PHENOTYPIC DIVERSITY AND MORPHOLOGICAL CHARACTERIZATION OF LOCAL DUCK (ANAS PLATHYRYNCUS) IN THREE SELECTED DISTRICTS IN THE NORTHERN REGION OF GHANA

Abstract

The study aimed at analysing the demographic characteristics of duck farmers and phenotypically characterize ducks’ resource in the Kumbungu, Savelugu and Tolon Districts of the Northern Region of Ghana. One hundred (100) duck farmers were sampled from each of the three (3) districts, using snowball sampling method. Farmers were interviewed using a semi-structured questionnaire. Duck farmers were predominantly males with semi-intensive system been predominant. Majority of the farmers fed ducks with cereals. Eighteen, fifteen and twelves eggs were hatched from Kumbungu, Savelugu and Tolon respectively. Thirty (30) ducks were randomly sampled for weight and morphological measurement from each of the districts. Ten (10) ducklings of male and female from each of the district were randomly sampled from 45 hatched eggs from the three districts. They were reared for ten weeks. Body weight and morphological measurements were taken at every week and every two weeks, respectively. Five colour varieties were identified: Pure white, Black dominated white, Black with white stripes, White dominated faded black and White dominated pure black. The various colour varieties were not different (p> 0.05) in weight throughout the period of study. Sex was different (p<0.05) in weight throughout the period with males being superior throughout the period of study. There was no difference (p>0.05) in weight and morphological measurements throughout the period when it comes to the colour, and sex and colour variety interaction. There was a significant difference with sex in some of the morphometric measurements. Body length, foot length, neck length, thigh circumference and breast circumference were significantly different (p>0.05) with males having the highest values. With haematology, sexes of ducks were different (p< 0.05) in terms of Red Blood Cell, White Blood Cell, Mean Corpuscular Volume, MCH, Haemoglobin Concentration and Mean Corpuscular Haemoglobin Concentration with males having the highest values. The various colour varieties of the ducks were different (p< 0.05) in terms of RBC, WBC, MCV, HBC, MCH and MCHC. There were differences in all the carcass parameters measured in the various colour varieties of the ducks except Whole Gastrointestinal Tract weight. The interaction effect of sex and colour variety of ducks were different (p<0.05) in terms of Live Weight, Dressing Percentage, Breast Weight, Thigh and drumstick weight, Wing Weight, Neck Weight, Liver Weight, Abdominal Fat Weight, Gizzard Weight, Heart Weight and Whole Gastrointestinal Tract Weight. All the colour varieties of the ducks were different (p<0.05) in terms of colour, flavour liking, flavour intensity, taste, juiciness and the overall liking. The highest correlation of body measurement of on-station ducks was between neck length and foot length (0.803). The weights of the birds were highly correlated with body length (0.660). For correlation between weight and morphological measurements of on-farm animal based on sex, wing length was highly correlated with body length (0.815) in drake. Body weight of drake was highly correlated with neck length (0.4494). The highest correlation of body measurement of ducks was between breast circumference and bill length (0.6755). In ducks, weight was highly correlated with wing length (0.2942).