Feeding Muscovy Ducks on Locally available Agro-lndustral by Products and Feed Resources.

Abstract

The development of low cost farm-made feeds for Muscovy ducks, based on increased use of agro-industrial by-products will be crucial in encouraging Muscovy duck production in Papua New Guinea (PNG). Agro-industrial by-products such as; copra meal, rice bran, wheat millrun and palm kernel expeller meal are available locally in large quantities. As part of the National Agricultural Research Institute’s efforts to develop effective feeding systems for Muscovy ducks, two Muscovy duck feeding trials using agro-industrial by-products were conducted in 2004 at the National Agricultural Research Institute’s Labu Livestock Station. The first trial assessed the growth of male Muscovy ducks on commercial broiler feed (Lae Feed Mills) and a test diet of agro-industrial by-products (rice bran, wheat millrun and palm kernel expeller meal) over seven days during their period of rapid growth. The second trial assessed the growth of male Muscovy duck on commercial broiler feed (Lae Feed Mills) and two test diets (local maize diet and copra diet). In the first study, it was found there was no difference (p>0.05) in weight gain between the commercial feed (698 ± 33(SE) gram?) and the test diet (677,± 78(SE)^rams). In the second study, the ducks on commercial broiler pellets had higher (p<0.05) weight gain and feed intake than the two test diets during the same period; however, there was no difference (p>0.05) in feed intake between the copra diet and commercial feed. Even though the commercial feed has better feed conversion ratio (FCR) than copra and maize diets, the two test diets were cheaper (p<0.05) to produce a kilogram of weight gain. These results showed that these locally available feed resources and agro-industrial by-products can be effectively used to make cheaper farm-made poultry diets. The use of these locally available feed resources will encourage Muscovy duck farming and promote economic development and food security.