How Ducks Possessed the Best Performance with Better Welfare

According to research, Egypt produces between 100 and 150 million domestic ducks annually, making it a "duck country." This industry is important to the rural economy and offers employment opportunities. Ducks grow quickly, especially during the first few weeks of life. When opposed to chickens, ducks are more tolerant of harsh conditions, making duck rearing simpler for farmers.

Duck meat is regarded as meat with a high level of nutrients and one that people prefer. Stocking Density (SD) refers to the number of birds raised in each region. The primary goal of poultry high SD is to lower the expense associated with employment, petrol, housing, and tools. However, this could have a detrimental effect on the health, immunity, welfare, and production attributes of birds.

This study investigated whether SDs affected Muscovy and Mallard duck growth, carcass parameters, blood indices, and meat quality to promote good SD along with the cheapest coast while also promoting outstanding property.

According to this study, increasing SD decreased both the body weight and weight gain of the two duck breeds. Despite maintaining the same feeding space for each bird and broilers. Numerous theories, including reduced space for each bird, which drove the birds to stand and increased their need for energy, could explain the loss of body weight and weight rise in high SD.

The authors added, that due to higher levels of ammonia and moisture in the litter, splashed water out, and inadequate ventilation, bacterial growth was accelerated in the presence of high SD, lowering the quality of the litter. One of the key factors influencing poultry welfare, physical performance, and product excellence is thought to be SD. This study demonstrated that high SD negatively affects the growth and welfare of ducks. With remarkable values for ALT, AST, MDA, cooking loss, drip loss of breast and thigh muscles, and bacterial count, high density demonstrated the smallest body weight, carcass characteristics, HDL, GPX, and IGG of both breeds.