A preliminary study on duck management under peri-urban system

摘要

AsurveyofduckmanagementsystemswascarriedoutinfivelocationsinBasawaDistrictofSabonGariLocalGovernmentAreainKadunaState,Nigeria.Informationcollectedviathequestionnairesdistributedrevealedthatthemanagementsystemwasfree-range.Twovarietieswereencountered:nbsp;MuscovyandMalardducks,withtheMuscovypredominating.Themeanflocksizewas10.9+10.8birdsoccurringintheratioofonedraketosixfemales.Egglayingwasseasonal,commencingattheonsetofrains.Estimateswereobtainedforthefollowingproductionparameters;ageatfirstlay7.7+0.44months,clutchsizewasnotnotedbyanyofthefarmers.Averagenumberofeggsperduckperseasonwas80.8+0.74,averagesellingpriceofdrakesN400+19.3,ducksN281+0.37,weanersN201+11.5,ducklingsN101+3.70andeggsN12.2+0.74."Mugwui"andectoparasiteswereidentifiedasmajorhealthproblems.ThesurveyshowedthepresentlevelofduckmanagementsysteminBasawaDistrictisfree-rangewithhomeattachment.