PRODUCTION PERFORMANCE AND MORPHOMETRIC PROFILING OF LOCAL DUCK BREEDS IN DELTA STATE

The waning number of Nigerian indigenous ducks in recent years especially those raised in Delta State have become a serious cause for concern as production is noticed to be on the decrease, improvement efforts insignificantly low and conservation highly necessary especially with the increase in demand for alternative protein sources of animal origin. Using a cross-sectional survey, data was collected from 150 duck farmers through structured questionnaires while data on morphometric characters were recorded from 150 ducks across sixteen (16) LGAs in three senatorial districts of Delta State. The resulting data was analyzed for means through descriptive statistics and subjected to ANOVA using SPSS. The result revealed that 67.33% of duck farmers were concentrated in the rural areas while 32.67% were urban dwellers. Females were seen to be more slightly involved in duck farming, representing 55.37% of the farming population as compared to their male counterparts covering 44.67%. Farmers in the age bracket of 55 years and above dominated ownership with 48.67% with the age group 16-30 years participating less with 16.67% score. About 53.33% of the farming population attained primary education followed by 26.67% with tertiary education. Personal savings (63.33%) dominated as the primary source of capital, with limited reliance on family support (30.00%) or grants (6.67%). About 49.30% of ducks were primarily kept for food while 38.67% was raised for income generation. The impact of religious views on duck production (4.00) made one of the key challenges duck farming face in the area. Morphometric analyses revealed considerable diversity in sex, plumage, body weight, and length. This study concludes that strategic interventions especially farmer education on status, phenotypic characteristics and sustainable management practices, are essential to enhance the productivity and survivability of indigenous ducks in Delta State