Use of Duckweed (Lemna perpusilla) as a Protein Source Feed Item in the Diet of Semi-Scavenging Jinding Layer Ducks

Abstract

An experiment was conducted for a period of 75 days at farmers house to investigate the effect of feeding duckweed (Lemna perpusilla) that replaced conventional protein supplement mustard oil cake (MOC) in the diets for Jinding ducks. The experiment included a total of 84 laying ducks with four treatments and three replicates and seven ducks per replicate. The diets were based on rice by products where soybean meal and mustard oil cake as protein source. The control diet A contained 15% MOC and 5, 10 and 15% MOC was replaced with dry duckweed in diets B, C and D respectively. The birds were raised under extensive system and feeds were supplied two times daily before and after herded. The replacement of MOC by duckweed non-significantly depressed live weight gain (P>0.05), egg weight (P>0.05) and feed conversion efficiency (P>0.05) but significantly increased egg production (P<0.01) and profitability (P<0.01) through reducing production cost of feeding. Body weight gain and egg productivity showed a linear declining trend as the proportion of duckweed in the diet was increased. Considering economic benefit it may be recommended to replace MOC by duckweed up to 15% level in the diet of laying duck.