author(s)
Dr. K Vignesh, Dr. A Serma Saravana Pandian, Dr. P Veeramani and Dr. M Prabu

abstract
Duck farming in India is characterized by nomadic, extensive, seasonal farming and it is still held in the hands of small and marginal farmers and nomadic tribes. A study was conducted with the objective of assessing the feeding practices and the productivity of duck farms in North Eastern Agro climatic zone. In Tamil Nadu, seventy percent of the duck population is concentrated in six districts namely, Kancheepuram, Thiruvallur, Villupuram, Cuddalore, Vellore and Thiruvannamalai, falling under northern agro-climatic zone. A sample of 100 duck farmers were selected for this study by proportionate random sampling method based on district duck population. The results of the study revealed that almost all the duck farmers fed their ducklings with supplementary feed (mostly rice and cumbu) up to one month of age. They gradually increased the particle size of the feed as well as the quantity of feed according to the age of the birds. Most of the egg-type duck farmers (56.92 percent) were following foraging alone to feed their ducks and 43.07 percentage of duck farmers were practicing foraging and supplemented feeding (Rice, paddy and cumbu) at lean seasons. Highest proportion of the duck farmers (70.00 percent) chose post-harvested paddy field as a major foraging area due to more availability of paddy field in the study area followed by lakes (11.00 percent) and others (19.00 percent). The study on productivity revealed that Weight of adult duck ranged from 1.2 to 1.5 kg with an average of 1.27 kg. In the flock of 1000 female birds, the average egg production was 300 eggs per day and the peak production was about 600 eggs per day. Egg production ranged from 80-150/ duck/ year and weight of duck eggs ranged from 55-62 g with an average of 58.04 g.