Studies on Duck Nutrition

PREVIOUS studies on duck nutrition conducted in this laboratory (Scott and Heuser, 1951, 1952; Scott et al., 1957; Heuser and Scott, 1952) have shown that Pekin ducklings are capable of maintaining normal growth and satisfactory efficiency of feed utilization when fed simple, high-energy rations. When these rations were supplemented with adequate levels of known vitamins, especially niacin, no significant improvement was obtained upon further supplementation of the rations with fish meal, fish solubles, whey, distillers solubles or other sources of unidentified chick growth factors. Furthermore, supplemental methionine in these simplified rations produced no improvement in growth or efficiency of feed utilization. Although growth and efficiency of feed utilization were satisfactory, it was noted that the market quality of the ducklings produced on these high-energy rations was unsatisfactory because of the excessively high fat content of the eviscerated duck carcasses. In view of this, studies were undertaken to determine whether alterations …