EFFECT OF DUCKWEEDS AND TARO LEAVES ON THE PERFORMANCE OF DUCK

Abstract

An experiment was conducted in a suburb of Gaibandha District, to investigate the dietary effect of rice bran with duckweeds and taro (Colocacia esculenta) leaves on growth and egg laying performance of common ducks. Twenty female common ducks were divided into four groups with three replications named T0 T1 T2 T3 in a completely randomized design (CRD). T0 group was control and fed with rice bran, T1 group was fed with rice bran plus duck weed , T2 with rice bran plus taro leaf and T3 fed with rice bran plus taro leaf and duck weed. In the experiment, the dry matter of rice bran was found 89% and then 9.60% in duckweed and 21.6% in Taro leaves. The average daily weight gain per duck among treatments was significantly different (P<0.05), and was poorest in the T0 group(4.65 gm/day/duck) 3.57 of basal diet of Rice bran and good in Rice bran plus taro leaf and duck weed compiled feed (5.66 gm/day/duck). In the study it was found that maximum average egg production rate was in T3 (RB+DW+TL) group (Avg=28) than others and minimum founds in T0 (RB) (Avg=22) group. Hematological value as PCV (41.17 ± 1.13), HBC (14.17 ± 1.13) and ESR (1.95 ± 0.30) was found significantly higher in T3 (RB+DW+TL) groups ducks than others.