Evaluation of growth performances and carcass traits of white pekin ducks reared on different depths of bedding materials (Rice husk) after 42 days

Bedding materials and depth of beddings are vital elements for litter management, which could directly or indirectly alter the growth performance of poultry. In the poultry industry, duck meat is the second most widespread poultry sector in the world after chicken meat, and Pekin ducks have become the most efficient broiler duck type popular in the Asian region. This study aimed to investigate the appropriate depth of bedding material (rice husk) for Pekin ducks by evaluating growth performance and carcass traits after 42 days of age.

A total of 288 One-day-old White Pekin ducklings were randomly allotted to four experimental groups with different depths of bedding (i.e., 4 cm, 8 cm, 12 cm, 16 cm) and euthanized on day 42. Body weight (BW) and feed intake were measured weekly after recording the initial body weight at the beginning. Average daily gain (ADG), average daily feed intake (ADFI), and feed conversion ratio (FCR) were calculated from the collected data. Eventually, samples were collected for analyzing carcass traits, meat color, the proximate composition of leg and breast meat, and footpad dermatitis on day 42.

On day 42, reared Pekin ducks with 16 cm bedding depth recorded higher (P< 0.05) BW, ADG, ADFI, and reduced FCR values compared to those that were raised at 4 cm, 8 cm, and 12 cm depths. Moreover, BW had a difference (P< 0.05) for each week and 16 cm was the highest followed by 12 cm, 8 cm, and 4 cm. Furthermore, the proximate analysis resulted in a difference (P< 0.05) between crude fat content, while 16 cm (1.02%) and 4 cm (2.11%) depths showed the lowest and the highest values respectively. Notably, the redness of breast meat was shown a difference (P< 0.05), and 16 cm had higher mean values. Although carcass traits and footpad dermatitis were not different (P> 0.05), 16 cm had a 90.30% of dressing percentage for carcass traits, and RH1 had a 0.66% of footpad dermatitis score. However, mortality was not observed difference (P> 0.05) for the 42 days.

The study confirmed that the depth of the bedding materials directly or indirectly affected the growth performance of Pekin ducks, and 16 cm bedding depth could be recommended as the best bedding depth for rearing White Pekin ducks.

     

Key words: depth, color, footpad, fat, performance.