Study on the Performances of Rural Household Duck Rearing System at Some Selected Areas at Bakergonj Upazilla in Barishal

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to analyze the status of household duck rearing systems in a few selected locations in Bangladesh (Bakergonj upazilla, Barishal district). Aside from that, the farmers' socioeconomic conditions, the feeding system and availability of feed for raising ducks, the productivity of scavenging ducks, and the profitability of raising those ducks were all assessed. A questionnaire was used to collect information from 30 households (mainly women) who raise ducks in the research region using a direct interview method. The purpose of this study was to analyze the status of household duck rearing systems in a few selected locations in Bangladesh (Bakergonj upazilla, Barishal district). Duck rearing is primarily led by women in their 30s and beyond (68 percent) in the research region. Women grantees had varying levels of education, ranging from primary to higher secondary. The majority of duck farmers (30 percent) were determined to be uneducated. Fifty-five percent of farmers have access to arable land (Average 21 decimal). The average farm size was 5 acres, and the number of ducks lost was due to a variety of factors. Around 18% of farmers raised ducks with hens. The majority of farmers kept their ducks in bamboo cages, while the others kept them in houses constructed of wood, tin, straw, or mud. The proportion of mature ducks was highest (75.2%) in October–December and lowest (44.2%) in April–June. Ducks begin laying at 6 months of age and lay an average of 116 eggs per year. Egg production peaks in the winter, particularly following crop harvesting. Household consumption of ducks is greatest (52.3 percent) in Bakergonj Upazilla than in any other part of Bangladesh during the winter. Large farmers ate the most duck eggs (30.2%), while landless farmers ate the least (15.4%). Because it is readily available and inexpensive, around 78 percent of respondents fed their birds a mixture of boiled rice and rice polish. Ninety-two percent of those polled stated they do not spend money on extra feed. The death rate was 18 percent, with winter being the greatest (28 percent ). Ducks were vaccinated against duck plague on days 15 to 31 and 35 to 46 for the first dose and 35 to 46 for the booster dose. Approximately 63% of homes sold eggs to the local market, whereas 28% sold to the bepari. The average annual spending and income per duck were 186.15 Tk and 360.69 Tk, respectively, while the average annual expenditure and income per family were 1346.9 Tk and 2635.09 Tk.