|
|
Improving of some productive traits on ducks
|
|
Abstract: This study was carried out at the Research Station for duck at EL-Serw of animal production Research institute,. Agriculture Research Center. Domiaty duckling were used in the study. At 18 weeks of age birds kept under 4 light intensity treatments to be L 1.5, L l0, L 45 and L 90 Lux provided by incandescent bulbs, 10, 40, 100 and 200 watts and all birds were exposed to 17 hours light/day by using artificial light supplemented to natural day light to be one hour in early morning before sunrise and the rest was added at the sunset. Birds were housed in two different sex ratios, 4 ♀ : 1♂ or 6 ♀ : 1 ♂(
The total number of ducks used in this experiment was 456 females and 96 drakes (first experiment), in addition to 80 female and 24 drakes (second experiment) were used. Birds were fed ad-libitum, a starter (0-6 weeks), a grower (6-18 weeks) and a layer diets (18-60 weeks).
This study aimed to investigate the effects of intensity of supplementary light, sex ratio and laying period on some reproductive traits and blood constituents.
The obtained results could be summarized as follows:
First experiment:-
(1) Egg number/duck:
- The ducks had supplementary light of 10 Lux had significantly (p<0.01) the best value of egg number/duck and the poorest one was that of the control.
- The S2 (6: 1 resulted in significantly (p <0.0l or p <0.05) better values of egg number/duck than S1 (4:1(
(2) Egg weight (g(
- The light intensity and sex ratio had no obvious effects on egg weight at 20-60 weeks of age.
(3) Egg mass/duck (g(:
- The light treatment, L10, L45 and L90 significantly (p <0.01) increased egg mass/duck at the experiment than the control group.
- The S2 (6:1) had significantly (p<0.0l) higher egg mass/duck than with S1 (4:1)
(4) Laying rate:
- The supplementary light of intensity from 10 to 90 Lux significantly (p <0.01) improved laying rate than the control.
- The housing ducks under sex ratio 6: 1 resulted in significant (p <0.01) increase in laying rate.
(5) Feed consumption/duck (g):
- The increasing of supplementary light intensity from 1.5 up to 90 Lux
significantly (p <0.01) increased feed consumption.
- The feed consumption/duck at the whole experimental period (20-60 wks) of ducks kept under sex ratio S2 (6: 1) was significantly (p <0.01) more than that of those of S1(4: 1).
(6) Feed conversion ratio (g feed/ g egg(:
- The increasing of the intensity of light intensity significantly (p <0.01) improved feed conversion for egg production.
- The ducks kept under sex ratio 6: 1 had significantly (p <0.01 or p< 0.05 better feed conversion than those of 4: 1.
(7) Fertility percentage:
- The fertility of eggs was significantly (p < 0.01) improved with increasing the intensity of supplementary light from 1.5 up to 90 Lux.
- The sex ratio S2 (6: 1) significantly (p < 0.05) improved fertility in comparison to that of S1 (4:1).
- The fertility percentage of the eggs produced at the 4th, 5th and 8th months of laying was significantly (p <0.01) better than that of the 3rd month.
(8) Hatchability percentage on the basis of fertile eggs:
- The hatchability percentage on the basis of the fertile or total eggs set were significantly (p <0.01) improved with elevating the intensity of supplementary light.
- The sex ratio 6: 1 significantly improved hatchability on the basis of fertile (p<0.05) or total set eggs (p<0.01) than the 4:1.
- The month of laying had significantly (p <0.01) effects on hatchability percentage where it reached its maximum at the 5th month of laying.
(9) Reproductive organs measurements:
- The light intensity and sex ratio had no significantly effects on all studied reproductive organs except absolute and relative weight of oviduct where they varied significantly with sex ratio.
(10) Egg quality traits:
- The light intensity had no significant effects on egg shape index, shell thickness and absolute and relative albumen and yolk weight.
- The egg quality traits studied did not obviously affected by sex ratio,except yolk weight
- Most egg quality traits studied were significantly changed with age advancing during the laying season.
(11) Blood plasma constituents:
- The light intensity significantly (p <0.05) affected plasma total protein and globulin at 40 weeks in males and at 60 weeks in females.
- The LH and FSH concentration at 40 and 60 weeks of the two sexes did not obviously changed according to light intensity except for LH in females at 40 weeks.
- The sex ratio had no effects on LH and FSH in the two sexes at 40 and 60 weeks of age.
Second experiment:(1)
Semen quality traits:
- The increasing of supplementary light intensity from 1.5 up to 1 0, 45 and 90 Lux resulted in significant improvements of most semen quality traits studied.
The advancing of age during laying season significantly improved most semen quality traits studied.
)2) Fertility percentage:-
-The increasing of light intensity than 1.5 Lux had significantly (p < 0.01) positive effects on fertility percentage.
The fertility (%) of eggs at 40 weeks old was significantly (p <0.01( less than those at 32 and 60 weeks of age.
(3) Hatchability percentage:-
- The increasing of light intensity than 1.5 Lux to be 10, 45, or 90 Lux resulted in significant improvement of hatchability (%) on the basis of fertile or total eggs.
- The hatchability (%) values obtained at 40 weeks were significantly better than those of 32 and 60 weeks of age either calculated on the basis of fertile or total eggs set.
CONCLUSION
The obtained results show that:
The increasing the intensity of supplementary light for the flock of Domiaty duck breeders during the laying season to 10 Lux had in general considerably positive effects on their reproductive performance. In addition, males were positively responded also by producing semen of better quality during the laying season and hence maintaining the good fertility of the produced eggs.
The number of females per each drake can be increased from 4 to 6 for obtaining good reproductive performance and then save about 9-10% of the drakes required for natural mating.
|
| Publication year |
2005
|
| Pages |
PP. 130
|
| Availability location |
مكتبة معهد بحوث الانتاج الحيوانى-شارع نادى الصيد- الدقى- الجيزة
|
| Availability number |
924
|
| Organization Name |
|
| Country |
Egypt
|
| Author(s) from ARC |
|
| Agris Categories |
Animal physiology - Nutrition
|
AGROVOC
TERMS |
Artificial light.
Ducks.
Egg hatchability.
Feed consumption.
Feed conversion efficiency.
Fertility.
|
| Proposed Agrovoc |
light intensity;incandescent bulbs;egg number;egg weight;egg mass;
|
| Publication Type |
PhD Thesis
|