Characterization of domestic duck production systems in Cambodia
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A survey was conducted among 99 farmers in Kampong Cham, Kampot, Odar Meanchey, Rattanakiri and Siem Reap provinces in Cambodia to determine the different duck production systems and to differentiate the phenotypic characteristics of ducks in different provinces. The majority of farmers interviewed were men aged between 40 and 50 years. The illiteracy rate among these farmers is less than the national average of 26.4. Rice is the main agricultural crop in all five provinces, 71.7 percent of the farmers rear cattle/buffaloes and 53.5 percent keep pigs along with their ducks. The average flock size is highest in Siem Reap province (204 birds/flock) and lowest in Kampot (10.4 birds/flock). Across all the survey provinces, about 25.2 percent of the farmers stated that poultry numbers have decreased over the last five years. 70.7 percent of the farmers purchase birds from outside, from nearby markets, neighbours or commercial farms. They prefer to buy ducklings rather than adults, and they do not have any particular selection criteria. About 93 percent of the farmers provide some kind of housing for their birds, usually constructed mainly from simple materials available on-farm. Although the birds depend on scavenging, 95 percent of the farmers provide extra feed. Very few farmers use the available veterinary facilities, and disease is reported as the main cause of mortality. In general, the labour involved in managing and marketing the birds is almost equally divided between men and women. The results of multivariate analysis indicate that ducks in Odar Meanchey province are clearly separated from those in all other populations. The most similar populations are those of Kampong Cham and Siem Reap. A comparison of the distances among ducks and chickens indicates that there is even greater diversity in ducks than chickens in Cambodia.