological state of mulard ducks

This paper discusses the use of feed additives with the addition of amino acids containing methionine and cysteine. To study the effectiveness of the use of feed additives, one of the main functional systems of the body of any animal, blood, was monitored. In confirmation, blood samples were taken for hematological and biochemical examination. It is shown that in the first months of use there is an increase in the weight of ducks, and in the period of egg production there is a decrease in productivity. Reduced productivity is associated with the preparation and restructuring of the body for egg production. New approaches to the development of feed additives are needed to assess the state of health and predict the quality of products. Great importance is given to standard methods of studying and identifying certain patterns in the clinical, anamnestic, morphological, metric and anatomical parameters of the bird body.

Paternal weight of ducks may have an influence on offspring\u2019 small intestinal function and cecal microorganisms

BackgroundIn animals, many factors affect the small intestinal function and cecal microorganisms, including body weight and genetic background. However, whether paternal weight impacts the small intestinal function and cecal microorganisms remains unknown to date. The current study used Nonghua sheldrake to estimate the effect of paternal weight on the intestine of the offspring by evaluating differences in small intestinal morphology, digestive enzyme activity, and cecal microorganisms between the offspring of male parents with high body weight (group H) and that of male parents with low body weight (group L).ResultsThe results of the analysis of small intestinal morphology showed that the villus height of the jejunum of group H ducks was higher than that of group L ducks, and the difference was significant for ducks at 10 weeks of age. Moreover, the villus height/crypt depth of the duodenum in group H significantly exceeded that of group L at a duck age of 2 weeks. The amylase activity in the jejunum content of group H exceeded that of group L at 5 and 10 weeks of age. Furthermore, the proportion of the Firmicutes to Bacteroidetes was significantly higher in group H (duck age of 2 weeks). Among the genera with a relative abundance exceeding 1%, the relative abundances of genera Desulfovibrio, Megamonas, Alistipes, Faecalibacterium, and Streptococcus observed in group H were significantly different between group H and group L.ConclusionsFor the first time, this study identifies the effect of paternal weight on offspring small intestinal function and cecal microorganisms. Consequently, this lays a foundation for further research on the relationship between male parents and offspring intestinal function.

USE OF ENZYME PREPARATIONS IN COMPOUND FEED FOR DUCKLINGS

The paper presents the results of the influence of enzyme (ferment) preparations in various combinations on the dynamics of growth and development and slaughter qualities of ducklings. The scientific and economic experience was conducted in the Chuvash Republic. For carrying out experiments 3 groups of ducklings on 50 heads in everyone were selected and formed. Ducklings of the 1st experimental group received enzyme preparations amylosubtilin in the amount of 0.05 kg/t and protosubtilin in the amount of 0.05 kg/t during the entire period of growing together with feed. Ducklings for the 2nd experimental group of compound feed were enriched with enzyme preparations amylosubtilin in the amount of 0.1 kg/t and celloviridin in the amount of 0.075 kg/t. It was found that ducklings receiving enzyme preparations in addition to feed had increased growth energy throughout the experiment. By the end of the experiment, the live weight of ducks of the control group was 3,424 kg, the first experimental group receiving in addition to the feed enzyme preparations amylosubtilin in an amount of 0.05 kg/t and protosubtilin in the amount of 0.05 kg/t – 3,712 lbs. In the second experimental group, where the ducks advanced to the feed received enzyme preparations amylosubtilin in the amount of 0.1 kg/t and celloviridin in the amount of 0.075 kg/t, live weight to the end of the experiment amounted to 3,804 kg. The average daily live weight gain of animals in the control group was 53.52 g, and in the first experimental group - 58,10 g, in the second one - 59,56 g. The inclusion of a mixture of enzyme preparations with a compound feed of the experimental animals have contributed to the increase in body length compared to the control on average by 0.9 cm and 1.6 cm, length of tarsus by 2.5 cm and 4.3 cm, chest girth by 1.8 cm and 2.5 cm, respectively. The increased productivity of ducklings in growth was reflected in the reduction of feed costs and unit costs, which contributed to multiplying profits in the experimental groups.

PENGARUH BOBOT TELUR HASIL PERSILANGAN ITIK MOJOSARI DAN ALABIO TERHADAP DAYA TETAS, BOBOT DAY OLD DUCK (DOD), DAN MORTALITAS

EFFECT OF EGG WEIGHT FROM CROSSBRED OF MOJOSARI AND ALABIO DUCK BREEDS ON HATCHABILITY, DAY OLD DUCK WEIGHT AND MORTALITY. This study was conducted to determine the effect of egg weights as a result of the crossing between Mojosari and Alabio breeds on hatchability, day old duck (DOD) weight and mortality. This study used 90 eggs from crossbred of Mojosari and Alabio duck breeds. This study applied a completely randomized design. Significant differences were tested using the Duncan test. A complete randomized design involved three treatments with six replications at each treatment using five eggs at each replication. Treatments of egg weights was applied on differences in egg weights as follows, Egg weights A1 of 60 g-64 g, Egg weights A2 of 65 g-69 g and egg weights A3 of 70 g-75 g. The duration of this study was 28 days using a semi-automatic hatching machine. The research variables were day old duck weight (DOD), hatchability and mortality. The results of this study showed that treatments did not affect significantly the hatchability, DOD and mortality (P&gt; 0.05). Therefore, it can be concluded that varying weights of eggs as results of crossing between Mojosari and Alabio had the same effect on the hatchability, DOD weight and mortality of the generation.Keywords: Duck egg weights, day old duck weight, hatchability, mortality.

Study on duck weight estimation by using image processing

The objective of this research was to process digital image to investigate the possibility of ducks weight estimation based on the software LabVIEW with the vision builder. In this study the images were record by the top-view camera. An ellipse fitting algorithm was applied to localize ducks within the stall. Estimating duck weight consists of these steps. First, image acquisition. Second, counts pixel of the samples. Third calculate duck weight by using samples pixel as the output. Results from this study showed that, the estimated ducks weight by using digital photos had 3.27% of the error when compare to the measured weight. The correlation coefficient of the body weight prediction equation from a comparison between measured (absolute) and estimated by camera for all duck is clearly high (R2=0.91). It was found that the system able to estimate duck weight with an acceptable error. So we can develop this research processing or build up the automatic sorting duck in the future. This method operated pretty well in prophecy live weight.

Influence of poly-enzyme preparation “Universal” on the meat productivity of Cherry-Valley ducks

Antibiotics widely used in poultry farms can have a harmful effect on meat consumers through chemical residues. Thus, it is important for the safety of customers to find a natural alternative. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of adding a poly-enzyme preparation “Universal”, containing amylosubtilin (1300 U/g), protosubtilin (67 U/g) and celloviridine (2000 U/g), on the productivity of broiler ducklings of the Cherry Valley breed. The results of research have shown that the addition of the “Universal” drug in the diet helped increase the meat productivity of broiler ducks. The use of the “Universal” drug contributed to the better development of internal organs (heart, liver and stomach) in broiler ducks. The improvement in duck weight and meat yield may be attributed to the fact that the feed protein is best consumed under the influence of protosubtilin, one of the “Universal.” It is understood that protosubtilin supplies digestible peptides and amino acids with hydrolysis of plant proteins from grain raw materials, enhances the gastrointestinal tract’s enzymatic history, compensates for the loss of depleted digestive enzymes and at the early stages of animal growth. Thus, the results of the experiment showed that the use of the drug “Universal” in the cultivation of broiler ducks of the cherry valley breed increases the pre-slaughter and slaughter weight, meat yield and reduces feed conversion, which is economically profitable. Therefore, it is recommended to use the drug “universal” as part of ration for broiler ducklings.

Effect of genotype and age at slaughter on meat traits in Pekin ducks

Abstract The aim of the study was to compare the meat traits of Pekin ducks from two strains: A55 of Polish origin and F11 of French origin and their crossbreeds slaughtered at weeks 7 and 8 of age. In total, 240 ducks were used in the study, which were allocated to 6 groups having 40 birds per group as follows: group I – ♂ F11; II – ♀ F11; III – ♂ A55; IV – ♀ A55; V – ♂ AF51; VI – ♀ AF51. The study revealed that the origin of birds influenced to some extent the body weight during growth. In the early period (day 1-week 2), the highest body weight was found in AF51 birds of both sexes, and the lowest in F11 birds of both sexes. In the later period (week 8 to 7–8), the body weight was highest in ♂ F11, A55, and AF51 crossbreeds, and the lowest in ♀ AF51 and A55. Most differences among these groups were significant. Genotype also influenced the pre-slaughter body weight of ducks. For birds slaughtered at week 8 there were no significant inter-group differences in this trait. The origin of ducks had no effect on other traits such as dressing percentage, weight of wings, weight of carcass remains and offal, the weight of muscles and carcass fatness. There were significant differences in the pre-slaughter body weight of ♀ F11 and the weight of gutted carcasses in ♀ AF51. This indicates that the rearing of ducks may be completed at 7 weeks, since in this study age at slaughter had no significant effect on meat characteristics such as dressing percentage, weight of wings, weight of carcass remains and offal, weight of muscles, and fatness of duck carcasses.

GROWTH AND ECONOMIC PERFORMANCE OF USING DRIED TOMATO POMACE FOR MALLARD DUCKS

This study was aimed to economic evaluate the effect of Dried Tomato Pomace (DTP) on growth performance, biochemical profiles and economic efficiency of Mallard Ducks from 1 days old until 72 days (age of marketing). A total of 240 unsexed one – day old, Mallard ducklings were used in this study and were randomly and independently allocated to the four dietary treatments, each containing 60 ducks and divided in to four groups, T1 (control ), T2 ( 10 % DTP), T3 (15% DTP) and T4 (20% DTP) . The diets were formulated in mash form fortified with vitamin and mineral premix and chemical analysis were applied for starter and finisher rations. Moreover, feed and water were provided for ad-libitumconsumption. The results showed that, ducks fed 20 % DTP had higher live body weight with a coincident significant increase of the feed intake (P &lt;0.05). In addition, total cholesterol, Triglycerides, high density lipoprotein (HDL) are decreased significantly (P &lt;0.05) meanwhile low density lipoprotein (LDL), total protein profiles non-significant (P &gt; 0.05). In terms of economic analysis, T4 ( 20% DTP) diet revealed the lowest cost per Kg live weight of ducks 77.57 L.E / duck, along with the highest economic return 91.38 L.E per duck and net profit 13.81 L.E per duck. In conclusion, Mallard duck can efficiently utilize diet containing high DTP (20%) diets, consequently, it can be used to optimize their growth performance and maintain the maximum economic return.Key words: Mallard duck; dried tomato pomace; growth performance; economics

Performance study of White Pekin ducks in different stocking density in floor rearing system

To study the effect of different stocking density on the performance of White Pekin ducks, 144 unsexed day-old White Pekin ducklings were reared for 42 days and on 43rd day, these duckings were distributed into four equal groups, each with three replicates in deep litter system of rearing. The floor space provided per ducking was G1 : 1,350 cm2, G2 : 1,800 cm2 , G3 : 2,250 cm2 and G4 : 2,700 cm2. The experiment continued from 7-10th weeks of age. The parameters studied were body weight, body weight gain, feed consumption, feed conversion ratio (FCR), serum biochemical profile, carcass characteristics and litter moisture content. The 7th and 8th week body weight gain of all the treated groups did not differ significantly but higher body weight of ducks were recorded in G3 and G4 groups than that of G1 and G2 groups at 9th and 10th week of age. The cumulative (7-10 weeks) body weight gain and FCR of white Pekin ducks was higher in group G3 and G4 than that of G1 and G2 groups. Cumulative feed consumption of all the treated groups of ducks did not differ significantly. No significant difference was observed in the studied serum biochemical and carcass characteristics of the treated groups. The litter moisture content was lower in G3 and G4 than that of G1 and G2 groups in all the studied periods. From this, it may be concluded that the floor space of 1,350 cm2 up to 8th week and 2,250 cm2 at 9th and 10th weeks of age per Pekin duck is suitable with respect to production performance of birds.