Status of house-hold duck rearing system along with productive performance in selected area of Bangladesh (Companigonj, Noakhali).

Abstract

This study was carried out to assess the status of household ducks in selected area (Companigonj upazilla under Noakhali district ) of Bangladesh. Beside this, socioeconomic condition of the farmers, feeding system and availability of feed for raising ducks, productive performance of scavenging duck and profitability of raising those ducks were evaluated. Information was collected by direct interview method using a questionnaire from 30 house holds (mostly women) who rear duck in this locality. The study revealed that duck rearing is mostly lead by 30 onwards aged women (67%). The level of education of woman beneficiaries varied from primary to higher secondary. However 23.34% farmers were illiterate. Fifty five percent farmers had a patch of cultivable land (Average 20 decimal). The average farm size was 7.2 and it always remain variable with the duck’s loss attributed to different causes. Around 17% of the farmers reared duck with hen. 68% of the farmers housed their ducks in bamboo made cage while the rest of the farmers kept ducks in house made of wood, tin, straw or mud. Eighty nine percent of the farmers used single or combination of materials (straw, polythene, chat, ash) as liter where the rest of the farmers kept ducks without using any litter. The mature ducks were highest (74.2%) in October –December and lowest (45.2%) in April-June. Duck reaches first laying at 6 months of age, produces average 110 eggs per year. Egg production reaches peak during winter specially after crop-harvesting season. Duck consumption by the household specially in winter is highest (52.3%) in Companigonj Upazilla than other area of Bangladesh . The highest number of duck eggs (32.2%) were consumed by the large farmers while the lowest number of eggs (12.4%) were consumed by the landless farmers. Around 78% of the respondents fed their birds with mixture of boil rice and rice polish as it is available and cheap. Ninety-two percent respondents said that they do not spend any money on supplementary feed. The mortality rate was 19% and it is highest in winter (27%). Duck were vaccinated against duck plague on day between 15 and 31 for the first and between 35 and 46 for the booster dose. Around 62% households sold eggs to the local market and 27% sold to the bepari. Total annual expenditure and annual income per duck were on an average 119.15Tk. and 220.69Tk. respectively where as family wise annual expenditure and income were 857.9Tk. and 1661.09 Tk. respectively.