Effect on growth performance of ducks of supplementing a basal diet of rice bran with water spinach, duckweed and ensiled taro leaves
P Sengsouly, V Visem, I Sangkhom and T R Preston*
Faculty of Agriculture and Forest Resource, Souphanouvong University, Lao PDR
ssl.souphanouvong@gmail.com
*Finca
Ecológica TOSOLY, AA 48 Socorro, Colombia
Abstract
There was studied in a Randomized Completely Block
Design (CRBD) arrangement with 6 treatments in a 3*2 factorial 03 replicates.
Factors were: duckweed, water spinach or taro leaf silage mixed with rice bran
(50:50 DM basis) and duckweed, water spinach or taro leaf silage separated ad
libitum with rice bran at 4% of live weight (DM basis). There were 72 of Muscovy ducks raised in the
4 ducks per pen, made from bamboo and wood.
Let he Three of fresh green
feeds were lower in DM and higher in crude protein compared with rice bran. The
proportion of the diet DM consumed as supplements was better in the duckweed
compared with water spinach or taro leaf silage and was higher in the mixed
than separated system. The supplements of feeds were increased the growth rates
on both feeding system, with apparent differences between the three
supplements. Growth rates were better for duckweed in the both of system than
water spinach or taro leaf silage. Feed DM intake was higher for the supplement
with duckweed compared with other supplements and was differences among the
both of system. DM feed conversion was better on water spinach among mixed
system and was better on duckweed with separated compared with other
supplements.
Keywords: Crude protein, feed
conversion, green feeds, , supplements, silage
Introduction
Poultry production is a
common activity in Southeast Asia, and is a major source of livelihood for over
a million people in the rural areas. In the last two decades, Asian duck
production has become increasingly important, accounting for up to 87% of
the world's duck population, and duck meat and egg production has increased
more than four times (Chein Tai and Jui-Jane Liu Tair 2001).
Ducks are reared traditionally by poor farmers for
their livelihood. Duck production is one component of integrated
farming systems which are regarded as being part of a sustainable development
in agriculture. They can be integrated with rice, orchards, cash crops,
livestock and fish (Bui Xuan Men 2010). Thus, the stakeholders not only can
develop their livelihoods without accumulating debts, but also can get extra
income through off-farm and non-farm activities (Le Thanh Phong et al 2007).
At smallholder level, many farmers have not enough
money to buy the high quality protein sources such as fish meal and soybean
meal that are the basis of intensive live stock feeding systems. However, they are
able to grow many plants the leaves of which are relatively high in protein.
Examples of these potential protein sources are the foliages from duckweed,
water spinach, cassava, Taro and sweet potato.
Duckweeds (Lemna spp) sre small green plants
belonging to the family Lemnaceae. They grow on natural pond surfaces. They are
fast growing and when adequately fertilized may contain up to 40% protein in DM
(Porath et al 1979; Bui Xuan Men 1995; Skillicorn et al 1993; Leng et al 1995).
Duckweed protein has a well-balanced array of essential amino acids, better than
most vegetable proteins (Table 1) and closely resembles animal protein
according to Culley and Epps (1978).
Water
spinach (Ipomoea aquatica) grows in marshy or wet sandy areas or
floating on water in many parts of tropical regions in the world (Bruemmer and
Roe 1979). The plant has creeping, hollow, water-filled stems and shiny green
leaves, and large purple or white 2-5 cm long funnel-shaped flowers. It is used
as human food and animal feed throughout Southeast Asia (Gohl 1975). The fresh
leaves and stems contain from 20 to 31 % crude protein on a DM basis (Bui Huy
Nhu Phuc 2000; Ly Thi Luyen and Preston 2004; Prak Kea et al 2003; Chhay Ty and
Preston 2006; Chhay Ty et al 2007; Phiny et al 2008; Sokha et al 2008), with a better
balance of essential amino acids than soybean (Table 1).
Taro
(Colocacica esculenta) is a tropical
food crop with high potential because of the high yield of the roots (or corms)
and foliage. The leaves are rich in protein and are easy to ensile (Rodríguez
et al 2009), a process which has been shown to reduce markedly the
concentrations of calcium oxalate (Du Thanh Hang and Preston 20--), an anti-nutritional
compound that causes irritation of the skin and mouth and can be a limiting
factor in consumption of the fresh leaves according to Tiep et al (2006). Silage
made from the leaves and stems of Taro was successfully fed to ducks by Giang
et al (2010) and Chhay Ty et al (2011).
The
objective of the present study was to evaluate three vegetative plants as
potential sources of protein for ducks fed a rice bran basal diet.
Material and methods
Location
The
experiment was conducted from December 2011 to February
2012 in the farm of the Faculty of Agriculture and Forest Resources, Souphanouvong
University, Luang Prabang province, Lao PDR.
Experimental treatments and design
Growing
ducks were fed a basal diet of rice bran and assigned to 6 treatments in a 3*2 factorial
arrangement with 3 replicates in a Completely Randomized Block Design (CRBD). The
factors were source of supplement and feeding method:
Source of supplement:
· Water spinach (WS)
· Duckweed (DW)
· Taro leaf silage (TS)
Method of feeding:
·
The rice
bran and supplement (S)
·
Mixed rice
bran with supplements (M)
Animals and housing
Muscovy ducks (n=72)
of about 1 month of age were raised in pens (4 ducks per pen) made from bamboo
and wood (Photo 1) with dimensions of: width 0.5 m, length 0.5 m and height 0.5
m. There were spaces in the pen floor to let the feces go through.
|
|
|
|
Photo 1. Muscovy ducks and
experimental house |
|
Feeding and management
The
ducks were adapted to the experimental feeds for one week before collection of
data. For the separate feeding system the rice bran was restricted to 4% of LW
(DM basis) and the supplements given ad libitum. For the mixed system
the ratios were 50:50 (DM basis) of rice bran and supplements. The ducks wre
vaccinated against bird flu before the experiment started.
The
duckweed and Taro leaves were collected from areas around the University where
they were growing naturally. The water spinach was planted in the University
farm. Rice bran was bought from the market. Feeds were offered three times per
day at 07:00 am, 11:30 am and 16:30 pm; water was freely available.
Taro leaves were made into silage. After harvest the leaves were chopped into small pieces of around 2-3 cm of length and exposed to sunlight for 24 hours to reduce the moisture before making the silage. The ensiled taro was contained in plastic bags and stored for 14 days before being fed to the ducks.
The
leaves and stems of water spinach were combined and chopped into small pieces
before feeding. Water was freely available.
|
|
|
|
|
Photo 2. Duckweeds |
Photo 3. Water spinach being
chopped before feeding |
Photo 4. Making taro leaf
silage |
Data collection and analyses
The ducks will be
weighed at the start and afterwards at 7days intervals. Feed offered and
refused will be recorded daily. Samples of feed offered and refused will be
taken every 7 days to determine N following procedures of AOAC (1990) and DM by
micro-wave radiation (Undersander et al 1993).
Statistical analysis
Growth rates and feed
intake of the ducks will be calculated as the linear regression of live weight
(Y = g) on time (X = days). The data will be analyzed by the General Linear
Model (GLM) option of the ANOVA software of Minitab (version 13.31). Sources of variation are: Feeding method,
supplement, interaction of feeding*supplement and error.
Results and discussion
Chemical composition
Duckweed,
taro leaf silage and water spinach were lower in DM and higher in crude protein
than rice bran as energy source (Table 1).
|
Table 1. Chemical composition of feed ingredients |
||
|
|
DM, % |
CP in DM, % |
|
Rice
bran |
89.0 |
11.4 |
|
Duckweed |
9.60 |
23.6 |
|
Taro
leaf silage |
21.6 |
22.7 |
|
Water
spinach |
13.7 |
23.7 |
Feed intake
The
proportion of the diet DM consumed as supplements was better in the case of
duckweed compared with water spinach or taro leaf silage. For the feeding
system was higher in the mixed system than separated system (Table 2; Figures 1
and 2).
|
Table 2. Mean values of feed intake, live weight gain and DM
feed conversion for ducks fed a basal diet of rice bran and supplements of
duckweed, ensiled Taro leaves or water spinach weight, as complete mixed diet
or with rice bran and supplements given separately (Main effects) |
|||||||||
|
|
Feeding system |
|
|
Supplements |
|
|
|||
|
Mixed |
Separate |
SEM |
P |
DW |
TS |
WS |
SEM |
P |
|
|
DMI |
127 |
46.6 |
2.72 |
<0.001 |
104 |
65.9 |
91.9 |
3.33 |
<0.001 |
|
ADG |
23.7 |
7.92 |
0.688 |
<0.001 |
19.2 |
11.3 |
17.0 |
0.844 |
<0.001 |
|
FCR |
5.44 |
5.95 |
0.193 |
0.042 |
5.49 |
6.03 |
5.57 |
0.0157 |
0.15 |
|
|
|||||||||
|
|
|
|
Figure 1. Proportions of dietary
ingredients consumed by ducks when all were offered as a mixed diet |
Figure 2. Proportions of dietary
ingredients consumed by ducks when the dietary ingredients were offered
separately with rice bran controlled at 40 g/kg live weight |
Growth rate and feed conversion
The
supplements of fresh green feeds were increased the growth rates on both
feeding system (Table 3; Figure 3), with apparent differences between the three
supplements. On average, growth rates were better for duckweed in the both of
feeding system than water spinach or taro leaf silage as protein sources. Feed
DM intake was higher for the supplement with duckweed compared with water
spinach or taro leaf silage and there were differences among the both of
feeding system (Mixed and separated) (Figure 4).
DM
feed conversion was better on water spinach among mixed system and was better
on duckweed with separated system (Figure 5) compared with other supplements,
but there were no differences between both of feeding system.
|
Table 3. Mean values of feed intake, live weight change and
DM feed conversion for ducks fed a basal diet of rice bran and supplements of
duckweed, ensiled Taro leaves or water spinach weight, as complete mixed diet
or with rice bran and supplements given separately |
||||||||
|
|
Mixed |
Separate |
SEM |
Prob. |
||||
|
|
DW |
TS |
WS |
DW |
TS |
WS |
||
|
Live
weight, g/day |
|
|||||||
|
Initial |
775 |
842 |
721 |
846 |
717 |
700 |
59.2 |
0.026 |
|
Final |
2200 |
1708 |
2050 |
1392 |
948 |
1099 |
76.2 |
<0.001 |
|
ADG,
g |
27.6 |
17.1 |
26.5 |
10.9 |
5.44 |
7.43 |
1.19 |
0.031 |
|
DM
intake, g/day |
146 |
97.1 |
140 |
61.1 |
34.7 |
44.0 |
4.70 |
0.015 |
|
FCR |
5.36 |
5.66 |
5.28 |
5.61 |
6.40 |
5.86 |
0.27 |
0.67 |
|
|
|
|
Figure 3. Effect of feeding system
on live weight gain of ducks fed rice bran and supplements of duckweed, water
spinach or Taro leaf silage, as mixed diet, or with ingredients given
separately with rice bran controlled at 40 g/kg live weight |
Figure 4. Effect of feeding system
on DM feed intake by ducks fed rice bran and supplements of duckweed, water
spinach or Taro leaf silage, as mixed diet or with ingredients given
separately with rice bran controlled at 40 g/kg live weight |
|
|
|
Figure 5. Effect of feeding system
on DM feed conversion of ducks fed rice bran and supplements of duckweed,
water spinach or Taro leaf silage, as mixed diet, or with ingredients given
separately with rice bran controlled at 40 g/kg live weight |
The
results of the present experiment indicate that there were differed of
consuming in term of both system but
were supported growth rates better when the diets combined with duckweed gives
similar performance to water spinach among mixed with the diets when compared
with separated system. The positive effect on growth of a supplement of taro
leaf silage was supported poor growth rate when compared with experiment of
Giang et al (2010) who used the taro leaf plus stem with rice bran in term of
both of feeding system. However, in the report of those authors the growth rate
represented 26.3g/day and 24.5g/day of live weight gain compared with the
levels of 17.1g/day and 5.44g/day in the present experiment. There is an urgent
need to carry out growth response studies with Muscovy ducks supplemented on
taro leaf silage with molasses or taro leaf plus stem no molasses to improve
the growth rates.
Conclusions
·
Duckweed
or water spinach was better than taro leaf silage as supplements for ducks.
·
Supplementation
with duckweed or water spinach among mixed system can be supported growth rate
better than separated system with rice bran as basal diets.
Acknowledgements
The
senior author expresses his gratitude to the MEKARN program financed by the Sida-SAREC
project for providing the opportunity and the budget to do the research. Thanks
are also given to Souphanouvong University, Faculty of Agriculture and Forest
Resource for providing infrastructure support and laboratory assistance.
References
Boyd C E 1970 Vascular aquatic plants for
mineral nutrient removal from polluted water. Economic Botany 24: 95-103
Bruemmer J H and Roe B 1979 Protein extraction from water spinach (Ipomoea aquatica). In:
Proceedings of Florida State
Horticultural Society 92, pp 140-143.
Bui Huy
Nhu Phuc 2000 Tropical
forages for growing pigs. Digestion and nutritive value.
Doctoral thesis. Swedish University
of Agricultural Sciences. Uppsala, Sweden.
Bui Xuan Men , Ogle B
and Preston T R 1995 Use of duckweed (Lemna spp) as
replacement for soya bean meal in a basal diet of broken rice for fattening
ducks. Livestock Research for Rural Development.
Volume 7. Number 3http://www.lrrd.org/lrrd7/3/2.htm
Chein Tai and Jui-Jane Liu Tai
2001 Future
Prospects of Duck Production in Asia. J. Poult. Sci., Vol. 38: 99-112. (2001), from http://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/jpsa/38/1/99/_pdf
Chhay T, Borin K and
Preston T R 2007 Effect of mixtures
of water spinach and fresh water hyacinth leaves on growth performance of pigs
fed a basal diet of rice bran and cassava root meal. Livestock
Research for Rural Development. Volume 19, Article No. 194. http://www.lrrd.org/lrrd19/12/chha19194.htm
Chhay Ty and Preston
T R 2006 Effect of different ratios
of water spinach and fresh cassava leaves on growth of pigs fed basal diets of
broken rice or mixture of rice bran and cassava root meal. Livestock
Research for Rural Development. Volume 18, Article No. 57. http://www.lrrd.org/lrrd18/4/chha18057.htm
Culley D D Jr and Epps E A 1978 Use of duckweed for waste
treatment and animal feed Journal water Pollution Control Federation. Volume 45:.(2):.337-347
Giang N T, Preston T R and Ogle B 2010 Effect on the performance of
common ducks of supplementing rice polishings with taro (Colocacia
esculenta) foliage. Livestock Research for Rural
Development. Volume 22, Article #194. Retrieved
February 21, 2012, from http://www.lrrd.org/lrrd22/10/gian22194.htm
Giang N T, Preston T R and
Ogle B 2010:
Effect on the performance of common ducks of supplementing rice polishings with
taro (Colocacia esculenta) foliage. Livestock Research for
Rural Development. Volume 22, Article #194. http://www.lrrd.org/lrrd22/10/gian22194.htm
Göhl 1975 Tropical
Feeds. FAO Animal Production and Health Series. No
12. (see: http://www.fao.org/ag/ AGA/AGAP/FRG/afris/default.htm)
Le Thanh
Phong, Henk M J Udo, Martinus E F van Mensvoort, Roel H. Bosma, Le Quang
Tri, Dang Kieu Nhan and Akke J van der Zijpp 2007: Integrated Agriculture-Aquaculture Systems in the
Mekong Delta, Vietnam: An Analysis of Recent Trends. Asian
Journal of Agriculture and Development, Vol. 4, No. 2, from http://www.searca.org/ajad/archives/v-04/02/ajad_v4_n2_phong.pdf
Men L T, Ogle B, Son V V and Preston T R 2010: Evaluation of water spinach (Ipomoea aquatica) as a
protein source for Ba Xuyen and Large White sows. Livestock
Research for Rural Development. Volume 22, Article
#70. http://www.lrrd.org/lrrd22/4/leme22070.htm
Le Thi
Men 2006 Genetic and
nutritional diversity of sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas), water spinach (Ipomoea
aquatica) and water hyacinth (Echhornia crassipes) and their
potential as pig feeding in the Mekong Delta of Vietnam. Workshop
on Forages for Pigs and Rabbits. MEKARN-CelAgrid, Phnom Penh, Cambodia,
22-24 August 2006. Article #3.
http://www.mekarn.org/proprf/lemen.htm .
Le Thi Men, Yamasaki S, Caldwell J S, Thuan T K,
Yamada R, Khoa D V A and Takada R 2002 Effect of rice based balanced
resources and the water hyacinth in diet on pig production in Tan Phu Thanh
village, Cantho province. Proceeding of the final workshop of JIRCAS Mekong
Delta project, 1http://www.ctu.edu.vn/institutes/
mdi/jircas/JIRCAS/research/workshop/Pro02/C22-%20Evaluation.pdf
Leng R A, Stambolie J H and Bell R 1995 Duckweed-Potential high
protein feed resource for domestic animal and fish. Livestock
Research for Rural Development. Volume 7.
Number 1: 36Kb. http://www.lrrd.org/ lrrd7/1/3.htm
Ly Thi Luyen and
Preston T R 2004 Effect of level of
urea fertilizer on biomass production of water spinach (Ipomoea aquatica) grown
in soil and in water. Livestock Research for Rural
Development. Volume 16, Article No. 81. http://www.lrrd.org/lrrd16/10/luye16081.htm
Minitab 2000 Minitab Software Release 13
Pheng Buntha, Khieu
Borin, Preston T R and Ogle B 2008 Digestibility and nitrogen balance studies in pigs fed diets with
ensiled taro (Colocasia esculenta) leaves as replacement for fish meal.
Livestock Research for Rural Development. Volume 20, Article # 68. Retrieved ,
from http://www.cipav.org.co/lrrd/lrrd20/mekarn/bunt
20068.htm
Phiny C, Ogle B,
Preston T R and Borin K 2008 Growth
performance of pigs fed water spinach or water spinach mixed with mulberry
leaves, as protein sources in basal diets of cassava root meal plus rice bran
or sugar palm syrup plus broken rice. Livestock Research for
Rural Development. Volume 20, supplement. http://www.lrrd.org/lrrd20 /supplement/phin2.htm
Porath D, Hepher B and Koton A 1979 Duckweed as an
aquatic crop: evaluation of clones for aquaculture. Aquatic Botany 7:221-287
Preston T R 2006: Forages as protein sources for
pigs in the tropics. Workshop-seminar "Forages for Pigs and Rabbits" MEKARN-CelAgrid,
Phnom Penh, Cambodia, 22-24 August, 2006. Article #2 RetrievedFebruary 21, 112, from http://www.mekarn.org/proprf/preston.htm
Prak Kea, Preston T R
and Ly J 2003 Feed
intake, digestibility and N retention of a diet of water spinach supplemented
with palm oil and / or broken rice and dried fish for growing pigs. Livestock Research for Rural Development. Volume 15, Article
No. 60. http://www.lrrd.org/lrrd15/8/kea158.htm
Skillicorn P, Spira W and Journey W 1993 Duckweed aquaculture, a new
aquatic farming system for developing countries. Word Bank publication, WA., USA, pp.1-7
Sokha T, Preston T R
and Borin K 2008 Effect of different
protein levels derived from mixtures of water spinach and fresh sweet potato
vines in basal diets of broken rice or cassava root meal and rice bran for
growing pigs. Livestock Research for Rural Development.
Volume 20, supplement. http://www.lrrd.org/lrrd20/supplement/ sokh.htm
Tiep P S, Nguyen Van
Luc, Trinh Quang Tuyen, Nguyen Manh Hung, Tran Van Tu 2006 Study on the use of Alocasiamacrorrhiza(roots
and leaves) in diets for crossbred growing pigs under mountainous village
conditions in northern Vietnam. Workshop-seminar
"Forages for Pigs and Rabbits"
MEKARN-CelAgrid, Phnom Penh, Cambodia, 22-24 August 2006. Article # 11. Retrieved February 8, 107, from http://www.mekarn.org /proprf/tiep .htm