Benefit of Swimming Access to Behaviour, Body and Plumage Condition and Heat Stress Effect of Local Ducks

This study from Indonesia indicates that access to water for swimming improves the conditions for ducks but there was no advantage in terms of egg production over other systems without such access to water.
calendar icon 14 July 2014
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A study was been conducted to compare the behaviour, body and plumage condition of local ducks kept in commercial farms with and without access for swimming and to assess whether the access can help the ducks to reduce heat stress effect.

I. Suswoyo and colleagues at Jenderal Soedirman University in Indonesia report in International Journal of Poultry Science that 28 duck farms were used as respondents, each 14 came from wet and dry system. This study involved 13,820 ducks in total.

Data collected were duck behaviour i.e. panting, foraging, preening, bathing and swimming. The behaviours were recorded five times a day, i.e. 6am, 9am, noon, 3pm and 6pm; body condition with scores of 1 (the whole body was clean); 2 (dirt on shank); 3 (dirt on shank and thigh); 4 (dirt on shank, thigh and chest); 5 (dirt on shank, thigh, chest and wings); 6 (dirt on the whole body). Body temperature was also measured.

Fifteen ducks from each farms were measured their body condition and rectal temperature as well as farm condition. Hen day production was used to calculate egg production.

Data obtained analysed using description technique analysis and student t-test.

The authors report their results indicated that the wet system provided better conditions for the ducks. There were no significant differences in egg production between the two systems.

Reference

Suswoyo I., Ismoyowati and I.H. Sulistyawan. 2014. Benefit of swimming access to behaviour, body and plumage condition and heat stress effect of local ducks. International Journal of Poultry Science. 13(4):214-217.

Further Reading

You can view the full report by clicking here.

July 2014

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