Effect of Rearing Method and Varying Energy Levels on Performance and Growth Rate of Male Kamang Ducks

Abstract

This study was conducted to determine the performance of male Kamang ducks reared with pools and without pools with three different levels of ration energy. This study used a Randomised Complete Block Design (RCBD) with a divided plot design with the main plot consisting of pools, and without pools, subplots consisted of ration energy levels of E1 (2700 Kcal/kg), E2 (2900 Kcal/kg) and E3 (3100 Kcal/kg) with three groups. The study raised 90 male Kamang ducks. The treatment began at two weeks of age and ended at the 10th week Each cage consisted of 5 Kamang ducks per treatment making a total of 90 ducks. The variables observed were ration consumption, body weight gain, feed conversion, and growth rate. The results showed that there was is no interaction between the duck rearing method with varying ration energy levels on ration consumption, body weight gain, ration conversion, and growth rate (p>0.05). Also, the level of ration energy did not affect ration consumption, body weight gain, ration conversion, and growth rate (P>0.05). However, the maintenance of ducks with and without pools was significantly different (p<0.05) with the average body weight gain and feed conversion. The study concludes that rearing ducks using ponds showed the best results at 2700 Kcal/kg (E1) energy level with an average ration consumption of 5907.7 g/duck, weight gain of 1232.   51 g/duck, and feed conversion ratio of 4.82.