Author : Afable, Felix A.

Summary : Growth performance and slaughter characteristics of eight-week old growth-fattening University of the Philippines Los Ba¤os (UPLB) white Muscovy duck were observed for 16 weeks to determine the effects of low plane nutrition and natural climatic stress in a coconut-based farming system. In terms of average weekly body growth and average weekly feed consumption, a significant difference was observed in favor of palay-sea urchin meal-chicken grower mash ration (Treatment 3). Carcass yield revealed heavier ready-to-cook cut-up parts, more lean, skin/fat, and bones of the same ration. However, average proportion of yield among treatments based on live weight was not significant. Likewise, it was observed that ducks, specially those in Treatment 1, could survive with low nutrition level severe climatic stress. Economic analysis revealed the highest returns above feed cost from ducks fed with 50:50 palay-coconut press meal ration (Treatment 1). The birds fed with palay-sea urchin meal and coconut press meal (Treatment 2) ranked second and Treatment 3 showed the least profitablity incurring a loss of P 2.39 per duck.