Performance assessment of Khaki Campbell, Kuttanad, Pati, and Indian runner ducks in field conditions of Assam
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.56678/iahf-2025.38.03.07Keywords:
Ducks, Body weight, Age at first egg, Annual egg production, Egg weightAbstract
The research work was conducted to evaluate the performance in respect to production and reproduction of different duck breeds reared under the traditional backyard production system in Assam. Data pertaining to 400 ducks covering four different breeds/genetic groups, viz. Khaki Campbell, Kuttanad, Pati, and Indian Runner, which were maintained at farmers’ households under a demonstration programme of Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK), Baksa, Assam Agricultural University, were utilized. The study period was one year. Eight farmers were selected, and an individual farmer was provided with 25 day-old ducklings for rearing under backyard conditions. A highly significant (p < 0.01) effect of genetic group was observed on body weight at different ages (day-old, 5th, 10th, 15th, 20th and 25th weeks), age at first egg, annual egg production, and egg weight among the studied duck breeds. The body weight (g) pertaining to 25 weeks of age was averaged to be 1485.10 ± 14.41, 1639.48 ± 10.98, 1282.70 ± 10.01, and 2026.96 ± 3.37 for Khaki Campbell, Kuttanad, Pati, and Indian Runner ducks, respectively. The age at first egg of Khaki Campbell, Kuttanad, Pati, and Indian Runner ducks averaged to be170.99 ± 0.68, 162.40 ± 0.55, 209.99 ± 1.73, and 154.27 ± 1.15 days. The average annual egg production (numbers) was 254.46 ± 2.40 in Khaki Campbell, followed by 195.02 ± 1.71 in Kuttanad, 193.03 ± 1.65 in Indian Runner, and 69.32 ± 0.27 in Pati ducks. The corresponding average egg weights were 62.26 ± 0.46, 67.68 ± 0.31, 59.28 ± 0.27, and 69.46 ± 0.53 g, respectively. The results revealed considerable variability among the studied duck breeds, indicating the potential for selecting suitable breeds for the agro-climatic conditions of Assam to enhance egg production and overall productivity. The findings provide useful field-level evidence for farmers, extension agencies, and development programmes to promote appropriate breeds for sustainable backyard duck farming and improved livelihood and nutritional security of rural households in Assam.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Debajit Deka, Arundhati Phookan, Ashim Kumar Saikia, Arfan Ali, Manoranjan Neog, Ranjit Kumar Saud (Author)
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