ture and store for 18 days.

On the 19th day, wash and hard-boil

the eggs. Finally, dip salted eggs in a solution or red dye.

DA-AMAD 8 Investment Guide Series

The next batch of eggs can be processed using the previous mixture, but add one canful of salt. Eggs are stored in a box
measuring 14 x 14 x 21 inches.

Duck Production
References:
Philippine Recommends for Duck Raising - PCARRD, DOST
LDC Technical Bulletin on Duck Raising
Tips on Duck Raising - LDC Publication

An Investment

DAAMAD 8
Investment Guide Series

DA-AMAD 8 Investment Guide Series

Department of Agriculture
Regional Field Unit No. 8
Bureau of Soils Building
Magsaysay Blvd., Tacloban City

Department of Agriculture - Regional Field Unit No. 8

Agribusiness and Marketing Assistance Division
2nd Floor, Soils Laboratory Building
Magsaysay Boulevard, Tacloban City

Duck Production

An Investment Guide

20

Agribusiness and Marketing Assistance Division

DUCK RAISING
Eggs with weak embryos take 18 to 20 days to be released;
these are hard-boiled and sold.

uck Raising is a lucrative livestock industry in the Philippines because of its egg. Its most important product, the
balut ( boiled incubated ducks egg) is sold daily throughout
the archipelago for its delicious flavor and nutritive value.

Duck raising is especially recommended in baytowns like

those bordering the shores of Laguna de Bay, where there are
abundant supplies of fresh water snails which make a good duck
food.
Ducks are generally raised for eggs but when snail food gets
scare, they are sold for meat.

KINDS OF DUCKS

When using kerosene or electric incubators for hatching ducks

eggs, maintain a temperature of 100OF and a humidity from 55OF
to 60OF.
Do not hatch duck and hens eggs together in one incubator as
duck eggs require a temperature of lof but a higher rate of humidity. A pan of water kept in the bottom of the incubator helps maintain humidity level.
During incubation period, turn eggs at least 3 to 4 times a day
to obtain better percentage of hatchability.

Egg-Type Ducks

Clean hatching eggs with slightly moist, clean rag before storing to prevent contamination of the developing embryo, or newly
hatched chicks.

Native or Pateros Duck

The native or Pateros duck,
commonly called itik, is the
most popularly raised locally.
Although, smaller than imported
breeds, they are good layers and
non-sitters. Their eggs are large.

How to make salted red eggs (Itlog na Maalat)

Eggs with fissues are sold as sariwa or fresh duck eggs. Eggs
with thin shells but have no crack are made into salted red eggs.

Its predominant colors are Native or Pateros Duck . . .

black and gray. Some are barred
(bulek), others are known to have white
feathers mixed with black/gren. Males have coarser heads and
heavier bodies than females. Males emit shrill high-pitched
sounds. They have curly feathers on top of their tails.
Females emit low-pitched quaking sounds. Their tail feathers
lie flat or close to the bodies.
Duck Production

Eggs intended for hatching are left in the balutan for 28 days
when duckling will hatch. After 20 days, palay bags are not
heated anymore since embryos can generate enough heat to keep
them warm.

An Investment Guide

Dip eggs in a mixture of salt, garden soil, and water. As a

starter, put 3 canfulls of salt (using common powdered milk can)
to 1/2 pail of garden soil that have been strained. Add water
gradually.
Stop adding water to soil when mixture sticks to your fingers
when you dip these in the salty muck. Coat eggs with soil-salt mix-

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19

In all commercial duck hatcheries, determining the sex of duckling

is done at the age of 2 to 3 days.

Balut Making
Select duck eggs using the pitik system-tap eggs with the fingers to cull out with cracks or thin-shelled. Eggs with cracks have
hollow sound; thin-shelled eggs have brittle sound.
Only thick-shelled eggs are used for balut making because
these can withstand stresses of egg placement and removal in cylindrical baskets called toong. These lare open on both ends, 34
inches high and 21 inches in diameter; spaces around are filled
with rice hull up to 4 inches from the brim. Ideally, eggs made
into balut should not be older than 5 days from the time these are
laid by ducks.
Heat is needed to develop the embryos. Roast or heat palay to
a temperature of 107OF or 43OC in an iron vat or cauldron. Remove palay when you can still hold the palay in your hand when
you remove it.
Egg bags are then placed in the toong; these are alternated
with heated palay bags. The number of heated palay bags is one
for every egg bag. However, place two heated palay bags on the
bottom and two on the top level of the toong to ensure heat conversation.
For every toong containing 10 layers of eggs, you should need
13 bags of roasted palay. Each toong can hold 10 bags or tikbo.
Cover with jusi sacks to conserve heat further.
Candling is the process of holding egg against the hole of a
lighted box in a dark room to separate infertile eggs from fertile
one. Infertile eggs are called penoy; thse are also boiled like balut
but fetch a lower price.
First candling is done on the 11th day after eggs are placed in
toong. Candling is again done on the 17th day to separate eggs
with dead embryos (abnoy) and those that are ready to be sold as
balut.

Duck Production

An Investment Guide

18

Khaki Campbell Duck

Khaki Campbell ducks
have characteristic brown
color, have extremely active habits, do well in good
range and show little desire
in swimming. These ducks
are good layers; they lay as
many as300 or more eggs
a year which are fairly large,
thick-shelled and weigh 70 to 75 Khaki Campbell ducks . . .
grams each.

Commercial Hybrid Duck

The worlds first hybrid eggtype duck known as CV2000 was
developed at Cherry Valley Farms,
England. It has white plumage and
lays its egg at about 20 weeks of
age. The body weight at point of
lay is about 1.5 kg. On the average, this duck could lay 285 eggs
up to 72 weeks of age, with a mean
egg weight of 75 kg. This ducks
cam be distinguished by their pure Cherry Valley ducks . . .
white feathers. Hier eggs are either
white or greenish.

Agribusiness and Marketing Assistance Division

The main clinical signs are lethargy, spasmodic paddling of

feet, sudden death, and high mortality rate. It only affects ducklings
below four weeks old. On necropsy, the constant lesion is enlargement
of the liver with hemorrhages of various sizes.

Indian Runner
This breed originated in the
West Indies, but its egg production capability was developed in Western Europe. This
duck assumes a very erect normal posture with an almost
straight neck. The back is long,
straight and narrow. An adult
male weighs about 2.1 kg
while and adult female weighs
about 1.8 kg. the egg production characteristics of this
breed resemble that of Khaki
Campbell.

Control. This viral disease can be controlled by strict sanitation and vaccination of healthy flock.
TABLE 2. RECOMMENDED MEDICATION AND VACCINATION
PROGRAM
* During the laying period, sulfa drugs should not be given unless very necessary

Indian Runner ducks . . .

Age

Type of Medication

1-7 days

Antibiotic or sulfa drug

preparation

Drinking water

Prevention against bacterial

infections such salmonellosis,
collibacilosis and staphyloccosis

8-14 days

Antibiotic-vitaminmineral mixture

Drinking water

To increase resistance of ducklings against bacterial infections

21-28 days

Multi-vitamins

Drinking water

To increase resistance of ducklings

2 months

Antibiotic-vitaminmineral mixture

Drinking water

May be given only during stressful condition, e.g. change in

climate

4 months

Antibiotic-vitaminmineral mixture

Drinking water

May be given only during stressful condition, e.g. change in

climate

4.5 months

Fowl cholera Vaccine

Intramuscular or subcutaneous injections

Give antibiotic vitamin-mineral

mixture 3 days before and 3 days
after vaccination to combat stress

Laying
months*

Antibiotic-vitaminmineral mixture

Tsaiya
This breed was developed
in Taiwan. The original color
ranges from black in the neck
to pure white. Due to farmers
preference, the brown breed
was selected and raised as a
major variety, while the white
variety was developed for the
production of male ducks ( Hybrid of Mallard and Muscovy).
Tsaiya ducks has small body
size. An adult female weighs
about 1.30 kg while the adult
male weighs about 1.4 kgs.
They could lay about 207 eggs
in 360 days.

Duck Production

Tsaiya ducks . . .

An Investment Guide

Preferred Route of Administration

Drinking water

Remarks

Given only when needed

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17

sulfa drug therapy.

Meat-Type Ducks

Prevention. This disease can be prevented by a) strict sanitation;

b) thorough and frequent cleaning and disaffection of feeding and watering troughs; an c) cleaning, drying, and draining of liter and
ground.

Viral Diseases
Two dreaded viral diseases of ducks which have not been confirmed locally but present in most neighboring countries are duck
plague and duck hepatitis. Disease outbreaks of these nature may have
occurred locally but not properly documented. Guides for the recognition of these diseases are given below. Suspected outbreak should be
reported immediately to the Bureau of Animal Industry, Department of
Agriculture.

1. Duck plague. This is an acute contagious disease of ducks of

all aged, characterized by sudden onset, high mortality and extreme
weakness. It is caused by a herpes virus acquired usually by direct
contact or ingestion of contaminated feed and water.
The significant clinical manifestations are sudden onset, extreme
weakness, lethargy, loss of appetite, watery diarrhea, soiled vent, eye
and nasal discharges labored breathing decreased egg production,
and high mortality rate of 40-80%. The important lesions are hemorrhages throughout the body which are more pronounced in the visceral
organs.

Control. This viral disease can be controlled by a) vaccination of

healthy ducks; b) strict sanitation; c) immediate isolation of sick
ducks; and d) high level antibiotic vitamin mineral-medication.
2. Viral hepatitis. This is an acute highly contagious viral disease of ducklings below four weeks old. It is characterized by short
incubation period, sudden onset, and high mortality rate of up to
900/0. it is caused by a virus and transmitted usually through direct
contact or ingestion of contaminated feed and water.
Duck Production

An Investment Guide

16

Muscovy Duck - Meat Type

Muscovy duck (palo) is
easily identified by its carunculated face or red, knobby
nodules along the eyes and
above the base of the bill.
Muscovy is a heavy breed.
It has plump body and yellow
skin. It has three varieties :
the white, the colored and the
blue.
Unlike other breeds, Muscovy ducks prefer to stay on
Muscovy Duck . . .
land. They are good foragers,
so they require less care and
can subsist on what they can
pick up in the field supplemented only with palay and corn.
Muscovy has low egg production but is more self-sustaining than
Pateros duck. It hatches her eggs in 33 to 35 days.
The objection to this breed is its tendency to fly far away from
home and get lost. It is therefore necessary to clip their flight feathers
regularly. Clip only those of one wings to re move the birds balance
in flying.

Pekin Duck
Pekin duck is a native of China belonging to the meat type of
ducks. Sometimes it is mistaken for a goose because it carries its body
rather upright. It is docile and well-adapted to Philippine climate.
Pekin ducks are good layers, and ducklings are ready for market
Agribusiness and Marketing Assistance Division

at 2 or 3 months old.

neck in stooping position. Other signs are ventro-lateral recumbency with twisted head and neck, depression, weakness,
loss of appetite, absence of egg production, and excessive
intake of water (polydypsia). Sick ducks do not smeared with
feces and dirts. Mortality is lower than that of tanga but
morbidity may reach 90%.

HOUSING
Build your duck house in
a quiet, cool place and near
as possible to a stream or
pond. Local materials like
bamboo, nipa and cogon are
cool.
Provide each duck with
at least 3 to 4 square feet of
floor space. Cover the floor
with rice hulls, corn cobs,
Pekin Duck . . .
peanut hulls or similar materials to keep it dry and
clean and help prevent
spread of pests and diseases. A house of 100 ducks measures 4x4 meters and 3 meters high or high enough to let a man stand inside.
You may provide a swimming pond 10 feet wide and 20 feet long
for 50 birds. However, the pond is not necessary in duck raising as
they lay just as many eggs without it.
House ducks in groups according to size or age to facilitate management and to avoid quarrels common among ducks of different ages.
Older ducks tend to push out younger ones from feeding troughs.
Separate duck houses from one another by bamboo fences low
enough to go over them from one pen to another. Fence should extend
down to the shallow edge of the water to prevent ducks from straying
away too far.

Tuyo is the chronic from of dapa characterized by

progressive emaciation and dehydration, weakness, poor appetite, and ruffled skin and bone condition; hence, the term
tuyo. Tuyo usually occurs after an outbreak of dapa and
persist for weeks or month before death.
Buto-buto is another chronic from of duck cholera characterized by hard swelling of the leg joints (bony prominences). It can persist for long periods. Affected ducks may
have limping gait and left behind when flock is driven away.

Treatment. It can be treated by high level antibiotic

and sulfa drug therapy.

Prevention. This disease can be prevented by a) strict

sanitation; b) thorough cleaning of feeding and drinking
troughs; c) provision of fresh and clean water at all times; d)
immediate isolation of sick ducks; and e) vaccination with
polyvalent vaccine.

2. Salmonellosis. This is a destructive disease of ducklings caused by Salmonella anatum and S. typhimurium characterized by sudden collapse, diarrhea and dehydration ruffled feathers, dry sunken eyes, and leg swelling. It is principally transmitted through direct contact and ingestion of contaminated feed and water.

SELECTION AND MATING

Treatment. It can be treated by high level antibiotic or
Duck Production

An Investment Guide

Agribusiness and Marketing Assistance Division

15

can cause adverse effects on the health and production of

the ducks.

Maintain good production and health records.

Supervise good production and health records.

Avoid mixing new stock to the flock. Quarantine newly arrived ducks for at least two weeks. Outbreak of disease may
occur through introduction of sick or carrier ducks.

Some important duck diseases confirmed reported to

be present locally are as follows:

Bacterial Diseases

Select vigorous breeding stock. Select breeders when birds

are about 8 weeks old, and again at 4 to 5 months old before
they are placed in breeding pens.
Eggs for hatching purposes should come from ducks not less
than 7 months old to ensure better fertility, hatchability and livability of offspring.
Drakes (male duck) should have the same age as ducks or
even a month older. They should be raised separately from
ducks. They are put together only when ready for mating.
One drake maybe mated to 6 to 10 ducks. Heavier breeding,
however, should have a closer ratio of males to females than
light breeds.

Duck are susceptible to a number of bacterial infections. In

most cases , mixed infection with two or more pathogenic microorganisms were isolated, thus making specific diagnosis difficult.

Pateros ducks start laying when they are 4 to 6 months old.

Muscovy and Pekin ducks start laying at 6 to 7 months old.

1. Duck Cholera. This is the most common disease in most

duck farms, it is an acute or chronic, localized or generalized infectious disease with high morbidity and mortality rates. It occurs
in four forms based on clinical manifestations named locally as
tanga, dapa, tuyo, and buto-buto. It is caused principally by
a microorganism known as Pasteurella multicidal, but other pathogens like Salmonelia, Especherichia, Clostridium, and Aspergillus
have been implicated. Duck cholera can be transmitted by direct
contact, ingestion of contaminated feed and drinking water, and by
blood-sucking insects particularly mosquitoes.

HATCHING

Clinical Sign. Tanga is the most acute form of the disease.

The ducks may die suddenly, assuming a ventral recumbent position
with extended head, open eyes in a staring manner, and open
mouth. Some dead ducks may appear like statues and only close
scrutiny will reveal that they are dead mortality ranges from 7090%.
Dapa is characterized by egg-laying posture with head and
Duck Production

An Investment Guide

14

The period of incubation for duck eggs is 28 days, except

Muscovy which is 33 to 35 days. Breeds of ducks that have high
degree of laying are non-sitters and their eggs are hatched
through artificial incubation.
The Muscovy is a natural mother. She hatches and breeds
her own duckling with none or little assistance from man. Native
or Pateros duck is a non-sitter, so her eggs are incubated under
the native method of incubation called balutan.
The balutan or hatchery is a simple one-room house made of
bamboo, wood or hollow blocks and roofed with nipa or galvanized iron. Or some convert the first floor of their house into
balutan, commonly called kamalig or barn. It is provided with
only one door to avoid drafts; some have windows that are
opened only during hot months. Its floor is of hard earth or conAgribusiness and Marketing Assistance Division

them with same medication.

crete and covered with 3-inch layer of rice hull.

Egg containers are wooden boxes (kahon) measuring 4x4x4 feet.

CARE OF DUCKLINGS
Ducklings need to be brooded or warmed either by natural or artificial method until they are one month old. Most ducks are nonsitters and are not expected to brood. Hens maybe made to sit on
duck eggs and brood ducklings.
After removing duckling from incubator, transfer them to hardening boxes. Place these boxes in the brooding room that is draft-free
and rat-proof. If boxes are not available, raise duckling on strawcovered floor. Woven bamboo mat or sawali maybe used as floor
mat.
Heat is necessary when brooding duckling at least during the first
week. When nights become cooler, especially during the months of
January and February, artificial heat maybe necessary for at least 10
days. Kerosene lamps or electric bulbs maybe used for brooding.
The brooder should have a temperature of 95 degrees F for the
first week; 85-90 degrees F for the second week; 70-85 degrees F for
the third week; and 70 degrees F for the last week.
The behavior of ducklings is a good indicator whether brooding
temperature is correct. Duckling huddle close together toward the
source of heat when temperature is low; scattered or spread evenly
when temperature is correct; but panting and moving away from the
source of heat when temperature is too hot.
A good brooding area is at least 1 square foot per duckling during the first week. Increase the area by about 2 square feet every
week until the fourth week.
When ducklings show signs of sickness, add 3 tablespoons of
Nexal for every gallon of water for 2-3 days. Skip or withdraw after 3
Duck Production

An Investment Guide

Keep the farm and its surroundings clean. Ducks should

be provided with clean and dry litter and well drained
areas.

Provide well-ventilated with dry flooring or litter. Do not

overstock the animals in the pen.

Secure constructed buildings so that dogs, cats, rats and

other possible diseases vectors cannot enter.

Burn or bury dead ducks as soon as possible to avoid

flies from breeding on the decomposing matter. This will
also prevent infected maggots from being eaten by ducks.

Minimize activities that can cause stress to the ducks and

thus lower their production.

Prohibit delivery trucks and visitors from entering the

production areas as disease organisms are often introduced into the farm by these delivery vehicles and/or visitors.

Install footpath in strategic locations to prevent entry of

infective agents into the farm.

Vaccinate ducklings against duck cholera with prevalent

bacteria if available. Give antibiotic-vitamin mineral supplement to suppress build-up of bacteria infection and
improve the ducks health condition.

Spray the animals with insecticides at least once a year to

control lice and mites, beetles and other arthropods that
can cause annoyance to the ducks.

Avoid giving decomposed food such as shrimps, fish, and

meat which may contain virulent microorganisms or their
toxins.

Make sure that palays are free from insecticides which

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13

Ducks are most resistant to diseases than chicken and

other fowls. Losses from various causes can be minimized
through proper management, adequate appropriate feeding and
housing, strict sanitary practices, and effective prevention medication and vaccination program. However, even with all precautionary measures, substantial losses are incurred in duck farming
operation due to various causes. Duck diseases are those caused
by pathogenic viruses, bacteria, fungi and parasites while noninfectious types are due to chemical poisons, toxins, inferior feed
or ration and environmental factors.

Useful Tips in Preventing Duck Diseases

Some tips to prevent ducks from being infected by diseases are
as follows:

Purchase stock from reliable sources or hatcheries.

Raise only healthy stocks. Sick birds should be culled

immediately and disposed properly to avoid spread of
infection.

Feed ducks with balanced ration. Ducks fed with unbalanced ration are prone to diseases.

Provide cool, fresh, and clean drinking water at all

times. Clean waterers at least once a day. Highly polluted water is detrimental to the ducks health and can
affect overall performance.

Provide clean and dry feeders at all times. Wet feeders

are prone to the growth of yeasts, harmful bacteria and
harmful molds which are sources of mycotoxin, ocratoxin
and other related toxins. Since ducks are highly susceptible to aflatoxicosis, the above activity should be strictly
followed.

days. Then continue fro another 3 days. Terrarnycin poultry formula can also be used. Follow instructions on the package carefully.
To prevent Avian Pest Disease, immunize your ducks with
Avian Pest Vaccine.

DETERMINING THE SEX

Ducklings are sexed before placing in the brooder. This is
done by pressing the region of the crop inward, and with two fingers, press the vent slightly outward. By this process, the male
organ protrudes and is exposed to view, while in the female, this
remains flat.
If you desire to fatten extra males for meat purpose, raise them
separately from females. When ducklings are 6 weeks old, they
can be transferred from brooder to growing house. Transfer the
layers to laying house when they are 4 months old.

FEEDING
Feed duckling with wet starter mash for 8 weeks. Native ducklings raised the native way are fed moistened boiled rice for the
first 33 weeks, 4 to 5 times a day. During the first few days, give
feed at night. Start giving water in drinking troughs or fountains
on the 2nd day. On the fifth day, add finely chopped small shrimps
to boiled rice. Increase their feed as ducklings grow older.
At the age of one month, feed ducklings with tiny fresh water
snails and boiled unhulled rice or palay. Give only enough feed to
be consumed as they tend to spoil when left long in the troughs.
Mashed feed for ducklings is composed of corn, soybean meal,
fish meal, dried whey, rice bran and oyster shell and bone meal

Keep ducks of the same age in the same pen and provide

Duck Production

An Investment Guide

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Agribusiness and Marketing Assistance Division

with vitamin-mineral supplements. Feed one can to 6 weeks

old ducklings with starter mash with 10-20% crude protein;
for 6-week old to four months old duckling feed with grower
mash with 16% crude protein; and 4-month old ducks and
above with layer mashor ration with 16% crude protein.

using Focal Indigenous Feedstuffs

* Starter ration is given when ducks are 1 day old to 6 weeks only.
Starter
Ration
% in Ration

Grower
Ration
% in Ration

GrowerDeveloper
% in Ration

Finisher/
Layer
% in Ration

Ground Yellow Corn

45

40

40

40

Rice Bran

25

33

33

33

Grated Coconut

10

Ipil-ipil Leaf Meal

Shrimp Meal

23

19

16

Salt

0.5

0.5

0.5

0.5

Vitamin-Mineral
Premix

0.5

0.5

0.5

0.5

100

100

100

100

Ingredient

If mashed feed is preferred, give only enough to be consumed quickly at one time for 10 to 15 minutes. Wet mash
tends to spoil when left long in the hoppers. If feed is given at
an intervals, ducklings learn to eat more readily and their appetites developed to stuff themselves in between drinking, digest food quickly and be ready to eat at their fill for the next
feeding time.
Four to five feedings a day are sufficient for ducklings
over 2 weeks old. Provide plenty of clean, fresh water as
ducks drink after every mouthful of food.
Ducks are wasteful and slovenly while feeding. Provide
proper adequate feeding hoppers to prevent much waste o
food.
Fine gravel or grits are necessary for graing ducks to help
them grind their feed. After th 5th week, give green feeds such
as chopped kangkong leaves, camote, ipil-ipil and legumes at
least three times a day. 10 grams of chopped green leaves per
duck per day.
As a feed saving device, the pellet system of feeding has
been introduced in duck nutrition. Pellets of each kind of feeds
are recommended but the size of particles must be suitable to
ducks age.

Table 1. Sample Ration for Different Growth Stages of

Ducks
Duck Production

An Investment Guide

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DISEASE PREVENTION AND CONTROL

Agribusiness and Marketing Assistance Division

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