1Abhishek MS, 2Dr. Rakesh K.
Introduction:
Integrated farming is a sustainable agricultural approach where various farm enterprises (e.g., crops, livestock, aquaculture) are combined to improve resource utilization, minimize waste, and enhance overall productivity and profitability. Chinese people have a tradition of eating
Such eggs and processing them into salted or preserved eggs. Duck raising required less equipment. Ducks mature earlier and produce more number eggs of large size. Ducks live in groups, feed on natural feeds through grazing. On an integrated fish farming, grow out pond can be used to raise egg-laying ducks. Ducks are considered as omnivorous as they feed on by-products of both crops and animal feeds. Though duck and goose are considered as water fowl, duck manure has higher nitrogen contents, which doubles that of goose manure, and the phosphate contents are nearly twice that of goose manure.
Duck-cum-Fish farming is an economically viable and technologically simple system. Land area (embankment, dykes) of a pond is used for constructing duck pens, as it harbours insects, worms, etc. it acts as a feeding ground for ducks.
Benefits of IFS:
* Enhanced resource utilization and nutrient recycling.
* Waste generated from one component serves as input for another (e.g., duck droppings fertilize fish pond).
* Diversified income sources, reducing risk for farmers.
* Increased productivity per unit area.
* Improved soil fertility & water quality.
* Reduced reliance on external inputs (fertilizers, feed).
* Creation of a synergistic ecosystem.
Fish-Cum-Duck Farming: The Synergy
Rearing ducks on or around fish ponds, where their activities and droppings benefit the fish culture, and the pond provides a suitable environment for the ducks. This creates a mutually beneficial relationship.Ducks’ swimming and dabbling activities in the pond agitate the water, increasing dissolved oxygen levels.Duck droppings directly fertilize the pond water, providing essential nutrients (nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, organic matter) for the growth of natural food organisms (phytoplankton and zooplankton) which serve as feed for fish.Ducks feed on aquatic weeds, insects, snails, and their larvae, helping to control unwanted organisms and potential disease vectors.Ducks consume spilled fish feed and other organic matter, further recycling nutrients.
Site Selection for Pond
Non-rocky, level or gently sloping land should be selected for pond construction. Soil should be highly water-retentive, heavy clay or clayey loam is ideal. Soil pH should be near neutral (6.5-7.5). Water source should be dependable, year-round water supply (e.g., borewell, canal, perennial stream) to maintain water depth (1.5-3.0m). Water quality should be non-polluted (pH 7.0-8.5, DO 5-7 mg/L, Temp 20-30°C). The pond must be constructed in a location such that it should be easily accessible for management and marketing of produce.Site which is selected for pond should not be prone to flooding.
Duck Housing
The duck house should be constructed on the pond embankment, preferably directly over a part of the pond, or with a slatted floor over the water to allow direct dropping of excreta into the pond. This minimizes nutrient loss. The duck house must be spacious with adequate accommodation such that it should be cool in summer, warm during winter, with sufficient sunlight and should provide protection from rain. House should protection from natural enemies such as jackals, fox, dog, cat, snake, crows etc. Ducks must be reared in open-water, centralized system, floating house, house constructed on pond dykes. Floor space of 0.3-0.5 sq.m. per bird must be provided. Duck house should provide a secure night shelter to protect ducks from predators and for egg collection.
Pond preparation and Management:
Dewater the pond to remove excess silt and unwanted fish/predators. Raking the pond bottom to release nutrients from the soil.Apply lime (CaO or CaCO3) to adjust pH, disinfect the pond, and improve soil and water quality. While duck droppings provide continuous fertilization, a basal dose of organic manure (e.g., cow dung) can be applied if needed, especially before introducing ducks.Maintain optimal water depth and monitor water quality parameters (pH, DO, temperature) regularly.
Area of nursery pond ranges from 100-500 sq. m. and the depth of water should be in between 1-1.5m. This pond covers 5% of total productive area of the fish farm. Area of rearing pond varies between 500-1000 sq.m. and the depth of water ranges form 1.5-2.0 m. This type of pond convers 15% area of the total productive area of the fish farm. Area of the stocking pond varies between 1000-20000 sq.m and the depth of water ranges from 2-2.5 m. This type of pond covers 60-70% area of the total productive area of the fish farm.
Liming and Fertilization:
A pondwith water to a depth of 2-2.5m. to maintain a desire 2-2.5m water depth inlet and outlet may be constructed at the pond dyke with measures to prevent the entry of unwanted organisms and also to prevent the escape of cultured fishes. Then water pH is measured and based on the pH value liming is done as follows. After 7-10 days of liming fertilization pond water is done. Cow dung@ 670 kg/bigha/year is applied as organic fertilizer. Inorganic fertilizer- urea @ 13 kg/bigha/year, single super phosphate @ 3kg/ bigha/year and murate of potash 212 kg/bigha/year is applied after 7-15 days of application of organic fertilizer. 1/3rd of the required amount of lime and fertilizer is applied initially to the pond, and then the rest amounts is divided equally into 11 installments and are applied to the pond at monthly regular interval. Then by seeing the pond productivity after 7-15 days of application of inorganic fertilizer, fish seed is released to the pond water.
Control of water seepage:
Water seepage can be controlled by using bentonite or using plastic sheet. Since bentonite is not easily available in all places and its high value in the market, therefore, a layer (15 cm thick) of muddy clay soil may be used. Sometime a layer of cow dung and muddy soil mixture has shown promising result like that of bentonite.
Removal of aquatic weeds:
Unwanted aquatic weds are needed to be removed form fish pond as it reduces the pond productivity. These unwanted aquatic weeds could be remove- manually, mechanically, chemically, and biologically. Grass carp. Tilapia, etc, are good biological agents.
Duck Husbandry:
For the selection of ducks, we have to consider two things such as sturdiness and egg laying capacity. The selected duck breed should be able to withstand the weather conditions of the open pond in all seasons as ducks spend most of their time in pond water. Ducks should have high egg-laying capacity in order to earn income. Duck breed should be hardy, prolific egg layers that are good foragers are preferred. Common Breeds which are selected for duck farming are Indian runner, Khaki campbell, white pekin. Egg laying capacity of Indian runner is 150 eggs/year and khaki campbell is 180-200 eggs/year. Typically, ducks should be stocked in 100-300 per hectare of pond area. 15-20 day old ducklings should be introduced after proper acclimation. Improved breed of Indian runners are more suitable in view of its hardness. Manure from 450-500 ducks can fertilise 1 ha of water area.
Feeding:
Ducks are excellent foragers and can obtain a significant portion of their diet (up to 60%) from the pond (insects, snails, larvae, aquatic weeds). Supplementary feeding (e.g., rice bran, kitchen waste, commercial duck feed) can be provided, especially during non-foraging hours or for higher production. Feed at a rate of 100g/bird/day. Ducks during day-time feed on natural food such as insects, worms, tadpoles, molluscs, soft aquatic weeds. Feeding during first 3 weeks is vital for future growth of duck. Feed with 17% of protein with high energy will be excellent for proper growth of Duckling. Feed with 15%of protein is good enough for layers. Ducks are voracious feeders, hence artificial feed of standard or superior quality ofpoultry feed mixed with rice bran in 1:2 ratio by weight at l00 g feed/bird/day should be given. Pelleted feed is considered better as ducks find it difficult to swallow dry mash.
Health Management:
Ducks are generally hardy, but vaccination against common duck diseases like duck plague and duck cholera is crucial. Monitor for signs of illness and isolate sick birds. Ducks are susceptible to aflatoxin which is a feed contaminant. Duck plaque, virus hepatitis and cholera may cause heavy losses to duck population. Infected duck shows following indications such as: restlessness, water discharge from eye and nose, bird sound, decreased in daily feed consumption.
Prevention and Treatment of Common Diseases:
Duck pest and Fowl cholera are the most important infectious diseases of egg laying duck. To treat fowl cholera, each egg-laying duck is injected intramuscularly with 50,000 IU of streptomycin at an interval of 4 hours for 3 consecutive times, then followed by oral ingestion of 0.2 gms of sulafadimethoxinum daily for 3 consecutive days. Sterilization, isolation and deep bury of carcase should be taken to prevent the spreading of the disease.
Egg laying:
Ducks usually start laying eggs from 5-7 months of age. Collect eggs daily from the night shelter. Usually, ducks starts egg laying when they reach 24 week old and continue to lay for 2 years but Khaki campbell which is prolific layer starts to lay eggs when it reach 3 months (12-14 weeks) old and continue to lay for 2-3 years. Ducks lays eggs during night, hence facilities such as straws or hay or providing in duck housing for egg laying. Khaki campbell produces 180-200 eggs/year while other breeds produce 150 eggs/year.
Use of Duck Dropping as Manure:
Duck droppings contain 25% of organic and 205 of inorganic substances which are rich in Carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium etc. Ducks acts as a living manuring machines. A duck voids on an average 125-150 gm droppings/day and thus 200-300 ducks would void on an average 10000-15000 kg of droppings/year which is sufficient to manure 1 ha water area under composite fish culture. Duck dropping has high manuring value. Duck dropping contain carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus which can stimulate growth of natural food organisms.
Fish husbandry:
Polyculture of compatible fish species with different feeding habits is highly recommended to utilize all trophic levels in the pond and maximize nutrient uptake from duck droppings.Surface Feeders such as Catla (naturally feeds on zooplankton), Silver Carp (feeds on phytoplankton – benefits directly from duck droppings) are selected. Column Feeders such as Rohu (feeds on zooplankton, detritus) are selected. Bottom Feeders: Mrigal (detritivore), Common Carp (omnivorous, can stir bottom, consuming decaying organic matter) must be selected. Weed Feeders such as Grass Carp (consumes aquatic macrophytes, which ducks also help control). Typically 5,000-7,500 fish fingerlings are stocked per hectare, depending on pond productivity and management. Advanced fingerlings (5-10 cm) must be stocked to minimize predation by ducks, although ducks generally prefer smaller organisms. Stocking Ratio: A common ratio for polyculture is:
* Catla: 20-30%
* Silver Carp: 20-30%
* Rohu: 20-25%
* Mrigal: 15-20%
* Common Carp: 10-15%
* Grass Carp: 5-10% (if aquatic weeds are prevalent)
Generally, due to the continuous fertilization by ducks, the need for supplementary fish feed is significantly reduced or eliminated. However, grass carp may require some aquatic vegetation if natural growth is insufficient.
Management Practices:
Daily morning ducks should be released into pond and eggs must be collected from the duck house. At daytime, ducks must forage in the pond. Daily evening the ducks are confined to their night shelter and supplementary feed must be provided. Regular monitoring of water quality parameters such as DO, pH, temperature and fish helath, duck health should be done.
Harvesting:
Ducks can be reared for 12-18 months for egg production, after which they can be sold for meat. Partial harvesting of fish can be done after 6-8 months of culture and the final harvesting can be done after 10-12 months, depending on growth rates. Yield from fish is 3000-4000 kg/ha/yr.
Economic Viability and Benefits:
Integrated duck-cum-fish farming generates income from fish, duck eggs and duck meat. In this system, significant savings on fish feed (upto 60%) and fertilizers can be done due to natural manuring by ducks. When compared to traditional fish farming, integrated duck-cum-fish farming has high fish yield along with substantial egg and meat production from ducks. High benefit-cost ration (often 3500-6000) is being observed, making it a high profitable venture for farmers, especially small-scale and rural farmers. Duck-Cum-fish farming is an environmentally friendly due to efficient waste recycling and reduced chemical inputs. This farming system provides a diverse range of protein-rich food for the farming family.
Challenges and Considerations:
Setting up the pond and duck housing requires an initial investment.While generally robust, proper health management for both fish and ducks is crucial to prevent disease outbreaks.Protection of ducks from predators (foxes, stray dogs, birds of prey) is essential.Ensuring proper market access for fish, eggs, and duck meat.Requires a basic understanding of both aquaculture and duck rearing.Overstocking of ducks can lead to excessive fertilization and potential water quality issues (e.g., algal blooms, oxygen depletion), requiring careful management.
Economics of Duck-cum-Fish Farming System:
| S. No | Commodity/ Item | Cost involved (Rs.) |
| 1 | Pond Preparation | 3,000.00 |
| 2 | Yearlings (n=800) | 8,000.00 |
| 3 | Poultry housing | 2,000.00 |
| 4 | Chara Chambeli ducklings (n=40) | 3,200.00 |
| 5 | Duck feed | 9,000.00 |
| 6 | Labour Cost | 10,000.00 |
| 7 | Miscellaneous | 5,000 |
| Total Cost Involved | 40,200 | |
| Outcome Statement | ||
| 1 | Fish (560 kg)@Rs 100.00 per kg | 56,000.00 |
| 2 | Eggs (5760nos)@ 180 eggs/bird for 32 no.s female duck@ Rs. 5.00 per egg | 28800.00 |
| 3 | Duck 40nos @ Rs. 200.00 per duck | 8000 |
| Total outcome per demonstration (0.133 ha) | 92800.00 |
| ICAR approved aquaculture technology | Modified aquaculture technology suitable for land locked state | |
| Duration | 365 days | 365 days |
| Production | 3 tonnes, 40000 eggs, 800kg duck meat | 3.5 tonnes fish, 20800 eggs, 0.5 tonnes meat |
| Total cost ( Rs. Lakh) | 1.03 | 2.85 |
| Operational cost (Rs. Lakh) | 0.88 | 0.73 |
| Gross Income (Rs. Lakh) | 1.87 | 1.99 |
| Accountable cost (Rs. Lakh) | 0.91 | 1.05 |
| Net Profit ( Rs. Lakh) | 0.96 | 0.94 |
The authors are from: 12Department of Aquaculture, College of Fisheries Mangalore, KVAFSU Bidar